The Slanted Deck

Wednesday 5/22/2013

 

To my surprise sleeping in a bunk on a boat tilted to one side is not uncomfortable. The bunks have leeboards to keep the sleeper from rolling off. I simply rest my back against the leeboard or the side of the ship and sleep as usual.

I’m in my berth waiting for the 3:30AM wakeup call for “A” Watch. The Pride of Baltimore is tilted @ 15 degrees to the port side of the boat. (Port - left, starboard - right.) We were finally under sail somewhere in the Atlantic, east of the mouth of Delaware Bay. “B” and “C” Watch had raised sail sometime before midnight.

However, standing on a sloping deck is not easy, at least not in that first morning’s

darkness under sail. The boat is rocking as well as tilting. I can easily stand or walk around on the roof of a house with a 25 degrees slope with no problem. But this Wednesday morning it’s dark and the deck is moving beneath my feet.

The other four members of “A” Watch are standing in a circle, unconcerned about the sloping deck. Jill Hughes, the First Mate, has formed our muster in a part of the deck where there is nothing to hold onto. Even Erin, the only other guest crew in our watch, has no problem standing with ease; she has sailed as guest crew before on tall sailing ships. Mid-muster I have to back away from the circle to a place where I can hold onto a part of the boat. A little embarrassing but it’s better than stumbling into someone, or worse, falling down.

Jill is explaining what is to be expected during our watch. I can’t hear all of what she is saying, except the most welcome part – not much is expected to happen in the next four hours. The wind is steady at @ 15 knots (@ 17 miles per hour) from the southwest. Our watch will continue to steer the POB2 due east for at least the next four hours. This means there should be no sail changes which means no hard heaving on the lines controlling the sails. The most work we’ll have to do is hose the wooden deck down to keep the wood moist. Moist wood swells and will keep it water tight.

The POB2 will maintain her easterly course even though a straight line from the mouth of the Delaware Bay to Nova Scotia, our first destination, runs southwest to the northeast, almost parallel to the direction of the wind. Jill explains that the POB2 does not sail well with the wind directly on her stern. With the wind directly behind, the boat will sail more slowly and there is also the chance of an accidental jibe. If the wind abruptly shifts and if the

person at the helm is not diligent, the wind could get behind the mainsail and slam the boom violently across the centerline of the boat. Such a situation could possibly be dangerous to life and/or limb, and it’s always hard on the sails and rigging.
So on this morning we are on the Atlantic. Neither the coast nor other boats are in sight. This is what I came for. Even though I’m a little worn out from the events of yesterday, I’m still thrilled to be here. The watch goes easy this morning, as expected. There is lots of time for gabbing with my watch-mates, and for just contemplating the ocean, and the sky. When the watch ends, we go below for breakfast; then I go to my bunk.