Shanley, Bart, Francesco and I take part in the watch team number one. That is to say we have to be on the deck on schedule during the night.
This morning, our watch occurred from 4am to 8am. Basically, it consists in being awake twenty minutes before the beginning, be ready on deck five minutes before 4am and eventually willing to take over the other watch team at 4am on the dot! You often enjoy snacking just before your watch to provide you some energy or stamina. We didn’t see any moon bow yet. Perhaps we will be much more lucky another day. The moon is waining every day. The ocean, the wind give off a lot of sensations during the night. I often find myself musing during the night, thinking about what I left behind me… Pretty gorgeous Bermudian women, new friends on the island, the afternoon spent snorkeling in turquoise waters… Indeed, the ocean stirs my heart.
Come on! I am pretty lucky to be on board. I am under the impression that I fulfill one of my child dream… Go sailing and cross the mid Atlantic on a vessel, it is worth it, not to mention all the porpoises or flying fishes you might see.. one of them came straight away on the deck or pass away few minutes after… poor flying fish. We find him the next day.
I got a 4 month free period from my industrial engineering school in France. My English has to be improved and I am sure it will. I make up my mind for fight against plastic pollution this summer, and so it is a great pleasure for me to be on board. It’s a great opportunity for me to get involved in the expedition! Time for science!
Now, not only am I quite familiar with setting the yankee, use the mainsheet, furling the yankee, grind the halyard but also with deploying and securing the trawl.
Plastic pollution is more much important that I could ever imagine in deep waters. The trawlings today happened without any problem. Everybody seems confident for the utility of the research, so am I. We already have 297 samples for TOC to study. We are at the beginning of something big! During the trawlings, part of the crew enjoy playing cards or go resting. Everybody gets along with each other.
Much to my pleasure, we find out a Portuguese Man O War in the first net of the the third trawl! It’s a purple tinted hazardous jellyfish whose poisoned tentacles can measure until 20 meters! Don’t go swimming nearby! For sure, we may play with the top of this looked like plastic bag jellyfish. On the contrary, don’t even dare to touch the bottom where are situated the poisoned cells, immediately activated in case of contact and they will burn you like hell. It could be a nice necklace 😉
The samples of today are quite interesting, we can find out some egg fishes or whatever among plastic pollution. That’s amazing how people disappears during the afternoon, as a mere fact living on a boat demand much more energy than on the ground. I am tired!
I think the weather is overcast, watch out!
-Pierre Maufret, The Ocean Cleanup gyre expedition, Bermuda to Azores, July 7, 2015