Bali to South Africa – Fall 2025

Well, here we are again, with only a few days left in this amazing journey. For the first time in a while, I am actually able to sit down and do this blog while the boat is on the dock.
The past 86 days have been nothing short of amazing. From the coral reefs of Komodo, the white sand beaches of Cocos Keeling, and the rocky coast of South Africa, the crew on board Vela has had many adventures and created some awesome memories. It is sad to think that our time is almost at an end, but we are striving to enjoy the last of our days together here in Cape Town.
Our day started very differently from most of the times before, and that was a “lie-in” until lunch. The idea here was that people could go out and do whatever they wanted before coming back for afternoon activities. Many went off the boat to do some holiday shopping and Secret Santa gifts (more on that later), while others chose to stay on the boat to keep working on Cards and final program things. While South Africa is a bit cheaper than the US and Europe, there are plenty of people who will be flying home with heavier bags and lighter wallets. Down here in our new home, that is the V+A Waterfront, there are many different activities and events going on, stores to shop in, and plenty of paths and trails to walk on.
Some highlights from the morning walk around include:
Scarlette and Alice found the puppy adoption centre and almost brought some home.
Emma, Kyler, Zoe, and Perry found a cafe with a lovely wait staff that were some of the nicest people you could meet.
Mac and Sam are going to a coffee shop and bringing me back a small cup.
The cannon on the hill is going off at midday, as it has done every day since we arrived.
Shortly after lunch, the team delved into a massive paperwork party. Mac had many different feedback forms for the students to fill out, including course feedback, contact forms, logbooks, etc. For nautical science, we had a few people who needed to do some retakes, so I jumped in to help them through that. Sam took everyone else for their knot exam as one of their last grades in Seamanship. Zoe, Perry, and Kyler compiled and posted all of the dives for everyone to add to their dive logs. When not doing paperwork or tests, people were starting to pack or finish cards. After 80 days of being triple bagged inside the lazarette, the duffel bags definitely needed some time to air out. People also found some interesting things in said bags (Zeke’s second pair of Crocs, Keith’s laundry detergent sheets, etc.) and began to get sad about putting everything away. Needless to say, the salon and cabins are getting very chaotic, as everyone is starting to realize how much they packed and accumulated onboard and how much space they actually have in their bags going home.
Back to cards for a second, as I am sure many of you are wondering what in the world that is. Cards are a staple of Sea|mester programs, always done at the very end. The cards are notes to each other talking about their favorite memories with each other and what each person meant to the other. Each card is meant to be very personal, very insightful, but most importantly, very meaningful and complete. While it is relatively easy to express gratitude to your friends on board, it can be much trickier to write those feelings down on a note card. This process takes a long time, and on top of everything else, everyone is dealing with the end of the program. We have tried to give plenty of chances to finish the cards earlier rather than later. On top of writing one card to each person onboard, everyone will be writing a card to their “future selves,” which is sent to them during the 2026 holiday season, and a card to the Sea|mester office. Both cards are important too, as the office card gives thanks to the team that helped them get to the boat, and the self card should be an awesome message to remind them of their experience after they have been away from it for a long time.
Anyway, enough of cards, back to the rest of the day. Seamanship exam retakes took right up until dinner, which was the fan favorite of white bean soup, prepared by Zoe and company. Squeeze took a bit longer tonight, as I threw a bit of a curveball question into the mix. Even though we had already had a long day, the crew of Vela still had a lot of activities left, starting with the final Leadership class. This class consisted of picking a few postcards and answering some questions about what those cards meant to people. While not a long class, it was a very insightful one, as people took the time to share aspects of themselves that had changed throughout their time onboard Vela.
Finally, last but not least, the long-awaited Secret Santa exchange, with Santa himself making an appearance. The lights were flipped to red, the fireplace was turned on (TV screen), Christmas music was put on, and everyone gathered for gifts. It was a great time, as it was an insight into how well people knew each other, who could guess which person gave them their gifts, and who was creative in the gifts they bought or how they wrapped them. Thank you again, Vera, for the awesome keychain, and I will treasure it for years to come. Adda, sorry for so many small things, but I hope you enjoy everything.
While our time as a team is coming to an end, everyone’s spirits continue to remain high. Lots of laughs and smiles are being shared around the tables and cabins. People continue to chat about their favorite memories onboard, do each of their jobs with gusto, and take everything they can out of these last few days. While it will be extremely hard to leave this boat in a couple of days, everyone should be proud of the things they accomplished on board and their own personal journeys on board.
Thank you again for tuning in! As I am writing this, Payton is prepping breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, as it is the final excursion day! Time to hike up Table Mountain, one of the most iconic places in the world, and a must-do when in Cape Town. Happy Holidays, everyone!