Dan

We have been sailing around to different islands in the BVIs for a few days now and have visited some incredible places. We started in Road Town, Tortola which was a very nice town with lots of touristy gift shops. While we were anchoring, a huge cruise ship came at the same time and filled the town with tourists from the Carnival ship. The people working in the shops kept asking us if we were from the cruise ship. When we told them we were on a schooner and had been sailing for about months they were very impressed.

We left Tortola at about the same time the cruise ship did and I was lucky enough to be aloft while it came barreling passed our small sailing vessel. I saw camera flashes coming form all different parts of the boat. As I was sitting aloft, I began to think about how different this moment is for the people on the cruise and for us. The town was just a short port of call and visit for them, while for us it was a destination. We worked to get here, while everyone on that ship just paid and got a plane. As J-WOs we did everything to get us to Tortola -- the students did all the navigating, sail handing and planning. Back on the Carnival cruise liner, the people on that boat just sit and tan in the sun and wait for the next port of call. However, there is no sitting around and tanning on Gamage. If we are on deck we have to be ready to help manage the ship at any time... “On deck on duty.” This makes us earn everywhere we go to and makes us appreciate it more because of it also makes this trip better then any Caribbean vacation you could go on. That is the difference between a tourist and a traveler I guess (just like we have been studying in lit. class).

--Dan Watts