37. Wind. Sophie writes about the violent wind and waves the crew is currently experiencing. She says that the waves are incredibly high—she even estimates that they’re two stories tall—and she’s in disbelief that water can stand up so high. Sophie also writes that she’s glad she knows all the proper sailing terminology, and that she’s familiar with every line and pulley on the ship. Sophie says she feels like she’s really helping the rest of the crew, and it reassures her that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a girl or a boy doing the work, as long as the work gets done.
Here, the violent, dangerous nature of water begins to appear as the crew heads into a storm. Sophie will soon be facing her greatest fear, but she seems confident and ready: she’s achieved a kind of mastery over the boat, knowing what everything on it is and how it works. This adds to her confidence that the male crew around her are wrong for thinking that, because she’s a girl, she’s somehow less capable than they are.