Programs Blog

18 August 2025

Location (Lat and Long): 23 30.5N x 158 33.1W

Ship Heading: 355 PSC

Ship Speed: 6.0 knots

Log (nm): 160.8 nm

Weather/Wind/Sail Plan: Sunny with 15-20 knot wind, sailing under the 4 lowers and the jib tops’l

Author Name and Role Onboard: Sam Ruemmler, deckhand, C Watch

Today is our first full day underway! While many of us have done this type of sailing before, each new journey brings with it new experiences and new challenges; and with them comes the inherent stress of maneuvering a giant ship using the wind and a series of ropes. This combination of new experiences and the first-day jitters got me thinking about the 5-4-3-2-1 method of dealing with stress and anxiety: name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. The following is just a small sample of what me and my crewmates have been experiencing with our senses since we’ve set sail.

5 things I can see:

1. Oahu (and the lack thereof): After leaving harbor we headed around the southern and western shores of Oahu before passing the northernmost tip of the island around sunset. As the sun went down, the land faded out of view and all we were left with was the loom of the city lights and the blinking red lights of the wind farm on the northern tip of the island that went further and further behind us. 
2. Stars: After sunset, Jo came up on deck with a list of navigation stars and their approximate locations, hoping to test her abilities for future celestial navigation. She enlisted Alice and I to help her search for them as they appeared, and the first we spotted was Antares, a bright red star in the constellation Scorpio. We spotted more over the next few minutes before they all started coming out at once. First we saw the major constellations, but then as the Milky Way appeared along with all the other stars I lost my ability to recognize the few stars I had seen earlier. It was a great first night for stargazing, with many more sure to come.
3. Birds: As we exited harbor we were greeted by shearwaters, white terns, and brown boobies flying circles around our ship. Rosie and I, the resident bird nerds, are very excited to see the tropical species that we can’t see back home on the east coast. Today, for instance, we were graced by the presence of both white and red-tailed tropicbirds. We also had a friendly brown booby come and sit on our bow for several hours before taking off in the early morning. 
4. Charismatic megafauna: Birds weren’t the only thing we saw as we left the harbor: we were also greeted by some marine mammals! The jury is still out on what species they were exactly, but Rosie has narrowed it down to a few (of the options she presented I chose false killer whales). 
5. Charismatic microfauna: We performed our first neuston tow this morning and found many special little friends, including a dozen or so blue sea dragons, Glaucus atlanticus. This was especially thrilling to me because on my trip as a student we searched for them over the course of almost 4,000 nautical miles and found only one near the end of our journey. Now, we’ve hit the jackpot on our first tow.

4 things I can feel:                                                            

1. The wind: the breeze is a welcome change to the still heat we had in harbor, but it sure has picked up. As we rounded the corner of Oahu the wind and sea suddenly got stronger, hitting us with everything that had been diverted around the island. It was exhilarating to ride the waves up at the bow on lookout, but unfortunately has also caused the onset of seasickness for many of us.
2. Various other elements: The sun has been pretty relentless, as one might expect in the area around Hawai’i. We all seek out any shade we can get on deck, and I welcomed a minor squall this morning as a nice cool soaking, although I then had to complete the rest of the watch feeling a bit like a drowned rat.
3. Aching palms: Raising sails and getting practice gybing has meant that my hands are now rubbed raw. Hopefully my calluses will be built soon, but I’ve been lucky enough to avoid any blisters.
4. The Sway: As previously mentioned, we have encountered some fairly choppy seas. As we all get our sea legs, we find ourselves stumbling around like drunken idiots and grabbing anything nailed down whenever we hit a particularly big swell. There is, of course, the seasickness. I have been lucky enough to feel fine after a meclizine, but some of us are not so fortunate. The first week is rough.

3 things I can hear:

1. Sail commands: It has been over a year since my last trip with SEA ended, and getting back into the swing of things has been exciting. We are all getting used to repeating commands and finding satisfaction at racing to pass the staysl’s, haul away on the jib, ease the braces, and other various activities.
2. Laughter: I was initially very nervous about being on this transit with people who were completely unfamiliar to me, but that fear has been put to rest. As we start standing watch, sharing meals, and enjoying the sights together, we are forming our own community. By the end of this trip, I know I’ll have plenty more life-long friends.
3. Crashing: There are several types of crashing going on about the ship, including the main boom when we gybe, the dish tray getting caught in the sanitizer, and my shoulder hitting my bunk fan whenever I sit up in bed. We try to keep crashing off all types to a minimum, but I fear the bunk fan might have me beat.

2 things I can smell:

1. The galley: You can always tell the galley is working on something great when you walk past the hatch on deck amidships. Everyone on watch has usually worked up an appetite by the time a meal is ready, and each pass by the galley hatch on a boat check gets us all excited for whatever deliciousness our lovely stewards have prepared for us.
2. Sunscreen: I don’t think I’ve ever used quite so much sunscreen in my life over the span of a few days. I generally apply a hefty layer all over at least 2-3 times a day, sometimes more. Despite my best efforts I have still had a few burns, and I am constantly flip-flopping on the long sleeves vs. short sleeves debate, having to choose between sun protection or better cooling.

1 thing I can taste:

1. Chocolate chip cookies! For our first night of mid-rats (midnight rations) our stewards made us cookies, far more than we could eat during our first night full of sea sickness. This means that all 22 of us have been snacking on cookies throughout the day whenever we walk by them, and somehow there are still plenty left.

This is just a small taste of what we’ve all been experiencing out here, but I hope this blog has been a window into our lives aboard the Bobby C!

Notes:

To friends and family: Expect pictures. Lots of pictures.

To Jules: No luck on the whale yet

To Erin: I know it’s only been a little while but I can’t wait to see you again. I need to start my journal today so I better go do that now. Love you <3