Location: Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua
Hello, world! Skipper Veronica Mann here to tell you all about Day 88 in the life of Argo. Waking up, bright and early on one of the last days on Argo, everyone ate breakfast, excitedly talking about the events of the previous evening out at the Shirley Heights Lookout- a popular cookout place in Antigua known for their Reggae music and steel drum bands. We started the day with some much-needed “Boat Appreciation” with some daunting tasks- cleaning out the saloon bilges and lazarette. I was one of the lucky people given the task to clean the PFDs, a job that included collecting, scrubbing, and hanging the life jackets that we all have spent so much time in these last couple of months. Dive gear was rearranged, deck lockers cleaned, and saloon bilge tidied. The afternoon was free time for us to explore Antigua. Some people wandered over to Pigeon Beach while others (like me) spent the afternoon in the shade, enjoying a delicious lunch at one of the restaurants by the marina. We started our evening program before dinner, which started with a hilarious/ bittersweet video compilation made by Jessica of all of our adventures this semester, starting on day 1. We were also given our last assignment for Argo- to write our goodbye cards to each and every shipmate. A tradition on all Seamester trips, these cards will be given to each other on the last day as a thoughtful reminder of the relationships that we have made on this trip and as a reminder of how we have grown as people during this time. I think I speak for the entirety of the crew when I say, thank you, Argo, for this wonderful experience. I will never forget the time I have spent here and look forward to carrying the things I’ve learned here for the rest of my life.