Location: Jolly Harbour, Antigua
Hello, all you folks at home. Today’s skipper was me, Justin. I started the day with some light metal music to wake up the rest of the crew at full volume. Shortly after a well-prepared breakfast made by Sydnei, we raised anchor and prepared for a morning of sail training. We continue to improve by the day on how efficiently we are able to raise the sails and get underway. I personally struggled to keep up with my crew as they seemed to handle the boat so naturally, and I was struggling to find which way the bow was. Luckily our seamanship teacher Calum was there to make sure I didn’t overlook anything. The Crew has advanced quickly from beginner divers and green boatmen to well-versed full-fledged members of the Ocean Star crew!
Our lunch was prepared and eaten underway, making for a difficult and entertaining process during the many tacks and jibes. We learned how to fill out the ship’s logbook and hourly checklist by checking maps, charts, and the engine room. Shortly after lunch was finished, Ethan asked me to cut his hair! I obliged, and halfway through, we had a surprise man overboard drill. Immediately the crew jumped to action taking up our pre-established roles to rescue our makeshift crew member ‘Oscar.’ While “The Best” watch team trimmed in the sails and slow the ship “IHOP,” watch team quickly deployed our rescue dinghy Irv to retrieve Oscar from the open ocean. Once Oscar was recovered and safely returned to the ship, the teams continued to fulfill roles to ensure Oscar’s health.
We gathered in the cockpit to go over our performance during our drills. After a quick debriefs about what could have been done better, we lowered the sails and headed back into the harbor. We had more seamanship lessons from Calum with the focus of VHF (Very High Frequency) radio training to complete another certification commonly required for proper ship management. Our captain Steve was nice enough to give us free time instead of his marine biology class due to us being ahead of schedule. The crew happily spent their time snorkeling, showering, and preparing themselves for our first night on shore, where we were able to relax and dance on the beach under the star-filled sky. We did need to hurry back to our safe haven, Ocean Star before curfew is enforced!