We just learned today that our departure is delayed once again...this time, however, we are all ready to go, the ship is ready, and it's the weather that is holding us up. There's a gale heading our way from Cape Cod. Although we could have good weather on Saturday (tomorrow), the day we planned to sail out of Lunenburg, Sunday is almost guaranteed to be incredibly bad weather with strong, gale force winds, heavy seas and lots of rain.
Captain Moreland is not inclined to set out from port into an oncoming storm with a novice crew, many of whom will likely be seasick even in favorable conditions. For which I am quite grateful. As he says, we'll run into some bad weather along the way, we don't have to start out with it in the very first couple of days.
And we've had two very busy weeks with long work days. Yesterday it took at least half or more of the crew to move two large timbers aboard. One measures about 35 feet long and the other is almost 42 feet long; both are tapered with the large end being at least 12 inches on each side and the smaller end somewhat less...extremely heavy. To complicate matters, the longer and heavier piece was stored in the back of the warehouse and to get it out we had to make a right angle turn onto the dock with about 10-12 feet sticking out over the water, then another right angle turn onto the pier, and then sneak it between a storage shed on the dock and the side of the ship with a few obstacles to avoid in the process. And after all of that we still had to get it onto the deck of the ship. Moving slowly and carefully, with a lot of people working together, we managed to do it.
You might wonder why we need such large timbers. These are "spare parts"...materials to make new spars if the need should arise to replace a yardarm or the top of a mast. Since we will be away from shore for long stretches and in some places where supplies and parts may not be readily accessible, we have to carry materials to be self-sufficient. And we have to be resourceful in solving problems that arise with whatever we have on hand. And always we have to conserve our resources.
Right now the cargo is all stowed in the hold. Today it was strapped down and netted into place in the hold. Lots of little details were taken care of. All the loose items on deck were either removed or stowed securely. Every inch of space on the ship is used in one way or another. In fact, when I was working in the scullery today (my turn again for dish washing duty), I learned that what I had taken to be a cutting board built into the countertop also happens to be the lid for a cold food storage bin that is set into the counter.
I'm exhausted right now, having worked all day on galley duty with not a moment to sit down except to eat hasty meals. While I am certainly eager to set sail on this voyage, I am willing to wait two or three days for better weather, if necessary. And, I'm hoping that we may get a few hours of free time to relax. At this point I've already spent all my Canadian cash since we expected to depart tomorrow, so free time will be spent writing in my journal, reading, talking with my shipmates and walking up and down the hills of Lunenburg.
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