It's always surprising how simply standing on a boat for a few hours can wear you out. This weekend, I drove three hours out to Westport, WA to visit the Hawaiian Chieftan, where Annie, previously first mate from my two weeks on the Lady Washington, is currently the ship's steward, serving under her boyfriend the captain, Kevin. And, by luck, I happened to pick the weekend that another former Lady crewmate, Victoria the engineer, visited. It was a hot weekend in Portland, so, of course, I underdressed; I got in on the evening cruise, but even after changing into my jeans and windbreaker, I spent most of the three hours quietly shivering.



I didn't get to run around on deck much, either--one, it was my first sail on the Chieftan so it took me a while to learn the ropes (their mainstack gear doesn't run through fairleads like the Lady's: very confusing), and also they were lousy with two-weekers, like five or six, for a total crew of around 20. But also, I wasn't in funnies (or "period costume" as Elf would insist), so I felt more like a tourist than a deckhand. Still, I got to help set the raffee which I'd spent the afternoon patching, and see how that works. It's an odd sail that's hauled up from deck, strung up on the top of the mainmast above the squares. How much does it help move the boat? Don't know, but it looks cool and it keeps the deckhands busy.

Googling for "raffee sail" I just found this old article about the Chieftan from the Hawaiian Airlines in-flight magazine. Funny that in the very first sentence they mention a foremast--which the Chieftan, being a ketch, doesn't have; rather, a main and a mizzen.

Why is that mast in the back shorter than the other? Because part of it's mizzen! HA!