Programs Blog

Robert C. Seamans Connections

April 16, 2024

Author: Emily Bengston, A Watch, Oberlin College

Ship’s Log

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Noon Position (Lat and Long): 40° 23. 5′ S x 157° 22.5′ W
Ship Heading (degrees): 070
Ship Speed (knots): 6.3
Taffrail Log (nm): 1535
Weather / Wind / Sail Plan (from 1300 Watch Change): SSE wind, Beaufort
Force 3. Motor sailing on a starboard tack under the stays’ls.
Description of location: Southern South Pacific Gyre

Life on the Robert C. Seamans has been filled with challenges, but one small
challenge is frequently missing from our daily life – NYT games. We do our
best to create our own puzzles, and I’ve made a boat-life-related
Connections to share! For those unfamiliar, the following 16 words can be
sorted into 4 categories with 4 words each (answers below).

Connections:

BASKETBALL – DAWN – PTEROPOD – SUNGLASSES

EVENING – STAYS’L – pH SONGS – PSUEDOCALANUS

POLYCHAETE WORM – MORNING – FO’C’SLE – CLICKER RACES

GANTL’N – CHAETOGNATHS – AFTERNOON – CLEWL’N
– – –  Answers and Explanations  – – –

Category 1: Daily watch time divisions (dawn, morning, afternoon, evening).
Our whole routines are structured around which watches we’re standing. I
appreciate afternoon watch because if feels like the only watch time when my
body and mind are naturally functioning.

Category 2: Fun boat abbreviations! (stays’l – staysail, fo’c’sle – foreword
castle, gantl’n – gantline, clewl’n – clewline). All this sailor spelling
makes me feel comfortable with my own inability to spell.

Category 3: Organisms we’ve found in 100 counts that I can’t spell or
pronounce (pteropod, psuedocalanus, polychaete worm, chaetognaths). Unlike
sailor spelling, these take my spelling confidence down a notch.

Category 4: Ways we distract ourselves in lab (basketball, sunglasses, pH
songs, clicker races). Between fun sunglasses, a mini basketball hoop,
getting carried away during 100 counts, and creating songs about each and
every task we completed, there’s plenty to be excited about in lab in
addition to zooplankton with fun names!

Emily Bengston, A Watch, Oberlin College