If you’ve read all of our posts diligently, you may have noticed that we students have become much more than classmates. We often revel in the miracle of having met, wondering what it would’ve been like if we had chosen a different SEA program, or chosen a different way to spend this semester altogether.

Q: Kelsey, Congratulations!  Can you tell us more about what this means?  When did you apply, and how did you find out you had won?

A: Thanks!  It was a big surprise for me since it’s so competitive.  The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) means that I have my own funding for graduate school so I can focus on my research.

SEA in the NEWS
National Geographic
Oct. 10, 2018
Beach clean-up study shows global scope of plastic pollution

We woke up this morning surrounded by a thick layer of fog. B Watch had the morning shift so we were all on deck early.

Hello everyone, it is I, Nate Johnson, back to bring you another blog post!

As we sail further from Orona, the ocean around us begins to grow and consume the horizon once more.

Hello all!  We are a few hours from hauling back the anchor and getting underway once again.  Orona has been incredible.  From jumping off the bowsprit and getting to climb aloft, to exploring the atoll and snorkeling in the lagoon, the adventures we have all experienced here have been some of the best of our trip.

The people of Kanton are unlike any I’ve met. I know Nate talked about the reception they held for us, but there cannot be enough said about that evening. Their musical performances were as humbling as they were spectacular. While the women and children sang the words of a language we do not know, the men harmonized perfectly as they beat a large, shared drum to the slow rhythm of their chanting.

Good Morning! Thursday got off to a great start with beautiful weather and hash browns and sausage for breakfast. B Watch completed a busy morning watch, including working on projects, setting the JT sail, and sailing towards Stellwagon Bank (a marine preserve.) We left the open ocean and saw many other boats for the first time in days. Soon the shores of Cape Cod were visible, and for a bit we sailed along them using no motor.

Hello all,

Brian here again, and what an exciting few days it’s been! My classmate and shipmate Andrew spoke about crossing the equator and what an experience that was. I didn’t realize how much of a feat it was to cross from the Northern Hemisphere into the Southern and I was so enthralled with the festivities that I even allowed myself to get an equatorial haircut! Shortly after, we crossed into PIPA and now the real fun begins.

Hi Everyone! My name is Rosie Wigglesworth and I’m bringing you the 6th installment of the S-281 blog series!  We’re almost a week and a thousand nautical miles into our journey.