For the past two days, when we're not moving and stowing cargo, we've been doing sail handling drills. Since the Picton Castle is a traditional sailing vessel, all the lines are marlin. Anyone who has ever handled marlin knows that it has teeny, tiny splinters that can come off in your hands.
Splinters are more likely to get in your hands when you are handling rope quickly, such as when you are hauling in a halyard, a sheet or a downhaul. And even more splinters get into your hands when the lines run out quickly through your hands, such as when a line is being eased.
Yesterday it was my watch's turn to do sail handling drills. We spent almost two hours raising and lowering the fore and main topsails, both upper and lower, bracing the yards (turning the yardarms from one side of the mast to the other), and setting and striking the Outer Jib. By the end of the exercise I had so many rope splinters in both hands that it seemed futile to even try to remove them. A lot of them are so small that they just work their way out. I've been told that my hands will toughen up and then handling the lines will be less uncomfortable and I won't feel the splinters. (I certainly hope that's true!)
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