Programs Blog

Date: May 6, 2025

Time: 2014

Location: Inter-Island French Polynesia

Weather: 26˚ C, East Wind, Beaufort Force 2, lightning in the distance

Hello! It’s Robin again and I got married today?!?! (in a fake, locally apparent way, don’t worry Mum and Dad). Time is weird on the ship and the days tend to blend together due to our rigid schedule, so we like to take any opportunity for a celebration. Our wedding included ridiculously emotional family members, an objector, and even a wedding crasher climbing out of the aft head emergency exit. Our stewards, Seb and Rachel, and our Stu-stew, Olivia, even made us a cake! It was delicious, like most of the food they make. After the wedding, we had another swim call! This one was much warmer than the last, since we are now in the tropics. It was so surreal to look up at the sails from the water and realize how far our home in the water has taken us.

It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to sail in the high seas. Life on the Bobby C. quickly seemed like all we knew; life on land was almost fictitious, or like something from a past life. All that was on our minds was ourselves, our shipmates, and our ship. And the ocean.

On shore in Woods Hole, we talked a lot about Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs are marine areas that have regulations surrounding the human activities that can occur there. For example, you may only be allowed to fish certain species, or not fish at all. MPAs are important for conserving biodiversity and marine life in the ocean. Open ocean MPAs are located away from the coast and focus on conserving marine life that lives in the open ocean or in deep water. My view on Open Ocean MPAs has both stayed the same and shifted after living on the open ocean for four weeks.

At the beginning of our trip, I did not like standing as lookout. I was bored, and cold, and there was nothing to see. At least that’s what it seemed like at the time. But after standing on the bow of our ship for many hours staring out at the great expanse of sea surrounding us, I learned how to find the life and wonder in the open ocean. The water, the clouds, even the stars are constantly moving and shifting, and I soon found comfort in this vast environment. As the poem posted in the midships head says, my job “is mostly standing still and learning to be/ Astonished” (Mary Oliver). My job, of course, also included looking out for danger around us, but so much of the value I got from being lookout was just from standing still and observing the beauty around us. Now, more than ever, I recognize how important it is to conserve open-ocean environments and the fragile life they hold.

Our voyage has also emphasized how difficult it would be to enforce open-ocean MPAs. Since we left the Chatham Islands, we didn’t see another boat until after we had already spotted Tahiti. That was 24 days without seeing even evidence of other humans on the open ocean. It would take a lot of resources to make an open-ocean MPA function and serve its purpose, as well as international cooperation. I don’t have the answers for how to effectively enforce an open-ocean MPA, but I do know that it is so important.

It is also hard to describe how it feels to no longer be on the open ocean. When I learned we were no longer beyond National Jurisdiction, the same strange sense of panic I felt before we left, filled me again. The slosh of the water against the hull of the ship that once scared me, now lulled me to sleep at night. Navigating the steep ladders and narrow passageways on board while the ship rolls, while still annoying, had become commonplace. I had become so comfortable on the ship and at sea that I had almost forgotten how to live life on land. Now, after having actually reached land and interacting with other people, I mostly feel excited. But I know that I will miss the open ocean and think about our time at sea for a long, long time.

While this blog post is sort of my love letter to the sea, it is also a love letter to my shipmates and our ship. Thank you for delivering us safely across the Pacific. I have learned so much from all of you.

Shoutouts:

To Mummy and Daddy — I miss you and can’t wait to tell you about everything. Thank you for always supporting my wild ideas and adventures.

To my aunts, uncles, and cousins – Your passions and endless encouragement are what inspired me to do this. Thank you and I can’t wait to tell you about my big adventure.

To Team Tuna – I miss you guys so much and can’t wait to give you all hugs and smooches.

To my friends that graduated — Congratulations! I’m so proud of you all!

To Sofie, Bee, Cerys, and Brie – I miss you so much! I have so many people and things to tell you about.

To Elle – We miss you so, so, so, so, so much!!! I can’t wait to hear your laugh again. I’m so excited to see you in Mo’orea!