Location: Underway to BVI
Just ten more days, unbelievable. A month passed by full of diving, sailing, hikes, and many more adventures, but it’s not over yet. Today was our last day in Saba, which was nice for the most part; however, on behalf of everyone, we are very happy we don’t have to hike 2 miles up a mountain to town anymore. Don’t believe me, look up the Saban Ladder; it’s no joke; it is good practice if you’re preparing to do the New York marathon. We began the day with passage prep and another Nav class. Mani helped me through the first problem but left soon after because he knows everything about chart navigation from his flying experience. We then had a wonderful lunch made by Katherine and then pulled anchor to make way for the British Virgin Islands.
We had a nice wind gust, which allowed us to maintain good speed, giving us an ETA of tomorrow morning around breakfast. We then had a practice medical emergency as part of our EFR training, this time involving Zoe and a spinal injury and Nick with a serious bleed after an incident with the fire axe. Our afternoon consisted of two more classes, another Oceanography lecture held by Ben, and an introduction to VHF by Captain Nick. I found the oceanography lecture to be quite engaging at first, but with the rocking of the boat and the salon’s exhausting heat, my eyes began to close. I didn’t expect to doze off but everyone else was starting to do it too, that’s when all the sudden I felt a kick from under the table which was Bens way of saying wake up without shouting. That was the last time I closed my eyes during class; however, other students couldn’t resist. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use my radio during the VHF class, but next time, I’ll make some good use of it.
After class, Katherine whipped up some delicious enchiladas that everyone walked away from. Now I think the students have unlocked their full culinary potential since we had a rough month of cooking in a 110 degree galley with the boat rocking. After dinner, I decided to ask the group what they appreciated about the trip so far and what they were looking forward to in the last stretch. I realized, after all of them answered that this trip really brought out the best in them. Sure, everyone had their ups and downs, but each of the crew persevered through their low points, and now, every day, the entire crew has a bond and attitude that can’t be broken. These last ten days may be quick, but we will all make the most of it. Even though everyone yearns for a hot shower and 12 hours of sleep, I know when we are all home soon, we will miss this unique experience and miss one another until then, over and out.
Max,
P.S Looking forward to seeing you soon, Mom, Dad, and Sadie
EDITORS NOTE – Sorry for the backlog of blogs! Saba’s service was not strong enough for them to upload, but uploads should be back to normal going forward. Thank you for your patience, as always!