Good Vibes & Vitamin D

“There is nothing I can say that will prepare you for Ocean Classroom,” we were told by the ever enthusiastic Dave Pilla, over six months ago. At the time, none of us could grasp the truth of his words, for this promised adventure seemed but a faraway dream.

Seven days ago, twenty-two eager faces boarded the Harvey Gamage. Our hearts fluttered with nervous anticipation as we peered up through the rigging at the green and white Ocean Classroom flag waving in the bone chilling salty sea air. A wave of shocking reality hit us; we were at last standing on the rocking vessel that we would call home for the next two and a half months of our lives.

Due to foul weather, we were prevented from setting sail that afternoon and we remained docked in Gloucester, Massachusetts for the remainder of Tuesday evening. We kept our positive attitudes throughout our night watches, dreary and wet though it was, and the general buzz aboard the ship was of our excitement to finally get going.

Wednesday morning, we filed our of our bunks below deck and were welcomed by a cloudless azure sky. By noon, we were preparing to depart and get underway to Mystic, Connecticut. The sun shined brilliantly throughout the afternoon, reflecting off the water and creating an endless blanket of sparkling facets of light. Despite generous applications of sunscreen, our cheeks and noses soon became varying shades of pink and red.

Still, spirits were high and we went about hauling on lines and standing at the helm or lookout with enthusiasm. We retired to our bunks at 2200 and immediately drifted off to peaceful slumber. The rocking of the boat kept us comfortable throughout the night.

My watch was woken up at 4:00 AM to begin our four-hour shift. Watching the sunrise after a perfectly clear and starry night only intensified the surreal sensation of being about the Harvey Gamage.

This perfect tranquility was soon rudely interrupted by a nauseosity that resonated in the pit of my stomach. The remainder of my morning, along with several other members of the crew, was spent leaning over the rail of the ship, so sick we could barely function. We were resentful of the endless rolling waves and wondered what in the world we had gotten ourselves into. The day seemed full of negative energy and chains of complaints. We were cold. We were exhausted. We were dirty.

And still we sailed on.

We were naive in our expectations of being underway and learned quickly that this trip would not always be "smooth sailing." The misery nearly all of us felt came unexpectedly and without preparation. It was on this day that we truly understood Dave Pilla's works, which now seemed more of a warning.

At last, bu mid-afternoon the sea began to calm and my seasickness faded away. Several of us pulled out homework and Crazy-Creeks to settle on deck and let the friendly sun kiss our faces. Others stood in circles sharing amusing stories and riddles; the air was filled with laughter and contagious positivity.

In my one week as a sailor aboard the Harvey Gamage, I have learned that the weather can alter my entire perspective of any given day. When it is overcast and air is frigidly cold, I can think of nothing but my desire to be anywhere but here. Everything and everyone makes me angry. I am resentful of the people who wake me for watching the middle of the night and of the educators who assign so much work. But, when the warmth of the sun crawls into my tired bones, the constant state of business on deck is intensely satisfying. We set about our daily work willingly and happily. When the sun shines, we are content to spend the day hauling on lines, checking the boat, scrubbing, washing, studying, and repeating the cycle all over again multiple times. Chores are carried out with alacrity and craftsmanship; we take pride in our beautiful home. It is gorgeous days like this when we look out at the gleaming and wondrous sea and are reminded of our great desire for adventure. I can only speak for myself, but after just one week, the Harvey Gamage and her crew have stolen my heart.

-Emily

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Sailing: Past meets Present

Hello readers! This is Lilli here to report on the Harvey Gamage and her amazing crew. We are currently docked in Mystic, Connecticut. It has been a busy, hard week to get here. We have been through a lot, from rough seas and seasickness to ordering pizza in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Now that we are in Mystic, our experience continues.

We reached the Mystic River on September 22nd, but could not dock until there was space for us. We anchored for the night and spent a day doing homework, having class, taking deck showers, and just enjoying the beautiful sunshine. Some of us spent time learning the lines of the ship and knots needed to be cleared to go out on the netting at the bow of the boat, known as the headrig.

Once there was space for all 33 of us and Harvey Gamage, we docked at Mystic Seaport. The first steps on land after a week at sea were strange. I caught myself rocking because the land is not.  Mystic is a historic shipbuilding town, so we have spent a lot of time wandering through and learning about the buildings, the tasks workers performed, and all that went into building a ship; and let me tell you, there is a lot that goes into building a ship and having is ready for sea.

