Day #2

I REALLY must find some coffee!... I was up with the sun the next morning and arrived on deck just in time to witness the arrival the third member of our party, Robert Erhardt, showing up with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. It turned out that the Lady Washington, during the time we sailed her at least, was pretty much a tea drinking sort of ship. This brings me to an important point...if there is something you require to keep you going (glasses, medications, coffee, etc...we had actually heard a story about a diabetic who sailed without their insulin!) you had best remember to bring it with you! There will be no running to the mini-mart like I was forced to do for a coffee fix on this first morning aboard...fortunately we were still in port.

At about 8:30 (one bell into the forenoon watch) we were treated to the first in a series of culinary delights created by our ship's cook Robin...simple, wholesome, not to mention wonderfully tasty, food. Some of the crew happened to be vegetarians so it's no simple task pleasing everyone's taste and yet Robin did, 3 meals a day for days on end. A well stocked treasure chest of goodies is also available for those who have a sudden craving for a between meal snack.

All meals are announced around ship ("Main course! Main course!") and the passengers and crew file through the galley helping themselves and then sit wherever they like. Many choose to eat alfresco (on deck) when the weather permits. When done you pack your plates and utensils down to the sink and give them a quick washing (not too much water now).

Alrighty then...time to get this ship under way! Everyone pitched in and removed the gangplank, made sure everything was tied down and secure and we prepared to cast off! Lines were let go, hauled in and coiled with the help of some of the local's on the dock and once free of land we motored out into the middle of the bay...the crew shouts out in unison, "It's time to kick the tires and light the fires...if it's happening anywhere, it's happening...OUT THERE!" and then they all point to the ocean...oh yeah, here we go!

We were escorted during the 1/2 hour journey down the bay by a local water taxi and once again we fired a cannon at the Coast Guard as we passed by. As we crossed the Humboldt Bar we got our first real feel of the great Pacific swell (more, much more about the swell later on).

It was just after we emerged from the bay that we all saw our first Dall's porpoises (porpii?) crossing under the bow and trying to surf our bow wave. I hadn't anticipated seeing wildlife (albatross, marbled murrelet...no whales) while at sea and it came as an unexpected treat! A comment here about the speed of our ship...it's slow. We generally ranged in the 4 to 7 knot range. The Lady has a maximum hull speed of just over 10 knots. After we left the bay I could see Trinidad Head ALL DAY LONG! It seems to take forever to get anywhere. You could actually run faster than we were traveling much of the time...but hey, that's not really the point of it all is it? :-)