Location: Underway to Saba
As the clock struck midnight, the crew of watch team three took over, steering Vela and those aboard into the darkness. It was a calm and starry night, filled with tales of Gattoni’s questionable medical history and the ethics of Taliban kidnappings. You really do cover a lot on watch. We plotted courses, checked every inch of the boat, and trimmed the sails. After another wildly successful watch, Katelyn, Anthony, Meghan, Jordan, Maddie, Shona, Adelaide, and I handed over the reins to team one and got some well-deserved sleep.
Upon arriving on deck in the morning, we were greeted with a warm wind and not a cloud in the sky. Calum was losing his mind at the sight of every sail raised. The main, mainstay, forward stay, fisherman, jib, and flying jib all graced our presence. It actually is quite the sight. I joined watch team two as they sat around taking pictures until lunchbagel sandwiches with avocado toast. Chef Hannah did well. We headed down for a quick lecture on aquaculture. Interesting stuff. Then we all enjoyed watching cuttlefish hypnotize crabs and dolphins play a rousing game of “catch the coral” in the latest installment of Blue Planet II. The first seamanship class got busy preparing for the upcoming Navigation Master exam while the rest of us slept, talked, watched, and otherwise procrastinated the imminent marine bio paper.
The crew headed up to enjoy the sun before feasting on a wide assortment of pasta. After a nearly successful attempt to sail to Spain during our nightly squeeze question, we dropped some sails in preparation for all that the heart of the Bermuda Triangle can throw at us. The decks were scrubbed, and the blog was written as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was another great day onboard Vela, as usual. She’s a solid boat. It’s a solid crew. We’re doing well for ourselves out here. It’s been a pleasure. On to the next one. On to Saba.
Figure 1. A couple of sails.
Figure 2. Sonnet takes the helm for the third time this semester while the crew of watch team two stands proudly behind. (Will, Colm, Calum, Max, Leoni, Mac, Val)
Figure 3. Team two continues to work hard on watch.
Figure 4. Leoni, Smash, Max, and Tom stare directly into the sun.