TSSG 2008 Voyage Log

Today we gathered together for a sail in San Francisco Bay at Hyde St. Pier before we took a 10 day break from school. When we arrived to Hyde St. Pier everyone seemed to be holding so much anticipation and new found self. There was also an aura of confidence, independence, and empowerment that lurked through each girl’s facial expressions.

Before setting sail on the Alma, we met with Ruth Ann Barratt, a volunteer, and Heidi Hill, a TSEA board member, at the Visitor’s Center. Ruthie came to record our journal entries as we read them on a microphone. It was pretty cool that she could take voices and make magic with them. Hopefully the next time we see her, she will have the finish product.

The Alma’s technique of setting sail was quite different than Westward, but it didn’t take much for us to adjust. We all sat around and chatted about our return back home, how we had been adjusting, and just different little things that we encountered while away from one another. I was really excited to have had the opportunity to regroup with my girls because I know that out of everyone, they would definitely be the ones to understand the great and fulfilling experience that I had on Westward.

Written by Ellissia Hill

Starting position: 25 27.7N, 079 57.5W
Rhumb Run in last 24 hrs: 100.2nm

West Palm Beach here we come! These swells will not stop us from getting to our new destination on time. We can see sites of Miami, Florida and know that we’re close
Tonight was scary, others would say exciting. The waves were around 12ft high, and it wasn’t very fun steering at the helm. The swells sent the bow slamming down, spraying the whole boat making everyone on the stern feel as though they were getting launched over and over again.
On the 16th , we were all hands at 6 in the morning. It took us a couple of hours to make our way into Riviera Beach (near West Palm Beach) and get our spot at the docks. When we finally got there and furled all the sails, Nettie and Molly got the crew and us ice cream for all the hard we had done (of course they didn’t forget themselves). Silence fell on the group while students were in the process of eating ice cream. Next we headed down below to start packing!

Starting position: 23 52.7N, 79 33.9W
Rhumb Run in last 24 hrs: 148nm

Today in class we learned that a cold front will be heading our way with winds that would becoming right at us from the northwest, when of course we are trying to go northwest to get to Florida. When the front came it came hard and strong and you would think that we weren’t just coming from the Caribbean Islands. How we were all bungled up in everything we bought that was warm. We also learned that we will not be making it to our destination in Fernandina Beach, Florida. That means that we may end up in Miami, or somewhere else because we don’t have enough fuel to make it to up as far as Fernandina Beach. So now we are just playing the waiting game with where we can go.

Written by Erika Monroe

Starting position: 22 22.6N, 077 43.4W

Today we wake up to watch. My watch and I had the 4-8 dawn watch. We didn’t have that many duties to do during our watch, but ship’s lookout and steering the helm. So after we got off watch, we got a few hours of sleep before we had class at 2 in the afternoon.
We are in the middle of the Schooner Olympics. During class yesterday, we had to strike (haul down) the jib while the other girls threw water on us, simulating a squall. Today, we read our book in class; its a play called A Tempest. Each of us have parts in the play and we read our parts out loud.
For today’s Schooner Olympic event, we had to a relay of crab walking around the deck with a lime tucked under our neck. My teammate, Sophia, crabwalked across the quarterdeck and met me at the break of the deck on the starboard side. Sophia had to pass the lime to me but we couldn’t touch it with our hands. I then had to crawl through the small boats that are lashed on the starboard side, to the bow which was our finishing line. Our quick-crab-walking team won the gold!
After the event, we read Act 2 of A Tempest. We also elected quartermasters for the remainder of the trip, and we got new watches. My new quartermaster is Sophia and my new watch includes Ashally and Angelina.

