TEAM SA LOGBOOK - 5thMay - Ascension to Fernando Island

5th May 2009 - Chrissy Braun
4th sail leg from Ascension to Fernando Island and Natal, Brazil

Latitude: 6 degrees 53.46` S
Longitude: 16 degrees 44.55` W
Temperature: 28 degrees C
Speed: 6.5 knots
Nearest Coast: Ascension
Heading towards : Fernando
Sails set : Most sails were set in the morning but dowsed later today because we started motoring.

This morning, it was already really hot as we got up. I had to get up at 7 to meet with my galley group, Mitchel, Jenn, Marx, Dylan, Larah and Callagy. We set the tables and helped our cook Andy prepare our oatmeals while listening to music and dancing around in the mess room and the galley (our ship kitchen). Galley day is usually a very fun day with a lots of privileges but also many duties that differ from your everyday life on the ship. You have to be in the galley half an hour before meals to set tables. During mealtime, 2 people put food on the plates, 2 people serve, 2 people do dishes (meal and industrial dishes) and another person does whatever else needs to be done. After the meals everyone helps cleaning. You do this for breakfast, lunch and supper but due to being on galley you do not have morning clean, day watch or navigation watch and you get to do your laundry.

Today was quite a stressful day. Team SA had sail training again which was especially taught to us by John, the bosun, but because Marx and I could not attend this training session due to having to clean up as part of our galley duty, John was so generous to offer his free time in order to give us an hour of training later that day to cover what everyone else had covered before. He explained the setting and dowsing of the square sails and taught us a few seaman's knots. After this session, we had clubs which we could attend for an hour: there was self-defense (offered by Marx for 1st time), a music club and ethics in action which were all very interesting clubs and the good thing is that you do not have to stay in a certain club but you can try out one the one week and another the next week. Afterwards most of us spent our afternoon on day watch on which we worked some more on the deck caulking with the bosun’s mate Axel who is very funny and energetic and who appreciates hard work a lot. After all, many of us had quite a lot of free time in which we were able to relax on the mizzen deck or at midships in the sun.