Location: Palma to Barcelona
Today, we continued our passage to Barcelona. It was our last passage, and you can really see how much the crew has learned about sailing and how much we all enjoy it and are excited to step up to all the challenges that come with it. The passage finished with a bang and a pop. At about 0900, I remember commenting how the sky was so clear and cloudless. Only fifteen minutes later, we were suddenly being swung side to side in an increasing swell, and the sky became filled with clouds. You could feel the resistance of the sails against the wind as the wind speed jumped about 15 kts in just a few minutes. We hurried to trim the sails to the new wind and secure the items on deck. I can’t wait to get up on the bow and enjoy splashing up and down in the waves. The foredeck definitely turned into a splash zone, and you can hear the surprising remarks of the next watch as they head up on deck. We decided we needed to reef the mainsail with only the sacrifice of one PFD, as it accidentally inflated while Simon was hanging off the boom, trying to secure sail ties. It was the perfect last sail. Once we docked in Barcelona, the rain started up, and we ran for cover on Argo. A few shipmates headed out to see the city while many of us stayed on board to relax or study for our final exams. After dinner, more of us take advantage of the now nice weather and head into the city. While many of us kept studying late into the night, you could hear the murmurs of “course to steer,” “5 leeway,” and “Where is flashing green light #2?” We are also just taking advantage of the excuse to stay up and hang out, as we are all too well aware that this amazing experience is coming to a close way too soon.