Programs Blog

Author: Mishka, Max R., Max D, and Sam V (A Watch)

Ship’s Log

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024
Position (Lat and Long): 40deg 07.4′ N x 069deg 15.3′ W
Log (nm):  184.9nm
Weather / Wind and Sail Plan: It’s a clear day with light and variables,
mainsail and staysail
Description of where we are sailing: 75 NM southeast of Nantucket and west of Georges Bank.

The beginning of the day started with a beautiful sighting of the Milky Way
at 1:00 am. Meanwhile, the moon arose from the horizon portraying an
astonishing crimson color. Its phase was a waning crescent. From being the
forward look out to doing multiple boat checks, we took on the challenge of
the night full storm. We got to experience a mesmerizing sunrise that
reflected over the silky sheet of water. The wind died around 1:00, causing
us to drift at 0.5 knots. This led us to utilize the motor and make our way
out of the traffic lane to deploy science equipment. Many marine megafauna
were sited dusk to dawn, such as whales (possibly sperm, fin, and humpback
whales), several pods of dolphins, a bloom of jellyfish, and a basking
shark. During class we learned about stratification, that was the result of
differing salinity and temperature creating diverse layers of water. The
class also assisted us with understanding the purpose of the CTD deployments
as well as secchi disk. Annie and Seb provided us delicious dinner
consisting of pizza!!!!! The crust was fluffy and crispy with a layer of
cheese, sauce, and vegetables. After devouring dinner, we ended the day with
dolphins leaping on the glistening starlight of the setting sun.

Mishka, Max R., Max D, and Sam Vo (A Watch)