Location: Dominica
Welcome to day 44 on O Star! We started this morning bright and early (for me, at least), around 6:45, to raise the anchor and say au revoir to Martinique. Many people were up before wake-up time to collect data for our Oceanography research projects. One group did their plankton tow and analyzed their copepods under the microscope. Another group used the Secchi disk to observe the visibility of the water. Thanks to some more early risers this morning, we had a delicious breakfast: pancakes! (a notoriously tedious meal to make in the galley). For some people, it was their first time learning how to eat a Dutch pancake (apparently, all pancakes should be rolled, according to Luc).
Nevertheless, they were greatly appreciated (shoutout to Head Chef Luc and sous chefs Drew and Allie). After breakfast, we raised some sails. Together, we got up the mainsail, foresail, and staysail. The swells were pretty big, and the wind was gusting 35 knots. We were heeled over the most we have ever been on the trip so far. Everyone agreed it was so much fun. We ended up lowering the foresail soon after so we could level out a bit. We served lunch in the galley because of the sea state and gathered in the cockpit to eat and endure/enjoy some rogue wave splashes. The day was spent on passage, trimming sails, and getting burnt in the sun. Before long, we arrived in Dominica! The island was bigger than most of us were expecting, which made us excited to go on shore. We put the boat to bed, zipping up sail covers and coiling lines. We finished the day with Oceanography class with Heather, learning about ocean currents and hurricanes. Afterward, we did our boat showers and had an early dinner (a veggie bake) to prepare for a long day on shore tomorrow. Stay tuned for some fruity and vertical adventures!