Location: Prickly Bay, Grenada
This day started early. Very early. 2 a.m. to be exact, for watch team #1 (WT1). We came up on the deck, and it was now our 6th four-hour shift. Each of the watch teams had been seeing each other in passing, and that was fun, but I think we all missed each other a little bit. Regardless, we had a lot of fun in WT1. From fantasizing about food, listening to music, doing boat checks, or taking the helm, there weren’t many dull moments. Except for when we got tired. Then it got hard. Nighttime watches are especially hard; besides the light from the stars and the moon, it’s pitch blackout. Staying awake was a struggle. But everyone did a great job of being present and being sensitively loquacious (inside joke).
As the sun started to rise, this was an exciting day for all of us. We spotted land after three days of being at sea. Watch team #2 (WT2) had just woken up WT1 around 9:40 a.m. As WT1 emerged onto the deck, we heard the excitement from WT2 that our destination was in sight. We had made it to Grenada!! Almost… It was still a good four hours until we actually got into the harbor. The last few shifts went by pretty quickly! Our energy was rising because our passage was soon coming to an end. Meals are always an adventure on deck–trying not to let our food fly everywhere. The cauliflower casserole was delicious!!! (10/10) The course at the helm (directed by Captain Wiggy) kept changing the closer we got, so we could turn into Prickly Bay. Eventually, we anchored around 1 p.m. We were all very happy :)))
We had our first Boat Appreciation today. This is where we give thanks to our good Ocean Star for sailing us safely to our destination. We all follow a list of To-Do’s for on-deck and below-deck as a team. We worked for a couple of hours to get all these chores done. Next up, we needed to take care of our own selves… we all were a little too stinky and messy for anybody’s liking, so showers soon followed. I’m not sure if anyone else has previously explained the shower situation, but I love it. We get to jump off the side of the boat, lather up, jump off again, and then wash off with the fresh water hose. It’s very refreshing!! Let’s just say that some of us repeated some of those steps several times today.
We all just took the time to relax a bit before dinner. We all were squeaky clean and sun-kissed as we gathered around for a very, very tasty dinner. After we squeezed and I asked everyone to just comment on any challenges/lessons/comments about our past three days underway. It was fun to hear everyone’s perspective on it. Speaking for the students, I think we were all pushed out of our comfort zone. But we took the guidance from the staff, support from one another, and positive attitudes towards any situation and had a great time. I want to do it again! But now it’s time to explore the land of Grenada for a couple of days. It’s only been under two weeks, and the memories are endless. I cannot wait for the challenges and adventures ahead 🙂
-Elle