Location: Underway to Palau
Today started bright and early for watch team one (Kat, Noa, Jo, Drew, Anda, Josh, Jason, and me). We had the 12-4 am watch, and it was very eventful. It was calm for the first two hours, but the wind kept changing, so we did a bit of sail handling, and we killed it. The preventer team consisted of me, Kat, and Brooke, and according to Brooke, it was one of the best preventer teams shes seen. The rest of the watch was chill until the wind switched and our sails backwinded (not an ideal situation). Mac came up and informed us that we would jibe on the handover to the next watch team. Between watch teams 1 and 2, we all killed it and successfully jibed. All of watch team one was so excited to get some sleep, and watch team 2 had a lot of fun and saw a pretty sunrise on their 4-8 watch.
Everyone who wasnt on watch slept most of the morning or did some studying for their marine bio exam tomorrow. While everyone was chilling in the cockpit, waiting for the next watch handover and lunch, we heard that a Mahi was caught, but it was too small, so they threw it back. Nonetheless, that fish got Ryans hopes up that there would be another one. While we were enjoying an amazing lunch of chicken caesar salad with rosemary olive oil bread made by Drew, Ryan, Sam, and Garrett, someone heard the fishing line start going. Ryan full-on sprinted to the line, and everyone nearby helped try to get the fish onto the boat, but unfortunately, the fish was so big that it snapped the entire line off. Needless to say, the rest of lunch was a mourning time for all of the boys.
After lunch and clean up, we were split up into two groups for Seamanship. Team seal had class first, and team elephant was second. Most of the Team Elephant went up into the cockpit and helped the marine biologists study for their exam. I would say it was pretty productive, and we implemented a new study technique courtesy of Mac. In order to answer the question, you had to go through the steps of accepting kava (clapping and saying Bula). While we were doing this, Team Seal was learning more about charting and doing some practice problems. Once both groups were done with Seamanship, people who needed to get their EFR watched the video and did a knowledge review.
It was a busy afternoon of learning, but it was good! We were all rewarded with dinner being ready. Another amazing meal made up by all of the chefs: Fried rice! So good! We currently have so much wind that watch team 3 is dropping the flying jib. After their 6-8 dinner dog watch, watch team 1 is back with the 8-12 watch! We are all slowly getting used to this passage life and having so much fun (and less seasickness)!!
Hi to my family! Hope you all are doing well!! Tell everyone I say hi! Im having so much fun!!! Hi to all my friends reading this! Miss you all a ton and cant wait to tell you all about it!! Ava- Sam and I miss the iconic 4, and I cant wait to call you! Cbutt- Anda and I wish you were here Love you all!!