Programs Blog

August 20, 2025

Location (Lat and Long): 28 09.23N 158 24.55W

Ship Heading: 345 PSC

Ship Speed: 6 Knots

Log (nm): 451

Weather/Wind/Sail Plan: East Winds about 15kts, East swell about 3ft, 4 lower sails up, mainsail with a shallow reef

I turn 35 today, and something tells me it’s going to be the best year yet. It certainly has started out well. At sea I notice the subtlety of change. The whispers in the wind and the patterns, that at first appear as chaos, in the water.

I love the water.

Many secrets and life invisible to us exist in the water. When a fish jumps or we catch one for food, we get a glimmer of experiencing their world. One of my favorite ways to see the world below is when the bioluminescents twinkle like the stars. I’ve always felt that there is a connection between the water and the cosmos. The stars tell more of a story out here. Each individual’s personality shines through. And together they seem to dance. The clouds gather like an orchestra, playing music of every genre. The days rise and the nights fall, like your chest as you breath.

And here we are – passing through, saying hi. Watching these transitions with wonder and excitement. We might be more curious in the world and lives around us than they are with us – even though some of them land on our rigging – but we are certainly the most unique. Playing with knots and nets and sails, we move through the water. We press our foreheads against a door for stability while we pull up and button our pants after using the toilet. (FYI- make sure your door is closed and latched well before doing so). Our toys and instruments help us to make sense of the unknown worlds out here. Hours, weeks and lifetimes spent adding and subtracting and reducing and deducing, but I’m not sure we’ll ever see the whole picture.

There’s a story being told out here; possibly but not certainly, infinite stories. And as we pass through we do our best to listen, and to learn. We recognize patterns and the subtle changes – and how big their impacts can be. We may stick out like a sore thumb, but one thing is for damn sure – we are a part of this world, and it’s gorgeous.

Bradley Dickinson, Deckhand, B Watch