Two Offshore Passages of Note

The straight line distance on both routes is about 100 miles, but on the run from Dominica, Gamage logged better than twice that. After a good deal of time in port, students needed to regain their sea legs. What a better way to do so than a beat to winward and a long reach to the next port? And so after sailing off Roseau's anchorage, Gamage could be found beating through the Dominica Channel east bound against the Trades for the wide Atlantic Ocean to windward of Martinique. To ensure the weather gage of Martinque outer reefs was gained, the beat back and forth to windward continued through the night and into teh following afternoon. Student navigators had ample opportunity to practice newly acquired plotting and ded reckoning skills. As wind and sea were on the make, a reef was tucked just before dark and then commenced a swashbuckling, all night ride down the windward sides of both Martinique and St Lucia. Dawn of the second day saw Gamage romping close along St Lucia's southern coast by the imposing Pitons soon after coming to anchor with stern lines made off to coco palms near tranquil Soufriere.
Departing in the late afternoon from St. Lucia, Gamage, as is her custom, again sailed off the anchor. After a day of arduous hiking to among other places than the peak of hte Gros Piton, the crew was weary though no less able. On clearing St. Lucia's lee Gamage was off on another wild ride. The wind had freshened and backed well north of east providing an easy opportunity to weather St Vincent and a near downwind run in +25 knots of wind and a frolicsome 8-10 foot sea. Dawn the next day say Gamage booming past Bequia to starboard then Canouan to port through the northern Grenadines. Just before sailing into Carriacou, Gamage hove to for a traditional Ocean Classroom celebration, the Dead Horse Ceremony.
On longer OC voyages, the point at which students are no longer considered "green" hands, that is acknowledges as apprentice crew in fact, is noted. On this occasion the day marked a month into the program and the mile stone of better than 1000 nautical miles so far sailed as logged during the previous night's mid watch. All hands gathered on the quarterdeck around the "dead horse," an artful construct of cardboard boxes complete with tail and ears. Everyone was invited to write on a scrap of paper some thing or feeling that was wished off the ship. The scraps were then given to the dead horse to hold inside. A short congratulatory speech made mention of the fact that on this passage no one had (for the first time) communed with Neptune via mal de mer. Everyone's sea legs were indeed being gained! Then came the traditional "Poor Old Horse" chantey ably lead by song master, Second Mate Simpson, with everyone joining in the chorus. With the final verse, "We'll sink him down with a long, long roll; Where the sharks'll have his body, an' the devil take his soul" and the chorus, "Oh we hope so, an' we say so," the horse and his cargo of notes was heaved over the side. Gamage then promptly got underway to come flying in to the Hillsboro Bay anchorage, round up head to wind, and let go the anchor off the town pier with flags proudly snapping in the breeze.

Captain JB Smith
Aboard Schooner Harvey Gamage, February 28, 2012
Hillsboro Anchorage, Carriacou, Southern Grenadine

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STUDENT ENTRY

Curled up on the settee, enjoying the warmth of the main salon, and the stableness of the quarterdeck area, I find it hard to believe that a couple of hours ago I was fully submerged.

I've been having a busy day. We sailed out of Roseau, Dominica at 1300 and I was 'in charge' of setting the sails. I saw 'in charge' loosely because I did little more than echo the mates. Somehow we managed to get the sails up, and despite a rather fouled anchor, we sailed off the hook out of Roseau.

Fast forawrd and B-watch is at the headsails. Captain Smith ordered the striking of the outer jib, and I was feeling particularly happy because Jander and I were going to gasket the sail. A sea stow, or "get it in some resemblence of a furl before something goes wrong" stow, is the quick tying down a sail while underway, usually in less-than-perfect conditions. Today there were no raging white caps or blinding sheets of rain, and I really didn't think we were going to have a problem getting the sail stowed quickly. But, as I should have learned by now, predictability does not exist when sailing.

Things started out nicely; Jander ungasketed the sail tie and we pulled the miter over the folds. I was leaning over the bowsprit, one hand reaching for the sail tie, the other holding the canvas folds tight, and then... I was underwater.

It's the strangest sensation. You're elevated above the ocean on a vessel moving at about 5 knots, going against the waves. When the ship rides down into the gully of a swell, and then up over a crest, it gives the same butterfly sensation that driving over hills does. When the swells are deep enough your feet or legs will dunk in the water. This is why I take any opportunity to gasket, ungaskset, furl, stow, or check for chafe. The headrig makes every carnival ride seem pointless and unexciting. Despite the enjoyment I derive from spening time on the headrig, I realize that there is a reason for the seemingly excessive safety procedures required to go out. There is a reason we wear harnesses, that we have to check with a mate before and after laying on the headrig, and that we have to keep three points of contact at all times. When you're thrown under a six foot swell out there, you are thrown under six feet of ocean. One mintue you're standing in the air, the next you're looking at a wall of blue and white foam. My legs were pulled aft; my face was shoved into the headrig netting. I could literally feel my harness pulling me upwards, keeping me away from the hull of the ship. And as quickly as it came, it was gone. We were back above the sea, soaked, but still on the headrig. I remember turning, meeting Janders eyes, and seeing what could only have been reflected in my eyes: astonishment, surprise, adrenaline, and the unmistable twinkle that results from doing something increidbly fun.

It wasn't until after we finished the furl and were back on deck that I realized I was shaking. I was also smiling. Like I said before, you really cannot predict what is going to happen while sailing.

Libby

Brunswick, Maine

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STUDENT ENTRY

Welcome to Dominica (pronounced DOE-MAN-EEK-AH), a small island filled with nature and adventure. Home to Octavius Lugay (a.k.a Sea Cat), our tour guide who seemed to know everyone on the island, a very popular Saturday market, and of course, JB's smoothie stand, where JB, a local smoothie extraordinaire, will give you the best smoothie you've ever had. We were able to go to all of these things (maybe some of us went to JB's more than once...), and do so much more.