Written by Marzett Lee

Starting position: 21 26.9N, 075 26.7W
Rhumb Run in last 24 hrs: 140nm

The afternoon started off with the 4th Schooner-Olympic event:: setting and striking the jib in squall-like conditions. The opposing watches stimulated the “squall” via dumping bucket after bucket of salt water over the 4 girls hustling around the foredeck in their bathing suits—all while Nettie timed them, Mollly filmed and the Captain judged their style. Although some of the splashes actually resembled a wave crashing from over the side, many other buckets were poured directly onto a specific person drenching any chance of progress. It was a very competitive event, and in the end B watch scrambled their way through the task the quickest.
Later on that evening, my watch was on 2000-0000. Although the 1st night watch is usually a very peaceful one, this one turned out a little different. At about 2200 Nora, one of the deckhands, stepped back on deck from aloft after a long period up on the yard. About half an hour before, the Raffee had suddenly broke free with no explanation. Right on cue, we quickly jumped to strike the sail. However, something was fouled. It was rough to be going aloft, particularly at night and as dark as it was, so I told Nora I could go up with her and give her a hand. She insisted my going up with her wouldn’t help. We were all nervous as she braved the duty no one else at that time could do, and I said a little prayer for her as she began to climb up the shrouds. The Captain was soon on deck and we all stood by as patiently as we could but there was little anyone could do.
We waited anxiously for Nora’s “on deck” calls and jumped to whatever job we could do to help. Eventually, she set the sail free (the port sheet was tangled around the yard we later found out) but as we lowered it down it seemed to be barely hanging by the sheet that had previously held it prisoner. In my head I was sure with the way the wind was blowing that that sheet would too snap off and the Raffee would be lost at sea forever. Luckily we were able to pull the sail back onto the deck but not before it plunged into the ocean and swam alongside us for a few minutes. As little as the club (a piece of wood that helps give the sail shape) of the Raffee seemed, it added a great deal of weight and it was a very challenging mission getting the sail back on board. We all struggled by the dim moonlight. Ms. Heyman and Captain’s anxiety grew—but in the end thanks to our resourceful teamwork, we managed to pull everything together and rescue the Raffee safe and sound. Not only did we overcome such a challenging obstacle during our watch, but I think it was just a small stepping stone to a more efficient and courageous watch group all together.

Written by Jessica Ramos

Starting position: 21 26.9 N, 75 26.7 W
Rhumb Run in last 24 hrs: 141 nm

What a beautiful day for sailing! We had a strong wind pushing us from the south east, along with abundant sunshine. It may be one of the last days to take a bucket bath before we hit the cold fronts coming from the north.

As we passed between Haiti and the Bahamas, we were not surprised to see both a Coast Guard airplane and ship come into check us out as the waters along Haiti are heavily patrolled for refugees. The Coast Guard finally decided that we were an innocent sailing school vessel and allowed us to continue west without boarding.

During class this afternoon we discovered that Erika’s noon time position prediction was only 8.5 nautical miles off, putting her watch in prime position to take the gold medal in this ongoing event. For our third Schooner Olympics event, we tested the students’ ability to haul buckets of water onboard and transfer it to different locations around the deck. C Watch was once again victorious–much to the others’ chagrin–for when C Watch wins we know we will be listening to Ellissia’s booming victory cries all day.

We had a great discussion about the observations made during our trip to the mangroves and the “humid” forest reserve in Sabana de la Mar. The students have become aware of the differences between the various environments we have explored, making for keen comparisons and sophisticated attention to detail.

In English, the girls are finishing the second drafts of the essays about Breath, Eyes, Memory out of class, and in class, I introduced our final text on the ship, A Tempest by Aime Cesaire. In this play, Cesaire takes Shakespeare’s The Tempest and rewrites it through a post-colonial lens. It is my hope that the girls’ experiences in the Caribbean, along with the history we studied in San Francisco will lead to a rich analysis of the text. Parts were assigned, and tomorrow we will begin reading the text aloud.

The girls reported a night of heavy traffic in the waters as we moved towards the border of Cuba. At night it is especially important that the girls are vigilant on bow watch to put eyes on our radar sightings. We expect a continued increase in traffic as we move towards Florida and the Gulf Stream.

Starting position: 20 36.3N, 070 09.6W
Rhumb Run in last 24 hrs: 95nm

We are finally sailing downwind! Today, we set the course and raffee, two sails that set on the yard on the foremast. The raffee is a triangle that sets with one point at the top of the mast, and the other two points stretched to either end of the yard. The course looks more like a traditional square sail that sets from the yard down. The wind is blowing at a force 3, and the seas are calm – between 2 and 3 feet. We are just surfing down the waves and finally making good speed as well as enjoying an easy motion of the boat.

