SHAYA MOYA 12:58.985N 040:09.150W
Shaya Moya
Don & Susan Smyth
Sat 4 Dec 2010 14:59
|
Night Watch 04:00 - 07:00
At 03:55 I was torn from my favourite dream through
the worm hole back to a gloomy reality that is morning. Welcomed back by a
toe-pulling thug, who I eventually recognised as the skipper once the darkness
lightened. "Your watch," He mumbled. "Ok," which translated from early-morning
into English would mean something like " No, why me, why now, I don't wanna,
life's not fair, you're killing me... Aargh Damn! I'm Up!"
So one puts on ones shorts (Yes Mom, the same
shorts as yesterday) and fights ones way into a T-shirt ( to reduce chafing
from the life-jacket) even though its to damn hot to wear any clothes. Then the
daily wrestling match starts, to transform what has overnight transformed
into a spider's web back into what it was, namely, a life-jacket with way to
many straps and clips and cords and things that go between ones legs to cramp
ones style. Just as you want to start bathing the glory of victory, you look
down to see another opponent in the waiting... shoes with laces...argh. Ok,
ready for action, looking like a cross between G.I.Joe and an upside-down
mop I start to make my way to the cockpit through the galley resembling a smart
little kitchen in a submarine illuminated by the red night lights. Oops, almost
forgot my M.O.B (Man Over Board) bracelet, so it's back to the chart table to
fetch what looks like something Swatch will design as a hologram watch in the
future.
Once in the cockpit, you then realize that the
engine is running and that bad-dream sound, you thought would go away, wont.
"Nothing exciting going on, no squalls, been motoring for 2 hours on this
heading, keep this heading, if you can sail do, good night." the Skipper
orders as he resigns to the master cabin. "The Watch" is now mine and my
little deck-hand mind start to fantasize about being captain (at least for the
next 3 hours) and i find myself standing behind the helm staring into the
darkness. Then it's back to reality again and back to that spot in front of the
radar screen. No squalls, good. So now what?
This morning I ended up watching the
instruments, just staring at the boat speed as it rocked between 5.6 and
6.knots. Every now and then I could pry my gaze away from the speed to check the
wind which was waving around at 3 to knots for what seemed an eternity until,
suddenly, 10.0...11.1...12.3...11.2...12.0... Wind!! (later we would hear they
were and are the TRADE WINDS). I imagined myself shouting orders (to myself
of course, I wouldn't dare give orders up the ranks). "Hoist the sails!" So I
unfurled the Genoa patiently, whilst winching the sheet in, carefully, watching
(and listening) for any strain or snags. "Fill them with wind!!" I then
proceeded to ease the main sheet and watched closely as the boom started to sway
over the cockpit out to port (left). "Steady Lads Steady!" I sat back down in my
spot and let Shaya Moya adjust to her new arrangement, watching the speed...
6.3...6.5...6.8... knots and climbing. After a good 10 minutes I had calmed down
and started to do what others may call fiddle. Me and my sailing
comrades, of which I have few, call it trimming.
Sails trimmed, Shaya Moya perfectly balanced and
speeds up to eight knots; I looked back at the radar screen which also has a
small digital clock...04:30...04:30!!! I thought I was almost done. The rest of
my watch was spent, well... watching. It was a most enjoyable watch though
because what those of you who have never "watched" before don't realise is;on a
watch,once you are sitting quietly,motionless and just watching, boredom is
replaced by awe, an incredible respect for the power of nature and the joys
of getting the reins on her.
So i spent the other 2.5 hours with a warm " i done
it!" feeling until reluctantly waking the next watcher for duty. Hopefully he'll
look after my horses.
Reece ( Deck-Hand and the finder of Trade
Winds)
  Yesterdays
Sunset
King for a Day
  Fishing Team in action
Can
you see the Trade Winds
|