Comic support

22 August 2013

Update by Steve:
“On the Southern Ocean, south of Esperance in Western Australia, making steady progress on our way to Adelaide. Conditions have been very benign for this part of the ocean, which in the austral winter is often stirred up by low pressure systems that encircle Antarctica. Our weather, in contrast, was a steady light to moderate south-westerly breeze, which makes for very enjoyable sailing.
It is our fifth day at sea and passengers (guest crew), volunteer crew and permanent crew are all mingling well. We learn each other’s life stories one by one and I am sure that we will feel like family by the time we reach Adelaide. 
Our most memorable event today came when everyone on watch was asked to go forward to help with hoisting the biggest sail on board, the forecourse, or ‘breefok’.  Mark was in one of his jolly moods and tried to hide from the crew leader who organized the foredeck.  But he was quickly spotted, upon which he declared that he would provide moral support, to those doing the hoisting, rather that pull ropes. Another crew replied that it was not moral support, but comic support that he was providing. Since these terms sound very similar in dutch (‘geestelijke bijstand’ and ‘geestige bijstand’), everyone burst out laughing. So when the command Haul Away was given a group of people bursting with laughing was hanging on two ropes, or halyards. Nevertheless the sail went up, with assistance and the term ‘comic support’ obtained legendary status.”