After about ten days sailing on the SSV Robert C. Seamans, we’ve all pretty much gotten into the ship’s daily working routine. As we are now much more comfortable with life aboard the ship, we are starting learn more skills, and take on more responsibilities with the hope of eventually reaching the Junior Watch Officer Phase where the students mainly take over running the ship.

The SSV Robert C. Seamans has been under outstanding weather for the past few days. Mostly clear skies, with gusts of wind helping move the Seamans ever closer to the equator. At the time of this writing, we are only 0°10.584’ from the equator, and I have already signed up to be woken up for the crossing!

There are no milestones on the open ocean, only arbitrary lines we have invented to help us feel some sense of place.

My day started before the actual first hour of July 12th arrived, I was awake from the morning of the 11th and worked processing net deployments until 03:00 on the 12th (which also happens to be my little brothers birthday!) I spend that time sorting through buckets of zooplankton that the students had pulled up from the three types of net deployments the ship scientists run, a Shallow Tucker Trawl, Deep Trucker Trawl, and a Neuston Tow

Chief Scientist Blaire invited me to post the blog today, so I did. I’m writing to you as I slowly emerge from self-imposed bunk stasis; I have been double-sick since last Friday just before we left port in Pago Pago. The combination of a cold and sea sickness had really done a number on the physicality of my being, the nature of my presence and the morale of my mind.

The Robert C. Seamans experienced moderately high winds and seas during the first couple days of our trip, but weather over the last few days has calmed significantly, with wind from the east north easterly direction dropping to a Beaufort force 2 yesterday and sea swell in the range of 3-6 ft.

It’s a hard thing to describe accurately, but it is strange and difficult to acclimate to living situations that never stop moving. I’ve always been sensitive to listen to any crashing or colliding sounds, which often mean something’s broken, especially in the kitchen.

When a member from C watch gently woke me at 0515, I knew it was going to be a good day.

The students of S-287, Protecting the Phoenix Islands, all arrived safely aboard the SSV Robert C. Seamans in American Samoa, and spent a very busy several days conducting safety drills and getting to know the ship before departing Pago Pago. The ship is now underway, and we look forward to receiving student blog posts, which we will share as soon as they are received.

Today is the first day that we have a peaceful sea! Woken up by our B-watch friends, we came on deck around 0050. It was cool out on the deck. Mild sea breeze gently blew our last bit of sleepiness away. The wave has largely decreased, too. We can almost stand by ourselves without holding onto anything else.