Artists and Sailors

There is something about these long passages that brings out the artist in the sailor. Between Santo Domingo and Fernandina Beach students and crew have created an abundance of poetry, journal writing, and art. It has become commonplace to crowd around the cabin top in the evening and paint the sky, noting changes in color, cloud formation, and ocean hue. 

On the main salon bulkhead poetry is posted and shared. The Flying Fish that have come aboard have been rolled in ink and printed on post cards and t-shirts. The abundance of talented artists aboard has given rise to what we call the "Gamage School of Wildlife Portraiture." The students' notebooks, field guides, and journals are filled with the beautifully depicted flora and fauna of the ports we have visited. The Asa Wright Bird Sanctuary in Trinidad, with its thirteen species of hummingbirds, inspired many illustrations. Our artwork has become reflective of our knowledge of sailing and the natural world around us, each reinforcing the other.  Below are some examples of this creative bloom.

Crew and student haiku...

Sirius, dog star

Wind blowing over my face

I can't feel alone

-anonymous student

A flash, brown and white

Seamlessly into water

This bird's lucky day

-Scott

Schooner sails silent

Slicing silver makes toward

Smoldering skyline

-Captain Flansburg