Location: Underway to Grenada
It was a bit difficult for everyone to wake up this morning because last night, we were out late doing our turtle walk on the beaches of Nevis. We didn’t mind the late hour because we had so much fun releasing baby hatchlings and excavating nests. We saw three nests; two were hawksbills, and one was a green turtle nest. We learned about nesting and hatching success around Nevis and got up close and personal with the joys and harsh realities that these guys face from the moment they are laid.
But despite the late bedtime last night, we were excited to wake up and get our day started because we knew we were leaving for Grenada today! After a quick breakfast, we got right into passage prep. There is a fairly extensive list of things that need to get tidied and completed before we can go underway. This is especially true before this passage, as it’s the longest one of the trip. Quarter lifts were rigged, dinghies were lashed down, and the salon and galley were 40/40’ed (meaning everything is secure to withstand 40 of heel or 40 knots of wind). It was a hot day, but everyone worked together as a team to get ready to leave. Just before lunchtime, we set sail. Each sail on Ocean Star has many lines to handle and lots of moving parts to get it raised and trimmed properly. It is so great to see how quickly the students are picking up on all the parts and pieces of raising the sails. They will be doing it without our help at all pretty soon! While the sails were being raised, the chefs were in the galley, preparing a tasty lunch for us. For the last several days, we’ve been on a combined job wheel with both staff and students. For the first ten days or so, a staff member was always the head chef. Now shipmates are also head chefs, and they have done a great job preparing hearty meals for the crew.
The seas are calm, and we’ve enjoyed a sunny and clear afternoon, a gorgeous sunset, and now some bright moon and stars. We are moving into overnight watches now, after dinner, and our nightly Squeeze. Tonight’s Squeeze question was to tell something that you’ve learned about the person on your left. In just two weeks, we’ve gotten to know each other well, and we look forward to getting to know each other even better- especially during our overnight watches together in small groups. For now, my watch team (Watch Team 2 with Amy, Eli, Steffen, Jill, and Josh) is about to take the deck for the 2000-2300 shift. We all get to sleep peacefully while the other watch teams keep the boat safe throughout the night. Next stop, Grenada!
Pictured: The whole group as we departed Nevis heading for Grenada; everyone gathered in the cockpit; Amy briefing the students on the schedule for our time in Grenada; view of Nevis after we departed.
Current position:
1623.17’N
6230.36’W