July 9th, 2007

Published 16th Aug 2007

Fore room:

(Lowering and raising the mast) The stagbroder is set first and then the forestay, for this it is necessary to use a watch tackle.

A wooden club is needed! The axe is too dangerous. The safety catch on the shroud-pin can’t be found so we make one with a seizing, a clove hitch and many turns around.

(Rowing) It is hopeless to turn round in the foremost thwart.

(Setting and lowering sail) It is important that the main brace is used to ensure that the yardarm comes on the right side of the forestay.

(Reefing) When there are 2 ropes from below, there is a need to move the crowfoot to the bowline higher up but then the sail has to be lowered further down.

(Tacking) Bowline orders: “Set the bowline”, “let go”, “Pay out a little on the bowline”, not “slacken the bowline".

 

Midship room:

(Rowing) The mast has been laid down and we shall have a rowing experiment. As many oars are to be wielded as possible. It is not immediately possible to row in A2, A3 and A4 because the cordage from the mast is in the way.

The midship room has manned A1, 0, F1, F2, F3, F4 to starboard and port, in all 12 places.

(Considerations) in A5 and A6 the life-rafts are taking up the space. I am surprised that A7 is not in use, even though fenders, cordage. etc are in the way.

(Rowing) 11:30 a.m. It is now time to row with every other oar, this means 13 oars on each side. Now we are trying to clear A3 and move the shrouds out to the side. It makes a rather narrow thwart but it’s usable. A 7 has now also been cleared and is being used for rowing. (2.4 knots)

(Lowering and raising the mast) The mast is set again.

Now we set the new broad parrel on. It is a little difficult to assess how tightly it should be tied to the mast. Are the ropes long enough?

The backhanded knot has to be moved over the cross on the yard. Remember this at the beginning next time.

(Setting and lowering sail) When the sail is set, we still need to get the middle sheet fixed. It was taken off while the mast was down. We set a reserve rope in the sail as a middle sheet and manage to tie the real middle sheet fast. There is a bit of fumbling, the blocks are facing the wrong way and we have to repeat the procedure.

The result is, however, that we find a better way ro tie the strap around the mast and the mast-partners so that it sits closer to the mast and does not get in the way of the two knees on the side of the mast-partners.

(Considerations) After we had reefed twice from below, I came to wonder how one might be able to find room in the eyes, should it be necessary to reef once more!! Is it possible to tie the one up??

(Considerations) 3 p.m. When we have come in. We hold a short room-meeting.

We must. Each and all of us, be more aware of all the ropes that we employ and see that they are sitting correctly and functioning properly. For example, there was the matter of the middle sheet and a yard tie that had placed itself over the clamp to the heaving-line on the yard and hence had begun to pull the sail crooked.

The rowing went well.

We must try to avoid that other rooms with the best will in the world take over with reefing. It often goes wrong with incorrect bindings.

Remember to gather up cups etc and put them in their correct container!

A short discussion as to whether we should make a plan for the shared work tasks that we have (washing up, food etc.) but we agreed that it works well with the voluntary arrangements that we have. One does what needs to be done and it has worked really well so far.

 

Halyard room:

Rowing experiments and sailing.

(Other manoeuvres) The ship has not been emptied for 2 days. After the sailing, we pumped approx. 400 strokes = approx. 200 litres.

(Rowing) It is not possible to row from the rafts and foreward to the mast.

(Reefing) We should all try how to reef a sheet so that we know which knots tie best.

(Setting and lowering sail) We must find a better way to haul down the parrel, for example with a toggle and block.

(Reefing) Two quick ropes in the port side of the sails need to be changed. They have become too short!!

(Communications) What about having an English sailing-day so that we can learn all the English terms?

(Rowing) When raising the mast, we make the two aftermost shrouds loose so that they can tighten the backstay.

(Rowing) We only reef the clew. The midship room looks after the middle sheet.

 

After room:

(Setting and lowering sail) We use too must effort on the halyard (dragløberen). The extra rudder collides with the dragløber.

(Reefing) When we reefed the sail, it was full of wind. We must let the sail “live”, i.e. flap so that there is no pull on the sail.

(Lowering and raising the mast) It was a very small tackle that was used to set the main stay up today.

(Atmosphere) Good atmosphere but now we want to get going.

(Comfort) People snore!

(Personal equipment) One man wants to try with a tent-cover as a protection against the rain.

(Camp) Spangeleid is a fine place to spend 6 days, not least because of the tremendous hospitality.


Created by Claus Laage-Thomsen