Location: Underway to Fiji
That’s right, folks. Watertight doors are closed, the engine is humming at about 1300rpm, and we are officially on our way from the Galapagos Islands to Fiji. To be embarking on a trip across the world’s largest ocean is as thrilling as it is daunting. But snack stashes are fortified, stoke levels are astronomical, and all of us are ready and eager to see what this massive undertaking has in store.
The student crew awoke this morning to the absolute best of modern American pop music (One Direction, for those lesser musically cultured log readers out there). Excitement dawned early during breakfast, as we a) savored our last non-boatmeal morning for the next month and b) were assigned our new watch teams for the duration of this passage. Lolo’s Watch Team 1 welcomed Natalie, Marina, Renee, Bella, Lewis, Trevor, and Mac; Watch Team 2 with Elle and Steph ushered in Sam, Una, Elie, Gillian, Riley. Nick and Ezra, and Frankie, Giselle, Izzy, Thea, Niko, Louis, and Felipe now comprise Gabe and Amanda’s Watch Team 3. After some final passage prep and a quick oceanography class (our unofficial spring break is officially winding down), shouts of “PFDs up on deck!” rang down the companionway, and all hands were on deck raising our anchor and getting our sails up.
A full morning of halyard-hauling and handy-billy-ing ensued until lunch, during which Tim renewed our collective hype for the passage. Our afternoon was blissfully unstructured, and many of us enjoyed watching the last glimpses of land fade into the glassy water behind us as we pulled away. A pre-dinner cloud burst had us all donning foulies for the meal but gave way just in time for a stunning rainbow and the best sunset to date.
Tonight, we will continue to roll through watches with our new watch teams. It’s a pretty crazy thought that at every moment, every mile, from now until we arrive in Fiji, one of us will be at the helm. Two people will be up on bow watch, sitting on the obscenely uncomfortable hurricane fender. Someone will be walking through Argo, checking bilges, and filling out the ship’s logbook. And all of us, no matter the hour or weather or job that day, will be embracing every minute.
PS: hey Mal, here’s your personal shoutout, love you 🙂
Current position: 0121.4194’S x 09106.2443’W
Pictured:
1. Steph, Nat, Izzy, Riley, Frankie, and Nick sweating the preventer on the main staysail
2. Elle, Tim, and me entertaining ourselves on the helm
3. Lewis IS the end of the rainbow