Ahoy! Jessie from C-watch here, writing from our on-board library which is back to its usual rocking and rolling since our departure from Napier this afternoon. The day began with a deck sweep for C-watch. One aspect of sea life I hadn’t thought about before this semester is that the accumulation of dirt is rather dependent on our greatest dirt source: land! Following the sweep, we had the morning off to head into Napier for last minute errands.

Today was a day of celebration, as not one, but two shipmates had birthdays today, Jessie, and Jeff! We just rounded out the day, which was sunny and warm, with carrot cupcakes and a couple of rounds of Happy Birthday singing, including a Danish rendition by our resident Dane, Amelia.

Hello bloggies!

Natalie here from C Watch. Today was a wonderful day. We had some free time this morning to explore the art deco-d streets of Napier and do some laundry (yay!). Later in the afternoon, we went a winery and learned all about the effects of climate change on the winery industry.

Greetings! Amelia at the helm

The day we had today was unlike any other. With an early wakeup to chocolate chip pancakes (Ashley and Kylie, our beloved stewards, are the best <3), still being anchored in the Bay of Islands, we prepared to make the trip to Urupukapuka by 0900.

Day 4 consisted of an exciting, new, and breezy series of events. We started the day early, with a delicious breakfast made by our stewards before morning chores, getting into the routine of eating, cleaning, and taking care of the ship (our home for the month) together.

Hello from Nicole (A watch) and Rachel (B watch)!

We started day three early with our very first watch rotation: midnight-0100 for Nicole (with Mathilde and sailing intern Neil) and 0500-0600 for Rachel (with Sarah and 2nd scientist Emily). The watch before ours woke us up about ten minutes before we needed to be on deck.

Hey everyone, Sarah Banks here.

We’re finally aboard the Robert C. Seamans, wahoOo!

The intrepid students of SEA Semester S-289: Climate and Society have all arrived to SSV Robert C. Seamans in Auckland, New Zealand after completing shore components in Woods Hole, MA and the South Island of New Zealand.

Not so long ago, in the not too distant past, a younger version of myself embarked across the North Pacific on the SSV Robert C. Seamans. I was an eager and adventurous little explorer following a dream to sail across the sea.

Students and faculty arrived safely in New Zealand today, surprisingly energetic considering the long hours across the Pacific Ocean.