News

Saturday, 10 October 2026
Noon Position:: 41° 21.2 N x 070° 46.7 W
Ship Heading: NA- At Anchor
Ship Speed: NA – At Anchor
Log:15.2 nm
Weather / Wind / Sail Plan: Beautiful blue skies with light cold winds and calm seas.
Menemsha Bight Anchorage, Martha’s Vineyard

Research shows that nervousness and excitement trigger the exact same physical response in the body. The same chemicals are released into our bloodstream, resulting in the same telltale symptoms: sweaty palms, quickened breathing, and “butterflies” in the stomach. Neuroscientists have found that our brains label these identical physical cues as either nervousness or excitement based on context—and, more importantly, based on the stories we tell ourselves. Nervousness stems from the threat of a negative outcome, while excitement springs from the anticipation of a positive one.

Even after years of sailing professionally, those exact physical responses are triggered in me every single time we leave the dock—especially for a major ocean passage like this one. Pushing off from familiar land into the beautiful, unpredictable world of the ocean brings an undeniable sense of endless possibility. Waving goodbye to the colleagues who came to see us off, paired with the giddy anticipation of watching our students grow and learn during the voyage, makes it easy for my brain to label this feeling as excitement rather than nerves.

Today was that day: the day we cast off from Dyer’s Dock and embarked on our adventure. Looking at the student crew—their eyes bright, taking everything in, and jumping at every opportunity to help—has been inspiring. You can see it when they first take the helm: initial confusion quickly gives way to confidence as they hand the wheel off to their shipmates. You see it in their eagerness to climb onto the elephant table, venture out onto the head rig to discover the perfect new spot to hang out, or marvel at the main saloon tables gimbaled for the very first time. Watching them take it all in gives me complete confidence that every single one of them has successfully told their brain the same thing: this feeling in their chest isn’t nervousness at all—it’s pure excitement.

Today and tomorrow continue to be packed with ship orientations, oceanography training, and hands-on sail handling practice. We are currently waiting for a weather system to pass out at sea, which has gifted us a magnificent opportunity to run all of these trainings while sailing through the calm waters of Vineyard Sound. Tomorrow, the students begin standing their full watches, and everyone is eager for their bodies to adjust to the rhythmic new pace of life that the watch schedule brings.

MJ Fernandez, Blue Humanities Professor