Programs Blog

Author: Grace Shoemaker, Colorado State University

Ship’s Log

Date: 28 September 2023
Time: 1930
Location: Will get in a second
Weather: 26 degrees C, overcast, stratus clouds

Souls on Board

Bula (hi)!
 
Greetings from the water! My name is Grace Shoemaker, and I go to Colorado
State University. The ship is officially underway, heading southwest around
Viti Levu, the largest island of Fiji. We have all completed our first
6-hour watch shifts. The common themes were sea sickness, meclizine
(“meccy”, a motion sickness medicine), and “wow, this is so cool”. The part
of the ocean we are in has some large swells, up to 12′ high, from the trade
winds, and these waves are rocking the Robert C. Seamans! Everyone among the
crew and staff has told us to “take the drugs!” They are right, the medicine
really does help. Not to worry though, we are all in good hands, and
everyone is leaning on one another for support and love. The other side of
the present emotional state is the crazy fact that we are finally out at
sea! It’s hard to describe the feeling of looking out onto the open ocean
and seeing nothing but blue. I feel an overwhelming sense of peace and am in
awe of the beauty and power the ocean holds. It is a great privilege to be
science sailing the South Pacific Ocean, no phones, living in the present
moment.

I’d like to share with you a little bit about our home for the next 6 weeks.
I’m writing this post to you from the Seaman’s library, below deck, off the
main saloon. There is an abundance of books to read here, not sure how I’m
going to get through them all. I’m peering through into the dining area,
watching the gimballed tables rock back and forth, the port holes looking up
to the sky and then dipping beneath the ocean’s surface. If you walk to the
right, you’ll head aft to the back of the ship. Located there are some of
our bunks and the doghouse, the main navigation area for charts, radar, and
other navigational tools. If you walk to the left, you’ll head towards the
bow with the rest of the bunks. Right now, the bow feels like you’re flying
every other second as the ship falls down the backside of a wave. Walking
around the ship feels like a choreographed dance, as everyone shifts to the
same beat, left, right, forwards, and backwards.

I’m not going to lie, the space is tight, especially with 32 people aboard.
You must get comfortable with being in everyone’s way and people being in
your way. Bunks are tiny, heads are even tinier, and don’t even get me
started on the showers. However, the things that really do matter are in
plentiful abundance. We are rich in music, knowledge, food (shoutout to Tobi
and Jake, our wonderful stewards), sunsets, sunrises, and stars. Among our
S311 class and the rest of the crew and scientists, there is no shortage of
great conversation. I’ve got Grant and Satya to play guitar with, Susanna
and Ruthie who will talk with me about anything, and Prue and Dotty who I
can always count on for some artistic inspiration. What we lack in material
things, we make up for through the richness of everything else. The ocean is
helpful in that sense. Everyone here shares a love for the water, and I
think that brings us all together.

Mom, hope your birthday card made it, love you! Lucy, please don’t break my
car while I’m gone. Dad, thanks for shipping all the extra gear to SEA. can
always count on you to say yes, especially when mom says no! Hi to all my
friends reading this. Love and miss you lots.

Cheers,
Grace