Sara Keltie - Last day - Success of seasoned sailors Our last full day at sea was guaranteed to be a busy one; if all went to plan! Poor weather had denied us a few opportunities to sample in the days previously but we were steaming ahead to the most important location of all, the stunning waters surrounding Maria Island. The two scientific teams (AM and PM) stood at the ready. The AM team had a brief 'rehearsal' earlier in the day in which we practiced collecting the water from the CTD upon recovery as quickly as possible (the CTD is shown in the photo attached). It was testament to our hard work over the last few days that something that took over half an hour a couple of days before could now be achieved in less than ten minutes. We all chose a task we knew we could complete efficiently (ie the delicate process of collecting water for oxygen sampling, collecting and preparing water for chlorophyll analysis, etc.) When the moment came that the CTD rose from its depths (ranging today from 80-1000m) the scientific crew ran at the piece of machinery like a slightly more organised and significantly less aggressive ‘Running of the bulls.’ The conditions at Maria Island were perfect, we noted thankfully, as the waters lay calm and wind was almost nonexistent. At the start of each deployment I found myself seated behind a collection of computer screens (see photograph) that at the beginning of our voyage had baffled me. It was a relief and a joy to be seated behind them now in the manner of a confident Sherlock Holmes; able to (somewhat proudly) interpret the little dots and dashes and the small stories they told of the world beneath the waves. So efficiently did the two teams work that all stations were successfully sampled, with even a bonus one thrown in for good measure. The AM crew retired to the lounge to watch a film as the PM crew went about their work. I’ve had the blessing of sailing with a few different crews and one of the highlights is always the camaraderie that is formed. When you are working on a ship you have to be able to rely on one another, whether it’s trusting them to operate a piece of heavy machinery dangling above your head, aid you in measuring out the appropriate quantity of chemical catalyst, or sometimes even the horrid task of holding your hair back when sea sickness wins out. My point is that aside from the technical skills harnessed on board a vessel one of the most valuable lessons it teaches you is how to trust your crew to do their job well and how to earn that trust in return. I consider that a vital trait to be obtained for one seeking a career within the scientific community.