It was suggested by various members of the crew that our 71 year-old,
computer illiterate, Italian, Gaetano, should write a blog post of his
experience aboard Aislig Bheag. True to form, Gaetano accepted the challenge
with open arms and gave it his best shot, spending over two hours sitting at the
nav station, laboriously typing his post. Please excuse the occasional
spelling/grammatical errors as he describes the process of taking down the
cruising chute and erecting the twin head-sails. While Gaetano requested that I
edit and correct his post, I felt that to avoid detracting from the true essence
of his experience, I would, with his permission, post his blog exactly as
written. – Eilidh
Midday a hot midday. All of us ready on deck around the math: the sail
schute must be hoisted no matter two lovely gibs and their poles are ready for
action. The crew has been previously instructed by the skipper John, but who will
move first? Eilidh grasps a sailbag among the others and holds the haylyard at the same
time.Suddenly we realize that a gib and not a sailschute has been caught for
us. Four hands try another bag: good shot!.I wound not mind to pull one nice blu
rope which seams to me quite a friendly one when, out of the blu, I realize on
my back the eyes of Alison watching me.I pretend not to have notice but when I
turned my head against my rope it was not there anymore: firmly
standing on his feet John was very skillfully handling my loved line. Everybody
already busy, I made up my mind to play the freelance superviser.
Alas the big sail is up! Everybody is happy but not the ropes of the two
sails and of the preventer which mixed up in a mess want to be rearranged
properly. This is Owen and Michol job fully accomplished under the eyes of the
peacefull stearman namely David.