Programs Blog

Sunday, 26 April, 2026.

Noon Position: (Lat and Long): 31 degrees 54.8’ N, 063 degrees 03.3’ W

Log (nm): 1579 nm

Weather / Wind / Sail Plan (from 1300 Watch Change): Sailing under the 4 lowers and the JT, good visibility with sunny, blue skies, wind out of the SE, force 3, sea E x N, 2’

Description of location: Student Liam gave us a “Land Ho!” around sunrise this morning. Bermuda is in sight off and on all day!

The engineers onboard always know what day of the week it is. The main part of our jobs is staying ahead, catching any little issues before they can grow big, with preventative maintenance around the vessel. Mondays we swap refrigeration systems, Tuesdays we check engine belts and batteries, Wednesdays there is a whole separate list of monthly maintenance we attend to, Thursdays are everyone’s favorite saltwater valves and emergency pumps, and Fridays we run the outboard engine on the inflatable tender and check that the watermakers are happy! This system of checks and redundancy ensures Tadhg (“Tye-g”) and I get eyes on and operate all of the behind-the-scenes systems that keep the ship and her crew safe and comfy on the open ocean. Much like our latest caught creature, once we’re out of sight of the luxuries of land, all we have is each other and what the ship can provide, so staying on top of managing those limited resources is precious.

Physalia Physalis, also known as the Portuguese Man o’ War is often mistaken for a jellyfish with its gas-filled float and long stinging tentacles. Aptly named after an 18^th century armed sailing vessel with her full complement of sails set, these siphonophores “travel” the ocean’s surface at the mercy of winds and currents. Colonial organisms working together to capture small fish, crustaceans, and plankton, they are mostly composed of water and are highly susceptible to drying out! To prevent this they must roll, flex, twist, and partially submerge their bodies to maintain moisture and survive. Quite like us exploring these vast waters, taking care of our shipmates and looking after the details is making for a successful trip so far.

Today is Sunday, our day intentionally without preventative maintenance. On Sundays we hope to only be “on call” for what needs fixing and spend the day resting, reveling in little moments of self-care, reading, crafting, and chilling with shipmates. Approximately halfway through our journey I thought I’d finish with some interesting engineering related data of note: With 34 persons onboard, we have been consuming an average of 450 gallons of fresh water a day, only 13 gal per person. And with a 40-kilowatt generator running most hours of the day we’ve been averaging about 33 gallons of diesel fuel a day, which shows what great sailing and little motoring we’ve accomplished, using less than a gallon of fuel per person per day!

Clare, Chief Engineer, S-254

Shout out to my wife of 1 year today! Mari, mi amor, te adoro, hoy y siempre xo

A gorgeous Physalia specimen!

Chief Engineer Clare, Chief Sci Sarah, 2^nd Mate Shel, Molecular TA Supi, and Chief Mate Sara enjoying some sun relaxing on the house top