Location: somewhere off the coast of elsewhere
Last night we cruised at around eight knots in winds that reached as high as 28 knots on a broad reach with northerly winds, which made for a very smooth ride. The sea state was fairly calm, and this was the first time that Vela was far enough offshore to go a few hours without seeing another ship. The night passage was relatively uneventful save for some squid that flew on deck (before the sea reclaimed them) and a crackle of ominous, unintelligible frequency that came through the radio and prompted a round of ghost stories. At 8:00 AM, it was still pitch black outside since we sit so far south on the edge of our time zone, although once the ship crossed eight degrees west longitude, we switched over to GMT+0 time so the sun should rise and set at appropriate times until we’re far out in the North Atlantic.
For lunch, we enjoyed a round of gourmet grilled cheeses la tomato bisque, thanks to our head chef Jamie. The sustenance was especially needed for our marine biology and leadership courses this afternoon. We finished off our taxonomy unit and watched the film “Maiden Voyage” which profiled the first all-female team to complete an around the world regatta. We hit some impressive swells this afternoon, although thankfully, fewer people are falling victim to seasickness and nausea as each day passes. It’s clear that we’ve entered more open waters since leaving the Mediterranean.
Spirits remain high on board, and the crew eagerly anticipates our arrival in Madeira. It seems as if the island offers an abundance of opportunities to adventure. Hopefully, we will have a chance to surf the swell, rappel down some canyons, or hike the rain forest after we complete a group challenge course for our leadership midterm. For the time being, the crew is free from exams and papers after a round of deadlines came due this past week. Some are taking this period of inactivity to complete proactively some future assignments; others are prioritizing feeling the wind in their hair between obligations. Regardless, everyone is having lots of fun.
Photo 1: Charlie at the helm
Photo 2: Henry enjoys some Gibraltar roasted coffee
Photo 3: A pleasant morning in the salon
Photo 4: Sail handling on deck