Location: Jack Sparrows Island
Eager to start the first sailing day of the voyage, this morning started bright n’ early around 6:30 with barely anyone still asleep. You could find a couple of people, including myself, doing various individual workouts, yoga, or stretches on the deck, and the cool morning air on the water provided a surreal environment once again. There was an overwhelming aura of excitement in the air as we went through the normal morning routines to get the sails up as quickly as possible. It became quite obvious as to who had dealt with sailing before when the instructors began to explain and name countless different procedures and tools used on board to get the boat cruising. As some stood to try and comprehend the overload of exciting information, a small handful of others patiently waited for us sailing newbies to catch on. Overall, the boat was alive with energy, and the cool ocean breeze provided nothing but smiles on everyones faces when those sails finally came up. We sailed a couple of hours away from the atoll we initially arrived on and finally anchored just off an island the staff named “Jack Sparrows Island.” Since we’re quarantining on the boat in the Maldives, unfortunately, we won’t be able to set foot on any islands while we’re here. However, the student crew, as well as staff, have all managed to keep spirits high, and we’re all beyond happy to just be here. For dinner, the chefs spent hours preparing a wonderful Italian-style lasagna meal with garlic bread that disappeared as quickly as it arrived on deck. At the same time, the rest of the students and I played card games, music, doodled, wrote poetry, talked about various desires and goals for the voyage. It was super interesting to hear everyones initial purposes for wanting to embark on this journey and how they have or have not changed since then. Some came for the educational opportunity, some for the sailing, and some for the cultures and experiences on land. Yet, no matter what the initial intent might have been, we all could agree that there is no place we would rather be. After dinner, the question I came up with for everyone to answer during squeeze was- what attributes do you look for in your chosen or non-chosen family? The most prevalent answers were loyalty, love, trust, honesty, respect, acceptance, patience, wisdom, and a sense of humor
Photos
1. Lucia and Myra making dinner in the galley
2. Sierra trimming lines
3. Shona demoing to Trey on the sheet
4. Myra, Carley, and Valentina sweating halyards
5. Max being mentored on the helm by Jon