EARLIES Day 8
Written by Dylan S., Marine Biology Mate
We woke up to the sound of waves against the hull and the smell of breakfast, thanks to Grant and Claire who were on galley duty. By 7:00 AM, everyone was up, and by 7:30, we were in the cockpit with breakfast in hand, chatting about the day ahead and enjoying the early sun.
After cleaning up, we got started on our pre-departure checks at 8:30, with William taking the lead as skipper of the day. We then, dropped the mooring ball and motored over to Sandy Cay. Asher made sure everything was secured, and Eva kept us on course while we listened to Bob Marley and took in the views.
We arrived at Sandy Cay around 9:15. Once anchored, most of the group headed to the beach. Everyone was running around doing something — whether it was playing football, tossing a frisbee, or playing games in the water — it was a super crazy and chaotic beach time all to ourselves.
At 10:45, the Charlie Program students went out with staff to explore the mangroves for a marine biology lesson. They learned about how mangroves support coastal ecosystems and saw juvenile fish moving through the roots.
Back on board, Betts and Ava started prepping lunch around 11:30. We ate together at noon, followed by a quick clean-up and pre-sail checks. By 1:00 PM, we dropped the mooring ball again and set course for Trellis Bay. The wind was steady, and with William at the helm and Colt as Mate of the Day, we raised sails and practiced tacking. Everyone stayed involved and picked up on the techniques quickly.
The sail was smooth and a good chance for the crew to work together and build confidence.
We picked up a mooring ball in Trellis Bay around 4:30. After ocean showers and some downtime, William and Colt made dinner while the rest of us hung out and watched the sunset. Dinner was served in the cockpit, followed by clean-up and a boat meeting. We wrapped up the night with a few games and some time to relax.
By 9:00, the boat was quiet, and the sky was full of stars. It was a full day with great weather and silly play time!