After the learning, we enjoyed an amazing barbecue dinner at the home of a student. The food was amazing, like all the food thus far on our voyage!

Today, all of the students joined an educator aboard the whale ship, the Charles W. Morgan. There, we were read an excerpt from Chase's narrative of the sinking of the Essex. It was interesting to link what we had read for summer reading to an actual whaling vessel and a first person account of the sinking. We will also be visiting the planetarium to learn about stars before playing all hands Capture the Flag  in the Seaport tonight.

Fair Winds to everyone who has read my report,
-Lilli

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Ocean Classroom Fall 2012 Embarks

 

After months of preparation, the Fall 2012 Ocean Classroom student crew arrived at Proctor Academy. We had a busy two days near and occasionally on the Proctor campus, during which educators and students got to know one another.  Initial classes in Maritime Literature, Marine Science, and Maritime History were held, giving students the chance to get ahead in homework assignments before joining the vessel.

 

Yesterday, we left Proctor and joined Harvey Gamage, our vessel and home for the next two months.  Students were given a thorough welcome and introduction to the ship from the professional crew before taking some time to settle into their new home. After a reception with families and friends, we settled into the watch schedule that will set the rhythm for the semester.

 

The ship's company is divided into three watches, each comprising a Mate, deckhand, educator, and one-third of the student crew. At any given point, one watch is "on" or responsible for the ship, safety, and any necessary work. Every two to four hours the watch changes, divvying up the ship's work evenly between all watches every three days.

 

As this was our first day aboard, there was much to learn about how to be responsible for the ship and the tasks we needed to complete. This includes boat checks, dishes, and morning chores.  As we gain in experience, these jobs will become habits that we are able to complete efficiently with little or no instruction.

 

The student crew is approaching their new world and responsibilities with zest. All are actively jumping up to assit one another and professional crew with tasks. They are picking up the lingo of the ship, no small feat given the hundreds of years of language created aboard traditional vessels.  This afternoon we will cast off docklines and head for sea, adding wind, waves, lines, and sails into the things they are learning. We are all excited.

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GAMAGE LIFE

By Claire, Elizabeth, and Libby

Day by day

Bay by bay

Red skies at twilight

Dawn comes on so bright

We’re just here

No land near

Got dirty feet

And dirty hair

But that’s okay

We just don’t care

Long as we keep sailing on

Down to sea, snorkeling

Mahima’s class and I got swass

Oh- A watch broke something again

Port to port

Place to place

Well remember every face

Into port

Muster all

Look around for something tall

‘cause you know well hike it soon

4 am, harness on

Deck is dank

We wait for dawn

Helms to lee

Swim call for me

In the middle of the sea

Mr. Bailey

Don’t yell at me

I didn’t mean to jump over the sheets

Got to fear

No land near

Go to Mr. Grumpy

Celestial G

Staring straight back at me

I just don’t want to eat beans any more

Smelly bunk when you go to sleep

No one knows quite where it leaks

Morning forward, 15 minutes

Look around for whose not with it

Doug and Jackson get your butts on deck

Got no fear

No land near

Nav-Sea class

It’s time to nap

Sunglasses on

Cheap seat in the back

Better hope you won’t be shooting noon

Passion fruit

Sea cats blend

It was hard to believe

The tropics would end

Down to deck

Jibs are backed

Gonna gybe

Or is that tack?

Helmsman, you better get on course

Down the hatch

Don’t look right

Even though its day

It’s dark as night

No there not two people in that bunk

We’re just here

Got no fear

Good for boats and good for hikes

Cap’s magic shoes are good for life

They don’t make jellies like this anymore

The horticulture’s seen better days

Caribbean sun has faded away

Constellations in the sky

Orion’s belt and Gemini

Through wind and wave they guide us by

Glitter glows in our wake

Bioluminescence, you take the cake

We’re just here

No land near

Beam reach and blue ski

Knots to tie and things to try

Man, these four months sure slipped by

Good friends are hard to find- they don’t come around all the time

Miss Hughes when you left

We know your thought

Our trip was the best

Calabash, we miss you too

To the crew, kudos to you

It’s amazing the things you’ve brought us through

Just so you know, we love you to

Walk away it’s hard to say

When I’ll see you again someday

Day by day           

Bay to bay

Red skies at twilight

Dawn comes on so bright

Now we’re here

We got no tears.

