Location: 12°11.47' S 130°06.40' E
After an early rise, the students and crew started prepping for our first passage of the semester (Darwin to Kupang). This included stowing and lashing everything on the boat, checking the engine room, and bringing the dinghies (Doctor and Nopadone) on to Argo. After refueling and doing a lot of work, we finally set sail for Kupang. We were split into three watch teams, each with a different role in case of an emergency. Each watch team is given a four-hour night shift and some shorter “dog watches” during the daytime. After the logistics and duties of the watch teams were explained, we took our first underway shower. We waited for Alan, Tighe, Julia, and Ian to prepare some delicious mashed potatoes and lamb roast while watching the sunset and listening to music. We could finally see the stars and the milky way and caught a glimpse of bioluminescent plankton in the wake of Argo while discussing superpowers and what we appreciated during the day. Now we’re finally getting ready for our first night watches underway.