Location: Underway to Les Saintes
Today I woke up in the Foc’s’le with a few splashes from the opened hatches (sorry Shane) that were keeping us cool throughout the hot and humid night. As we gathered in the cockpit for Luca’s charcuterie board, we received the unexpected, but slightly expected news that our finicky shaft bearing was on its last leg, therefore forcing us to reroute straight to Antigua. This would also mean that our student-led passage, in which we would vote for students as the roles of the staff for a singular passage, would start today and continue till Antigua. We had a very enjoyable class where we posed as different roles in a scenario of creating a Marine Protected Area. Immediately after class, we gathered in the salon to learn that, because there was a smaller wind shadow, we could set a course for Le Saintes, spend around four days there, and then proceed to Antigua. This lifted many spirits, as we’ve heard how nice the island is (Meg’s favorite). Everyone seemed happy with the arrangement and kept a good attitude about the whole thing. We then had our VHF Certification Exam administered by the one and only Charlie. As this concluded, the self-nominations of student leaders began, who would later make a speech at dinner. In the meantime, many people hastily finished up their Leadership essay due at 6 pm. Dinner was a big production as the people who nominated themselves all took center stage in the cockpit individually and made their case. I won’t go into much detail as the ordeal took quite some time, such that when dinner finished, it was already dark out. However, everyone had some fun, and the winners and losers were all very respectful. These are the roles for the student-led passage:
Skipper: Teo
Chief Mate: Jem
Watch Team Mates: Bryson and Hailey
Navigators: Alexa and Samantha
Engineer: Matthew
Student Planners: Sam and Luca
I decided to finish dinner with the squeeze question of everyone’s favorite movie quote. Rachel has requested that I put my cinematic performance in the blog:
“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, sheperds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brothers keeper, and the finder of lost children; and I will strike down upon thee with great vengance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers; and you will know my name is the lord, when I lay my vengance upon thee.”
Despite my not being a Christian, or believing in any deity for that matter, I absolutely love Pulp Fiction, and so, I was obliged to do my favorite movie justice. After a dark clip in cleanup, I headed to my 8-12 watch (during which I am writing this blog at about 10:30) and was greeted by my previously experienced and talented watch team leaders, Meg and Aiden, who had now turned into complete sailing beginners, as I was supposed to lead them. I’m only two and a half hours into this watch, and already want to jump into the ocean due to their menacing behavior. However, my excitement to reach land is at an all-time high, and I can’t wait to experience Le Saints with my fellow crew members (who, including myself, have a serious case of get-there-itis).
This is my final time being skipper, and so, as I learned in VHF, never to say “over-and-out”,
Juliet Echo Mike Out