Japan Ahead! Pat Broderick and ‘Stad Amsterdam’ Approach Their Destination

As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. Or, in Pat Broderick’s case, it sails by. Pat left San Francisco a month ago to join the Stad Amsterdam in Hawaii for her voyage to Japan. We’ve brought you a couple of updates along the way, always thinking there’d be time for more. But lo and behold, Pat’s most recent email says, “Tonight after dark the glow of lights appeared off the starboard bow. Japan! Tomorrow morning we arrive in Tokyo Bay and anchor off Yokohama.” That was quick!

So we don’t waste much time or make any more errors in our interpretation of Pat’s diary notes; we’re giving you this one (mostly) straight from the pen (or keyboard) of the sailor himself.

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Stad Amsterdam Log #24. May 1, 2024.

170 nm sailed
Average speed 7.0

490 nm to go
Sailed 3546 nm

I thought I’d just log today’s activity.

Breakfast was at 7:30 and after a restless night’s sleep because we were on starboard tack, which slides me against the leeboard side of the bunk, I dressed and went up to the Long Room. Breakfast was dry oat cereal and a small bagel.

Adrian was on watch so I showered and changed into clean clothes. That took the better part of an hour!

Today was cabin cleaning day so I stripped the bedding and put the sheet, duvet cover, and pillow case in a laundry bag out in the passageway.

It was 10:00, and because it was wet on deck the morning SMOKO was in the Long Room: a cup of tea and several shortbread cookies.Then called Nancy and got caught up. The final morning hour was spent on a crossword puzzle.

Lunch was thin sliced chicken, fry bread, and coleslaw.

12:30 was cabin cleaning with new bedding, emptying trash cans, and a general wipe down. After all that work I was beat so nap time.

While I napped, the crew on deck wore ship (square-riggers don’t tack, they “wear ship” by turning away from the wind with their stern passing through the eye or the wind) and suddenly I was rolled over against the bulkhead and 100 percent more comfortable.

I awoke in time for the afternoon SMOKO. It cleared enough for a quarterdeck gathering.

Shortly after that my watch began so I climbed into the foulies and boots and reported to the wheelhouse.

For the next two hours I helped strike the outer and inner jibs on the forepeak, helped rig additional safety lines, and even helped crush aluminum cans (sort of a form of KP).

Dinner time: Breaded cutlets, French fries, zucchini. We have to remove foulies in the Long Room, so dinner means struggling out of and into them. After dinner, back on deck for some sail trimming. We saw a container ship heading south on the eastern horizon

At 7:00 back down to the Long Room for the Captain’s report and more information about our arrival at Yokohama and the results of a photo quiz about small details around the ship. My watch ended at 8:00, so I didn’t have to get foulies on again.

It’s 9:00 now and I’ll head for the cabin before 10:00 and crawl under the fresh duvet cover. This has been the general routine, so I expect tomorrow will be similar. Maybe it will clear and not be as damp. I’ll know that when I wake up after a better night’s sleep with my back against the bulkhead.

Pat

Before you go. Here’s a note from Pat’s diary, received April 21:

Several of you have asked about passengers going aloft. Five or six guests regularly join the professional crew setting and striking sails. Others go aloft for the experience of being “up there.” Last evening’s White Watch (my watch) is an example. There was nothing to do since the First Mate decided to leave the studding sails set instead of striking them at sunset.

So, five members of the watch donned safety harnesses and climbed the ratlines, several all the way to the royal yards. The ship’s motion was smooth with little roll, so they stayed up for quite a while surveying our part of the world, and a lonely part it is. We haven’t sighted anything other than birds since bidding goodbye to Oahu.

Three crew members went up with them, but no one needed assistance. And then they climbed back down.

We look forward to hearing Pat’s final thoughts as he settles back onto land. As before, stay tuned!

Ed’s note: Smoko in Australia is a break taken around midmorning to allow workers to have some food and a drink, and, back in the day, a cigarette. New Zealand describes their smoko as being the same, but with the addition that it is also used in the military.