Above: Chart work in the main salon; below: learning to set, strike and furl sail; a job well-done after setting our first sail of the voyage.

Today after spending a couple of days docked in Woods Hole doing trainings and waiting for a shift in the weather, we finally heard the words we had all been waiting for “All hands to the quarter deck…prepare for departure!” We were finally going out to sea our dream of becoming hardy sailors and maritime adventurers are about to come to fruition! We divided up in to teams ready to pull in dock lines, rove with fenders and haul on halyards to set sail.

We pivoted off the dock and pulled in all the fenders and motored into the channel where the sail setting team got to work. They did a beautiful job setting the main and forward stay sail in unison! Making us look real good for the small crowd of friends and onlookers that had gathered at the dock to say good-bye.

We were looking great! White sails in beautiful contrast to the clear blue skies. We were doing it! We were sailing! We were at sea! For about an hour… then we came to this beautiful anchorage where we will be spending the night for further trainings and a nght of anchor watch before we really head out to sea tomorrow afternoon.

- MJ Fernandez, Chief Historian, SEA 

PS: Mami todo bien! Lot of love to my friends and fam back on shore.

PPS: To Charlotte’s parents she told me to say “Send Emma a note for the 18th if you agree!”