Location: Raja Ampat to Komodo
Today was another full day of making way only under sail power. The wind has been good, and 5 out of our six sails are up, so we have been having a great time. The day started for me on the 12-4 night watch. The watch teams have been rotating through student watch team leaders in preparation for our upcoming student-led passages. Last night was my turn as watch team leader, and on watch, we reached just over 25 knots of wind. I also learned the process for starting up and shutting down the generators. In the morning, Will, Lexi, and I worked on our Marine Bio log books and studied for our oceanography quiz. It turns out the best way you can make a difference in fighting ocean pollution is to stop pooping; Will is taking the lead in this endeavor with an impressive 48 hours under his belt. Fortunately, we are in the final stretch of schoolwork, though this also means the schedule is tight. Today, we had a quiz and lecture on oceanography, and then we finished the afternoon with NavMaster. Today, Lainey was head chef, which, of course, made us all nervous, but even with the oven being temperamental and the propane alarm being over-sensitive, she managed to prepare some amazing food. The black bean burgers for lunch and good af pasta for dinner more than made up for the sandy cheesy grits of her past. The accompanying bread and butter also solidified her last head chef day as one of the best. While eating dinner, we saw the blow of a whale in the distance and had yet another heated debate as to whether a silverback gorilla or a grizzly bear would win in a fight. Most people came to the correct conclusion that a gorilla would win. P.S. Happy birthday, Ben! I wouldve called, but I have no service. -Iain O.