I write to you from the main salon aboard Cramer. I’m sure many of you have read previous posts, so you know that we are headed East, struggling against the trade winds but nonetheless steadily chugging towards Martinique. This is Adelaide Gonzalez, of Bowdoin College, joined by my dear friend Natalie Rotondo, of the University of Rhode Island. We are two members of C watch, one of three watches that rotate around an 18-hour day, four-part cycle.

Yesterday was my birthday and I want to thank all my shipmates who made the effort to make the day special. Katie made some string out of deconstructed line and Nick threaded a shell from Catalina Island onto it using a guitar string to make a lovely necklace. Kira made me a beautiful card that many people signed, and Cassie and Carson gave me a book of coupons that I will be cashing once we get to Hawaii. The first coupon I think I’ll use will be one Pina colada out of a real pineapple! After dinner I played cards some of my shipmates because they know that it’s one of my favorite things to do in my free time.

Hello, everyone!  Second scientist Lila here, pleased to be bringing you news of the avian variety.  As a skilled scientist and avid biologist, I have been spending much time with the masked boobies that have graced our yardarm and headrig (you are undoubtedly familiar with these birds if you have been reading this blog regularly).  I go and sit with them sometimes, and remain very still, occasionally emitting a squawk or two when it feels right.

For us A Watchers, today marks our first completion of a full three-day rotation of our 6-12-6 hour sea watches aboard Cramer. As we settle into the new routine I’ve been clinging on to my circadian cycle for dear life; as you could probably guess, my efforts have been to no avail.

When crew and students first met each other nearly 3 weeks ago in the harbor of Catalina, there was a jovial feeling in the air, as if we all recognized almost immediately the close community that we would become. We’re bound by our love of the ocean, the absurdity of waking up at 1am, our mutual love/hate relationship with the boobies. That being said, there seems to be one force that binds us together more than any other: our communal love of hijinks and tomfoolery.

Coral counts are diminishing around the world. Here in the USVI, bleaching and disease has had a devastating impact on coral populations, especially the staghorn and elkhorn species of coral. In order to help reverse these disastrous effects, coral nurseries have started to be implemented.

Today I woke up and only saw sea all around me, a first for this trip! The waves are undulating beneath and around the ship. In the main salon the tables are constantly tilted to various degrees to port as we are hove to on a port tack currently while the students are learning how to operate the hydro-winch for science. The rolling motion of the sea is taking some getting used to, as walking in a straight line is impossible.

Today is a special day on the Robert C. Seaman’s - it is shipmate Rachel’s birthday! Happy birthday Rachel! We celebrated with cupcakes for afternoon snack. The galley team might have overshot the frosting recipe and eager hands are now enjoying this miscalculation by the spoonful. I think we have an energetic afternoon ahead of us.

Today, we will be talking about potential artificial reefs in St. Croix, USVI.  In our Ocean Science and Public Policy course during the onshore component in Woods Hole we wrote a policy brief on the frameworks of installing artificial reefs in the US Virgin Islands.  Then when we headed to St. Croix, we talked with local researchers at the East End Marine Park about the impact of artificial reefs on St. Croix’s marine protected areas.

Winds have been blowing a strong Force 6, sometimes Force 7. The swell and waves certainly have not seemed to calm down. Standing on the quarterdeck of the Seamans looking out at the horizon, we are often met with an immediate wall of water, rocking the ship dramatically and sending all loose items flying. Prior to coming on this trip, I would have shuddered at the concept of sailing in 15-foot swells. Now, I welcome the action!