I've finally gotten around to typing my journal!
But first, I'll tell a bit about today. Crew was rather fun, though there really wasn't much work to do today. After Crew, though, I got to sail on a friend's boat, and that was really fun. And, er, that's about it.
17 August 2008 - Day 1
Got to LA! We found the Eagle then went to get lunch. Came back and I got my berthing area assignment and claimed my bunk. Which are rather small. Smaller than the sub (at MMSD), I didn’t think it was possible. Also had lockers, so I stowed my gear and went to the safety briefing. Salina and I stood watch at 7.00 to keep people off the ship. People asked us loads of questions, which luckily we were able to answer for the most part. I always answered the baggywrinkles question that everyone asks. =D In the evening we did an activity where we had to get into groups and hold hands randomly, then untangle ourselves. Team San Diego (as us four from the San Diego Maritime Museum came to be known) decided to prank the Californian, for we had inside information that they weren’t holding a watch that night. We decided we would Flemish coil the deck, for we were inspired by a rather spectacular Flemish coil on Eagle’s deck. 300 was showing on the mess deck so we went to watch that to try to stay awake (it didn’t especially help). Then we went on deck and told jokes. Yes. Eventually it was midnight and we left the Eagle (without any questions, despite there being guards) and came to where Californian was docked. We took off our shoes then climbed over the side and began to work. Mt coils were absolutely horrible, but it didn’t matter much. Just as we were finishing, though, Chuck comes up and sees us. He questions us then yells at us and we run like mad. We get back to the Eagle and quickly get to bed. It was really cold.
18 August 2008 - Day 2
Got up at 6.30 and mostly wandered about waiting for muster at 8.00. We had more safety talks in preparation for the up-and-over drill. I did it! Climbed to the main top with not the least bit of fear! Futtock shrouds aren’t nearly as intimidating as I thought they were. And the view was absolutely amazing! Climbing is so FTW! We came back down to the deck and learned how to belay the way they do on Eagle. Which is different from the Maritime Museum and rather confusing. Team San Diego came up and were all ‘Pfft! We know how to belay!’ and they were all, ‘No, wrong!’ They go around the pin anti-clockwise. It’s really weird. And now I hope I remember how to belay properly again. We had lunched and organised our berths then learned our sailing positions and masts. I was on the main. We did some linehandling training and I was on the braces. Of course, I was on the course and there were maybe four people, and then there were dozens on the royal. So we had to do a little bit of moving the loads of people on the royal and t’gallant to the course and tops’ls. After that we sat on the deck and relaxed a bit, then we carried many many blocks to the bosun’s locker. Then was dinner (with good pudding!), then waiting on deck for watch to begin and then watch. I had the 8.00 - 12.00 shift. On watch we learned what to do for a man overboard then relaxed on the fo’c’s’l teling ghost stories and the like. Unexpectedly, we had a man overboard drill!. We surprisingly did pretty well for our first go. Then we told more stories before waiting around to be relieved. It took the next watch for bloody ever. And it was freezing (and I forgot my Crew jacket, stupid me). But they finally arrived and we got to go to sleep. It was still cold, but not as bad as the night before. Didn’t sleep amazingly well, though.
19 August 2008 - Day 3
Got up and ready around 7.00, ate breakfast, and was five minutes late to watch but no one else was up there anyway. Waited around supposedly on watch for muster. By then most of my watch mates were up and about. We got assigned to new tasks and we were taught the sails, even though I already knew them ‘cos Eagle’s pretty much the same as the Star. But! The most awesomely brilliant thing ever! I got to climb to the t’gallant to unfurl! Now, the maintop seems high, and looking up from the deck t’gallant looks realy high, but not too bad. Actually climbing up there. Omg. It is seriously high. The hard part is actually getting there. Climbing that far for that long really puts a strain on your arms (especially since I have such little upper-body strength). And the futtocks aren’t nearly as bad as the crosstrees. Starting outboard on the main shrouds and working in makes you feel like there’s something under you. Coming from just the maintop on the t’gallant shrouds is really more vertical and you get the feeling of omgIcanfallanddie. By the time I got to the yard my arms were absolutely killing me. Finally being able to clip in (for we don’t while climbing, no point, really) was a bit reassuring and I was almost tempted to just lean back in my harness to give my arms a break (the lanyard’s so short, it’s not like you would fall), but I convinced myself not to. It was still amazingly difficult. We finally got the order to let fall and pushed the sail over. I climbed down pretty darn fast, anxious for a bit of a rest for my arms. We continued watch by sitting on the fo’c’s’l and even spotted a sunfish. We were relieved for lunch, after which I slept a while. Then all hands were called for sail training. Groaning I got/fell out of my bunk and went back on deck. It was lots of hard work hauling, my hands were bright red. (Reminding me that I need to get those calluses some time.) We got a ten minute break to get something to drink then it was back to work. We finally got free time, during which I napped.
