Gale Force and Fully Reefed

The Oosterchelde was everything I dreamed it would be, it sailed like a witch and was a dry stable boat. I say stable because even in the 40 kt gale of the first night we heeled a constant 15deg. With her sails reefed and reefed again we were driven on at over 9 kts, her bow tucking down into the waves and refusing to give way to the ocean. Oosterchelde said the ocean will give way to me! I stood in awe watching mountains of water pushed aside by the power of her sails, constant, steady and powerful.
 
The previous day had started with a sedate motor sail down Port Phillip Bay in company with the other tall ships of the fleet. The Lord Nelson, Soren Larsen, Windward Bound, Tecla, Young Endeavor and Europa.  Anchoring in the calm of the bay for the night we enjoyed our second evening aboard dining in the sumptuous dining room.
 
Meal time was not to be missed on the Oosterchelde, whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner and dare I forget morning tea with delicious apple strudel cake. When we were served what I would have considered as French toast I was told it was ‘Wentelteefjes’. Eliciting a translation I was told by Fernardie the chef it was called ‘Turning Bitches’, should I have asked?
Ingredients:

• 16 slices of stale bread
• 3 eggs
• 3.5 tbsp sugar (50 g)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups tepid milk (500 ml)
• 1/2 cup butter (125

Not so different from what I would make, perhaps it was the sea and the pitching ship or the lashings of cinnamon on top, regardless I was intoxicated.
 
The second day started as discreetly as the first, weighing anchor and with a full complement of crew and conscripts (paying passengers) on board we set full sail for the entertainment of the assembled fleet of pleasure craft that were to accompany us to a becalmed Port Phillip Hds ( The Rip)
 
At this point I should pause and explain that the conscripts (paying passengers) were required (encouraged) within their abilities to take part in sailing the ship, standing watches, raising sail, navigating and steering and helping out in the galley. The conscripts were divided into three watches, Red, White and Blue, seems as though they are the colours of the Dutch flag. The watch roster was one watch on and two watch off, that said, eating, sleeping, socializing had to be budgeted into the spaces in-between. All those ancillary occupations to the running of the ship were vitally important to me and to the experience.
 
The watch system ran;
0000hr – 0400hr, 0400hr-0800hr, 0800-1400hr, 1400hr-2000hr, 2000hr-2400hr.
Equally important to remember were meal times;
0730hr            Breakfast
1330hr             Lunch
1930hrs           Dinner
 
My first serious watch for the night crossing Bass Strait started at midnight, but as the wind had been building all afternoon until by evening it was approaching gale force I stayed on deck helping with reefing sail. By the time we had sails sufficiently reefed it was 2200hr and only two hours to go for my watch to start so I didn’t go to bed. The temperature was 13deg but with the forty knot winds the wind chill factor was closer to 5 deg. My investment in waterproof, thermal sailing pants, jacket and boots was now yielding dividends. With a balaclava covering all but my eyes I stood watch until 0400hrs.
 
We passed to the east of King Island and could see the lights of the Lord Nelson, Tecla and Europa dotted around us. We were also able to spy on their performance as they were on us through the use of the AIS readout on the Sat Nav. Captain Gerban had reduced sail (although he said the boat could retain it safely) for the comfort of the conscripts, some of whom had succumbed to sea sickness and one of who had fell off his chair at dining and hit his head on the mast.
 
I stood in the shelter of the navigation cabin away from the biting wind at the aft of the ship enjoying Oostechelde surging through the waves. The Southern Ocean swell was 2mt by 75mt from Southwest and the gale force winds were whipping up 3mt waves from the Northeast. White caps surrounded the ship and the winds were blowing the white caps off the tops to spume. The dramatic action of the waves being cast aside at the bow was contrasted by the smooth wake of the stern. In its wake large flumes of florescence swirl out behind us and added to the magic of the night.
 
My watch had ended and I stripped of my wet weather gear and climbed wearily into bed at 0415hr but not before setting my alarm for 0700hrs, I was not going to miss breakfast!