The Morning Person

[kilted firefighter]

I was a volunteer fireman on the NC coast through three hurricanes in the 1980's. I was known to stand "graveyard" shift between the door frames and whoop at the winds while others bemoaned the duty. I relate dear Anne.

First ten years as a career firefighter I was excited to roll anytime day or night. The older I get, the more frequently I pray for quiet nights. It's getting harder and harder to provide cheery customer service at 3 A.M.

[terry m]

I have worked shifts all my life so my body clock is by now pretty devastated I think.
On the rum Coke front I don't mind the occasional dark rum, the occasions being when it's raining and when it isn't.
My favourite New Year's Eve tipple is Whiskey Mac. Blended whiskey with a good shot of good ginger wine. Obviously I would never soil a single malt with ginger wine.
Sadly there will be no New Year's Eve tipple this year as I start work on New Year's Day at 0530 with a truck to drive

[SeumasA]

I'm up at 0400 for work. I've worked an early shift for so long that I wake at that time no matter what. My wife hates me when we're on vacation.

[The Q]

I'm up at 0400 for work. I've worked an early shift for so long that I wake at that time no matter what. My wife hates me when we're on vacation.

Me too... or because the web page says my message is too short, I awake any time between 0:130 and 0:500 and can't get back to sleep due to many years on shift. I only need to be up by 05:00, it was 02:3 this morin.

[GG]

I have always been a „morning man“ – or as we call it in my language an A-man, contrary to a B-man.

Before my retirement six years ago I would get up very early in the morning and take a long walk with my camera, before returning home, then prepare breakfast and wake up my dear wife. Afterwards I would drive to work, starting on most days between 8.30 and 9 o’clock. Except for no longer going to job, not much has changed.


Sunrise at Oeresund 2009, 05:23. Campbell Ancient Kilt

[Pleater]

I prefer a deep keel - none of that dinghy business of dangling outboard to try to keep it upright.

I've been on the Solent in a Force Eight gusting Nine when the wind and tide were dead against each other - we ran goose-winged before it and I learned that timbers (or marine ply) do indeed shiver and the waves were so high they took the wind from the lower part of the sail and the foredeck was pressed down into the face of the next wave, and every time the water parted and she rose again - a day to remember that was. I'd made the fore hatch myself after the original one was lost and I was so glad to have made it well enough to take the weight of water that hit it.

My former husband said we should go into Cowes, to which I responded with a definite negative, but we got into Fishbourne once I'd inched her into the lee of the island and it was safe(ish) to alter course. That was the day that I realised his judgement was not to be trusted.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[The Q]

So do I, 3 ft of cast steel helps the boat stay upright, normally these days in one of these http://www.yeomankinsman.org.uk/ I'm in the boat on the right of the picture, that weekend was out nationals where it reached 40Knots wind speed!!
I have sailed the solent.... in a Camper and Nicholson 55!! HMSTY Racer it was, nice boat but too crowded for my liking with 12 on board. I've also sailed round to top of Scotland from Ullapool to Blyth in nothing less than a Force 7, in a 29ft yacht.

But these days, I Like seeing the Norfolk Broads at dawn which I occasionally do in this race http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/new...ee-Rivers-Race, the picture with the spinakers up is my fleet but I'm not in that picture, I was on Duty beyond the bridge at Hickling Broad

Many years ago I was at the press function for the First Female commander of a RAF Station (well actually I was hanging around just outside as one of the duty drivers), she said it was when her boyfriend of the time TOLD her to go below and cook breakfast that she decided to make the RAF her career.. Must be something about boats.

[tundramanq]

I have only been in a sail boat once with a shipmate from our steel Navy cruiser that did sail. Almost none if the terminology and "how to" is in common. Poor guy had to point to many of the "do-hickies" on the boat so that his crew, me, could crew. It was a lot of fun. My "ship" now is a 15 foot aluminum V-hull fishing boat that only has about a foot of distance between the water and gunnel at the stern. New Mexico lakes are pretty open (treeless) and winds like to kick up the waves at any time. There have been many times that I have made the run to camp with the 6 horse outboard and waves smacking the stern and gotten totally soaked holding the motors tiller. Pretty good chill factor here with the low humidity.

[The Q]

In the UK the Royal Navy do the least " real sailing" due to being confined in a tin can most of the time. Army do the most as they are encouraged to do a lot of sport.
They encourage you in the Royal Air force as well but in my experience of 12 years, getting the time off was impossible for a sailing event.
Except once when I pre booked and was permitted the week off for holiday. Then I applied for and got the week Military allocated sailing. So they couldn't claim they couldn't release me from work for sailing, when I cancelled my holiday!!. That was the week mentioned above on Her Majesties Sail Training Yacht Racer.

On all my boats I use different coloured bits of string for Ropes, Halyards and Sheets. So I can always shout "PULL THE RED ONE"

[tpa]

I've been on the Solent in a Force Eight gusting Nine when the wind and tide were dead against each other - we ran goose-winged before it and I learned that timbers (or marine ply) do indeed shiver and the waves were so high they took the wind from the lower part of the sail and the foredeck was pressed down into the face of the next wave, and every time the water parted and she rose again - a day to remember that was. Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Yes, the Solent can be great fun. I've started a cross channel race in a force 8+ where visibility was so good, you could not see either end of the start line from the centre.