Programs Blog

Author: Annie Grace McGarry, Middlebury College

Ship’s Log

12 December 2023
Current Position: 36 deg 42’S x 178 deg 55’W
Ship’s Heading and Speed: Hove to
Weather: Clear but windy

Greetings from the gale! I write to you all today at 1846 on December 12 off
the northeast coast of East Cape on New Zealand’s North Island. After
leaving Napier a few days ago we have settled back into the rhythmic pulse
of sea life. We stand watch, enjoy the gift of a warm meal made by someone
else when we are tired, rest in the comfort of our own bunks, and spend time
talking, laughing and reflecting together as these days continue on. So much
of learning how to sail is not only just the technical aspects of ship
operation but also learning how to think. Tuning our attention and focus to
the slight shifts in the clouds, the sea, the movement of the water and of
each other.

Living and learning at sea is a volatile experience and I have been thinking
a lot about what makes this as rewarding, joyful and challenging as it is. I
think back to a dawn watch early on in this trip. As I walked out on deck,
going out into the cold and wet felt deeply unpleasant. I stepped out and
was met by a piercing star filled sky where the constellations stretch down
to the horizon. Out there under that blanket of pinpricked light, amidst the
roar of the wind and swirling, rolling inky black water every sense in your
body is heightened. The stars are so shockingly beautiful, few places on
land offer a night sky so clear and bright as the one offshore.

Over the past couple days as the novelty of this experience wears off, many
of us have felt the challenge of the watch schedule, seasickness, and of
having so little personal time and space. It makes little challenges feel
that much more. But, if I turn my face to the sun, watch the strong majestic
soaring of the albatross, and look out across the waves into the deep royal
blue of the ocean I feel energized by gratitude and excitement. This is the
reality of life at sea. Visceral hardship and challenge live right alongside
stunning beauty, joy and accomplishment. Like any true adventure, the line
between “this is epic” and “this is horrible” can be so thin. The sea asks
of us not only to be strong mentally and physically but to enjoy the
constant swinging between calm, chaos, discomfort, and joy all in the same
moment. In this phase of our trip, we lean into one another more, making
each other laugh, lending our help and feeling more confident in our growing
knowledge of shiplife.

This morning tested us all with some of the most exciting conditions we have
seen yet. When A Watch took the deck at 0700 we were greeted with 4ft seas
and about 15 kts of wind. As the watch progressed, the wind built strongly
out of the west mounting the seas and coming from the exact direction we
wished to go. Not ideal. We struck the jib at the watch change and within a
few hours found we were all getting wet as waves crashed over the science
deck. With only the stays’ls and a strong current we were making about 2 kts
when it was decided to set the storm trys’l. Set on the main mast, the storm
trys’l is a boomless sail meant to be used in “sporty” weather to aid in
steering ability, stability, and speed. It’s a sail many of us thought we
would not get to the see, and A Watch rejoiced in the excitement of setting
it. The weather and wind continued to build and we decided that with the sea
state and sail situation, slowing down to do our morning science station was
not realistic, we needed to make ground and monitor the wind. A Watch
spirits were soaring high as we rode the thrill of the big waves, embraced
the challenge at hand, and watched the raw power of the South Pacific
firsthand.

By the end of the watch, the seas had built to over 12 feet with winds
gusting over 45 kts and Captain Allison called it, we were going hove to.
With help from some others, we struck the storm trys’l, carefully gybed
around and found ourselves hove to for the day and into the night. Getting
“hove to” is when we backwind the sails and turn the rudder such that we
“slide.” It is the closest thing to stopping and a safe way to hit the pause
button. We move about the ship more carefully tonight, laugh in the athletic
endeavor of the shower experience, and pack ourselves into our bunks to keep
us from sliding around. Here on the Bobby C, stoke is high, centers of
gravity low, and we will go again soon to attempt to round East Cape under a
cloudless, sunny New Zealand sky.

Yahoo,
Annie Grace McGarry
Middlebury College

P.S. Hi Family! This is epic! I am alive and living well! I am tired, but so
happy and so excited. I continue to love this, the seas, the people, the
birds, the food, the sails, the boat, the engine room, the wind. I cannot
wait to tell you about it all. You are not allowed to worry about me, I am
doing awesome most of the time right now. Definitely some winter exped
moments out here, but it is all adding to the story. The sea is strong and
so am I! I love you all and miss you so much, I’ll be home in less a month!!

https://sea.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/S312_12Dec_photo2_small.jpg