Landmark College: Day 2

January 9, 2026:

We started the day at 07:30 after a long night of anchor watching with our designated groups; we learned how to use compasses in a maritime setting, and we checked the weather, bilges, and the anchor itself. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal, cereal, and milk, graciously provided by Chef Anne. Following breakfast, we set the foresail, the mainsail, and the mizzen, performed a Man Overboard drill using a melon as the “man,” and we successfully departed at 09:30 en route to Culebra. On our way, we separated into our rotations, which were about 20 minutes long, and lunch came shortly after to relieve our stomachs and give us some well-deserved rest. Rotations were back in full swing after lunch, and lasted for 40 minutes each, and as we approached our destination, we prepared ourselves for the much-anticipated swim test. We dropped the anchor in shallow waters, so we had to reposition it to a deeper location.

The swim test went smoothly. Each of us donned our swimsuits and were given instructions on how the test worked–we were to enter the water, swim between two staff members, and then tread water for one minute as Hailey asked some questions before we climbed the ladder back onto the ship. Some of us swam for a while, but we eventually had to gather again to clean ourselves and get ready for dinner. Dinner was macaroni and cheese with meat, also very graciously created by Chef Anne. Of course, with every meal comes chores, so we broke off into our watch groups and did some cleanup/log work (like this one). Overall, today was a day full of hard work and good fun.