Today started off at the lovely hour of 12 am. Watch Team 2 woke up to some pretty menacing sounds of wind and rain crashing onto the deck, and were advised to get into our prison jumpsuits, also known as our foul weather gear. Still half asleep, we all stumbled to the deck, not sure what to expect. Turns out its bark was a little bigger than its bite. Shanley and the rest of Watch Team 1, consisting of Bart, Becky and Julia, definitely got the worse of the “storm.” With that said, Watch Team 2 still had to deal with less than ideal conditions, with raindrops bombing our faces as each of us took turns at the helm.
Within about 30 minutes, the winds had begun to shift, and the skies began to clear, making room for one of the best nights I think we’ve had yet. The stars burned bright without being washed out by the inevitable rising moon. As our eyes began to adjust even more to the night sky, we were able to pick out more and more aspects that only being on the ocean in the dead of night would present. The waves crashed against the bow, and we created a wake as we travelled further south. It excited some of the smallest marine organisms called plankton, causing them to illuminate and dance in the sea beneath us.
As the night rolled on, we shared more stories about lives, families and homes. Beatrice warned us that, as pretty as the cows of Jersey are, they are not to be messed with and are not afraid to jump a fence and trample you as you ride your bike home. And Max taught us the consequences of improper…baking. The stories helped the time go by and made the fact that it was 4 am bearable. Our shift was finally over, and it was time to relinquish our duties to Kate, Jennifer, Kim(berley Clarke) and Mario. We could finally crawl back into our bunk and be rocked to bed by the sway of the Sea Dragon.
By the time sun had risen the next morning, most were still taking advantage of the much needed sleep in. We were awoken to the smell of bacon, eggs, and a sauteed medley of broccoli, mushrooms, and onions filling the cabin from the galley. Once everything was devoured, we had a run-in with another squall. Not much could be done but to take it head on. Everyone rushed below to prep for the onslaught. Once again in our prison orange, we were ready! Like last time, while it didn’t last long, it was refreshing having the cool freshwater hit the face.
The squall soon passed, and the sun came out and quickly erased any evidence of the recent rain. We took on our 3 trawls with few issues deploying and recovering the nets. However, a crazy winch and a little miscommunication caused a tear and as a result, we are no longer collecting data from net 11. We have also just about made our halfway mark of about 430 nautical miles and have officially begun the long journey back to Bermuda.
We decided to try and take advantage of the winds and strictly sail. This decision proved to be quite difficult for Kim and Jennifer, as they had to handle the heeling of the boat while they cooked dinner, which, by the way, consisted of (delicious) veggie tacos, homemade salsa, corn, cucumber, and cheese. I’m becoming more and more impressed with these vegetarian meals so MAYBE I’d consider flexitarianism. Full vegetarian just simply isn’t an option, as I like bacon far too much.
With our stomachs very happy, some of us decided to catch some zzz’s before our next shifts. That sleep was short-lived for Watch Team 2, as we were back on for 8 pm – 12 am. It’s only 22:54, so we still have another hour and 6 minutes until we can snuggle back into bed.
The shift thus far has been great. The skies are clear, and we took the time to share more stories of our childhoods. I was informed a flying fish jumped into the boat as I was writing this. I think I’m going to head back above deck for the last hour in hopes of some more storytelling.
Until next time,
– Winston Godwin, May 21, 2014