Felicia just off watch

I just got off watch to report that it’s been another exciting day on the Bobby C!  Chock full of new challenges to conquer and lessons to learn.

We tangled with a couple of light squalls today, but it has otherwise been picture perfect.  A great morning to be on bow watch, we crossed paths with many schools of flying fish that made for a great spectacle.

A few highlights from class today: A loverly science presentation from C watch (Walter, Soda, and Martini representing).  They discussed the observation based on current profile data that we have been generating with onboard ADCP that we passed through an anticyclonic eddy over the last day and a half.  For those who don’t know, anticyclonic eddies cause downwelling, which is bad for supporting life, but good for keeping our physical oceanographers happy.  And it looks like the temperature profile data we’re generating corroborates with this downwelling story, as the thermocline appears to have lowered while we’ve been inside the eddy.  Another effect of the eddy is that it has slowed forward progress to Palmyra.  In that vein, we ended class with a hands-on lesson in line and sail handling with the thought that picking up the crew’s efficiency will help get us to the Line Islands on schedule.

Something that I’ve been thinking about quite a bit since we got off the dock last Friday is that this cruise is a wonderfully rare opportunity to live in a near approximation of a closed system.  With few exceptions, while out at sea we are limited to what we bring out with us, heightening awareness of personal consumption.  More interesting still, we’re in the middle of a fabulous social experiment.  For these few weeks, we are 40 individuals who have unified together in a common journey for biological research and self-growth.  Packed like sardines, we trust our lives in the hands of one another.  We are living in a shrunken world, where cause and effect become clearer and it’s impossible to ignore the consequences of our actions.  It’s a chance to trust in the kindness of others and show it in return… and to test that kindness and patience with little sleep, a busy schedule, and competing interests.

Thankfully, I find myself sailing with 39 kind, interesting, and wonderful people that I am lucky to share this opportunity with.  I can’t wait to get to know everyone better and am excited to see how this community develops and flourishes!

Even though time is beginning to seem nebulous, I think it’s about time for me to sign off and get some shut eye.

Cheers!

-Felicia