Living Fast & Loving It

Our last morning, on February 3^rd, in Trellis Bay started with a refreshing snorkel on the nearby reef. Despite the strong winds and choppy seas we were able to enjoy the diversity of the reef and I, personally, was thrilled to see a beautiful Acropora cervicornis (staghorn coral) colony. Following the excursion, it was again hands on the windlass, as we prepared to get underway to Statia (St. Eustatius). The Anegada passage was quite forgiving and we made it to our destination in under 36 hours.

In the waters of Statia, we got our first view of the textbook “volcanic islands”. We hiked the extinct “Quill” on Sunday and ate lunch in its crater after having dragged ourselves up and down the highest point on the island. The next day was filled with classes and walks through the historic town of Oranjestad. Evenings entailed refreshing swims prior to delicious meals and were usually followed by reading, music and relaxation.

We left Statia on the 7^th of February, bound for Antigua. With the Eastern Trade winds and Northern Equatorial current against us we took 3 days to arrive at our destination. The length of our passage was valuable for making steady progress in the art of sailing and program academics. With our colors flying, we sailed into English Harbor, Antigua, tall and proud on the morning of February 10^th.

Over the last two days we’ve learned about the history and culture of Antigua, hiked its impressive cliffs and swum its refreshing waters. The plan for the next few days is to give Gamage some tender loving care and if possible explore the local marine systems before getting underway to our next destination.

- MAHIMA JAINI

Marine Science Educator

Harvey Gamage

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STUDENT ENTRY

Everything floods my brain so quickly – I wonder if having too many new experiences will overload a person’s brain. If it does, then I’m probably very close to that overload. This world is so different from home – there is so much to learn and so much to know. Everyday life itself is foreign. The rhythm of the ship takes time to adjust to.

All students are woken up at 0700 and are given fifteen minutes to muster on deck and be prepared for morning chores. In a half-asleep daze, this task was difficult to accomplish at first. After a week, though, we have all fallen into the rhythm o the ship. Morning chores consist of three different tasks: “Sols and bowls” is the sweeping and scrubbing down of all the bulkheads, sols and heads below deck; “Brasso” finds a person polishing all of the brass on the ship: pinnacle, rails, bell and other bits around the deck; “Deckwash” follows with scrubbing down the decks with high pressure fire hoses and deck brushes. Each of these take about half an hour, and by eight in the morning it is time to eat breakfast.

Brasso polishing is my preferred chore in the sense that it yields the most rewarding results. I polish the bell at the fore mast. Using “Brass-O”, rags and an enormous amount of “elbow grease”, the stained, blotchy bell becomes a shining piece of golden pride. This task, if done well, can take an extreme amount of time. Right up to eight bells – 8am – when the chance arise to put the beautiful instrument to use. “Ding Ding, Ding Ding, Ding Ding, Ding Ding” always sounds louder when its right next to the ringers head. Polishing the brass takes time and love to perfect, similar to cooking. The most important ingredient is love. With the bell, I usually end up singing to it to make it shinier. “Shine On” by The Kooks is the most popular song for me to serenade it with.

Many actions on board require such attention to detail. The Harvey Gamage is the all-providing mother to us all. She is our home and our bed; our school and our workplace. We must take care of her with love so that she will, in turn, provide for us.

This home is beautiful, and the community here is family. Many of us may be strangers now, but in four months I’ll know these people better than my actual family.

- MEG DOWLING

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Trellis Bay, BVI, Home of the Gli-Gli

Most outsiders might not believe that the 32 of us just started our voyage a week ago. We are already familiar with each other’s sleeping and eating habits, to say the least. Students are literally “learning the ropes”. Classes have begun and people are acclimating to shipboard life. Our days are occupied with the study of our ship, the ocean, the surrounding maritime history and literature. We left the US Virgin Islands on January 29^th and made our way to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) perfecting our tacks, familiarizing ourselves with the safety protocols and priming our ship for harbor visits.

Our BVI explorations began at Peter Island where we did an early morning snorkel to get an underwater view of the nearby reef. The same day we found ourselves on the streets of Road Town, Tortola and gorged ourselves on delicious West Indian food at the infamous Roti Palace. The ladies even let us prepare some of our own roti. We concluded our day by walking the back roads of the bustling capital to their tropical botanical garden. In this botanical paradise we found orchids, calabash trees, banyan trees among others and participated in the first port report of our voyage.

We have been safely anchored at Trellis Bay for the past two nights. The folks in Trellis Bay welcomed us ashore and have been sharing their knowledge, expertise and experiences of living and ancient Carib (Amerindian) cultures. Students repainted the bottom of the traditionally built dug-out canoe, “Gli Gli”, an instrumental vessel for reestablishing connections between Carib island people. The “Gli Gli” Project is a symbol of Carib unity, and we were lucky enough to spend all day with a co-founder of the project and one of the Carib sailors.

After painting “Gli Gli” we visited the Good Moon organic farm outside of town. Here the students helped harvest cassava and prepare the soil for future crops while overlooking breathtaking views of turquoise Caribbean waters.

We are holding classes ashore today while we have an even keel. Tomorrow we hope to be underway once again.

For more information about the “Gli Gli” Project check this link: http://www.aragornsstudio.com/CaribCanoeProj.htm

-CHRISTINE HONAN SIMPSON, ABBEY LITMAN & MAHIMA JAINI

Educators, Harvey Gamage.

February 2, 2012, Trellis Bay, Tortola, BVI.

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Discovery 2012 is now Under Way

The voyage officially began at 0001, 28 January with Schooner Harvey Gamage gamely beating to windward between St Thomas and St Criox. Of course the trip had actually begun some time before with months of student interviews and sign ups to the last busy crew preparations on board. By the afternoon of the 26^th, all 21 students had signed aboard and been introduced to their new home with her 8 crew/3 academic educators. The morning of the 27^th was filled with safety/watch standing indoctrination then it was “Hands to the windlass,” and “Anchor’s aweigh.” Gamage lifted her skirts to sail serenely off the anchorage bound for sea and Phase II of student orientation.

Phase II ended with a dawn arrival in Reef Bay, St John and with students feeling a good deal saltier. Soon they with educators were ashore to hike up and over the island visiting sugar cane mill ruins along the way to rejoin Gamage, sailed by her crew in the meantime around to Francis Bay. Now, as the first anchor watches are stood under a star filled sky and a gentle breeze, students are realizing the sort of experience they’ve signed for. Some are exhilarated. Some wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into. Some are concerned about how long it will take to gain their sea legs. Most are eager. All now realize that the 4 months ahead promise challenges and possibilities beyond expectations. The concept of Ship/Shipmate/Self has become particularly relevant. A sense of ship board community has begun.

Captain JB Smith,

28 January 2012, Francis Bay, St John, USVI

A Watch: Matthew, Mahima, John, Elizabeth, Audrey, Mr. Bailey, Brendan, Lisa, Peter K., and Patricia

B WATCH: Libby, Meg, Tegan, Andrew, Jackson, Mr.Simpson, Zack, Doug, Chris, and Abbey

C WATCH: Frank, Chapin, Angela, Katie, Ms. Hughs, Peter W., Soren, Christine, Iyla, Claire

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Where are they now?

Follow the SSV Harvey Gamage on iBoat Track

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Harvey Gamage in St. Thomas, USVI

The Harvey Gamage is safely anchored near Hassell Island, St. Thomas. The crew and educators aboard are working on the final trip preparations for the Spring 2012 voyage. Everyone on board is looking forward to the arrival of the students on January 26th.

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