Location: Underway to Singapore
Today was once again our first full day of classes. We, shipmates, are pros now and fell into the routine with no problem. It’s been a bit choppy. We started our day with a squall in the early morning hours, and the strong winds and waves are giving the deck a bit of a spray right now. However, thanks to this, Argo has stayed nice and cool, something I think we can all be thankful for. As the sun rose, I was able to see that the Java Sea is actually quite a lovely shade of green, which is a nice change from the endless blue of the Indian Ocean. Our passage here is different, mainly because of the heavy boat traffic between Borneo and the rest of Indonesia. As forward lookouts, we’re always kept on our toes. But really, not much has changed between this passage and the last. I feel that we could cross any sea now. We had meals, cleanup, and classes as normal. The sun rose and set, and we were, as per the norm, surrounded by water.
Today in Oceanography, we learned about ocean pollution, and Laurie surprised us with a really fun scenario/challenge in which we competed to take on oil spills (represented by cooking oil in a tub). In Marine Bio, we learned about reptiles and birds that live in and around the ocean, finally giving us the full picture of marine life. Our day wasn’t entirely ordinary, however. Today, we celebrated the birthday of one of our own… Happy Birthday, Max! I know Max must have appreciated the birthday serenade he got to wake him up this morning (I personally made sure to sing to him). The cheer surrounding our new 19-year-old kept us going throughout the day, and Forrest and Mandy prepared some delicious peanut butter brownies as a birthday dessert. Sitting in the cockpit devouring chocolate just as the sun sets is always the perfect way to end a great day!