Too little too late. Laying aloft on the main

Author: Alex Smith (A Watch) and Julian Swensen (C Watch)

This is a joint effort as both of the writers missed their blog days. Oopsie
J.

Most of the day has been spent at anchor in Pigeon Bay. We have used this
wonderful opportunity at an anchorage sheltered from the wind and large
swells to get training in going aloft, taking a ride around the bay in the
rescue boat, and having a class discussion about Whale Rider, the book we
are all reading. It has been a crazy awesome adventure and today added to
the wonderful experiences we have had thus far. Going aloft for the first
time was spectacular. Climbing through the rigging, along the yard, and
looking down at our tiny ant sized shipmates and the sparkling water below
made me want to dive right in. It would have made an awesome diving board
but alas the adults would not allow it. A lot of water probably would have
gone up our noses anyways. We also got to take Gene (our small on board
sailing dingy) for a test drive around the bay.

(Julian) The gorgeous sunrise picture outside of Kaikoura does not do it
justice but was probably my highlight of the trip thus far. The sun lighting
up the rugged coastline and the still snowy mountains from the ocean was a
spectacular sight to see. Being back on the ocean and sailing into beautiful
bays has made me realize how much I missed sailing and traveling to remote
places that very few people ever get to see. There have been so many
reminders of the life I once had with just my parents and I making our way
to places we never knew existed until we arrived. There are so many memories
that never seem to be captured well enough. We have all been trying so hard
to make this short time we have together as memorable as possible. Seeing
the stark beauty of Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time has been so
special and a once in a lifetime experience that we are all sharing
together.

(Alex) My face hasn't seen the light of day in about 2 full years. I feel
naked, even with a goatee remaining. Tonight, I will be removing another
chunk of hair and getting a Farmer Allen moustache. On another note, my Teva
tan-line is unfortunately slowly fading as the weather gets colder and
wetter as we move further south, and I am wearing wool socks and rain boots
L. But in our next port stop in Dunedin, I will be sure to get those
tan-lines back. I've been really enjoying my time in the lab on ship. I am
realizing how boring my nutrient and chlorophyll independent project is, and
wish I had chosen to research some of the incredible biodiversity these
waters have to offer. The neuston tows always bring surprises onto the boat,
including a variety of bioluminescent species, copepods, crab larvae,
jellies, worms, and LOTS of salps (which actually don't taste that bad).
Walking, sleeping, and living my day-to-day life has never been this hard in
my entire life, but my happiness and gratitude has only grown in these last
few weeks, and I hope I can carry everything I have gained here into my
future life.



(Julian) I probably should have told more people that we had a blog that is
updated daily but oh well. The important people know about it and that's
really all that matters to me. I miss home, my friends and family, but they
all know how awesome this experience is. It has been amazing getting to
learn more about this beautiful country that I wished I had made it to
earlier but am glad to be here now. Seeing Aotearoa from the water is
spectacular but I cannot wait to travel more once I am off explore the
beautiful landscapes I can see from the ocean.  It has been great being on
the boat and learning more about what it takes to live on a boat of this
scale. I have seen so may beautiful things so far, each more spectacular
than the last, but can only imagine how much more there is yet to see. Love
you Mom and Dad, Nana and Papa, and Grandma Joy. I will give you all the run
down once I am back on land and send you some more pics of my travels and
adventures. Also, you should probably tell Riley that there is a blog cause
I forgot and actually didn't tell anyone.

(Alex) To my friend and family back home, I miss and love you all so much. I
am excited to return, but I never want to leave this magical place. Also,
turns out insanity is a product of standing lookout in the hours of 0400 to
0700 on dawn watch. I've sung Taylor Swift's "Love Story" more time than I
would like to admit during those hours.

Alex Smith (A Watch) and Julian Swensen (C Watch)