Keeping Watch

On a passage aboard Sila, the biggest part of sailing is keeping watch. Each of us takes turn standing watch. I do a one-hour watch from seven to eight in the morning and a two-hour watch from noon to two. During these times, I do considerably more than check the horizon every few minutes for boats. I keep an eye on the sails, wind speed, wind direction, course, and wind-steering. The sails often require attention so that we can maintain the maximum speed on our course. If the wind speed or direction changes, the sails and wind-steering, which steers by the wind angle, need to be adjusted. Another problem is the wind-steering's habit of occasionally freaking out and sending the boat way off course. It may seem like a lot of work to keep the boat on track, but if the wind stays steady and the watchman spends a few minutes getting the boat set, an hour can pass without having to do anything.

When I am on watch, I have noticed how in tune with the boat I can be. Sometimes, I can read on watch and only glance at the instruments every few minutes. Other times, I can feel that the boat has gone off course without even looking at the instruments. This is when I am really in tune with the boat's movements. I think that this is directly related to seasickness in the sense that I can walk relatively smoothly and anticipate the boat's movement only when I have gotten over the initial seasickness at the start of a passage.

Occasionally it becomes necessary to increase or decrease the amount of sail. Decreasing the sail is called reefing and increasing the sail area is shaking a reef. Reefing has always seemed like a difficult job with many complications and challenges. This feeling was amplified by the fact that Mama and Daddy have always jokingly complained about who needs to go forward to reef. Recently, Mama taught me how to reef. I was surprised by the simplicity of lowering or raising the sail. A few weeks later, I returned to the cockpit having just shaken a reef by myself for the first time. Daddy was quick to announce that he should never have to reef again.

When we were back crossing the Bay of Biscay in August 2013, Jack and I did not do any watch. A few passages later, crossing the Atlantic, we each did two one-hour watches. I also used to do a lot less when on watch. Mama and Daddy used to be in the cockpit with me or awake and attentive but now, they sometimes sleep during my watch. Now I am able to set the wind pilot by myself, adjust the sails, and keep an eye out for boats, instead of just getting Mama and Daddy when something changed. Slowly I am working up to doing as much as Mama and Daddy. Eventually, I will hopefully be able to do a full watch on my own, although I'll be fine if it takes a while! -Porter

Ed. Note: At noon (UTC) on Tuesday the 21st, our position was 35°22'N 29°27'W, which is just under 200 miles from the Azores. We are enjoying force 5 and 6 winds (17-27 knots) from the stern quarter so we are zipping along at over 7 knots, wing and wing. If all continues to go well, we will arrive in Horta late tomorrow afternoon. If we are unlucky, then we will have to stand off for the night so that we can make landfall by the light of day on the 23rd.