Programs Blog

J Lopez

Ship’s Log

Noon Position
17°14.5’ S x 144°12.8’ W

Ship Heading
060°

Ship Speed
8 kts

Log
344.6 nm

Weather / Wind / Sail Plan
5/8 Cloud Cover, Cumulus/Cumulonimbus, 33° C, Wind Force 2, Sparse Rain, Motor Sailing @ 1000 RPM w/Jib, JT, Forestaysail, Main Staysail

Description of location
40 nm E of Motutunga

Souls on Board

All blogs from S-307

Heyo its J, here to give you a rundown of how we’re doing aboard the SSV Bobby C. The ship has come to life in the past 24 making good time en route to Nuka Hiva.

Our day began quiet and serene. At 0100 the dawn watch crew was awoken to relieve their shipmates of A-Watch from their duties. The silent night had little wind to offer but what it lacked in gusts it made up for in gusto. The stars glowed bright last night providing Second Mate Megan a perfect opportunity to give students a tour of the South Pacific heavens.

With few clouds to block our view in the early morning we were able to clearly identify constellations such as Ursa Minor, Cancer the Crustacean, the Southern Cross, and a personal favorite of mine; Scorpio a.k.a. Maui’s Fish Hook. Antaries, a bright orange wayfinding star and part of the great hook, guided our way as we turned North to a heading of 060°. Clouds rolled in to cap off the night with a gorgeous peachy sunrise that as Shay put, “Is the reason art exists.”

Our famed stewards Cat and Gracie led the way into the morning with a scrumptitious meal consisting of fresh baked buns, eggs, bacon, and a whole slew of tasty additions. B-Watch’s saviors continued the morning’s offerings by heaving-to in order to run a full morning station consisting of a Phytoplankton net, Secchi Disk, CTD deployment, and Neuston Tow. As we loitered about during the science deployment the Southeasterly trades drifted us over 1 nm and at 0830 our reef extraordinaire Kelly Morgan gave the call, “Land Ho!!!” as on the horizon off to port the Motutunga Atoll came into view. This proximity to the atoll coincided with a change in speciation from our NT. We had many new species of marine life swallowed by our net. The morning tow’s yield included copepods, fish eggs, many a barnacle cyprids, and 2 medusal stage jellies who now live in the Chrysler, our shipboard aquarium.

As we worked our way into the afternoon a small rainy cell began to chase us and caused our med officer Jen’s FishySense to go off. Moments after stating she was feeling good about our trailing fishing lines, we heard the telltale rattle of a fish on line. As we gathered for the days class a massive flock of noddies crossed in front of our bow flying due North just over the ocean’s surface. Student bird expert Chad identified 87 individuals making for a great opportunistic sighting report. During class time members of B and C Watch gave us a rundown of navigational and scientific happenings in musical form. Their remix of ‘What’s up?’ by 4 Non Blondes drew many a laughs while also educating the crew on what we might be seeing for the rest of the 553 nm to Nuka Hiva. Things are looking great as we continue forth to the Marquesas.

Hi Mom, Dad, Sophie,
and Hi to Jenna’s Mom

J Lopez, B-Watch