Our sharp-eyed Captain noticed suspicious spouts of water on the horizon this morning and gleefully diverted the boat to check out this mystery. We hardened up the sails and changed course to head onto Silver Bank, a shallow area just north of the western end of the Dominican Republic. As we got closer, it became clear that a pod of whales was feeding on Silver Bank. They were intent on filling their bellies and wouldn’t play with us, but most everyone on board enjoyed seeing these magnificent animals in their natural environment.

We are also in the midst of The Schooner Olympics. These games will be played throughout the final week of the voyage. Today’s event was the Gumby Suit Relay. Each watch was challenged to put on an exposure suit (aka Gumby Suit), run a lap around the deck, remove the exposure suit and pass it on to another one of their watchmates. The competition was fierce among these Olympic caliber sailors and a strong sense of teamwork was evident. Ami lifted Myeshia off the ground to remove her from the suit and quickly popped Christina into it to continue the relay. Erika despite being blinded by the face strap on her suit, was guided around her lap and kept the team in the running. Ellissia perfected the Gumby Suit wiggle to exit her suit in record time. In the end, it was a close competition, with C watch (Ellissia, Naiema, Sofia and Valentina) winning the gold, A watch (Erika, Marzett, Angelina and Ashally) taking silver and B watch (Ami, Myeshia, Christina and Marleina) holding onto the bronze.

The evening passed with a delicious dinner of stir fried veggies and pork, and a continued consistent wind taking us toward home. Tomorrow, we look forward to more of the same, and another Olympic event!

Starting position: 19 08.5N, 69 07.5W

We left Dominican Republic early this morning. I can tell that everyone is excited for the last leg home. The seas are a lot calmer now than they were on our way to the Dominican Republic. After we were stood down from all hands, I got right into my bunk and slept until class. We began a new and exciting event in class today; The Schooner Olympics. Each watch is a team and the points we earn from the games go towards our seamanship grades. Our first event was to see which team could tie a variety of knots in the shortest amount of time, with each person on the team tying one knot of their choice. The knot I chose was the round turn and two half hitches. I chose this knot mainly because it was the easiest of the four and I was most familiar with it. It came down to a tie between A watch and B watch. Unfortunately, I am on neither watch. They did one final face off for the tie breaker and the knot to tie was the bowline knot. B watch took the gold leaving my watch, C watch, with the bronze. This event really pumped me up for the events to come. I have wanted to play games while on the ship since we started sailing to make this experience even more fun and exciting.
The next morning I had watch from 4 a.m. until 8 a.m. I don’t like this watch because I have to wake up at 3:30 a.m. but it is really satisfying and well worth it when I get to see the beautiful sunrise. As the seas got bigger, the boat rocked more and more causing two girls on my watch to get seasick. Because of this I had to scrub and squeegee the soles solo. It took me about 45 minutes with no breaks and with me moving as fast as I could. Pretty impressive I would say, but it is always so much quicker with two people. After watch we had breakfast, took our naps, and at noon enjoyed Tu’s tasteful lunchtime meal.

