News
B Watch being B Watch: A Day in the Life
Elle Kallsen, B Watch, University of San Diego
Ship’s Log
Noon Position
19°39.69’N X 65°51.14’W
Ship Heading (degrees) / Ship Speed (knots)
010°/ 6.20 knots
Taffrail Log (nm)
1158.2
Weather / Wind / Sail Plan (from 1300 Watch Change)
Wind SE x E F3; Seas E x N <1 ft, 26 °C; 1/8 cloud coverage Cu; Four Lowers on a Starboard Tack
Description of location
81 nm North of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican Trench.
Hello from the Puerto Rican Trench! It is me, Elle and what can I say except I love this place. Last night I had evening watch from 1900-0100.
I spent a lot of time at the helm and at lookout, admiring the shooting stars. Gaia counted about 60 of them last night! With each star I saw, I made a wish.
Isabelle and I as JWO and JLO of the day for B watch.
I wonder if they sell these bonnets on SEA’s website. I want one.
Our beloved Beenz was the assistant to the assistant steward last night, so she had the night off and we missed her! We deployed the Neuston net and science found a whole bunch of small critters! It was a bit chilly last night and I pulled out my sweatshirt for the first time this trip! I wear it so often at home that my boyfriend calls it my “uniform.” After a little dancing and some laughs with Anna and Evan, I ate a snack (Thank you for the ginger snaps Beenz) and fell asleep reading my book.
I woke up bright and early to the smell of bacon! Luckily, my bunk is right in the main salon, so I just hop out of bed and BAM! I get to eat breakfast!
After eating, I hopped right back into bed and went to sleep. Such a lovely commute.
A couple hours later I had a watch meeting. Everyone knows of B watch’s meeting by the rolls of laughter stemming from under the starboard rescue boat. Our first activity was to make a ranking of how we are doing based on our own “scale.” Evan’s scale was a “condiment scale” in which relish and mustard were at the bottom (not doing too hot), queso and red salsa were in the middle (We are feeling pretty good) and green verde salsa was at the top (I am feeling amazing!). Evan told us he was a red salsa today! Anna’s ranking system were things you find on the bottom of your shoe. Gum and poop were at the bottom of the scale, a rock wedged in the sole was in the middle, and money and/or crisp leaves were at the top! Anna was having a great day… almost money at the bottom of your shoe kind of day!
Lunch followed quickly after and then we went straight into watch! I was in science today, and my job was mainly processing the Neuston tow from the morning watch. We found a small crab in our tow and generously named it “Carb.” We also counted a lot of shrimps, mysids, euphausids, heteropods, and other snails.
I also did some sail handling! I was sheeting in the jib when I heard Beenz say, “Oh man, not my hardboiled egg.” She had stumbled and she crushed her hard boiled egg in her pants against the hull of the ship. We then found out she had been keeping a stash of hard boiled eggs in her bunk up until today, when they began to get a little smelly. Classic Beenz am I right?
We also had our nautical science class! Today, we learned how to do a sailor’s knot bracelet. I was hesitant at first, but I think mine turned out alright!
During our watches, we have been switching off between JLO (Junior Lab
Officer) and JWO (Junior Watch Officer). When you are JLO or JWO, you take on a leadership role either in the lab or on deck and help the watch officers run the whole six hour watch. Of course, this is Cramer, and with everything comes tradition. The other day when I was JLO, I was granted the JLO bonnet and JLO skirt to wear for the whole watch! It was quite the honor, and although it didn’t happen today, I wanted to include it for you all here.
I finished out the day eating some yummy pasta, working on my research project, and writing this blog! I am going to go to bed soon after I read a little!
P.S. A very special birthday shoutout to the one and only Matteo! I can’t wait to celebrate with you so soon! You make my life beyond wonderful! I love you and miss you! Have a great day.
P.S.S. Hi Bushia! Once I have service we will resume our weekly facetimes and I can’t wait to tell you everything. I love and miss you and gpa!