Programs Blog

August 25, 2025

Location (Lat and Long): 32 16.531’N 150 58.105’W

Ship Heading: 58 T

Ship Speed: 5 knots

Log (nm): 1029.2 (our first thousand!)

Weather/Wind/Sail Plan: wind SSE force 5, seas SSE 6 ft, squalls throughout the day, sailing under the stays’ls, jib, and tops’l

Last night I had the opportunity to complete a goal I have had for quite some time now: handle every sail aboard the Bobby C (except the course, but we don’t talk about that). This opportunity came as I helped B watch strike the raffee before nightfall after they had set it during my afternoon nap (I am very jealous). I feel that to properly convey how special this occasion was I must explain a little bit about the raffee, aka the party hat. For those who don’t know, the raffee is the uppermost squares’l that sits atop the forem’st. Despite its designation as a squares’l, it is not a square (the name means to be set square, or perpendicular, to the ship), but rather a triangle. Due to its position high up on top of the mast, it makes itself both extremely useful by catching wind that no other sail is getting and entirely impractical because it must live in a box on deck, get properly rigged every time it is set, and has the potential to catch on just about everything as you set it. Due to the nature of the sail, it is a rare occasion that we see it fly and has therefore become the subject of many jokes. I think Skylar is ready to throw himself overboard if anyone on C watch asks him to set it in the middle of the night one more time. And so, reader, you must understand the sheer shock, joy, and excitement that came across me when I awoke from my afternoon nap and saw that brilliant little triangle flying happily in the sky for the first time. I eagerly snapped some pictures, and when B watch went to set it later in the evening I leapt excitedly to help them.

My own personal sail bucket list was mostly a joke I had that doubled as an excuse to beg Skylar to use the raffee, but in the moment that I grabbed the sheet and pulled it under the fore stays’l, it became something more. Now that I have handled every sail on the Robert C. Seamans at least once, I feel that I can now tentatively call myself a real sailor. Since starting this trip as a deckhand, I have had some serious imposter syndrome about my place on board. Many of the folks here are professionals with years of experience, or Real Adults with Real Jobs, while I just finished my student trip a year ago and graduated from college only 3 short months ago. Just on my watch we have a physical oceanographer, a doctor, and a beekeeper (I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere about all of us walking into a bar). All are several years older than me, and despite the fact that I’m the baby of the watch they don’t really hassle me about it. Now that I have handled the raffee, I feel that I have joined a community that is larger than any one profession, age, or experience level. Regardless of what has brought us together to sailing, we are all united by a few things: our love of the ocean, our love of tall ships, and the little bit of insanity required to complete a voyage like this. As Bradley said a few days ago, “follow your freak flag”. We’re all following it alright, and I think the raffee perfectly embodies that spirit. We are all uniquely useful, a little impractical, and just quirky enough to be at home on the Bobby C. Long live sailing, and long live the raffee. 

Sam Ruemmler, Deckhand, C Watch