Now, I actually stopped writing my journal then. (Just looking at it now, I was confused). I can’t remember (sorry for leaving this so late!) too much, but I think it’s safe to assume we had watch then I went to sleep and the next day we did some more hard work sailing into San Diego Bay. Once docked there was still a lot of work to do. Loads of lines were left off of the pins as people ran to do other work, so Salina and I went around and fixed everything up (only to discover later that they took them down again to do some adjustments). And there was a very long and disgusting garbage line, which I won’t go into too much detail about. Finally home in San Diego, I greeted my parents and we went to lunch at the E&C.
I’ll just say it was a spectacular event that I’ll never forget. Though now I’m absolutely determined to do that pull-up and be top qualified. I thought I could survive being just jibboom qualified, but after having a taste of what it’s like climbing aloft I can’t wait to do it again!
Now, that prank at the beginning of the trip had some repercussions (mostly for pranking one of our own ships), but I’m a bit tired of telling the story over and over again, so I’ll just say all is well and good now. Though I was told ‘It was a pretty funny prank-but don’t do it again!’
Photos can be found here, for I am too lazy to post them all individually. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures from the t'gallant, but I think Salina did so I'll ask her for them and post them when I get them.
In other news, I positively can't wait for SJA to start up. This series looks to be absolutely brilliant. And Mina Anwar! I believe I'm looking forward to seeing her in SJA just as much as the Brig! I still can't find The Thin Blue Line fandom.
And I might start using international code for chatspeak. Such as lima oscar lima (lol), or whiskey tango foxtrot (wtf). For it is just generally amusing.
17 August 2008 - Day 1
Got to LA! We found the Eagle then went to get lunch. Came back and I got my berthing area assignment and claimed my bunk. Which are rather small. Smaller than the sub (at MMSD), I didn’t think it was possible. Also had lockers, so I stowed my gear and went to the safety briefing. Salina and I stood watch at 7.00 to keep people off the ship. People asked us loads of questions, which luckily we were able to answer for the most part. I always answered the baggywrinkles question that everyone asks. =D In the evening we did an activity where we had to get into groups and hold hands randomly, then untangle ourselves. Team San Diego (as us four from the San Diego Maritime Museum came to be known) decided to prank the Californian, for we had inside information that they weren’t holding a watch that night. We decided we would Flemish coil the deck, for we were inspired by a rather spectacular Flemish coil on Eagle’s deck. 300 was showing on the mess deck so we went to watch that to try to stay awake (it didn’t especially help). Then we went on deck and told jokes. Yes. Eventually it was midnight and we left the Eagle (without any questions, despite there being guards) and came to where Californian was docked. We took off our shoes then climbed over the side and began to work. Mt coils were absolutely horrible, but it didn’t matter much. Just as we were finishing, though, Chuck comes up and sees us. He questions us then yells at us and we run like mad. We get back to the Eagle and quickly get to bed. It was really cold.
