My day started at 06:00 with a profile of the water column to check salinity, oxygen saturation, temperature and pH.
After breakfast we commenced to be busy with Happy Hour, which means daily cleaning chores around the ship.
Based on subtle changes of these parameters, we decided to take samples at four different depths, including near the bottom at 25 m and near the surface.
After breakfast, y watch was allocated to scrub the deck during Happy Hour, the daily cleaning of the ship routine.
I took the opportunity to sample what went down the scuppers from the port poop deck with our plankton net. Analysis under by microscope to follow. But it’s not looking too pretty!
Then it was all hands on deck for setting sails: inner foresail and gaff, spanker and three squares. And we pretty much tacked and braced throughout the day, and still going strong now into the night.
An impromptu yoga class led by the ship’s medic Jo on the welldeck made use of the stable motion of the ship running down wind. It finished with a loooooong plank and let’s just say that the young men caved in before the mature women…👍😂💪
After lunch, we run our daily cetacean and macroplastics surveys and analysed samples for nutrient concentrations.
A lovely moment occurred when I spotted two adult bottlenose dolphins with two juveniles playing in our bow wave.
Magic! Especially in the spectacular settings of Skye to starboard and Uist to port.
And now, a big moon and the first stars appear on the darkening sky.
It is a privilege to be here and in such good company!
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