Location: Underway to Dominica
Today we were on passage to Dominica, and it was a doozy for quite a few of the students. The passage started on the 16th at 11 am, and as I write this, it is now the 17th at 7 pm, and we are still yet to arrive at Dominica. The waves were big and rough, and the wind was opposing us for most of our journey. For someone who hasn’t sailed before, that was quite the experience. Many of the students are the same in as they have never sailed this distance or amount of time before. Many people got seasick over the past two days, and I am grateful not to be one of them. I have found it hard to eat because you’re moving around so much that it makes you feel full. The passage has been challenging yet enjoyable. I was thrown out of my bunk during the day yesterday (16th), and this morning our door wasn’t closed all the way, so I got splashed in bed a few times by waves coming over the bow. You live, and you learn, and we now keep the door shut during passage. I also have set up the protector net on my bed to keep me in bed during the rough stages of passage instead of on the floor. I live in the bow of the boat, and we get thrown around up there and left, right, up and down from the bow, lifting and crashing over the waves, which makes for an interesting experience while trying to sleep. Besides some of those challenges and getting used to being thrown around by waves, it has been a fun experience. Being able to sail across the ocean, from island to island for days at a time, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I have gotten to sleep more than I have the whole trip, it feels like, while also having great conversations during our passage. Another item that occurred today was eating some mangos up on deck from a local taxi driver from Nevis that drove us around anytime we needed a taxi. It was probably the best mango I’ve ever had. It was like a smoothie on the inside, super soft, sweet, and decadent. It tasted way better than any mango I’ve had back in the States. I also got to try another new food item. We had Yorkshire puddings with our veg roast dinner that Drew cheffed up. It was a croissant-roll mixture and tasted great with the roast dinner. As I said above, I wasn’t very hungry during passage, but I sure ate a few of the Yorkshire puddings. The overall experience of this passage has been an experience, to say the least, and it will definitely be something I will remember for the rest of my life.
Edit: We finally arrive in Dominica tonight around 11:30 pm on the 17th. My watch team was up once again, and we got to put down the sails again, which is a fun yet challenging task to do in the pitch black. After staying up and putting the sails down, it was time for some much-needed rest.
P.S I love and miss you, Mom and Dad, and hope that you’ve had some time to get up to the mountains and relax. So far, the trip has been super eventful and busy yet amazing. We have a full schedule every day, and it’s already been ten-plus days which is crazy. The trip is flying by, and it’s been a fun overall experience. Anyways I love you both and hope you’re doing well. Love, Evan.