Real-Time Notes From the Atlantic Gyre: Getting to Know The Crew

Wend magazine Editor-in-Chief and Surfrider Foundation Ambassador Stiv Wilson is on a sailboat with Dr. Marcus Eriksen of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation on an environmental research mission to explore plastic in the Sargasso Sea.

Here is his latest update, sent to Wend HQ via satellite:

A few days ago, the ocean was quiet, and the sails were at full luff.  I convinced our skipper to allow us to take a swim off the side of the Sea Dragon.  He capitulated after some prodding and even joined us after a while.  Nothing like a swan dive off the bowsprit (front of ship) into 6,000 feet of  the most electric blue water I’ve ever seen.  The swim was good for the crew’s morale as one thing that confounds the body at sea is the utter lack of exercise one can get.  At every move through the cabin one attempts to stretch out a muscle, or the neck, or the back, but it’s quite difficult in a constantly heaving ship to feel whole.  Luckily however, this ship is long enough for me to stand when below.  I can’t express how much of a luxury this has been compared to other vessels I’ve been on.

Watches:

We’re a crew of nine but only six of us do formal watches. The skipper is always on duty, and Anna and Marcus create their schedule around research.  We’re divided into two teams. My team includes myself, Lesley and Stephen.  Lesley is a Bay area activist with a bright and shiny wit, and is wise about anything having to do with human relationships and moods.  She’s been a joy.  Stephen is the ship’s intern, just 19, who decided to skip a year between high school and college to sail around the world.  He’s become like a little brother and reminds me of myself at that age.  He’s a bonafide romantic and idealist, and far more mature than any kid of his age that I’ve met in a  very long time.

Our watches alternate 4 hours on, 4 hours off, then 6 hours on, 6 hours off.   We pass the time well, and it’s truly amazing how fast you can get into another’s inner workings when there is simply nothing else to do.  I will remain good friends with Lesley and Stephen after this trip and I look forward to joining them on the second leg from Bermuda to The Azores.   Thus far, our favorite games to pass the time are:  shag, marry, kill–where you name three celebrities and you have to choose which you’d…well, you get the idea–and talking about what our post apocalyptic vehicles of choice would consist of, and also, what our last meals would be.

Okay, that’s all that’s live from the Bermuda Triangle for now.  Over and out.