Location: Bermuda
Today my watch team (Watch team 1), consisting of Valentina, Hannah, Anthony, Kaitlyn, Colm, and I woke up just after sunrise at 5:45 am to help Watch team 3 (up since 3:30 am) to lower the mainsail so that we could put the ship under motor power as we followed a Bermuda Pilot boat through a narrow channel into the calm harbor we are at now. The rest of my watch team then took the time to make some coffee, call family with newfound service, and relax on deck until 8:00 am, at which point I was called down to wake up the rest of the boat. Humorously, after so many days at sea, and since many had gone to bed before we entered the harbor, several people were thrown off to wake up to a complete lack of movement of the boat. They could be seen visibly swaying both onboard and for our brief venture on land to get covid tested.
The afternoon then consisted of B.A. or Boat appreciation – the thorough cleaning of the boat after passage. This took up most of our time to dinner and generally included things like cleaning the galley and salon, our bunks, and washing down the deck, which at this point has so much salt on it that you can create a pile just by pushing your hand along a surface. A particular highlight was Will disappearing deep into the bilges after a sponge was dropped down (see photos).
Shortly after, most of the boat took advantage of the time to shower, with Charlie and I deciding to jump into the water for the first time, which, after being in tropical Bonaire for so long, was chilling, to say the least. Overall, great day.
-Max
P.S. Missing all of you at home, Mum, Dad, Bryn, James, Mara.
Photo 1: Vela in St. George’s Harbour, Bermuda
Photo 2: Vela’s Dingy, Angkarn, dropping us off at shore for our first step on land since Bonaire, over 11 days ago.
Photo 3: Bennett, Sonnet, Myself and Charlie, waiting to get our covid tests
Photo 4: Will disappearing into the Bilge