Location: Underway to Port Essington
Today, we once again said goodbye to solid ground and ventured back out to sea for our longest passage to date. Over the next five days, we will be continuously manning the engine and sails as we cover 680 nautical miles to reach Port Essington, Australia. As the crew prepared the boat for the passage, we found ourselves becoming more and more accustomed to the process, no longer unsure of what we were doing but instead confidently working together as one cohesive unit. Given the lack of wind all day, the ripples from our propeller were the only thing disturbing the glass-like surface of the ocean. Once the boat was underway, the students divided into their three watch teams and caught up on classwork or much-needed rest. Around lunchtime, we finally lost sight of land and enjoyed the sense of peacefulness found only when surrounded by an empty horizon on all sides. Despite our bunks being laden with snacks from the recent trip onshore, a favorite for all was finally having fresh fruits and veggies to munch on during lunch and dinner.