I had a nice early start to my day this morning. Wake ups were promptly at 2:30am and after a few minutes of gathering my things and hauling on some clothes, I scrambled up on deck along with the rest of B watch. The deck was dimly lit by the shimmering moonlight and I zoned out staring at the waves, drinking a cup of hot cocoa while we were mustering. I came to realize it was my turn to be point person on our watch.

Cooking has always been something I’ve been fascinated with. I like to eat good food and I like to know how it’s created.  I’ve been lucky enough to have a wonderful mother who cooks the most delicious food in the world and in twenty years I’ve only learned a handful of her tricks but I’m hoping to learn many more as I cook with her in upcoming years.

On the Robert C. Seamans we have plenty deck and lab time but what most of you sleeping on land might not know is that we have plenty of tasty food too.

Another sleep in felt fantastic, especially starting on a day off. Waking up to the smell of fresh french toast and strawberries was also a HUGE plus. Awake and ready for competition, each house (A,B and C) contributed in a baking contest. House A, making whale shaped Nutella swirl cupcakes, House B making cheesecake, and House C making Banana nut muffins. All would then be presented to our RA’s (Resident Advisor) to taste and judge.

Back to routine: On Watch, Sleep, Eat, Class, Read, Eat, Write, rinse and repeat, mixing up the order. August 2 was our first full day back at sea on the last leg of our course. At midday with the sun directly overhead and sending its rays plunging down vertically into ocean, the water transformed from steely blue-gray to a shade closer to turquoise.

Hello! This morning we set sail for Spain. We left Lisbon today at around 0900 and we’ve been making great progress all day long. We sailed down the River Tejo and under the April 25 Bridge, which closely resembles the Golden Gate Bridge. It was an amazing sight to see in the early morning light. We had a pilot help navigate us to the mouth of the river and then watched as a small boat pulled up alongside us, and with the grace and skill that only can come with years of practice, the pilot simply walked off the Cramer and onto the small boat while both ships were moving along at a steady pace.

We started off the day bright and early with a yummy breakfast of oatmeal and cereal, with chocolate chips and raisins on the side. Then we headed to an early morning class with Carl, discussing the history of science. We went in depth into the interesting transformation of science throughout the years, starting with the Enlightenment period, throughout the European exploration of the Americas, up to present day.