Sitting in a calm bay encircled by jagged green mountains.  A sliver of a moon disappearing behind a prehistoric peak.  Twinkling colored lights strung up on the quarterdeck.  31 souls gathered to acknowledge their hard work and companionship.  Small outriggers shining mystic lights to lure in fish around us.  Ukelele chords and voices creating songs both hysterical and touching.  The final night onboard.

Today was the last day on the ship. It’s odd to think that tomorrow we disembark in Papeete, many of us to go our separate ways after spending so much time together. The long watches stood in rain and shine, the field days that seemed to produce endless mung, the nights so hot that students choose to sleep on deck while we’re alongside, over. At least for now.

Ia’orana everybody, this is Gabo again writing with news of the Robert C. Seamans. Today’s schedule was a bit more leisurely than yesterday’s, as we spent the day welcoming visitors to our ship and overall enjoying the best of what land has to offer. While half of the students and crew guided people through our open ship event, the other half spent time walking around, catching up with their close ones, sipping fruit juice in the shade or stretching their legs on a hike.

Anticipation and excitement were humming in the air as the ship’s company rose this morning. After nearly four weeks at sea and 3000 nm sailed since the Chatham Islands, today was the day we would set foot on land again. Little did we know just how much this first acquaintance with French Polynesia would sweep us off our feet.

The last time I wrote the blog was just under a month ago when we dropped anchor off of Port Hut, in the Chatham Islands. Today, we came alongside in Raiatea and are now tied up in Uturoa. If you have been following our trip, you know that a lot has happened in between.

Greetings readers, and May the Fourth be with you,

Today our majestic home is hove-to between the islands of Huahine and Raiatea and Taha’a. Because of the strong prevailing trade winds and the newly capable hands of the student crew onboard, we have arrived to the Iles Sous Le Vent (or leeward Society Islands) a couple of days ahead of schedule.

Twenty-five days and 2800 nm after departing the Chatham Islands of New Zealand we’ve made landfall here in French Polynesia. We let go our lines in Lyttelton one month ago today, and it’s been amazing to watch our students grow into the shipmates and able hands they’ve become. One of the foundation lessons all sailors learn is that you can’t change the wind. As a metaphor, I find it widely applicable to any number of situations.

As every hour passes we get a few nautical miles closer to Tahiti, but all I can think about are the things I have learned while at sea. Almost everyone on board is looking forward for land in their own ways, some to just be able to communicate with love one, other look forward for their most desired foods. While everyone has their own reason to look forward for land we all are dreading the day as well. For the Robert C. Seamans has become a home not just for me but to everyone else on board.

Hello again from the SSV Robert C. Seamans, and happy May Day! Time sure has flown while at sea, and we are all excited to reach the many milestones of our cruise track which the month of May has in store. Knowing that we will soon be able to cast our eyes on the wonders of Raiatea, Moorea, and Tahiti (which I’ve heard are just lovely) has the ship in good spirits, and the students have been walking around with a palpable sense of pride and excitement as rotations through the JWO and JLO responsibilities continue, giving everyone a chance to have control of the deck in 6 hour increments, which means giving the necessary commands and always abiding by the ship’s standing orders to get ourselves where we need to go safely, happily, and responsibly.

It’s JWO season here aboard Mama Seamans, and that means students are scurrying to and fro with notebooks and sheaves of scrap paper in hand, trying to track down a mate or the elusive JWO Sheet Anchor binder to study up on everything from gybing to reporting to Jay.  (Who knew turning around and talking could be such precise and exacting tasks?)