Much progress was made today in preparation for the trip on the S/V Denis Sullivan. Quite a number of forms were filled out, emails sent, media access passes requested, and I even managed some packing of clothing.
Before you think I’m about to set off on a leisurely cruise on the Love Boat – complete with cabana boys retrieving umbrella drinks and rubbing my shoulders with sunscreen – let me explain a bit of what I’m about to experience…
Only one bag of gear can be brought, and it must fit onto my bunk. The bunk is your only “private” area on the ship, and that privacy consists of a thin curtain to close your bunk. The student interns and I will be working together in watch shifts. The Denis Sullivan using a Swedish Watch System of a group of 4-7 people who together rotate through the 24-hour operations of the vessel. The watches are rotated, and are four to five hours long. This goes on for 11 days! This means about every second or third day, I will be expected to be on watch in the middle of the night for those hours. It’s suggested we bring earplugs to tune out some of the noise in the day while trying to catch some rest.
Watch duties include water sampling, lab analyses, boat system checks, helmsmanship and seamanship, and assisting in the galley (kitchen). There are classes in chart reading, coastal piloting and celestial navigation. Education and the running of the boat are one and the same.
And cleaning. Lots and lots of cleaning to keep the wooden ship tidy and in good working order.
There is no smoking, no alcohol, and no audio equipment allowed. Another suggestion is to bring a journal, a deck of card, or books to read.
A generous donation of a “foulies” (which is a rainsuit for sailors) – was made by a good friend in the Seattle region – and are on their way via FedEx. While I certainly hope I won’t need the foul weather gear, at least now I’ll be prepared if I do. I’m quite certain putting a garbage bag over my head in a big storm would surely call me out as a true sailing novice…