Dominica has a well-defined culture. I suppose this applies to each island we have visited, and it is a good thing for those back home to know: it's never just 'the Caribbean.' Each and every island, no matter how small, is unique from the others. As a local man said to a passerby, "Smile- Dominica is a happy island." I could not agree more with this statement. We were all able to experience the happiness of the island like other tourists can't. It was an eye opening experience.

My favorite part of our stay in Dominica was Carnival. It was the best celebration I've ever been to. We danced to calypso (a type of music popular in the Caribbean), ate soursop ice cream, and watched the parade of feathered dancers fly by. Nobody stays inside for Carnival- everyone is out on the streets. A crowd: mothers with children in matching sparkles waiting for family members to dance by, grandmas in traditional clothing, teenagers with friends, dreaded 'rastas' standing by, their usual 'chill' attitude diminished by the exhilaration of the moment. Vendors selling goods, coconuts, fresh fruit, chicken, rice and fish, lined the streets. Distant shouts in Creole and English could be heard over the music, which was so loud I felt it in my heart. Huge, sparkly, feathered costumes with people doing the classic Dominican shuffle step (called chipping) slowly went by. Barbeques happening on the sidewalks, people taking pictures of us, news men interviewing us, calypso enveloping us, and just having fun- 'cuz your only at Carnival once, right? I hope not.

Elizabeth
Camden, Maine

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STUDENT ENTRY

After much anticipation we arrived

in Dominica, the island of adventure. Sitting here at 0200 on anchor watch, the island is still full of life reverberating from the subwoofers and reggae rhythms. As Carnival quickly approaches the atmosphere on the island is one of growing excitement and joy.

Today we visited Dominica’s open air market. A colony of umbrellas has taken over an area the size of a few blocks, filled with stands overflowing with fresh produce. Walking from the dock where a cruise ship sat burping out tourists with pasty skin and cameras, we moved towards the heart of town and came across a colony of sellers all yelling about products, prices and quality.

The freshness and quality that the market offers is impressive, but the people are what make the experience really enjoyable. Everyone is approachable, happy to answer questions and lend advice about food, recipes, and life. Wanted or unwanted, it seems that everyone had something to say. We met a woman named Catherine in the market, and when we mentioned we were on a semester at sea program, her eyes lit up. “Oh, on the Harvey Gamage, no?” she asked and explained that she has known many of the crew members and cooks from past semesters. It was amazing that we were able to find that connection among the chaos of the market. She went on to advise us on the best ingredients for our meal and wish us a safe journey after leaving Dominica.

The experience at the open air market was a sensory overload, but overall very enjoyable. Not only did we buy fresh and local ingredients, we (the students) cooked our own Caribbean curry and got a taste of Dominican culture.

Claire

Glastenbury, VT

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STUDENT ENTRY

We are on the island of Dominica. Today we went on a twelve mile hike to the boiling lake. It took us three hours to get there, and three hours to return. The terrain was rough and it felt like we climbed (and slipped) up and down a million steps. The hike involved crossing a river called the breakfast river because usally people start the hike real early in the morning and when they get to the river they have breakfast there. After crossing the river we got to a peak. The view was absolutely amazing. We were able to see the tallest peak on the island, the small village we started from, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and many other mountains and forests. The view was breathtaking. Once we left the peak we got make our way to the boiling lake. The area took the shape of a volcano but instead of lava inside, huge bubbles of steam erupted and the chilly wind was interrupted by a steam bath. Watching the steam roll over the mountains was unlike anything I had ever seen. Also, along the way to the lakes we got to swing on vines and put mud on our skin, which felt weird but our guide said it was healthy. On the way back from the boiling lake, we stopped at hot baths where we swam. They were set up like steps, and the higher the bath, the hotter it was. The only way to get between baths was to climb vines. To get down we had to either slide or climb.

Once we got back, we jumped into this cavern with freezing (but refreshing) water. Parts of Pirates of the Caribbean II were filmed here, when Captain Jack tried to escape the cannibals. We swam back into the cavern with high walls, climbed up a mini-waterfall, and found a pool with a big waterfall to swim under. The day was full of fun and memories to last a lifetime.

John

Harwich, MA

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STUDENT ENTRY

We are on the island of Dominica. Today we went on a twelve mile hike to a boiling lake. It took us three hours to get there, and three hours to return. The terrain was rough and it felt like we climbed (and slipped) up and down a million steps. The hike involved crossing a river called the breakfast river because usally people start the hike early in the morning and when they get to the river they have breakfast there. After crossing the river we got to a peak. The view was absolutely amazing. We were able to see the tallest peak on the island, the small village we started from, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and many other mountains and forests. The view was breathtaking. Once we left the peak we got make our way to the boiling lake. The area took the shape of a volcano but instead of lava inside, huge bubbles of steam erupted and the chilly wind was interrupted by a steam bath. Watching the steam roll over the mountains was unlike anything I had ever seen. Also, along the way to the lakes we got to swing on vines and put mud on our skin, which felt weird but our guide said it was healthy for our skin. On the way back from the boiling lake, we stopped at hot baths where we swam. They were set up like steps, and the higher the bath, the hotter it was. The only way to get between baths was to climb vines. To get down we had to either slide or climb.

Once we got close to the start of the hike, we jumped into this cavern with freezing (but refreshing) water. Parts of Pirates of the Caribbean II were filmed here, when Captain Jack tried to escape the cannibals. We swam back into the cavern with walls towering high above us, where we found a waterfall to swim under. The day was full of fun and memories to last a lifetime.

John, Harwich, MA

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