Location: Roseau, Dominica
Up bright and early today after a night of fun during Dominica’s yearly carnival celebration, the crew gathered for a busy day of sailing, class, and other fun activities. Directly following our French toast breakfast, we mustered downstairs in the saloon for our second Marine Biology class. There we studied the different classifications of fish and discussed everything from dorsal fins and lateral lines to different coloration and swimming behaviors. Shortly after, we began to prepare the S/Y Argo for our 18-mile voyage to the capital of Dominica, located on the other side of the island. Sail covers were removed, the engine checked, watertight doors sealed shut, and a number of other preparations were made before we were ready to leave. Once prepped, we picked up our anchors and raised our sails to make the three-hour crossing. The seas were calm, and we relaxed as we sailed along the coastline of beautiful Dominica. We also discussed sail trimming techniques and the basic points of sail during our Seamanship Class on deck during the crossing. Upon arriving in Roseau, Dominica, we dropped sails, set anchor once again, and worked on deck upkeep, polishing steel, and flaking the sails. Our crew has been here for little over a week. Still, by now most of us have a pretty good understanding of which lines connect to which sails and how exactly we ought to be raising and dropping sails and although we were all strangers just weeks ago, we have come together to make a great team, dividing the work amongst ourselves and helping each other along the way. Sailing this 112-foot schooner is hard work, but we’re enjoying every minute! Some of the crew then took their salty showers by jumping in the ocean while others studied, did laundry, or relaxed below deck. The sunset as we gathered for dinner and the full moon looked beautiful against the waves of the ocean. The day closes with an Oceanography class and a batch of brownies shared in the celebration of Steven’s birthday!