Just a little quick note to say I did it! Photographic proof. It’s done. I climbed right to the top today to help sea gasket the lines in the topsail. At class today around 4pm, Logan as student watch officer for A-watch, ran the rest of the ‘fantastic seven’ in setting the topsail as we turned off the engine.

We’ve been slowly creeping along in the rays of the warm sun and the clear blue sky; a lot different compared to the super fast speed of just a couple of days ago so we need as much wind power as we can get. Seth volunteered to go up first with Tim while the rest got ready on the lines down on deck. At the last moment I decided to go up, seeing as it was such a calm day. Newman came up with me to talk me through it and as I climbed up the wobbly shrouds, my heart beat faster and the sweat began to run. It doesn’t look that high from deck but when you’re there and as you begin to see the pattern of the floorboards and the symmetry of the boat, you begin to take extra special care with every single step. I never really thought I was afraid of heights until I was about half way! Everyone was really supportive and cheered me on… I’m so glad I did it today and I feel great about it. But again, as last time, by the time I came down and had a breather I wanted to go back up.
 
Sail handling also got a lot better recently. I used to dread it out of embarrassment of not knowing where to go or what to do. Even though I still get confused and need updating, everything is becoming a lot clearer.  In class, as we’ve talked about how the separate student watches are going, I realize that everyone is just here to simply learn. If you get it wrong, you get it wrong and you learn for next time. Last night at watch, Mike, Erica and I all trimmed the headsails together and took down the Jib Topsail. Afterwards with Newman and Erica, I went out onto the head rig to furl the JT in the dark. I was so nervous as I was climbing out and saw the waves crashing below me because it was only my second time out there. But, still, at every moment there was always that voice in my head saying “this is so awesome!”
 
Anyway I better go and do work for my final essay due in a few days. I can’t believe we’re actually coming to the end…it’ll be strange when it finally comes…
  

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