Location: Underway
Having all survived the much anticipated 11.11.11 11:11:11 scenario on watch last night. Shipmates were greeted with news this morning of an OCE Midterm Exam. Some shipmates took to their notes for some last-minute preparations, while others chose to help out on deck sanding and varnishing the chart house handrails. After lunch, the hour was upon us, the culmination of 50 days of oceanography knowledge transferred onto paper (or not in some cases) via some strategically placed questions and their reward..? An equally strategically timed fire and abandon ship drill had everyone scurrying around the deck like busy bees, each with their own vital role to fulfill. Post-class shipmates were rewarded with a “swim call.” Sails were dropped, the engine backed off to neutral, and the “pool” was opened, with marks out of 10 given for entry into the ocean off the bow-sprit. A delicious Arabian falafel and a much-debated squeeze question calling for the identity of the phantom pooper to be made public greeted everyone for dinner. Cape Verdes in the A.M. will bring this passage to a close.