We've had some amazing swim calls on our voyage thus far. Not only is it refreshing for the body in the sweltering heat, but it is refreshing on the mind and for the ship's dynamic. Nothing works to brighten the morale of the ship's company like a good old swim call in thousands of feet of clear Caribbean water!
Scott, in reading Bowditch's formidable tome The American Practical Navigator (as one does) and the current edition of the Nautical Almanac, learned that Venus, currently at an astronomical magnitude of -4.8, is visible during daylight hours. Mayhem ensued, as eyes strained for the planet amidst the bright sunlight in the hopes of getting a sextant sight and a daylight celestial fix. While Scott had Venus momentarily brought down to the horizon, the elusive daylight planetary sight eluded us... until next time!
We haven't had too much luck fishing as of yet, catching and releasing three barracudas. Our fourth barracuda, unluckily for her, got her gills caught in the hook and died. Lucky for our students, however, who got to dissect the fish and learn about barracuda biology...
First, apologies for the long absence... We've all been busy with mid-terms, exploring the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere, and preparing for our service project adventure.
With a very fast passage leaving Trinidad, we were able to make a quick stop in Vieques, Puerto Rico before making landfall in Santo Domingo, DR, a successful week-long passage of nearly 800 nm using solely traditional means of navigation. Our GPS intentionally turned off by the captain, we relied on navigational fixes using the sun & stars and "dead reckoning," which calculates our progress using our course steered and speed to track our own progress. Our students, now well versed in the ship, are learning more advanced skills like celestial navigation by calculating our latitude by measuring the angle of the sun's apex--or our local apparent noon.
A fast passage from Grenada of less than a day saw us bearing down at dawn on the "Dragon's Mouth," the narrow passage between small islands that lead to Chagauramas, Trinidad. After clearing customs, we hauled back on the windlass in searing heat, bound only eight miles west to Chacachacare, an abandoned Leper Colony. The buildings--dorms, hospitals, cinemas--are quickly being reclaimed by nature, and only the buzzards call them home these days. Medical records, medications, vials--all left out, as if the place was abandoned suddenly. After reading the short story How to Escape from a Leper Colony, whose setting was Chacachacare in the 30s, we cautiously explored the grounds. After returning for supper, we geared up for a night snorkel on the reef, if for nothing else to add to the spooky nature of the place.
The next morning we motored east toward Port of Spain, Trinidad's capital, and anchored off the T&T Yacht Club.
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| Laura Ifill photo |
For the past two days, we've been working with local farmers here in Grenada. We knew we would be in for a good time when, when we asked what we could bring up to the project, they said "do you have any machetes?"
So we stopped on our way up and bought some machetes. Since then we've cut and cleaned bamboo, cleared fields, barked trees that steal light, made retaining walls, and turned compost. We've also played soccer with local kids, jumped in freshwater swim holes, watched movies in the street, ate supper and drank cocoa tea out of calabash bowls, and helped fisherman haul their catch.
Our contacts here in Grenada are the incomparable Dorise and Paula, who have been fantastic in finding us work, delicious food, a place to sleep, and the wireless connection that allowed us to call home and catch up with loved ones. Because of them our stay here was not only memorable, but unforgettable... Thanks so much!!
Their non-profit organization, the Cocoa Farming Future Initiative (CFFI), is working to help local Grenadian farmers and to promote sustainable and resilient crops. To learn more about their mission or volunteer and intern opportunities, check out their website at cffigrenada.org. You can also participate in their mission by buying a cocoa tree and supporting a local farmer. Donations are tax deductible. Let them know you learned about them from Ocean Classroom!!
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