Written by Naiema Jackson

Starting position: Sabana del Mar, return to Westward

After having a good night’s rest and eating a delicious breakfast of empanadas and orange juice, we headed to Robin’s house. There we refilled our water bottles and learned more of what the Peace Corp does. Robin talked about her experience in the Dominican Republic and work there. After hearing more about the Peace Corps, I thought maybe I’d want to ddo it as well. Robin teaches teachers in Sabana de la Mar how to better teach their students. She also holds a few Englishes classes at her home. If anything, I know that if I joined the Peace Corps, I would be volunteering as a medical officer.
Next we headed over to the school where people are being taught how to speak English. This is a special school that was built with the support of the first lady of the Dominican Republic. It is a beautiful building that has classrooms, two computer labs and a radio station.
When we walked into the classroom, we were able to recognize some of the boys who were our tour guides in the forest the day before. It struck me that all of the students in the crowded classroom looked older than us, perhaps in their 20s.
As we stood in front of the classroom, we each introduced ourselves. Lourdes, the English teacher explained how these students were chosen from top high school graduates to have the opportunity to study English in this class. Ellissia, with her clear, beautiful voice then explained what Tall Ship Semester for Girls is about and why we were there. We then broke into groups to begin the inverview we were eager to do. Before getting to the Domincan Rebuplic, Sohia, Marzett and I were in charge of giving a presentation on the Dominican Republic. Along with the presentiation, we had written questions for interviews with the students. Once we sat down with the students to do the interview, we found our questions were too difficult, so we just asked them about simple things they do in their lives. Even though communication was hard, all in all we had a great time and learned about the Dominican lifestyle in Sabana de la Mar.
When lunch came, we ate yummy Dominican dishes of chicken and rice, macaroni salad, fruit salad and potato salad. Lourdes had provided all of this food for us as a welcome lunch! As lunch continued, the Dominican students began to dance meringue and machata and invited tall ship girls to join.
After lunch, we said our goodbyes to the morning class, and spent some time on the internet in the computer lab. We waited for the afternoon class and met with them for a short period. We had to leave to catch the ferry back to Samana because we would be underway for Florida early the next morning. We said our goodbyes, dropped by our hotel to get our bags and walked to the dock to get the ferry.
When the ferry pulled into Samana bay, Molly called Westward and they sent in the small boat to pick us up. Aboard Westward, we had Chicken Parmigiana, garlic bread and salad for dinner (made by the Captain and crew). Everyone then fell asleep to get some rest before their anchor watch.
All hands on deck at 7am on April 9th! Before getting underway, we had soles and bowls, breakfast and breakfast cleanup. Captain Smith and Nettie also had to go to shore to clear us out of the country. While they were onshore, we were preparing the mainsail, mainstays’l, forstays’l and jib. Lucky for me, I got to be the one to call out the commands to set the mains’l. It was the most empowering moment since we have been on the boat. Calling out orders is something I don’t usually do, but it was fun to get the opportunity to do so. The rest of the morning we were all hands until we were told that C Watch had the deck.

Starting position: away from the ship in Sabana del Mar

Monday morning on the 7th of April was not a regular Monday aboard Westward. We started the day off early, getting off the boat by 7am to catch a ferry across Samana Bay to the town of Sabana de la Mar. After getting split up from half of our group (there was a little confusion), we set off for a hike of the Los Haites National Park after. We enjoyed all the views including a shot that was in the Jurassic Park movie. We saw plants and huge caves which looked so undisturbed. We finished the hike off and switched off with the other half of our group who had been on a coastal boat tour of the park. In the boat tour, we weaved in and around the mangroves. We saw ton of birds, crabs and caves with ancient cave drawings. Our tour guides of the national park were part of the Green Brigade, a group of young people who are learning to be docents in the park. They are still learning English which was difficult for me because I understand no Spanish. With hand signals and pictures we were at least able to laugh with each other. After finishing the long day we met up with the rest of our group at a nice resort and got the chance to enjoy a wonderful Dominican meal with our tour guides. The meal made everybody very satisfied but tired so we all continued by heading to our hotel for the night.
On our way to the hotel our long day was made longer when we ran out of gas in the middle of the road and had to wait to get more. Although we were out of gas and all tired we still found the positive in the situation by enjoying watching the kids by our truck getting fruit out of a tree or women carrying baskets of food on their heads. It was such a learning and memorable experience that by the time we had gotten to the hotel we were ready for more excitement and had forgotten about our tired eyes. A few of us got together in Christina and my room to listen to music, dance and tell ridiculous stories which had no purpose. If the day wasn’t good enough we got to take our first fresh water showers since we had left San Francisco, got to eat another Dominican meal at a local restaurant and to top it all off, we all got our first full night of sleep in a non-rocking boat since Florida. I woke up the next morning so rested and happy to not have to do chores as soon as I woke up! We all got together and joined the Peace Corp volunteer Robin at a empanada stand down the street to enjoy breakfast together.
Continuing our day we got the opportunity to learn about the Peace Corp and then go to a school of students learning English and have a conversation with them. Even though I had a hard time communicating with them we laughed a lot and had a great day singing, dancing and eating. I got email addresses from most of them and I look forward to keeping in touch with them more as they learn more and more English. That Monday and Tuesdays were two of my favorite days and I will never forget them.

