Location: Ile, Fourche
We kicked off the day at 4:30 AM to get to shore and hike to the peak of Ile Fourche for a magnificent view of the sunrise. It was dark and windy, yet nearly all of us chose to enjoy this rousing adventure. Headlamps and flashlights guided us up the rocky shoals, and despite the loose footing, we all made it to the precarious peak well before sunrise. It was a slow dawn with thick clouds on the horizon. Many killed the time by taking endless photos and blinding shipmates with their flashes. The sun inevitably came into view, and it was a spectacular sight, with Saint Barthelemy off to the right and nothing but sea standing between us and the dawn. As the sun rose, a voluptuous rainbow arched all the way across the southwestern sky, a heartfelt premonition of the good day to come. We spent the day anchored in the leeward cove of Ile Fourche. Everyone got to scuba dive in the morning. The non-certified divers were glad to be doing their fourth and final confined dive to reach certified status. After lunch, I spent a good two hours on the bowsprit with my guitar, making music and watching life as it bustled on and around Argo. It was an afternoon of peaceful relaxation, followed by super-science time with Casey and Kristine. We pulled all of the science gear up from below deck and explored the chemistry set, microscopes, and plankton net, among other things. This was to help spark inspiration for our group research projects, for which proposals will soon be due. The evening’s class was an oceanography lecture on the chemical properties of water, after which the very tired shipmates went off to bed. Now, one-ninth of the way through this program, students have already begun to buzz about never wanting it to end. From before sunrise to after sunset, we’ve had another good day aboard S/Y Argo.