The Ship's Log

November 30: Expanding the Roseway Fleet?

Logged on Monday November 30, 2009

pb250016 Okay so we’re not really expanding the fleet but we did just receive a very generous gift from the Leinbach Family for our upcoming auction fundrasier on Janaury 23rd: A 30-foot center-consul sloop! She’s in good shape, especially since our crew has been getting her prettied up. Yesterday everyone donned mask and snorkel and spent the afternoon scraping her hull which had several years worth of growth on it, including what appeared to be an entire mussel farm.  But she’s clean now and soon we’ll be taking her for a test sail!

It’s been a great project for the crew and hopefully they’ll get to test her out a bit before she get’s passed on to a new home. We’re so grateful for this gift not only because it’s a fun one, but because it’s a great way to benefit the World Ocean School and all the super kids we serve!

November 22: Students and Sailing and Learning, Oh My!

Logged on Sunday November 22, 2009

poetry_lesson1It’s the end of November and we’ve already wrapped up two weeks of high adventure education for roughly 50 seventh-grade students here in St. Croix. Our super education coordinator, Eden (standing left), has been fine-tuning our curriculum and demanding a high return from our crew on the frontlines. And the crew is delivering a solid product. Despite the lack of wind and the high heat, kids have been responding enthusiastically to their lessons in navigation, how boats work, ocean optics, natural history, peotry of the sea, knots, physics of sail, and various teambuilding activities like climbing the rig.

Thanksgiving is coming and team Roseway has a lot to be thankful for!

November 12: St. Croix Sunrise on a New Season

Logged on Thursday November 12, 2009

pb120014At 6am this morning from Roseway’s deck, Gallows Bay was sitting still underneath puffy clouds lit by a warm lazy sunrise and crowned with a rainbow. It’s not every morning you wake up to such a dramatic picture but this is life in St. Croix these days.

We arrived here on Friday and have been nose to the grindstone ever since. We’re knee deep in crew training, cleaning out the boat from transit, general maintenance, and of course, teaching. 25 students greeted us excitedly on Monday morning for our first week of programming here. It’s hot as an over down here and the weather has been less than cooperative, sending us driving rain and lightning right before we want to sail each day and then breaking out into windless clear skies. We’re eagerly awaiting the Christmas winds which come in December and howl through the winter, sometimes into February. In the meantime we’re all acclimatizing and getting our feet wet!

November 1: Ah Bermuda!

Logged on Sunday November 1, 2009

Seems like no matter how many times you drop anchor in St. George Bermuda, it just never gets old! Roseway sailed through the cut and into the harbor at about noon on Thursday and dropped the hook in what has come to feel like a home away from home. It was a good trip from Boston, some big seas and wind made for a quick trip.

pa290002With a few days to spare in Bermuda, the usual cleaning and light maintenance took place along with ample play time for the crew. Oh and some much needed bathing (mostly in the harbor as freshwater conservation on board was still strictly enforced. Many crew members did find showers ashore and came back looking remarkably civilized, others managed to get spiffed up on board (as pictured here: Emily suds up on deck before a plunge and Jack gets in a good shave). pa290003

We said sad goodbyes to Captain Simon and one of our guest passengers Michael, both of whom had reasons to stay in Bermuda. And by mid-morning today, the hook came up, the sails got raised, and we headed back out of the cut into the big blue–light winds, big seas, and a nice full moon guiding the way. By the end of the week we’ll be on to our next and final (for this trip) island.