Programs Blog

Saturday, 28 February 2026

Noon Position: 18° 13’ N x 064° 42’ W

Ship Heading: 072° Ship Speed: 4.3 Log: 230.1 nm

I would like to take you back to one of my favorite days so far on the trip. It was on St. Croix in Frederiksted, our last day before we sailed off the hook. Sailing off the hook is a maneuver where the ship does not use the engine to bring up the anchor. Instead, we set the sails and slowly drag the anchor out of the white sand below. Our day started before sunrise. A wake-up call moved through the ship and brought everyone back to life, relieving the night watch of their duties. With people climbing out of their bunks and shuffling through the morning routine, the ship felt especially busy that morning. I was excited to return to the beautiful beach we had recon snorkeled at to carry on with our research. The reef was teeming with marine life, so I was looking forward to collecting data. The first runs of the small rescue boats, began shortly after breakfast. I was on the first trip with Emma, Marguerite, Kanoe, and Kate. We climbed down the rope ladder on the side of the ship and piled into the boat with our gear. The hum of the little outboard motor quickly drowned out the noise from the ship as we headed toward shore.

We had some time to kill before everyone else arrived, so Kanoe suggested we walk to Polly’s, a nearby coffee shop. We grabbed smoothies and coffee, then sat on the dock wall in the shade with some music playing in the background. Being off the ship for a bit felt like a reset. The fresh air and space after days in a rocking, crowded ship made that moment feel endless.

Once the rest of the group arrived, we loaded into vans and drove to the beach. I sat in the back row with Marguerite, Koa, and Mira, who all quickly fell asleep. When we arrived I headed straight for the water, much to Heather’s chagrin. Unfortunately, the reef conditions were rough and too turbid for observations. The waves had stirred up sand from the bottom, making it hard to see, and bringing the equipment through the rough water was deemed unsafe.

So instead, we spent some time relaxing on the beach. Mira, Marguerite, and I played music and enjoyed what turned into an unexpected relaxing morning. When the sea calmed down B watch attempted a second try at data collection, and I decided to explore. Around 10:15 a small beach bar opened and Koa and I walked over as the bartender was getting things set up. We looked around and ordered some food. Eventually the other watch came out of the water after successfully placing transects, quadrats, and the HydroCAT, which measures things like dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, conductivity, and sediment levels. I jogged back down to the beach, and Marguerite, Andrew, and Mira followed me back to the restaurant for some Mahi tacos. We shared some laughs, watched the waves crash on the rocks, and celebrated before Marguerite’s birthday.

The rest of the afternoon was slower. I spent time on the beach with Mira and Marguerite listening to music and enjoying the last hours on land before our first real passage at sea. When the vans returned, we walked right on back to the dock and ended up being on the last boat back to the ship. We lingered as long as we could. While we waited, music played from my speaker in front of the Jolly Mon boat and everyone danced around the dock as the sun went down, spinning each other around and laughing. It felt like the perfect way to celebrate Marguerite’s birthday and our final night on land before sailing back out to sea.

Shout Outs: Will I hope you’re rockin the Tiki Tour hat around Miami. Dad I hope the frosh quad is falling together and that the first few races go well. Mom I hope you have been enjoying many books by the fire with the cats while the snow is falling around you. And I can’t wait to see you all together soon for Will’s birthday in Miami, hopefully that wasn’t a surprise. Aunt Susie I hope your knee is making a quick rebound and I have been thinking of you while snorkeling in some of the same spots you were, and trying the same things you were trying, excited to talk with you some more about it when I am home!

Annie, good luck in, In To The Woods, hopefully this post makes it up before, and if not I hope it went awesomely!

Jack Suter, A Watch, Colgate University
“Changes in Latitude, Changes in attitude”