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Location: Underway to Coco's Keeling

Back onto the underway schedule, Vela and her crew are cruising better than a kite in the wind! With Christmas Island in the rearview, we have been sailing the entire time since, with no need for an engine thus far. The main sail, main and forward staysails, jib, and flying jib are all in action, leading us across the Indian Ocean for a total of 1,500 nautical miles and counting!

A typical day was had with an engaging marine bio class led by Steph, who taught us about seaweeds and other marine plants such as mangroves, sea grass, salt marshes, and more. After that lesson, Captain Tom led a seamanship class focused on navigation. Students practiced transferring headings between true, magnetic, and the ship’s course, using deviation and variation. But learning doesn’t just happen during the allotted class times. The flying jib is one of the sails we hadn’t had much practice with, so raising it today proved an enriching experience for those involved.

Otherwise, the student crew is still getting used to the ebbs and flows of the ship. Losing sight of an item for just a couple of seconds could be the difference between it being thrown to the other side of the room. In some cases, people bashing themselves against walls isn’t entirely uncommon. There’s still plenty of time to get our sea legs, though. Despite this ever-present hardship, the galley, a known rough spot and common stressor that can induce seasickness, produced some great pesto pasta (a favorite of many, it seems, on the ship) for lunch and some delicious chicken tortilla soup for dinner led by head chef Ben, and his Sous’ Kacey and Jackson. On deck, people are finding the cool air and horizon a savior. Watch teams are enjoying each other’s company, bonding, and sharing laughs and stories to pass the time day and night. One occurrence on watch team, two in the midst of the night, left everyone laughing and speechless. The clock hit the hour, and Griffin volunteered to do a boat check as we normally do.

Nothing crazy was happening; people were fighting off sleep, talking in bits. One minute after he left, he came back to the cockpit, saying there was a bird on the boat. As we all stare, confused, and squint into the darkness, we soon realize he is holding the bird in his hands, saying he caught it because it was unable to fly. Maybe it hit a sail in the darkness, maybe it got tired, but none of that mattered. What mattered is we were all staring and laughing in shock over what we were gonna do about this bird that just pooped on the deck as he dropped it. We scheme a plan to put it back forward deck and tell the next watch team about it to make it their problem. The watch session passes, and watch team 3 comes up on deck, confused as to why we’re all laughing. Then, as they are getting briefed mid-ship, we see a light flash on and a silhouette throw the bird overboard. This ensures a burst of excitement and concludes the night for watch team 2.

Overall, another great day on Vela, ending with a beautiful sunset an hour later because the time zone we are in is up to Tom.

Sorry, parents, but there won’t be service for a while. Miss ya! Everyone here is loving it.