Pacific Odyssey - Leg 6

The weather today was cloudy and cooler, though we were still able to
enjoy being together on deck.  There have been many sail changes since
midnight; the wind has changed direction three times.  Trainees are always
keen to help out with raising, lowering and stowing sails.  The courses, the
foresail, the jumbo and the jib have gone up and down several times.  Sarah
B., her watch and Tristan handled sail in the middle of the night when the
wind switched about 70 degrees.  We have sailed beautifully all day without
the engine.  Just before supper the engine was turned on and our course was
altered to avoid contrary weather.  There is a low pressure system north of
us so our course is taking us further south for a bit.  The motion is a
steady rolling side-to-side; not many of us slept that well last night
though we are getting used to the rolling.  This morning Molly decided it
was time for a shower and cleaned on deck with the bucket.  Elske, Bec, and
Leanne weren´t quite so brave and just washed their hair on deck with the
cold salt water.  Sean, Tristan, Jordan, and Elske are taking sights with
the sextant, keeping up their Celestial Navigation Skills learned on earlier
legs.  Sarah B. taught a juniors chart work lesson.  Diane, Leanne, and
Maddie were interrogated in their watches.  It´s quite impressive how
personal we have become in our questions and answers in only a week.
Everyone is free to answer only what they feel comfortable with, but all in
all, trainees and crew seem ready to answer any question their watch asks
them; groups are small and our days are spent mostly with our watch, this
makes getting to know each other easier and quicker.   Jacob and Noah sorted
through all the fishing gear that was left by Scott and Chase from the last
leg.  They set up 2 lines and we caught 2 small Skipjack tuna.  Skipjack is
not our favorite fish and they were small, so we let them go.  It was still
exciting to catch something; it has been quite awhile since we caught fish.
Last night I noticed 2 girls doing stomach exercises in the galley in the
dark, and there have been sightings of other trainees doing stretching,
yoga, and exercises on the foredeck.  On the ship we sit a lot; it takes a
few days before one becomes creative at finding ways to feel like one is
staying in some kind of shape i.e. Susan has devised a way to do squats
while she pumps the head 30 times.  Sophie made a chocolate cake for
everyone tonight while Katie and Kira made the cream cheese icing.  Ship
life is becoming more normal and trainees and crew are beginning to start
projects, read books, write in journals, and set up their personal daily
routines; it´s a good feeling.  We try to live in the moment as each day
provides us with plenty to contemplate, enjoy and experience; sometimes the
thought of how much water we still have to cross, and how many days of
sailing there still are, is overwhelming.  This experience is something many
of us will never relive and it is better to be in the ´now´ and take full
advantage of it.  Although the day was cloudy, the night is clear and we
have a beautiful starry night.  Until tomorrow, good-night, Bonice.