Location: English Harbour, Antigua
Today, we cleaned the entire boat for the whole day. It was exhausting, super hot, and lots of work, but it was so satisfying to know that we would be leaving behind a clean vessel for the next residents of Ocean Star.
I woke up really early today. I think the approaching end of the trip is making me nervous, and I don’t know how I’ll adapt to my life back at home after this insane experience. I guess time will tell. I forgot that I was skipper today, and therefore woke nobody up on time. Luckily, everyone had already woken up on their own by breakfast, so my mistake didn’t ultimately matter.
After breakfast, we started on BA. The deck was washed, jibs were put away, PFDs washed, bunks packed away and cleaned, the saloon scrubbed, the galley sanitized, and so much more. We worked hard all day to get it done, and we finally finished at around 5 pm. After that, it was time for a final squeeze. This was certainly a sentimental moment, and hearing everyone’s answers to the question, “What is your favorite memory from the trip?” made me very happy. Despite all the difficult and trying times on this voyage, everyone had such beautiful and exciting memories to share with the group. I truly appreciate listening to our collective takeaways from these 80 days together.
Once the squeeze was over, it was time for the Antigua Classics awards ceremony! We headed over to Nelson’s Dockyard for the event, and we ended up winning second place in our category… out of two. Still, we got an awesome trophy! I think we should be super proud to have competed in classics and worked together as a team so well. I think the trophy we received is a symbol of our hard work and dedication to each other and Ocean Star.
After the awards ceremony, we had our last sign-out night as a group. We enjoyed delicious food together, had some drinks, and savored each other’s company for our last evening together. It was really fun, and I’m so glad to have ended the trip on a good note.
Bye, Ocean Star! It’s been an amazing ride.