Programs Blog

Author: Beans (Courtney), B Watch, Deckhand

Ship’s Log

Noon Position
18 44.41′ N x 76 07.84′ W

Ship Heading 
due west (270 degrees)

Ship Speed
4 knots Taffrail Log (nm): 1556

Weather / Wind / Sail Plan
Winds SExE Force 3; Seas out of the east 4′; 28.5 degrees; sailing under the mains’l, mainstays’l, jib, and tops’l

Location: Between Jamaica and Cuba

Souls on Board

As Tegan mentioned in her blog a couple of days ago, we have been sailing through tons of windrows of sargassum as we pass along the Windward Passage (set the jib); however, that means we have also seen the tons of macro-plastics ingrained within them (set the tops’l).

The “full stack” of “party” sails behind Chief Scientist Jeff.

Jeff and various students on watch have been dip netting for goodies like shoes, pill bottles, and unidentifiable wrappers (strike the tops’l). Out of all these great finds, my favorite until this afternoon was a rope (strike the jib).

What? Why? you may ask (back the mainstays’l). Well this rope was, for a time, home to tons of tiny benthic creatures that we do not normally find at these depths (fill the mainstays’l). A Watch (during dawn watch) was able to ID brittle stars and gooseneck barnacles along with a type of worm and clam (make sure boat checks and morning chores get taken care of). So cool! But wait, why was that my favorite find only until afternoon (set the tops’l)?

The answer is because during class today we practiced fire, abandon ship, and MOB Man Over Board) drills (set the main). And while the rescue boat was out picking up Oscar (the theoretical MOB), they naturally grabbed an old bucket as they passed it on the way back (strike the tops’l). And this bucket soon became my blog topic because lo and behold- it contained a trigger fish (set the tops’l).

Abby, Spatch, and Ella artsing and craftsing in the main saloon.

Oh boy am I all tuckered out from another day filled with sail handling!

Between setting the sails at the beginning of the day, striking and resetting them for science deployments, and then striking and setting again for drills, I know B Watch is going to sleep good tonight.

P.S- Mom and Dad and Cam and Grammie and Grampy and AK- howdy!

Thinking of you all while I’m out and about.

Love you guys and can’t wait to go to Davis’ with you Mom and Dad:)

– Beans (Courtney), B Watch, Deckhand

Contact: Douglas Karlson, Director of Communications, 508-444-1918 | [email protected]