Programs Blog

Author: Ella Woodruff, A Watch, Carleton College

Ship’s Log

Noon Position
18 39.61 N x 80 31.54 W

Ship Heading
310

Taffrail Log
1887

Weather/Wind/Sail Plan
Clear, northeasterly winds and seas, sailing with mainstaysail, topsail, jib

Location
West of Jamaica

Souls on Board

Mateo teaching us about bioluminescence, with assistant Jeff

Today was my day in the galley, helping Will prep all the meals as assistant steward. Though I can honestly say I had few expectations from this trip, cooking was not among them. In that same vein, here is a list of other things I never expected to do in the middle of the Caribbean.
1. Yodel on the bow sprit on lookout
2. Shake our butts at cruise ships (also on lookout)
3. Dishes
4. Write a paper (still working on this one)
5. Spend a lot of time using Excel (see 4)
6. Bake a pie
7. Shoo pidgeons off of the yards
8. Go to class, take notes, do presentations, etc. (though I really
should’ve seen this one coming, I am in school)
9. Practice fire drills
10. Identify so much Sargassum (way more than I thought was possible)
11. Learn the constellations
12. Laundry

Sunset from tonight (is there a green flash?)

13. Count/eat zooplankton
14. Sleep half in/half out of my bunk to try to stay cool (turns out
Antoine’s strategy is pretty effective)
15. Attend an un-birthday party
16. Spend an almost ridiculous amount of time watching and discussing
sunrises and sunsets (though I have yet to see the green flash)
17. Go on a Sunday morning walk to get bagels
Other highlights that were at least somewhat more expected include dolphins jumping under us on the bow sprit, Key lime pie on Pi Day, finally collecting some jellyfish, and the wind picking up right as it starts to get uncomfortably hot.

Cheers!
– Ella Woodruff, A Watch, Carleton College

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