13:00.282N 061:14.743W Lost in the Log
Irene IV - World Adventure
Louis Goor
Fri 14 Jan 2022 22:58
| Stuart was late to the lunch table today! He apologized and announced that he was lost in the log! It takes a while for systems and protocols to be put in place on a boat with a new crew on a new passage . We are gradually learning what is important to each crew member and what can be let go. I like a quick response to the dinner (or lunch) bell! Yes, we have a very beautifully cast bell aboard that was given to me by Grandmum (the namesake of this boat, Irene Ronan). I have learned that without a nudge (bell), dinner gets cold as crew amble to the table in their own sweet time. Cooking is fun on a boat! The rolling, sudden jolts, bounces and bumps, add a level of acrobatics to the preparation of each meal. By the time dinner is ready a whole workout has been completed. As has been mentioned previously, Louis loves his flags. A flag maker and historian is called a vexillologist, a word deriving from the Latin, vexillum, a square flag or banner of the ancient Roman cavalry. Louis keeps the Red Dragon Flagmakers of Wales in business! Pretty much every flag on this boat has been made by Red Dragon Flagmakers. Each day at 08:00 the Ensign must be raised and at sunset it must be lowered. The tradition came about as the British Admiralty sought to cut costs by refraining from flying flags all night. The Ensign is the flag at the stern (back) of the boat that displays the country in which the boat is registered.  Angus hoists the Ensign at 08:00 hours, on Friday, 14th January  Louis hoists the Quarantine flag and the courtesy Bequia flag The ships log, in which Stuart was lost, is an important protocol, also perfected by the British Navy. The logbook records date and time, barometer reading, weather, course, speed, distance traveled, Latitude and Longitude positions, and other crucial information, like engine, generator, and water maker hours. Captain Stuart diligently updates the log throughout each day. Louis had a special logbook made by the English Logbook Company, for this trip, hand stitched and gold embossed, with a map of our travels on both the front and back endpages. Logbooks are now required by Maritime law and will be referred to in the event of an incident at sea. We are delighted to announce that the generator was fixed by our 2 onboard mechanics, so our travels can continue. Bravo boys! The morning coffee routine, taken from our land lives, continues aboard. Today, we rose at 06:00, to have a cup of coffee, before setting sail at 07:00. Some rituals are impossible to let go. As we sally forth on gentle seas, bound for Bequia, one of the Grenadine islands, we continue our work of observing our plastic use, finding alternatives, reusing what we can and discussing and documenting all of the above. Angus came up with a uniquely simple idea of using the rings at the top of the currently unavoidable 5 liter plastic water bottles, as napkin rings! It is our ambition to stop using these large water bottles as we become comfortable with the safety of our own water tanks potable water. Stuart has cleaned out the two tanks carefully and we have enriching magnesium powder to add. We are also discussing having water testing kits on board. It is surprising how much water needs to be consumed each day to remain hydrated. Sun and wind take their toll. We sailed through the night in light winds, with 2 hour watches each, Angus, 18:00-20:00, Louis 20:00-22:00, Sabine 22:00-00:00 and Stuart 00:00-04:00, then Angus again at 04:00am-06:00. The wind picked up after breakfast and we sailed a constant 7 knots until we arrived in Admiralty Bay, Bequia. Covid restrictions have us waiting while Captain Stuart negotiates with local authorities, his bag packed full with vaccination cards, PCR results, passports and lots of cash!   |