Aquavit: Pac Cup 2016

We run a tight ship I'll have you know. We know who's assigned to what task and it gets done well and on time. We are also a compassionate bunch, so if there happens to be a conflict that prevents one of us from completing our task, someone is always there, ready to offer support, say to cover the helm, stay on shift a bit longer, heat some water for coffee, tea or hot chocolate, or fetch a piece of clothing and pass it up on deck. It's a pleasure to sail with these guy's and it's something I will remember and treasure after the trip.

So, how does this work? We each have 3 shifts on watch a day. The day shifts are single person shifts, the night shifts have 2 people up on deck. We rotate 1 person at a time, so the 3 night shifts each are 1 hour with one person and 2 hours with another. At night, the 3 not on deck sleep, or in the case of Joe, try to sleep. Your shift starts with the 20 Minute wake up call. "Patrick, Patrick", a gentle shake of Patrick's arm. "Patrick - 20 Minutes". Patrick gives his reluctant but clear thumbs up. He's awake and, like everyone (from what I can tell) he reliably shows up on deck, ready to go, 20 minutes later, on time.

Now, that 20 Minutes is a very special and personal time for everyone. In fact during that time you literally are the only one awake down below. So, I can't speak for everyone, or anyone other than myself, but here's my routine each time I get the 20 Minute wake-up. I'm certainly sound asleep. I'm really not ready to get up. It's 2 AM after all. I raise the eye 'black out' mask to my forehead and start going through in my mind what I have to do before I climb out on deck. I take off my eye mask and pull out my ear plugs. The ear plugs fit nicely in a fold in the eye mask, so I put them there and hopefully they stay. I grab my headlight that I (hopefully) have remembered to put out and placed within arms reach. I normally visit the toilette. I then go to my basket of personal items in the forward birth and stow my eye mask and ear plugs there. I return to the bunk where I was sleeping and fold up my sheet (Used only in hot climate when sleeping in minimal clothes. Not used in the cooler climate of the more northern Pacific when I sleep with long pants and long sleeved shirt). I fold the Blanket I've been using as a cover. I gather those things and my pillow under one arm and make my way back to the forward birth where all our bags, pillows, sleeping bags etc are kept. I stow them in the spots where I know I can find them for the next sleepy time. OK, now what? Clothes. It's been getting cool at night now, so I need an extra layer on both top and bottom. I dig through my bag. If lucky, I've anticipated this and put the things I need on the top layer of my bag. If not... I pull on some thermal pants, warm socks and a 'technical shirt' (I had never heard this term before Kaneohe Yacht Club), a synthetic, long sleave shirt. Now, it's off to the aft head and shower area where all our foul weather gear is hanging in the shower. I built the 'closet/clothes hanger' myself to hold our foul weather gear, and although cramped, has worked out very well. I remove my gear, usually all on 1 hangar, from the rack of gear. It weighs a ton! Not literally a ton, but a good 20 lbs. My hat is hooked on the hangar on top of everything. I remove it and usually just toss it on the floor. My PFD (life preserver) is next; on the floor. Then my jacket; on the floor. Finally, I reach my foulie bib (pants/overalls). I remove them, put the hangar back on the rack and, in reverse order, start putting the things laying on the floor on my body. The bib, the jacket, the PFD, the hat (with headlamp). The the feet. I've been just wearing by Top Siders, but recently have gone to my 'rain' boots. I find the ones that are mine (I've marked them with a sharpie) and slip them on. I'm ready to exit the head. If I remember, I grab my water bottle and fill it on my way up. By this time I've already started to work up a pretty good sweat. It's always warm down below and, recently, always cool up on deck. As I ascend the companionway, the cool breeze and sounds of the sea greet me as well as an exchange of good mornings. A welcome feeling! It's been a rough 20 minutes!