Location: Port Denarau, Fiji
We set sail again! The students got the mainsail up for the first time and got to sail with 4 sails up today, which was quite the sight. We left Drawaqa, Fiji, to return to Port Denarau, Fiji, to receive our last batch of covid tests so we can leave quarantine and set out for the remainder of our trip. The day was full of lots of sail training and downtime together playing cards. Cole is currently the reigning champion of Egyptian Rat Slap (or screw) but will soon be dethroned by a very determined Caroline and Annie. Everyone continued in their classes today by choosing their topics for their first oceanography essay and choosing groups for the project we will turn in at the end of the semester. The boys have also developed an obsession with rolling the legs of their shorts all the way up, so they look like speedos, so the girls are really hoping that ends soon so we can stop seeing their frighteningly white thighs. The squeeze question of the day was, “what is something that you learned about one of your fellow crew-mates today?” and there were no repeats. Ian was definitely a hot topic today as we learned that he’s getting his Ph.D. in a completely useless kind of math and that he wants to try and learn Mandarin so that he can communicate with his classmates. We also learned that Aidan is very good at geography and was helping the dive masters with their mapping projects. Tim’s alter ego is also a cat, if anyone was wondering. The crew is very much looking forward to getting out of quarantine so that we can finish the rest of our trip and getting “Strangers Like Me” by Phil Collins out of our heads.
Update: as I was writing this, Caroline did, in fact, beat Cole in Egyptian Rat Slap, so it’s a good day on rocky top, folks.
Pictured: (1) Will, Chloe, Ky, and Caleigh, sweating the halyard and Max tailing. (2) Mainsail up for the first time. (3) Mia, Chloe, Max, Megan, Ian, Caroline, and Annie (4) Aidan and Ian sweating and Mia tailing. (5) Pierce being Pierce