Crew Blog

Freeze Frame

16 November 2007

Freeze Frame

At the end of a lengthy ocean race, the minds of the crew begin to stray from the usual channels of day-to-day living. Sailing, eating, and sleeping take a back seat to what food and drink one will take in, and how nice sheets and showers will feel. Focusing on the destination and not the passage slows the clock tremendously, as some Leg 1 crew proved. Thus, I thought for both your and my benefit, I would take a moment to observe the present in detail, to offer an insider’s perspective of an afternoon watch, and perhaps speed up the clock until I finish this blog.

So, where were we at 13:30?

Gordon was at the helm and after a rigorous kite to yankee change and a few egg sandwiches, he was poised for a long stint at the wheel. Hen sat next to him listening to her iPod and keeping tabs on Hull and Humber as they loomed a mere half mile astern. Jen multi-tasked impressively, tackling both trim and her laundry, with time to slurp down a tea. Duggie had some well earned sleep after a difficult night spent in a wind hole. Justyn did the same, gathering his strength for another potential 10 hour power watch at the helm. Hats off to him. Big Bird spent his first half-hour watch prepping himself for a birdnap, inevitably ending in a wake up call that will terrify both him and the unfortunate waker, as he will fairly spring out of his bunk in panicked alertness. In the saloon, Tony sorted out affairs on the home front on his now functioning cell phone, while V drowsily read from her book, both looking on as Al and I delicately packed the lightweight kite. And lest we forget the mother, Bob, who’s galley skills are rarely matched, cleaning up after an egg salad feast.

While there may have been tasks at hand, surely these minds (with the exception of Duggie, who is simply “not interested unless it makes the boat go faster”) wandered to our pending arrival in Durban and the fruits of our labor. Meanwhile, this watch, along with my time to sleep, passed by all too quickly as I worried about the topic of this blog, observed the past-present, and wrote about it. Surely the next watch will pass by like molasses in winter, as my mind settles back into the final stretch of the leg. Bon day from New York Clipper.

Nato Standard