Location: Falmouth Harbour, Antigua
Today we had another jam-packed day in Falmouth Harbour. We began the day with some french toast from chef Ryan. The group was then split into 2, with the first going dingy sailing and the second staying for a messy boat appreciation morning. This involved lots of deep cleaning before all the students leave. The dinghy sailing crew headed to shore and geared up for some sailing. Everyone paired up, and off we went! Conditions were great, and some students even set off to go sail around Ocean Star, which is anchored out far in the anchorage. After the first group of sailors, everyone switched, and the first group started messy BA while the others set off for some dinghy sailing. In messy BA, things definitely got messy. We cleaned all the gear, took off the sails, did inventory down below, and even cleaned our gray water tank. As the groups were preparing for the swap-in activities, we saw a boat approaching in the distance. Very quickly, the crew realized who was arriving. VELA! As they came into the harbor, we gave them a honk and said hello. We carried on with lunch, consisting of some delicious baked potatoes, then we finished out our messy BA and dinghy sailing festivities. After everything was finished, Vela had cleared through customs, and their crew swam over to say hello. It was crazy seeing other students just like ourselves after 78 days aboard Ocean Star.
We showered and talked, letting the Vela crew tour our girl Ocean Star. Some of our crew made the swim over to Vela and took a quick tour of their boat. Later, Ryan and sous cheffed up some spinach pies, and we took them over to Vela for a big family dinner. It really was like a Disney Crossover episode. The event of the year! We talked and ate, sharing our stories of the past few months. Little did they know… they were in for a treat. As everyone turned to get ice cream, KT and Kate, our engineers, stole the Vela ensign right out from under their noses. For those who don’t know, the ensign is the flag that flies from the stern of the vessel. After this task was complete, we had a bit of a face-off: apple bobbing in the dishy pit!! Sean, Ashlyn, and Ryan made it their mission to snag the win for Ocean Star, and that is exactly what they did. They wasted no time dunking their heads in the dirty dishy water for those apples, all for Ocean Star glory!!! After, we all said our goodbyes and headed back to our own boat. We shared our appreciation during the squeeze, and everyone was off to bed, preparing for what was to come on the final full day tomorrow.
Photo 1-2: Dinghy sailing to Ostar
Photo 3-4: Messy BA view
Photo 5: Alexis and Ashlyn cleaning out the line locker
Photo 6: Vela rolling into Falmouth
Photo 7: KT on board Vela, wild
Photo 8-9: Ostar vs. Vela set to face off in the pit