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GRADUATION SPEECH

The last time I saw my Grandfather before he died, he took me to Newport, Oregon- to the sea, where I could explore the beach and check out the marine museum. I’d told him that I was interested in the ocean, so he wanted to leave me with a push in the direction of my dreams. His goal of sparking my interest in the ocean helped lead me to do a semester at sea in the first place.

The ocean, to me, has always meant more than just a bunch of open water. To me, the ocean is opportunity it is knowledge, and it is greatness. It touches every culture and carries every ship. All I want is a piece of this knowledge, this opportunity, this experience. I will take as much as I can get.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I arrived on board the Harvey Gamage four months ago, which turned our great because it blew my small expectations out of the water. The places we’ve been together have taught us lessons of life and love that we will value for the rest of our lives.

This experience is unique in its way. Never again will we all be back together in the same way, sailing the same waters and seeing the same places. So we’ve learned to value our time together and to value our privileges in life. I have learned the value of teamwork and friendship that I’ve never fully realized before. With these kids, I’ve laughed until I cried and cried until I laughed, leaning on them all along the way. With them I’ve raised sails, conquered the wind and climbed volcanoes. Together, the arduous task of cleaning the entire ship fore and aft goes by quickly and pleasantly. We’ve pushed each other forward and kept each other happy. As I prepare myself to leave my home for the past four months and the people I’ve been with every moment of it, I realize what a priceless experience this has been, and I wouldn’t exchange it for anything. Not the best skiing in the world or the most beautiful spring. I am so glad to have been able to do this.

A quote from Joseph Conrad’s short story “Youth”, which Mr. Bailey read to us on the passage to the Dominican Republic, reflects on a sea voyage… “You all had something out of life: money, love-whatever one gets on shore- and, tell me, wasn’t that the best time, that time we were young and at sea: young and had nothing, on the sea that gives nothing, except hard knocks- and sometimes a chance to feel your strengths…” The sea has showed us all our strengths, and has opened our minds to the possibilities of dreams. We may not always be “young and at sea”, but remember that time when we were?

This invaluable experience requires a huge amount of gratitude. To the crew, who pushed us to learn our duties and lead us in their footsteps- Thank You. To our teachers, who, with their persistent education, became more than friends- Thank You. To our friends and family here today- Thank you for supporting our dreams and providing us this awesome opportunity. Each of us has been gifted with valuable knowledge of life, and I hope that in our lifetime we can spread these lessons of kindness, selflessness and love to the world.

I don’t know if or when I’ll see the Gamage again, but I wish her and future crew fair winds and safe voyages, and the same to my friends as we head back to our own homes and the real world.

Meg, Bettlehem, New Hampshire 

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GRADUATION SPEECH

One ship, four months, 17 weeks, 2,856 hours, 31 people, three heads, ten countries, 120 sunsets, 12 hikes, infinite snorkles and swim calls.

Together, we have done it. We survived. Congrats! Throughout these four months we have learned so much. Not only have we earned how to live, we’ve learned how to fully appreciate the little things. At first we learned how to sleep with everything we brought, work the head, pull on a halyard until our muscles burned, and to throw buckets in a seamanlike manner. As time went on and we got deeper into the Caribbean, we learned how to deal with the heat, enjoy the seemingly endless fruit, look for the green flash, climb coconut trees, and harvest cassava. Right around then, we started our metamorphosis into salty sailors. In the Dominican Republic we learned how to give all we could and appreciate our lives, how to speak broken Spanish. In Trinidad we sat through many long bus rides and learned to never close our eyes. In Tortola, when a ray jumped out of the water and over Softie, we learned to never look down. When we came back to the States, we saw our own culture through different eyes, learning about ourselves. The cold taught us how to wear all our clothes and still fir into our harnesses, while time itself made us appreciate the cold, misty, mornings as we headed up through New England. Maine taught us to be adventurous. Mystic taught us how to effectively shop for warmer clothes, and lookout underway taught us the beauty of singing the song stuck in our heads. From everywhere we’ve been, we have taken a little piece of knowledge, a little bit a of culture, a ticket to life.

The Caribbean taught us how to laugh and embrace the world.

The US taught us how to be strong and carry on.

The Harvey Gamage how to give it all you’ve got, and still have fun.

I have enjoyed becoming schooner bum with you guys. Thank you for making our trip great.

- Elizabeth, Camden, Maine

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