The plan was to leave that night, but Captain Martin announced that we’d leave the next morning instead, giving Florence time to calm. We cleaned out the Fourpeak where the food is stored and spent the afternoon spearfishing and testing our freediving depths using the anchor chain. Attempted backflips and bouldering up the sides of Tara, using tiny rivets for handholds, entertained us for hours. As the bell rang for apero, a strong current had developed and we all swam around to the back of the ship to eat and drink off a floating table attached by ropes. Still far from land, after dinner we blasted some Eric Clapton and Santana followed by some more daring, modern French music that everyone started bouncing to. 

Exhausted from my swim I snuck away to climb high up to my favorite spot on the boom where I fell asleep under the stars, nestled in the sails. The crew paused from dancing only to make fun of my uncanny ability to sleep amidst the festivity. I woke to taunting jeers as they pulled on my dangling limbs, only to roll over and slip into another dream.