Programs Blog

Author: Ava Roche, A Watch, Barnard College ‘25

Ship’s Log

February 20, 2024

Position: 39° 01.987’S and 178°13.324’E

Heading: 45° true

Speed: 3.5 Knots

Distance: 449

Weather: South East Winds with a Beaufort force of four

Hey everyone! Today is February 20th and its taco Tuesday on the Seamans. It
has been around 10 days since we began our adventure which is absolutely
crazy to me. I feel like my time in Cape Cod was so long ago with all of the
knowledge and experiences I’ve had since entering the southern hemisphere. I
have snorkeled and explored vacant islands, learned (or at least attempted
to learn) all of the pins and their functions on a 134 foot sail boat, and
even though entering a new community that has so many different routines and
practices has definitely been overwhelming, I’m finally starting to feel my
feet touch the ground again, which is such an amazing feeling. Today we had
our pin race where all three watch groups raced each other to identify all
of the ships pins and their functions, which I was quite nervous for, yet it
ended up being so much fun! My watch team (A watch) got the silver medal
(hypothetically speaking) which was quite surprising to us and made me
realize that I know a lot more than I think I doJ.

In this new community I’ve realized that appreciating the little things is
what everything is about. Without my phone/technology I’ve been able to
actually enjoy the things that I used to without feeling under stimulated or
like I missed a message. It’s come to the point where I now find myself
looking forward to grabbing my little rope before bed to practice a few
bowlines and half hitches with my red light headlamp which is quite funny to
me as two weeks ago I could barely sit still to read a book at night and
would end up swapping it for my phone. Having the time to truly focus on and
be present within this community has been amazing, and through the sea
component I have already felt my bonds strengthen in a way that only living
in matching cubbies with curtains as doors can do. Sadly I have to sign off
as It’s my bedtime as I have to wake up at 1:00 AM for my six hour dawn
watch (which is absolutely amazing and I see about 5 shooting stars an
hour), but I’m sending extra love to my family; I’ve been looking at the
moon each night and thinking of you and Buddy and Mowgli. I miss you, and
can’t wait to hear your voices soon.

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