3-March
0000
Ship’s Log: Ship secure port side to Queens Wharf in position “2”. Dock watch set as per standing and night orders, Wind NW F2
Ship’s Position: 41°17.1’S 174°46.8’E
Muster at 0830 to walk to the Wellington Cable Car, which took us on a steep ride from the city to the botanical gardens and overlooks of the harbor. I walked back down through the native bush walk and the succulent garden, and met up with shipmates to walk back to the waterfront. My next venture took me Helen and Claudia to the top of Mt. Victoria, from which we could see a panoramic view of the city. We sunbathed on the summit and then walked down a switchback path through gardens to Oriental Bay, and to meet up with shipmates in the city for some wholesome port stop revelry.
 |
| View from the summit of Mt Eden |
4-March
0900
Ship’s Log: Student crew ashore for field trip to Kaitoke Regional Park
Ship’s Position: 41°17.1’S 174°46.8’E
After a short bus ride, we arrived in the morning at Kaitoke Regional Park, aka the original filming location of Rivendell! A park ranger showed us the kings of the rainforest; trees that for hundreds of years fight their way through the canopy. For lunch we sat on a gravely river bank, and trecked through the woods to a swimming hole. The water was a bit cold, but we dried in the sun and stacked river stones. Back in the city we embarked on the quest for wifi, and gelato too.
Kaitoke Park and the original gate of Rivendell,
which way to Wellington? left or right?
5-March
0930
Ship’s Log: Students and faculty ashore for tour of Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa
Ship’s Position: 41°17.1’S 174°46.8’E
Besides a fantastic tour of the Museum of New Zealand, we also got a behind the scenes tour of the Maori treasures guarded and kept at the museum for safekeeping. These included carvings, weapons, feather cloaks, and greenstone aplenty. My favorite part of the museum was the modern marae, featuring bright colors and steel sculpture, representing the modern people of New Zealand and the Maori. Our new ship guest Richard De Hamel came aboard this afternoon, and he shared stories with us, after which I played my favorite Piano Man on harmonica, accompanied by Hayden on the guitar. Tonight we also said farewell to my fellow wildcat Anthony on his journey back to the states.
The marae in Te Papa Tongarewa and an elven lieutenant costume
6-March
1700
Ship’s Log: Ship secure port side to Queens Wharf, Wind N F7
Ship’s Position: 41°17.1’S 174°46.8’E
Due to our postponed departure from Wellington in anticipation of high winds in Cook’s Straight, we had study hall in the morning to get some impending assignments out of the way. It’s not as though we wanted to be outside anyways, with 50 knot gusts and sideways rain…Tonight our guest Richard recounted some of his fascinating and hilarious stories of studying New Zealand and Antarctic birds on remote islands and through thick brush. His impressions of bird calls are impressive.
A pre-storm sunrise over Wellington harbor and my favorite mug for Tim Tam Slams
7-March
1200
Ship’s Log: Ship secure port side to Queens Wharf, Wind NxE F6
Ship’s Position: 41°17.1’S 174°46.8’E
Walked to the Wellington Farmer’s Market this morning with some shipmates, and later bought some possum wool gloves to keep me warm on our southern journey. Today was also our first field day at dock, and we battled the evil mung and its recruitments, the land mung tracked in on our shoes daily. For dinner was an entire menu-full of homemade pizzas, which we ate until uncomforatbly stuffed, and then watched the The Fellowship of the Ring (extended, the only way to watch it).
Scoop and Connor in their foulies before the rain stopped; my bunk had an explosion
8-March
 |
| Chris Emily and Jess hauling sail |
Ship’s Log: Spoke with Wellington Harbor Radio to advise clear of berth, intention to launch rescue boat and retrieve line handler, and proceed outbound by way of Falcon Shoals
Ship’s Position: 41°17.1’S 174°46.8’E
Today is my galley day! Wakeup at 0500 to begin cooking breakfast; waffles and bacon, with Lauren. My uniform consisted of a very stylish penguin apron. A non-stop work day, we cooked the midnight snack cookies next, and prepared the famous leftover lunch. Being alongside also meant music permitted, until we got underway after lunch. We were called to general quarters to fend off the dock, and soon enough we watched our new favorite city slip away over the horizon. It appeared that the remnants of the wind a few days ago were still out on the seas, and the heavy swells drove many a hardy sailor to the rail, yours truly included, to repatriate their lunch to Neptune. Though a bad note to leave the day on, atleast there were dolphins!
Helmstar Hayden bringing the ship out of Wellington and steward Tyler
9-March
0700
Ship’s Log: C watch relieves B watch motoring under stays’s and main, steering 155 psc, turning 1200 rpm at 6 kts, Winds S F1, seas 1-2 ft, 18 nm ENE of the Kaikoura Peninsula (TH)
Ship’s Position: 42°22.2’S 174°5.2’E, Voyage: 1401 nm
I slept in all my clothes and harness last night, just in case I needed to return to the rail. After not much sleep, we took the deck at 0700 and it was my day as Watch Shadow, where we tag along with our watch officer and listen to their thought process on running the ship and delegating duties. We sailed for the Kaikoura Peninsula, known for its populations of sperm whales feeding in the productive waters, but they eluded us. I now write sitting in the sun on the lab top, journaling and watching albatross swoop by, the land disappearing behind us, and thinking how rewarding life at sea truly is.
Seamans sailing at last!
No comments:
Post a Comment