It's Your Watch

Rocky Harbour, NFL

June 14, 2013

 

“Sweetie?”

“Babe?  It’s your watch.”

“Wha? Huh?  Wha’imesit?”

“It’s 3.”

“’Kay. . . . . . . .  I’ll get up.”

After our longest to date passage on our own boat (Cape May, NJ to Halifax, NS, Canada - 5 days, 10 hours ) we’ve had variations on this exchange countless times. 

At sea, Andante doesn’t stop.  She’s going ‘round the clock which means a part of the human crew has to make sure everything’s running smoothly.  We’ve gotten a routine that works for us based on 3 hour watches. We’ve found that 2 hours is too short a time for the off-watch to get sleep and 4 hours is too long for the on-watch person to stay awake!

We’re a little loose about keeping rigid times during the day but starting late afternoon, Russ will have a rest and I’ll fix dinner.  We eat together at our table with our handy little apple timer set for 10 minute intervals.  Every 10 minutes one of us gets up and has a good look around.  

Then it’s my turn from 9-12.  Russ from 12-3, etc.  Breakfast together and I go down for another nap.  Then we’re usually up together from lunchtime to late afternoon and then we go ‘round again. 

All of this can be interrupted by conditions.  If it’s rough, or a complicated sail change needs to happen, the off-watch person will get called up.  We also let the off-watch person know if we’re going forward of the cockpit.  So those hours of precious sleep can get interrupted.

So what do we do all day out there on the big sea?  Again, totally depends on conditions.  There are days Andante scoots along with never a sail change and it’s a smooth ride.  Then we can do boat chores, exercise, read, knit (that’s me) whatever floats our boat!  You have to take advantage of warm, idyllic days when they come ‘cause it probably won’t last.

And there are other days when you need both hands to hang on.  That’s when you’ll find us eating a one pot meal sitting on the floor at the bottom of the companionway steps because it’s the spot with the least motion!  About all you can do is make sure you eat and drink, and know it’ll soon end. You hope.

But always, we’re sailing the boat. That’s the job and it comes first. Russ is much better about tweaking the sails and playing with everything to get as much speed as possible.  I’m more of a set it and let it go type but working on getting better. After all it means we’ll get to wherever we’re going faster.

We’ve had people ask if we get bored.  Nope.  Fitted in around the sailing and other activities is the endless fascination of the sea.  From chaotic, gun-metal gray waves to deep blue rollers, it never fails to fascinate.  Add a few brilliant sunrises & sunsets, birds swooping & gliding inches off those wavetops, and you’ve got plenty of entertainment!  We haven't seen any whales on this trip but dolphins have accompanied us.

We had our first bird visitor on this last trip. I was sitting in our companionway (our sweet spot when we’re underway and it’s not nice out).  The dodger window was open and this little guy landed right in front of me.  A Canada Warbler, he was 30-50 miles from land and looked exhausted. 

 

A hop onto my shoulder and then he took up residence on Russ’ hat.  Head tucked under wing he took a short catnap, popped his head back out, looked around a bit and took off. We’re going to assume he made it somewhere!

Wishing you all fair winds and following seas!