We have a new watch schedule aboard Altair for this leg of the rally. With 6 watch keepers divided up to have minimum two on watch when under sail and solo watches when under power they are staggered to change watch every 1.5 hours. My new watch times are 2230 - 0130, 0430 - 0730, and
1330 - 1630. This gives me minimum breaks of 3 hours, 6 hours, and 6 hours.
After only the first day of keeping this watch I am happy and feeling rested. Today during my off times I wrote on the computer, layed in the sun, did a upper body and core workout, 30 minute yoga session, and the things i do everyday on the boat; play with sails, chat with crew, eat good food and watch for sea life.
The first night of getting up at odd hours is always tough so it is understandable that I wasn't thrilled with my alarm clock going off in the middle of the night. Conditions were extremely benign and there is little shipping traffic to speak of so my late/early watches were not too demanding on day 1. My morning watch is a "sunrise watch" but we have been cursed with persistent clouds on the horizon and blowing overhead. There is a new moon but the clouds are spoiling what would be excellent stargazing. So without a sunrise it just got light out at about 0630.
Dolphins swam at the boat from the North East not long afterwards. I went to the bow to greet them but as I have seen with other dolphins pods once they got a quick experience with our bow wake found it unsuitable and turned more than 90 degrees to swim off in another direction. The direction they chose did have another ship that was too far away to see but this was vessel was going East so I don't know what those marine mammals were up to. I am getting the feeling that dolphins do not enjoy Altair's bow wake for one reason or another. On other vessels it was common to watch them swim, surf, play in the bow wake for up to 30 minutes but I have yet to see them do that with this boat.
The wind was finally up strong enough to put the spinnaker back up this evening around 1700. I can't stress enough the peace I feel once the boat is again under sail power and the main engine is off. Altair always runs one of two generators for ship power but these engines can scarcely be heard unless you are near the engine room. So once again Altair is sailing along quietly and powerfully toward the Caribbean. This blog ends here for good reason; dinner is ready and I must eat and immediately get to bed to rest up for my nights watches.
1330 - 1630. This gives me minimum breaks of 3 hours, 6 hours, and 6 hours.
The first night of getting up at odd hours is always tough so it is understandable that I wasn't thrilled with my alarm clock going off in the middle of the night. Conditions were extremely benign and there is little shipping traffic to speak of so my late/early watches were not too demanding on day 1. My morning watch is a "sunrise watch" but we have been cursed with persistent clouds on the horizon and blowing overhead. There is a new moon but the clouds are spoiling what would be excellent stargazing. So without a sunrise it just got light out at about 0630.
Dolphins swam at the boat from the North East not long afterwards. I went to the bow to greet them but as I have seen with other dolphins pods once they got a quick experience with our bow wake found it unsuitable and turned more than 90 degrees to swim off in another direction. The direction they chose did have another ship that was too far away to see but this was vessel was going East so I don't know what those marine mammals were up to. I am getting the feeling that dolphins do not enjoy Altair's bow wake for one reason or another. On other vessels it was common to watch them swim, surf, play in the bow wake for up to 30 minutes but I have yet to see them do that with this boat.
The wind was finally up strong enough to put the spinnaker back up this evening around 1700. I can't stress enough the peace I feel once the boat is again under sail power and the main engine is off. Altair always runs one of two generators for ship power but these engines can scarcely be heard unless you are near the engine room. So once again Altair is sailing along quietly and powerfully toward the Caribbean. This blog ends here for good reason; dinner is ready and I must eat and immediately get to bed to rest up for my nights watches.
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