Location: Antigua
Final full day it started at 6 am. We woke up early to move the bot to the slip where our final deep clean would commence. Inflating bumpers and prepping dock lines havent been regular tasks aboard Vela, but the whole crew operated with the efficiency and know-how of well-experienced deckhands. This 15-minute trip from Falmouth harbor to the Antigua Slipway would mark the last time Vela would move for the next two months- before a fresh and green group of students embarked once again. Once we arrived, we set up dock lines, but unfortunately, we wedged our port anchor chain under a boulder, and the staff spent much of the day diving and in boats trying to make us perpendicular to the dock as opposed to diagonal. It was crazy to see all of our cabins go from crowded and living in messes to neat and tidy just as we arrived at them. I spent the morning clearing my bunk and packing.
Then we enjoyed a chicken Caesar salad for lunch. This was followed by even more boat appreciation. Frida and I volunteered to clean the Anchor locker, and we proceeded to spend the next three and a half hours scrubbing, hosing, and wet vacuuming every nook and cranny in that locker. Although arduous, with a little bit of The Rolling Stones and the occasional Steely Dan, we made steady progress. To finish it off, the coiled and hung all the extra dock lines and fenders we had not used. Even though we finished well after the other tasks had been completed, it felt good to see our project for the day in such good order. We then got ready for dinner – showering off all the sweat and grime we had accumulated during the day.
To begin our final night, we all mustered in the pit of cock one final time to answer Stephs final squeeze: Appreciation for the day, Appreciation for the trip, and something you could have told yourself on day 1 of this trip. After some wholesome responses, as well as some funny ones. We all got in cabs to go out for our final sign-out night at Shirley Heights. The site itself is part of an 18th-century English fort stationed atop a hill overlooking Falmouth and English harbors. With beautiful views and even livelier music, we enjoyed local cuisine and final drinks with our new family. We stayed until the band stopped playing and kept singing the whole drive home. Many of us stayed up into the night, having our final late night. Even though the day was characterized by hard work and cleaning, the evening was an incredible ultimate experience for the crew. I will never forget these experiences, people, or boats. I genuinely hope we can all be reunited in one place again and that this will not be the coolest thing any of us do in our lives. Thank you, Vela.