Location: 14 48.761 'S 172 21.408 'E
Today marks the third day of our three-week passage from Port Denarau in Fiji through the Pacific to Palau. The anticipation, fear, and exhilaration are high in our early days of passage. The challenges, too, are becoming more apparent as the hours pass by. Thankfully, though, our instructors have prepared us well for these adversities we progressively experience. Watch Team 1 started their day with the rigors of managing Argo on moderate sea state, which included securing all hatches from the water gushing over the bow into the foxhole bedroom after they put up the main sail. Our days underway differ from those back in our Fiji island-hopping weeks. With our rotating night watch schedule of 20:00-00:00, 00:00-4:00, or 4:00-8:00, our days only officially begin at 12 pm. We collectively started our day with Head Chef Gabe’s flavorful lunch of Kim Pao and Tom Kha. While preparing the meal, the intensity of the rocking boat caused all the cabbage salad to fall on Olivia’s feet. Ironically, we still cannot label this sea state as “rough” in the logbook. During cleanup after lunch, waves drenched Steph through the Gopher hole, so dishes had to be handed down through the companionway (staircase). In the afternoon, we gathered for the Seamanship class taught by Gabe, in which we watched Around the Horn. This movie was followed by an Oceanography class taught by Anna. Our day closed with a luminous sunset while we sat for dinner far from serene, with dark blue waves towering around us during Gabe’s tasteful Shabbat dinner. As I write this blog post, I hear the endless screams and laughs above and below me from the havoc the swell is creating. Below deck, Iain, Olivia, and Beck had to deal with water crashing through the hatches, drenching Steph once again. At the same time, the knife drawer flew out the wall, scattering knives and other kitchen utensils throughout the galley. Lots of love to friends and family, and goodnight from everyone!!!