Location: St. Barths
The day began with a normal wake-up at 7:15 am, followed by breakfast and an OCE lecture. Throughout the lecture, we could hear the rain pouring on deck….easing in and out of a drizzle and a downpour. The lecture was full of information about aquaculture, and as I listened to the information being handed to us, I could think of only one thing…what our surf day was going to be like while on St. Barths. After finishing our lecture, we headed out to the beach with surfboards in hand and were ready to see what the day had in store. We showed up on the shore, and the first impression was that it was choppy and ready to be a day of fighting waves to get a ride. We all settled into our spot on the white sandy beach along the shore and were ready to head out into the waves. We had a handful of boards to go around the group in turn, and we all got a go at what turned out to be excellent waves for the day. With the beach in the background and palm trees swaying in the breeze, we surfed, first among a squall, bringing a decent steady rain, then merging into blue skies and clear waters. The morning and afternoon were spent onshore with the breathtaking beach, taking turns surfing, only pausing to grab a bite to eat from the French provisions we had for the afternoon. St. Barths is truly a beautiful island, with so much to offer, and with it being the first day of the entire trip, we had the opportunity to hop on a board and ride waves. Spirits were high. Each swell proved to bring new life and opportunity for an experience to be held only on this island and on only this afternoon. It was truly beautiful and unique. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and once the day was through, we headed back to our beloved Ocean Star. She looks so magnificent, docked amongst the other yachts, so unique, full of character and charm. She is a true gem and always feels at home once we come back to her after a day ashore. Once we were all back, we had a bit of time to catch up on reading or keeping in touch with loved ones and then got ready for our dinner ashore. We were to have cheeseburgers in paradise at Le Select, a frequent spot and favorite of Jimmy Buffett, and we were all ready to eat after a long day of sun and riding waves. The meal proved to be much more than satisfactory, as I had a double-double that topped any In-n-Out burger I’ve ever had. As we feasted, stories and conversation held laughs and camaraderie, only bringing us more together so far into the adventure we embarked upon 64 days ago. This has truly been a magical journey that has gone by so quickly, yet it seems to have lasted a lifetime. Our perception of time aboard Ocean Star is truly altered…in the best way I have ever experienced. We have become more than a crew…a family working together and experiencing things that are most definitely once in a lifetime. The buzz from an all-day surf session still hasn’t worn off…even being nearly into the next day…and I believe it will stick with me for longer than I can imagine and only add to the thrills that happen every day aboard this beautiful vessel. It’s another day I’ve woken up on board and another day I’ll be rocked to sleep by the rhythm of the sea…I can’t imagine living without this feeling of contentment and peacefulness. We have all been given a gift, crew and staff alike: 80 days at sea exploring and adventuring into the unknown. Each visit is unique, and each moment is ours to share together aboard Ocean Star, our home.