At Sea In Amsterdam

[arwen_lune]

Over the past week I've been working on the clipper ship Stad Amsterdam. It's been interesting and tiring and I've learnt a lot about the ship. Daysailing makes for very intensive sailing work - set all sails, tack, tack again, wear, take in all sails - all in the space of one afternoon. Maybe you've had to sail squarerigged to truly appreciate how much work one tack is. If we have enough deck crew on hand and the wind isn't too strong we can tack in about 20-30 minutes - the coil-down that follows takes another half hour. Depending on what kind of party we have a aboard the passengers get more or less involved in the sailing. One day we had a company of Brabant construction workers that really got into it, which was lots of fun for us. Then a day later we had ladies in stiletto heels complaining about the (very slight) roll and all those ropes lying about...
We sail, and do maintenance, and give tours around the ship, and keep gangway watch, and clean, scrub decks, and work on Mount Dish - if we have 120 people aboard and these people have a buffet (most days they do) then the dishes really mount up.

I'm having a lot of fun. It's a lot more business/hotel like than I was used to on Europa and things are more stuctured (not necessarily a bad thing AFAIAC) and the professional galley and service + deck crew are up to high standards. We wear uniform polos and T-shirts and yesterday evening (a very VIPpy dinner sail) they gave us ship trousers and shoes too. Atmosphere aboard is pretty good. The cabins are more luxurious than I've ever seen. Hotel standard. Bizarre to have a blowdryer in the cabin bathroom :-D

We've done a fire drill and this past friday after we arrived in Amsterdam we did an abandon ship drill. I'd done that before but never including the launch of the sloop. The whole crew piled into the sloop, wearing out fashionable orange life vests, and we launched it from the sloop. Then, since we had it in the water anyway, we took it for a canal cruise *grin*

People hung out of the windows watching us go by. For one thing, lots of people boat around the canals, but nobody EVER wears a life vest. Appropriate boating fashion is to hang back at the tiller with a beer in your hand and your mates on an old sofa in the rest of the boat. Besides, we must have looked like we came straight off the ocean in our bright orange safety sloop...

I think I'm doing a good job of not comparing the different ships I've been on. Or at least, not to decide which one is better. They're all different, and all enjoyable. Still in some ways I'm beginning to think the Europa is like Hotel California. You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave.

I won't have time off-ship until I'm signing off next saturday, so more updates then. I'll try to make some photos, haven't done that at all so far!

Comments

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

Why go aboard ship in stilettos? Crazy. I wouldn't be able to just sit there and not get involved in what was going on - heck, on holiday last year I did a sail in a tiny little sloop (two crew, five passengers) and had to help set sail. :)

I know you won't read this until next week, but just to say it sounds fantastic and I'm envious, as ever! She's a beauty.

[flexor.livejournal.com]

Glad to see you're enjoying yourself!

I assume the stiletto ladies were told in no uncertain terms to take the things off? An average-weight girl in stilettos exerts a pressure of several tons on your deck planks.

A Quilt for Kielle

[sabrebabe.livejournal.com]

A Quilt for Kielle

You may not know me, but you know Kielle. If not, please forgive me, as I found you listed in her "friends" file.

I am making a quilt for Kielle. Why? Because she is ill. To put it bluntly, she has cancer. If you are not aware, or have not heard, please refer to her LJ. Chris has been keeping her journal updated for the interim.

So what am I asking for, and how much will it cost? It will cost you the time it takes to email a picture of yourself (or representing yourself) and words of encouragement to me to be added into her quilt.

You see, I have the blocks nearly done, and they still look… well, "bare" is the best thing I can think of. Then I had the idea of dozens of her internet friends sending her well-wishes into the blank spots of the quilt and the idea has been chewing away at me.

So I am asking everyone on her Friends list (and elsewhere) to pitch in and add their smiling mugs to the quilt. You don't even have to use your real name, you can give me the name she knows you by. Just make sure there's a name attached to it can go onto the block with the right face.

Please send it all to me sometime before October 25. Anytime after that, and I will have already sent it off. I would like Kielle to receive the quilt by October 31, as that is a special day for her and Chris.

Send to: Deb Matthews at: sabrebabe at chartermi dot net

Re: A Quilt for Kielle

[arwen-lune.livejournal.com]

If you see this, I've come home and will send you my picture tomorrow. I think it's a beautiful idea.