Surprise!

Last November I embarked upon a crazy adventure. I joined the Maintenance Crew at the San Diego Maritime Museum. Crazy you ask? How is that crazy? Well, because I have to get up literaly at the crack of dawn to drive down to San Diego on a Sunday morning. Because the drive is an hour and half each way. But I think its worth it. And when I started, they told us about the Test in July, about the selections for Sail Crew if we were worthy enough. A chance to sail on either the Star of India, the Californian or the HMS Surprise? Rock on!

Well, yesterday all the driving, the hard work, the coming home covered in rust and dirt, all the effort was rewarded. I squeaked through the test in July and yesterday we were given the List, telling us who'd been selected for this year's Sail Crew. I did it. And I got the berth I wanted, the HMS Surprise. WHOO HOO!!

Molly, Kirsten, Fiona and I all agreed that yesterday was going to be a good day. And we were right. It was marvelous. The Surprise crew spent the day attempting to bend on sails. Attempting because we had no idea how they were supposed to go on. We resorted to grabbing pictures from the Museum store to see how they were set during filming of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. We all thought that was rather funny. It does tell you, however, how far we have to go before the ship is ready to sail. That so many of the lines aren't yet in their correct places along the pin rails should tell you how successful re-rigging the ship has been. But we are all very enthusiastic about getting her ready. I'm really looking forward to the sail.

Its a long hard road for us though. Next week is the last time we muster at 8:30. After next week, muster is at 7:30 in the morning. I nearly cried when I heard this, but whatever. I gotta do what I gotta do.

Another good thing we that as we were finishing bending on the spanker, I heard someone call out my name. I looked around, and noticed someone calling out from an open window on the upper deck of the Berkeley. It was Pamela! The first mate of the Robert C. Seamans! We had a nice little reunion, and seeing her made me really miss the ship again. *sigh* It was nice seeing her again, and I was glad she got to see me among my museum mates, and the beautiful old ship that we are working so hard to make seaworthy again.

So, here's to the Surprise!

Ta!