Starting position: At anchor, Samana, Dominican Republic

Today we had a 7:00 a.m. wake up and immediately started working on what we call our field day. A field day is when we spend the whole day cleaning every inch of the ship. We separated into groups and cleaned different parts of the ship. Some of us worked on deck, some worked in the main salon, others worked in the navigation room, and the rest worked in the galley. I was in the main salon cleaning the book shelves with Naiema and sweeping. I was also part of the “baby sitting Matilda” group along with Sophia and Ami. A couple of hours into my cleaning duties, I had to relieve Ami of her baby sitting duties so she could begin cleaning. Matilda and I played in her little personal pool and danced to the music playing in the galley. After I was relieved of my Matilda duty, I went right to scrubbing the walls in the galley. I also had to sweep the aft head. We stopped for lunch, but as soon as everyone was done eating we jumped right back to work. When we were all done, we were rewarded with cookies, the rest of the day free of work, and fresh water showers. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted and very relieved that all that hard work was done.

Written by Christina Gomez

Starting position: At anchor, Samana, Dominican Republic

Today we spent the day at a waterfall. The waterfall was gorgeous and the fresh water was so refreshing, since I had so much salt on me from the boat. The hike on the way back from the waterfall was pretty challenging. Some people rode back on horses, while some hiked in muddy flatlands and steep mountains. When we arrived at the end of the hike, we rode down the hill in a pick-up truck. This was so nice because we had the fresh breeze hitting us in our face. Once down the hill we were dropped off at a outdoor market. We were given the option to either visit the market or talk on the phone which was a few steps away. I used the phones and was glad to talk to my dad. After about an hour or two of fun we began to make our way back to the boat for the night.

Samana has a walkway that bridges across part of the bay to an island that protects the town. Westward was anchored close to that island, so instead of getting picked up in town, we strolled out along this beautiful walking bridge to the island and met our pick up there.

The next morning we woke up at the lovely 7:15 am, wake up/morning meeting time, and began showing our love to Westward in the form of “Field Day”. This day is dedicated to cleaning the boat with all of our love, elbow grease, and sweat. We scrubbed all the corners and creases on the boat, which was more fun and entertaining then I had thought it would be thanks to the help of some music. In between that time we had a nice breakfast and lunch break. To thank us for our hard work we were given cookies and the opportunity to take fresh water bucket showers. With all that food, fun, and fresh water I can’t wait until we have our next Field Day (although I hope there is less scrubbing).

Written by Ellissia Hill

Starting position: At anchor, Samana, DR

Our voyage has been a long journey filled with all kinds of adventures and experiences. We signed up as young teenage girls who wanted to have a lifetime experience. We’ve realized that we were all young women who were learning things that will help us in the future to become successful young adults.
Today we are underway to our last stop towards Samana, Dominican Republic before heading up north towards Jacksonville, Florida where we’ll catch our flight back home. We are all anxious to be in the Dominican Republic because of the plans we made on shore. It was decided that on our first day of port we would stay on the ship and have class but later go onto shore and spend at least 2 hours getting to know the area. When we arrived onto land we went straight to Western Union where we exchanged our American dollars into Dominican Republic pesos it was 33 pesos to every $1. After, we walked next door to this ice cream parlor called Bon, they sold all the basic flavors but it tasted very different from an American style ice cream you might get from Cold Stones.
Time flew by too quickly. By the time we finished enjoying our ice cream we had to walk back to dock. It was probably the best walk of my life! There were two islands surrounding Samana that were connected by long bridges, and I had the honor of walking across every one. You could almost imagine what the whole island would look like without all the modernization. The Dominican Republic is a mixture of busy city life and lush palm tree vegetation. The people here were not like any of our expectations. They were very dark skinned, almost looking African American and the main transportation seemed to be motorcycles and motor skooters. The language barrier was a big factor on this particular island because on the other islands, English was the main language (excluding Puerto Rico).

