Location: Malolo Island, Fiji
`today, the crew of the Argo made the first big leap of our journey, raising sail for the first time as we made our way from the safety of Port Denarau to Musket Cove. Although we didn’t raise the mainsail (yet), we began to learn exactly how one controls a 112-foot sailing vessel. Every person enrolled in the PADI open water course introduced diving, which included going over the basic concepts of diving, and equipment we will be using later on in the trip. Another first for our journey today was getting to swim in the ocean. However, to prove our swimming abilities, we had to complete the swim test, 4 laps around Argo, and treading water for 10 minutes. Being in saltwater definitely made swimming easier, although not seeing the bottom 15 meters below us definitely made the feeling interesting, to say the least.
Dinner was just after our swim test, and while we were eating, needlefish and other small aquatic life were jumping out of the water around Argo in a desperate bid for survival. Along with dinner and a show, this is also the first anchorage of our trip, amongst a great deal of other sailing vessels. With the first anchorage comes the first anchor watch, and that means two of us will keep watch over Argo for an hour, every hour, from just after 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Before our watch begins, we also have our introduction to academics, outlining the courses we will be taking throughout the semester.
Pictured:
When not underway, sleeping in a hammock on the bow is always a fun experience.
Sitting on the bowsprit is relatively safe due to the martingale nets and is a great way to watch the sunrise.