Teacher Aboard

Before Pride II set sail to cross back over the Pacific Ocean for Seattle, the crew worked hard to prepare her. Some of the crew washed barnacles [small marine hard shelled animals that secrete an adhesive to attach themselves to the bottom of a boat or piling] from the bottom of the ship. For safety the crew wore scuba gear while doing the chore. While they cleaned the bottom of the ship and greased the propeller so that Pride II would glide through the Pacific without friction, other crew members patched sails. The bosun spliced [to unite two parts of a rope by interweaving the strands] and whipped [to finish off the end of line so that it does not unravel] the lines as needed. Pamela Coughlin, medical officer in charge of first-aid restocked all of the first aid kits.

Anson Frelinghuyson and I, the new passengers, were given a complete tour of the ship, safety training, and rules for living harmoniously on board . After five days of sailing we both feel very comfortable with the friendly and knowledgeable crew and Pride II. Anson is becoming more proficient with handling the lines each day, while I am learning how to coil the lines. The food is fantastic! Tina Koch, the ship's cook, prepares three delicious meals every day. So far we all have enjoyed barbecued chicken, salmon, chili, lasagna, pizza, many salads, boatmade bread and cookies.

COILS

There are 124 lines [ropes] to handle the 10 sails of the ship. The lines are coiled to be ready at a moments notice for controlling the sails. All of the lines are coiled in a clockwise direction because of the twist fiber to prevent kinking .The coil is started from the pin to the bittersweet end. There are different types of coils: The hanging coil is hung on a belaying pin, which acts as a cleat, whose purpose is to make fast the line. The mat coil is usually used for sheets [lines that are used to trim the sails for quick access] they lay on the deck. The ballentine coil is a pretzel shaped coil. This coil is used for the halyard lines [lines used to raise the sails ]. The term halyard comes from "hull the yard".

CLOUDS

During the hourly boat check, the clouds are evaluated by type and by the fractional part of the sky covered by clouds in eighths to help forecast the weather ahead. Clouds float across the sky in all sorts of shapes and colors, from white wispy mares' tails to towering, dark-gray thunder clouds. There is an amazing variety of clouds. An English pharmacist, Luke Howard designed a system for identifying clouds in 1803. Howard identified ten distinct categories of cloud, all of which are variations on three basic cloud forms: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus.

Cumulus clouds often mass together and grow upward with dense, white heads looking like cauliflowers. If they keep on growing, they may become rain-bearing cummulonimbus clouds. Stratus is a vast, dull type of cloud that hangs low over the ground and may give a damp drizzle, but no real rain. Cirrus clouds form high in the sky where the atmosphere is so cold that they are made entirely from ice crystals.

CONSERVATION ON BOARD

• The crew turns off lights and fans when finished using them.
• The crew takes "sailor" showers with a water-saving shower head.
• The crew uses rechargeable batteries.
• The cook creates delicious new meals from leftovers.
• Everyone turns off the water while brushing teeth and washing dishes.
• The crew runs water only as needed to wash and rinse .

YOUR THOUGHTS

1. How do you prepare for a trip? Make a list of five things you do before going away.
2. Are there any things that could be coiled in your home or classroom to make them easier to use? Write a few sentences telling about them and try coiling .
3. Do you prefer cloudy or sunny skies? Draw a picture with your favorite type of sky.
4. Why is conservation important? Make a short tape telling why?
5. Make a poster telling one way to conserve materials or energy?

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