Öckerö gymnasium

Blogg 16 may 2022

I woke up 03.40 and got dressed. At 04.00 my watch started. As I came up on deck I almost immediately saw the blood red moon up in the sky casting a very pale reddish light across the whole ship. Then I got struck by a wave. While looking at the moon I haven’t payed attention to the seas, and as the wave splashed across main-deck I quickly moved up to the poop-deck, to avoid the water that now was coming back for a
round two.

As I came up most of the others where already there, silently waiting
for the last of us to show up. The second mate, who had the previous
watch, told us that there was a complete lunar eclipse one or two hours
before we came up on deck. I probably missed the best view of the trip.
However as a consequence of this, the moon now shined red. Apart from
that he told us that we now are sailing at about 8 knots, and that they
have set the mainsail and a few of the foresails on their watch. Then he
spoke a few more words but I was barely listening, as I was way to
preoccupied trying to keep balance. Normally I do not have a problem
with the waves, but this morning I was particularly tired, and the waves
where particularly unpredictable. However As soon as the bells started
ringing I paid attention again. The ringing of the bells signaling that
our watch starts and their watch ends.

The first task I was given was to go around on deck, and see if I know
every rope on the ship. Every rope onboard has a name, and knowing the
names of them and knowing what they do helps the smooth operations of
the ship, and saves time when we are given orders to set, adjust or take
in the sails. When everyone was finished we gathered on main-deck again.
Where we had a small contest. We where put in two teams and then rowed
up. Our watchleader shouted out the name of a rope and one person per
side rushed out to grab the rope. The one who grabs the right rope first
gets a point. I do not mean to brag… but I got every single one right,
and I always got there first. At the end my side won and got a few
candies as a prize, that we then shared with the loosing team.

Our watch continued with scrubbing the deck. At about 05.30 we had a
small break, where we got pancakes. I ate up mine fast as I was supposed
to relieve the person on the wheel, so that he could eat as well. As I
got out on deck again, it was almost completely daylight and I took over
the wheel.

When the sails are upp, and the waves come from the side, Gunilla is a
nightmare to keep on course. The wind and the sails make it near
impossible to turn to the one side, and if I try to go the other way,
the waves push her back in the wrong direction. And our current heading
is right in the direction where she absolutely does not want to go. And
as soon as I got her on her course again another large wave came along
pushing her of course again. But still, I love being at the wheel, it is
kid of meditative, standing there, only focusing on getting her on her
course. It takes all my focus, trying to predict her movements and
adjusting the wheel accordingly. I may not have gone in the straightest
of lines but I still got her in the right direction.

After the one who I relieved has eaten up his pancakes, he took over
again, and I found myself scrubbing the deck.

At 07.30 the next watch was slowly turning up on deck and at 08.00, one
of my watch-members rang the bell and we where allowed to go down below
to eat breakfast. Or more like second breakfast. Like the Hobbits in
lord of the rings we eat quite often onboard Gunilla. We have, as
previously mentioned, a small breakfast at around 05.00, then a slightly
larger one at 08.00. Then at 11.50 we have lunch. At 15.20 we have
another small meal /”fika”. At 18.00 we have another large meal and
lastly at 22.20 we have our last meal/ ”fika” of the day, although the
the last one is optional, as most of us are probably already asleep.

After breakfast I went to sleep again, and stayed in bed until lunch. My
next watch begins 16.00, and I want to be well rested until then.

Simon

Publicerad:

Öckerö seglande gymnasieskola
Björnhuvudsvägen 45
475 31 Öckerö

Telefon: 031-97 62 00
e-post: kommun@ockero.se