March 08, 2016
On March 7, the Tall Ships ECS sailed on the Irving Johnson out of LA Harbor. Before departing, we went through emergency procedures, learned how to secure the lines, and tested our knowledge on the different types of sails. We left the harbor at 3:30 PM and sailed into a rough weather patch. It took 5 hours in the rough sea to get to Two Harbors on Catalina Island. To keep the spirits high, a small group of students sang their favorite songs, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Hooked on a Feeling, and many more. We arrived at about 8:30 and headed quickly down to our cozy bunks for bed.
On March 8, we went ashore on Catalina Island beginning at the Wrigley Institute with our two guides Vivian and Lorraine. We walked through the research labs and interacted with the sea life in a touch tank, such as sea cucumber,sea urchin, lobster,and sea hares. We also learned about the HyperbaricChamber and the Hydroponics they are researching. We then proceeded to hike to our lunch spot, where we ate tuna sandwiches prepared by our eight wonderful crewmembers. There are nine crewmembers if you include the dog on board, named Captain. Despite the choppy waters, it was a beautiful day on land, allowing us to take another small hike across the Catalina Island at the isthmus to Cat Harbor, the only natural harbor in the California coast. Tonight we will spend the night in the harbor here on Catalina Island before heading off on a long sale to Santa Cruz Island tomorrow. 
