Programs Blog

27th of February 2026

Position: 16 ° 45.782’N  x  064° 30.713’ W

Ships heading:  237 °

Log: 122.4 nm

Ships speed: 5 knots

Weather: 29°C, sunny and cloudy with strong winds

Location: On our way to Dominica

Hello from our second day underway on our journey to Dominica from Saint Croix! We started our sail yesterday, and already so much has happened since. It is so exciting to be underway again, and to be able to learn the ship better. Last night, A Watch (which stands for Amazing Watch, or Appendicularian Watch) started our journey with an evening watch rotation from 1900 to 0100 where we did a Neuston Tow and picked up many sargassum and myctophids. Seeing the bioluminescence coming from the net and the bucket was so cool!

The next day after breakfast, I decided to enjoy some time on the elephant table (on top of the lab house). Despite getting sprayed by the ocean a few times, I had a great view of the sails. I loved listening to the ocean waves and the creak of the sails while feeling the sun. We had the mains’l, main stays’l, and fore stays’l set. I hope we get to set the JT and square s’ls at some point! After my nap, it was time for lunch and to get ready for our afternoon watch. Our 1430 class time was filled with fun shoutouts and reports. We also practiced some drills, such as a fire and prepare to abandon ship drill. The sun was bearing down on us, so it felt great to be on lookout and feel the waves splash up the bow and the wind blow around us. The Caribbean sun is no joke! I am determined not to get sunburnt on this trip.

During my time at lookout, not only did I see a rainbow which we were sailing straight towards (we’re sailing towards treasure?), but also two brown boobies that stayed by the bow with me my whole time at lookout (I named them Becky and Penny). They like to stay by the ship to catch food because we make the flying fish jump out. Being at the helm is my favorite part because I feel so in tune with the ship: I’m learning about how the wind direction affects our course and how the Cramer works! We ended our watch with an amazing sunset and yummy food waiting for us. Then it was time to sleep as we have an early morning watch the next day.

Our past few days underway have been so packed that there seems to be so much going on at every hour! Whether it be chatting while watching the waves rolling and the sun dipping over the horizon, doing dishes in the galley while singing songs from the Sound of Music, dumping slops over the side of the ship, getting majorly poured on by a short passing squall, riding out waves on the head rig, being woken up by waves slamming against the hull in the focsle, or just laughing out of sheer tiredness, I have had so much fun so far and hope there are much more memories to be made.

Shoutouts: Hi Rick, hope you’re doing well and we miss you! Mom, Dad, and Anson, I miss you and see you soon. Sending love to Ava, Ems, Ed, and Chia <3

Amanda Shiu, A Watch, Brandeis University