Questions from ‘Iolani School 7th grade World Geography Class

Answers to Questions by crew member Chris Baird:

1. Do you get to swim or is the water too cold?

The water is VERY cold! No we haven’t gone swimming. When the sun comes out we try to take a bucket bath of saltwater. We prep ourselves for that first body shock of cold water and then the next bucket isn’t as bad. When you are done you feel great, but it’s cold while you are bathing. As we sail further from New Zealand and get closer to Tahiti, the water will begin to get warmer, just like in Hawaii.

2. What is the hardest experience that you’ve been through so far?

We have been very fortunate so far on this sail not to have any big problems. We have had great wind and seas. I guess the hardest thing is being away from your family. You miss your family but you know you will see them soon. Plus, we all have to take time off from work and that can be hard sometimes.

3. Were you scared of the Baleen whale when you saw it?

Actually it was a big fin whale — one of the most beautiful and speediest of the Baleen whales — that we saw. We weren’t scared, but instead rather surprised and excited to see it surface right next to us. It is an amazing sight to see such a huge and beautiful creature. After it surfaced at the front of the canoe, it swam to the other side and surfaced a few more times. We tried to grab our cameras to get pictures. Hopefully, we will get to see more whales before we finish our sail.

Fin Whale. From True Wild Life.