Starting position: 18 15.5N, 67 42.6W

It is April 4th and we have finally reached our last destination: Samana, Dominican Republic. We are very excited to be at our last stop. We are all hands until anchored. In the DR Customs comes aboard the ship and approves you and your ship before passengers can go on shore. In a very congested area, we are on the look out for a boat bringing aboard these delegates. As the men came aboard we scrambled to dress appropriately and welcome our first visitors. As they complete there check we our told of the days plans.and enjoy our beautiful anchorage – in Samana Bay between the lights of the city and a mile long bridge
After lunch we head to land. First we head to the Western Union to exchange our money for pesos. Confusion begins with a language we are not used to and money we do not know how to count. After clearing that up, the ice cream shop is our first stop and we Gorge ourselves in sweets galore.
As we wander the city we discover the differences from home. The streets are buzzing with four wheelers, motorcycles and mopeds but few cars. There are safari-like vans that carry tourists that come from the cruise ships. The homes were simple buildings or shacks surrounded by indigenous plants that grow wild. The wildlife about town consisted of horses, dogs, cows and stray roosters. The market places and small stores all carried the same items which were similar to what I would find in the America. Also, on the side of the road, people held public games of dominos. Even though very different from home, Samana had a very welcoming feeling to it.
After investigating town, we walked across the bridge to a dock on an island. There we got picked up in the small boat. As we reached the ship we set up for dinner and got ready for sleep. There had been discussions about sleeping on deck however no one had done it. Nena and I decided to make ourselves comfy aft of the break in the deck not to fair from Nettie. As we gazed at the stars and waited for anchor watch, we drift to sleep with nature.
Anchor watch that night was calm and relaxing. Our duties include checking three bearings to insure that the ship is not dragging anchor. The bearings were easy: radio towers 1 and 2, along with a flashing green light. In the morning, we woke up and climbed aboard the boats for a day on the island. As we collected on the dock our tour guide loaded us into a truck and drove us up to the water fall.

It is April 4th and we have finally reached our last destination: Samana, Dominican Republic. We are anchored Samana Bay between the lights of the city and a mile long bridge. We are very excited to be at our last stop. Admiring the beauty we are all hands till anchored. In a very congested area we are on the look out for a boat bringing aboard delegates from customs and immigration. In the DR customs come aboard the ship and approve you and your ship first. As the men come aboard we scramble to dress so appropriate and welcome our first visitors aboard. As they complete there check we our told of the days plans.
After lunch we head to land. First we head to the Western Union to exchange our money for pesos. Confusion begins with a language we are not used to and money we do not know how to count. The ice cream shop is our first stop. Gorging ourselves in sweets galore. As we wonder the city we discover the differences from home.
We walk the bridge to the dock where we get picked up in the small boat. As we reach the ship we set up for dinner and get ready for sleep. Discussions have been about sleeping on deck however no one has done it. Nena and I decide to make ourselves comfy aft of the break in the deck not to fair from Nettie. As we gaze at the stars and wait for anchor watch, we drift to sleep with nature.
Anchor watch that night was calm and relaxing. The bearings were easy radio towers 1 and 2 along with the flashing green light. In the morning we wake up and climb aboard the boats for a day on the island. As we collect on the dock our tour guide loaded us into a truck and drove us up the water fall.

Starting position: 17 48.0N, 66 25.1W

We are on are our way to the Dominican Republic (D.R). We hear about our rough plan for our four days in the D.R, doing a lot of fun things, and we all can’t wait to get there! Some of us haven’t gotten used to being on a boat and rocking a lot. Today, there were a few girls on the low side of the boat over the rail throwing up what they had for lunch. I started to get sick and go joined them on the rail.

Being on Bow watch can be boring but yet sometimes its fun. Today, I got splashed as water from the waves we hit went over the bow. I was soaked. I took a step back so that I wouldn’t get even wetter. As I stood and watched the water hit against the boat, I felt a gush of water unexpectedly go up my pants. I looked back and saw Nettie laughing at how soaked I had gotten. Then, I looked down and noticed that I was standing over the hole where the anchor chain comes up onto the deck. I noticed that when the waves hit the bow, they can spray up through this hole, called a hawse pipe. I walk back to the quarter deck to ask my watch officer if I could do mid-ship watch, because I was soaked from bow watch. Although she said yes, I don’t think today was my day because I even at midships, the waves came splashing over the side and continued to soak me the entire time.

Being in watch can be stressful because I feel that I haven’t got any kind of sleep. Lately my body has been aching because I haven’t been sleeping right because the boat has been rocking a lot. I feel that being on watch it’s like working you have to be on time, get the duties done. My other watchmates are working hard too. We all only have two hands so it takes time to finish the work.

We are just Into are 5th week, and after this one, we will have one more week to go until we’re home at last, back in the Bay Area. I am getting tired of this boat, but I know when I get home I can say I learned something out of this trip. I don’t know what it is at the moment but I know it’s something good. See you guys April 18th.

Written by Myesha Holmes