Location: Mallory R.
Wowee, what a day! It’s our first full day back in port after quite literally crossing an ocean and man, does it feel good. We’ve been having loads of fun as we readjust to life on land. The day started with breakfast on deck. We didn’t even have to put our foulies on to eat. The sun was coming up as food funneled through the gopher hole, and soon everyone was satisfied with their fill of “scookies” (scone cookies). After we finished eating, it was time to show Vela our home away from home, some love. AKA, it was Boat Appreciation (BA) time. BA, in case you haven’t heard, is a deep cleaning of our boat from bow to stern. We start with our bunks. Those in the top bunks like yours truly get to go first and clean the ceiling, get new sheets, and wipe every surface we could think of.
When I finished with my bunk, I went to find Sydney, my bunkmate below me, to start her bed. I took over her job, which, luckily enough, was recoiling the main sheet (I love a good coil), and then met up with the rest of the deckie team. Up until this point, I’d been giggling to myself at the new episode of the podcast. I like bumping in my headphones, but Carolyn’s music and the vibes of the deckies prompted me to take the headphones out and join the party. We sang along to classic rock as we scrubbed the cap rail, pinheads, liferafts, and everything in between. As lunchtime approached, we were just finishing the deck, and we were ready for some butternut squash coconut curry soup made by Max. It was a delicious intermission from BA.
After lunch, we got back to business. It was time to clean top sides/the hull. Kayla, Carolyn, and I clambered into one of our dinghies as a group of deckies formed above with sudsy mitts at the ready. The ones on deck scrubbed as far as they could reach, and the dinghy dream team took it from there, scrubbing down to the water line. We maneuvered carefully around the bow, sudsing the anchors as we went, and got both sides of the forward hull. When we got to the stern was when it got serious. The steep slope of Vela’s stern made it difficult to get all the way to the water line while staying attached to Vela. Eventually, in the spirit of BA, we detached the dinghy so as to get under the stern itself. This couldn’t have been done without Kayla, who had a flawless stance that may or may not have involved dipping her hair into the water. After the stern, it was smooth sailing, and we finished the top sides with proud smiles on all our faces. The dream team decided a joy ride was warranted, and we took off to celebrate our stern scrub by idling through the marina, admiring all the boats.
After we finished BA, we were allowed the rest of the afternoon for free time, which most of us took as an opportunity to go on land and explore a bit. Haley and I headed immediately to a cafe, where I ordered a coffee and sat down to write my leadership essay. Though we just had one due last night, the deadlines are rolling in hot as we approach the 50-day mark to finish the course. I anxiously typed out 400 words before realizing it was indeed due tomorrow and not tonight. Will I stay up late tonight to finish it anyways? I guess we’ll find out. I got gelato, almost got lost, and made it back to the boat with Haley only a little bit late. We all sat down for dinner together after that. But as we munch away, Amanda comes barreling down the dock. She drops her backpack “all the provisions are in a pile by the street.” Immediately we start to get up to help. Amanda has worked all afternoon to get food for all 25 of us, and her hard work is sitting unguarded on the street. After we rescue our food, we quickly funnel it through the gopher hole, and down below, we get back to dinner, knowing the food is safe.
While I’m sure the day doesn’t seem like it can get any better, I’m happy to tell you tonight was a special occasion. The Un-Talent Show. This show, coordinated by Gigi, involved acts both chill-inducing and knee-slapping in nature and was the highlight of my day. Haley and I had been planning our act, a rendition of “No Hands” by Waka Flocka, for the past few days and were ready to perform. As people tuned their instruments, we changed into our costumes, prepping to steal the show. All the acts were amazingly entertaining. Notably, the spit takes by Sage and Gigi, a dance by Dylan and Max, songs by Gigi, Zoe, Max, and Tia, the classic “Love Story” by Ameather/Taylor Swift, and a staff roast session by Gigi. I believe Haley and I got the biggest uproar from the crowd, but who’s judging anyway? When it was over, we celebrated everyone’s talents with some cold orange juice, a dance party in the salon, and some showers to freshen up. Like I said, what a day.