18 August 2008 - Day 2
Got up at 6.30 and mostly wandered about waiting for muster at 8.00. We had more safety talks in preparation for the up-and-over drill. I did it! Climbed to the main top with not the least bit of fear! Futtock shrouds aren’t nearly as intimidating as I thought they were. And the view was absolutely amazing! Climbing is so FTW! We came back down to the deck and learned how to belay the way they do on Eagle. Which is different from the Maritime Museum and rather confusing. Team San Diego came up and were all ‘Pfft! We know how to belay!’ and they were all, ‘No, wrong!’ They go around the pin anti-clockwise. It’s really weird. And now I hope I remember how to belay properly again. We had lunched and organised our berths then learned our sailing positions and masts. I was on the main. We did some linehandling training and I was on the braces. Of course, I was on the course and there were maybe four people, and then there were dozens on the royal. So we had to do a little bit of moving the loads of people on the royal and t’gallant to the course and tops’ls. After that we sat on the deck and relaxed a bit, then we carried many many blocks to the bosun’s locker. Then was dinner (with good pudding!), then waiting on deck for watch to begin and then watch. I had the 8.00 - 12.00 shift. On watch we learned what to do for a man overboard then relaxed on the fo’c’s’l teling ghost stories and the like. Unexpectedly, we had a man overboard drill!. We surprisingly did pretty well for our first go. Then we told more stories before waiting around to be relieved. It took the next watch for bloody ever. And it was freezing (and I forgot my Crew jacket, stupid me). But they finally arrived and we got to go to sleep. It was still cold, but not as bad as the night before. Didn’t sleep amazingly well, though.
19 August 2008 - Day 3
Got up and ready around 7.00, ate breakfast, and was five minutes late to watch but no one else was up there anyway. Waited around supposedly on watch for muster. By then most of my watch mates were up and about. We got assigned to new tasks and we were taught the sails, even though I already knew them ‘cos Eagle’s pretty much the same as the Star. But! The most awesomely brilliant thing ever! I got to climb to the t’gallant to unfurl! Now, the maintop seems high, and looking up from the deck t’gallant looks realy high, but not too bad. Actually climbing up there. Omg. It is seriously high. The hard part is actually getting there. Climbing that far for that long really puts a strain on your arms (especially since I have such little upper-body strength). And the futtocks aren’t nearly as bad as the crosstrees. Starting outboard on the main shrouds and working in makes you feel like there’s something under you. Coming from just the maintop on the t’gallant shrouds is really more vertical and you get the feeling of omgIcanfallanddie. By the time I got to the yard my arms were absolutely killing me. Finally being able to clip in (for we don’t while climbing, no point, really) was a bit reassuring and I was almost tempted to just lean back in my harness to give my arms a break (the lanyard’s so short, it’s not like you would fall), but I convinced myself not to. It was still amazingly difficult. We finally got the order to let fall and pushed the sail over. I climbed down pretty darn fast, anxious for a bit of a rest for my arms. We continued watch by sitting on the fo’c’s’l and even spotted a sunfish. We were relieved for lunch, after which I slept a while. Then all hands were called for sail training. Groaning I got/fell out of my bunk and went back on deck. It was lots of hard work hauling, my hands were bright red. (Reminding me that I need to get those calluses some time.) We got a ten minute break to get something to drink then it was back to work. We finally got free time, during which I napped.
Now, I actually stopped writing my journal then. (Just looking at it now, I was confused). I can’t remember (sorry for leaving this so late!) too much, but I think it’s safe to assume we had watch then I went to sleep and the next day we did some more hard work sailing into San Diego Bay. Once docked there was still a lot of work to do. Loads of lines were left off of the pins as people ran to do other work, so Salina and I went around and fixed everything up (only to discover later that they took them down again to do some adjustments). And there was a very long and disgusting garbage line, which I won’t go into too much detail about. Finally home in San Diego, I greeted my parents and we went to lunch at the E&C.
I’ll just say it was a spectacular event that I’ll never forget. Though now I’m absolutely determined to do that pull-up and be top qualified. I thought I could survive being just jibboom qualified, but after having a taste of what it’s like climbing aloft I can’t wait to do it again!
Now, that prank at the beginning of the trip had some repercussions (mostly for pranking one of our own ships), but I’m a bit tired of telling the story over and over again, so I’ll just say all is well and good now. Though I was told ‘It was a pretty funny prank-but don’t do it again!’
Photos can be found here, for I am too lazy to post them all individually. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures from the t'gallant, but I think Salina did so I'll ask her for them and post them when I get them.
In other news, I positively can't wait for SJA to start up. This series looks to be absolutely brilliant. And Mina Anwar! I believe I'm looking forward to seeing her in SJA just as much as the Brig! I still can't find The Thin Blue Line fandom.
And I might start using international code for chatspeak. Such as lima oscar lima (lol), or whiskey tango foxtrot (wtf). For it is just generally amusing.