Today dawned bright and early for the staff of S/Y Argo as we prepared for the imminent arrival of our shipmates. Amy and Amanda went provisioning to buy the rest of the fresh food for the next few days, while Ian, Dan, Tina, Tim, and Ashley (aka Smash) stayed onboard to finish last-minute preparations. At noon, students started arriving at the dock in Villefranche, and we shuttled them and LOTS of heavy baggage by dinghy to Argo out at anchorage. Once everyone was safely on board, we did tours of the boat to help the students start to settle in, and we ate dinner as a group. After dinner, we had our first "Squeeze," which is a few minutes after dinner every day where we will sit as a group, hold hands, reflect on our day, and learn more about each other. Most people had the chance to go swimming around the boat to enjoy the refreshing Mediterranean waters. Before bed, the students had a Life Aboard chat in order to prepare for the next 90 days! Everyone was very tired after a long day of travel, so all the students went off to bed, interrupted only by one-hour anchor watches in pairs. Everyone- staff and students alike- are very excited about the upcoming semester of travels, learning, and adventure onboard Argo!
Pictured: Sunset over the harbor of Villefranche; Andrew, Ben, and James during mealtime on deck; and James enjoying some sunshine.
