Location: 2*30.409'N 142*48.901'W
This morning started with the 3:30 wake up for our 4-8 am watch. The sky still stays dark for most of the morning, but this morning, the light started creeping up around 7 am, illuminating the clouds all around us. But not just any clouds. These clouds covered all shapes and distances. Off in the distance, white streaks covered the light blue sky. A bit closer, fluffy, cumulous clouds started to glow metallic orange close to the horizon. Higher up, massive dark clouds started to shift to shades of purply blue. It was one of those moments where all that really seemed to exist in the world was the diversity of these clouds! Once I emerged from the vortex of clouds, it was time to wake up the next watch team for the morning 8-12 shift. Right as we handed over, some dolphins came to say hello and hung out around the bow for a while before heading on their way. I then took my little morning napskies and woke up for Beck, Maverick, and Williams lunch. We then shifted into marine bio mode and had the second Fish ID quiz on species we’ve been seeing on our dives, and will continue to see when we make it to Palau. Then we chatted about corals, sponges, comb jellies, true jellies, and all sorts of fun creatures. Post marine bio, everyone headed up on deck for the Seamanship lines exam. Kackie, Kelsey, Gabe, and I walked around on deck, quizzing everyone on the many lines of Argo.
Fish halyard, running backstay, jib sheets…everything was fair game, and everyone absolutely nailed it. Dinner rolled around, and the chefs faced the challenge of figuring out what to do with a full pumpkin. Casey stepped in to help, chopping it up and throwing it in the oven. Beck worked magic with the red beans and onions creating this delicious chili like bean paste and before this evenings rain hit, we had a hearty, warm n cozy meal. Highlights of squeeze: Williams’s full-blown poem as an ode to Casey and her selfless helping in the galley, and a few of the crew’s future boat names: Watertite, Salt, the Joshua Meighan, Hooligan, and Hullabaloo. The sunsets the past few nights have been growing in color and all-around gorgeousness. Even with the rain, hues of pink and orange are shining through the clouds with a silvery glow. Welp, that’s all I’ve got for the day. Sending love to all the family and friends back home.