Location: Underway to Elba
Today was a really special day on Vela because the wind finally allowed us to sail! As the good skipper I am, I woke everybody up with some ear-splitting house music at 7 a.m. The response was actually much more enthusiastic than I was expecting, and energy levels were high to start the day. For breakfast, head chef Chloe (our first student head chef, by the way) prepared some delicious French toast, which was obviously drenched in Nutella by half the crew.
After breakfast, we prepared to make our way to Elba! As the skipper, I was given the clipboard to organize everybody into their jobs. The only issue was that after just seven days of sailing, I still didnt know how to actually do any of the tasks we needed to complete. With the help of the staff, we got the boat all ready and set sail for Elba.
We had just enough wind during this passage, so we finally were able to turn the engine off and raise almost all the sails for the first time! I was part of the crew sweating the main halyard. This pretty much means putting all your strength and energy into hoisting the main sail. After about 10 minutes of heaving and ho-ing, the sail was raised, and we could relax for a bit. This was definitely a learning process for the students, but we all worked together and got Vela cruising.
While underway, we had our first marine biology class, followed by a leadership exercise that uncovered each persons leading style. Once we answered a few questions regarding our personality type, we were split into four different color groups: red, yellow, blue, and green. My group was yellow and consisted of myself, James, and Watson. We were classified as action-driven leaders who work hard and lead by example. We were heavily outnumbered by the people loving greens and logic-based reds. Post-class watches resumed for the evening. Many who werent on watch took the time before dinner to catch up on sleep and fight seasickness. However, the energetic bunch got a late afternoon workout in on deck with different groups at the bow, midship, and stern performing various boat-style workouts.
For dinner, we enjoyed honey mustard-crusted chicken while gliding across milky smooth seas. The sun began to set as we ended the day with a squeeze and our appreciation for the day. After dinner, I was blessed with a galley crew dance show provided by Ben and Emma. After a wonderful day, the Vela crew settled into their nightly routine. Today, I was grateful that we were able to set sail and begin getting into the groove of our new life at sea. See you tomorrow in Elba!
– Audrey