Location: Underway
Our day began at 3 am when the “equator alarm” went off. We all scrambled up on deck in our swimwear, ready for the equator crossing ceremony. Once on deck, we were greeted by King Neptune (Boomer with a long beard and trident) and were told to crawl around the chart house, which symbolized crossing the equator. While “crossing the equator,” we were sprayed by the fire hose and sprinkled with flour, which was quite amusing. After, we had to kiss King Neptune’s ring and please the sea gods. Everyone on board is now officially a shellback. Later in the day, the equator-crossing ceremony continued with brave shipmates shaving their heads. Hopefully, the strong sun at the equator won’t result in a bunch of burnt scalps. When we finished our classes, we were able to heave to and go swimming in the middle of the Indian Ocean, which had approximately 15,000 feet of water under us! Everyone is adjusting well to being back on the watch schedule, and we are looking forward to more smooth sailing!