Monday, May 2, 2022

The Voyage Begins!

 

The dream of sailing aboard the Robert C. Seamans came alive today in Honolulu Hawaii for the Stanford@SEA class of 2022. Now in our 20th year, 29 Stanford participants including 26 students, 2 postdocs and Dr. Block joined 11 shipmates from Sea Education Association including Captain Greg and Chief Scientist Jan Witting to sail together out of Honolulu Hawaii for a 35 day voyage to Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef. 



The team left at about noon with Stanford undergraduate Lilah at the helm doing a beautiful job of steering the vessel out of the channel into the emerald blue seas and waves outside of the shores of Honolulu.  The ship sailed into a brisk 25 knot breeze that enabled the new sailors to experience the excitement and the power of being at sea.  A bait ball with terns and a Tiger Shark greeted the bow watchers and excitement at the siting of the shark spread thru the vessel. 



Safety drills were practiced and new sea legs were being found as the team headed to anchorage outside of Waikiki for one more calm night prior to heading to Maui and the calm Kona coast.  A fun day with new shipmates has been a grand opening to a 5 week voyage.

From the Ship

Barbara Block

W-49 or  Westward Alum

Prothro Professor of Marine Science

Stanford University

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