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Location: Baie Hurepiti, Tahaa, French Polynesia

Today was an early morning for some of us, including myself. I went from a 5 am anchor watch right into being skipper for the day. As skipper, you hold a lot of responsibility in terms of informing everybody about the daily activities and chores and being in a leadership role aboard an amazing schooner such as Argo. Today was especially exciting because we once again set sail for another tropical island paradise in French Polynesia. After hoisting the sails and putting away all of our diving equipment, we made a five-hour trip to Tahaa. Everybody worked very hard today. We all helped with either the sails, cleaning the deck, and pulling each others’ clothes and towels off of the lifelines. While we made our way to Tahaa, we learned how to tie all the basic knots and throw docking lines. Lunch is always interesting while we are mid-sailing; I am surprised that plates and silverware aren’t accidentally thrown overboard into the dark blue depths of the ocean. Once we arrived and anchored at our destination right off Baie Hurepiti, the beginning divers quickly prepared their gear. They set off to a shallow area to finish their basic training. The other advanced divers went over their already achieved skills and were able to enjoy some free time with a new and beautiful island atmosphere to admire. We had a decent amount of rain today, but regardless it never dampens our spirits since we are still in such a remarkable place that many will never get to experience. Dinner was quite delicious; our chefs served up lamb chops, ginger and honey carrots, and a green bean casserole. Our nightly squeeze posed an interesting question: if you could have five free acres of land anywhere in the world, where would they be? Moorea, one of the previous islands we visited, was the most popular answer since we have all experienced it together and know how breathtaking it is. After dinner, we cleaned up as usual, and the marine biology class ensued. Today was quite a successful and fun-filled day overall. With every day that passes, the bonding gets stronger, our skills in learning how to run a ship improves, and the smiles and laughter are never-ending.