Location: Statia
After our last morning in St. Barths, the crew prepped for passage to our first Dutch island, Statia. The comparatively short and smooth passage marked our first official student-led sail. From planning the trip on the charts to leaving the dock and raising the sails, it was all of us (though the staff did keep a close eye to ensure we didn’t break anything). Halfway through the passage, Captain Kevin even turned off the computer, forcing us to put our new dead reckoning navigation skills to the test. Through all the frustration, confusion, and, at times, hesitation, it was still rewarding to realize we have grown as a crew together and are now able to proudly sail Ocean Star to another amazing Caribbean Island. (Shout out to Penn for calculating an incredibly accurate ETA). After anchoring, we learned about the always-fascinating basics of biology from our awesome Jessica. The return of beloved sea showers, followed by a fried chicken dinner from Sully, wrapped up a great day of sailing. On day 31, we anticipate a close to the voyage and our time together. I speak for myself (and I’m sure many others) when I say that goodbyes will be hard, and every lasting moment until then will be cherished with special care and intention. I am even excited for the 2:00-3:00 anchor watch tonight, knowing that when I am up at such an hour back at school, it most definitely won’t be in the middle of the ocean with a sky full of stars. Until then, it has been another incredible day on Ocean Star. Peace.