WRITTEN ON LEG ONE FROM PLYMOUTH TO AZORES WITH ROTHY’S
Day 4 on SV TravelEdge saw all the chirpy faces from the day before going back to slightly green with the change in tack overnight. We had people rolling out of beds and getting acquainted with the new orientations of the boat, to the point that it almost felt like we were on a new boat.
In the last 72 hours, we are on track having travelled about 400 miles, and from fighting hurling tummies, we have had to fight appliances – the entire fridge decided to attack because there wasn’t much eating going on! Which means tonight’s dinner is going to be an interesting one as certain foods meant for eating later in the trip have now thawed and must be eaten ASAP.
Today was our first attempt at a routine that we hope will continue for the rest of the journey which is time together as a team – getting to know each other, doing science and learning from the ocean and those around us.
Kicking off the introductions were Katrin, Kimberly, Natalie and Breezy.
Getting to know their work and lives, and the interaction between their journeys with the mission that we are all on, serve to bring more understanding and regard for one another as individuals. We were 10 perfect strangers on this boat and through the first two days of finding our sea legs and these getting to know you sessions, the strangeness seems to slowly fall away and a curious friendship starts to form.
Sailing is really quite a challenging experience for those of us non-sailors – the high seas have truly put on quite the show for us, with waves about 3 – 4 meters in some places.
The art of living at 40 degress is truly that – something as simple as getting dressed and brushing teeth proves to be quite the challenge when you aren’t sure when you are going to be tossed about.
But this is the adventure we took on as we move forward to find solutions for the epidemic that we are faced with from every corner of the globe that we all come from.
