Being on Watch

Town of Methoni, Peloponnese, Greece---Yesterday we arrived here after leaving Kimilos, the beautiful rock beach. Leaving at 11am, we sailed through the night and with 3 adults now on board, I was given the 4am to 7am shift: total luxury! Having slept 7 hours, being awoke at 4 am is a huge difference than the past shifts: up 3 hours, sleep 3 hours.

Climbing to the cockpit I was briefed on the night it had been as I slept below. Ships, ships, and more ships. Twice the captain had to be awoken to judge the ships distance and projection and twice he had to manually steer around them.

Rule of the Sea: Big huge Cargo Ship crush little tiny sailboat therefore, like “Paper is to Rock” you lose. So best to be proactive and protect yourself!

The trick at night, is determining just from 3 lights in distances from 20 miles to 5, which way the ship is heading and if are you in its path. Cargo ships will have a white light at the top of the control tower which will be higher than the other white light at the front of the boat. Then they will have a green light on the starboard side (right) and a red light to port (left side) to help determine its direction. So by these 3 lights, the angle of their formation, and the time it takes to “get bigger” on the horizon, you determine it’s course knowing it’s going 30 knots and you are going only 5 to 7. Then there are Cruise Ships lit up like New York’s Time Square Ball at New Years, and Ferry Ships differently lit but a little easier to make out.

I had 8 ships to watch that night and they all behaved staying far South of us as we skimmed across the water lining the Peloponnese on one side and an Island on the other.

After briefing, the captain, exhausted from a double shift, went down to sleep and I was left peacefully with 4 hours to go. Only the main sail remained as the wind had lightened through the night and others were wrapped up. We were left to motor at only 4.5 to 5 knots.

The sea was like oil moving and swaying only a wave less motion, like a swimming pool after one person has jumped in. The moon is in New Moon state and missing from the sky but due to this, the stars shine even brighter. The entire Milky Way screamed “Here I am” and a chance falling star was caught and left in my memory.

The warm weather allowed me to remain in a shorts and enjoy the breeze against my skin verses the bitter cold when I am wrapped in foul weather gear. At night especially,  we sail with harness and tethers that line each side of the boat if you should need to go forward to work a sail.
 
I love watches like these. The wonders of the world seem to sparkle all around. Greek Dolphin awarded me with a small show on the bow.  A baby jumped completely out of the water showing me his speckled under belly. These are the sights I hold inside as memories to come back to another day.