March 31, 2009

So today we had a very early day. We were going to visit the Carib Reserve on the other side of Dominica and had a group of Carib students hosting our visit. We were woken up at 5am so that we could be on land by 8:00 to make the bus that the Carib students set up for us. We made it on time and after a few technical difficulties we got on the right bus. It took us an hour to get to the territory.

The Caribs are indigenous people of many Caribbean islands. Many Caribs were killed during European colonization and Dominica's Carib Reserve is the only Carib community that still exists in the region.

The first thing we did was visit the Castle Bruce School. We met with two different groups of students and had different reactions to the questions we had. Sometimes students were really shy, but other times they were really outgoing and willing to answer our questions.

The Carib students next treated us to fresh young coconuts and we drank the milk and ate the gooey insides. Everyone tried them but all had different reactions. It wasn’t the first time I had eaten a coconut, and the taste was different, but it was good.

After we went down further into the Carib territory, and hiked to see the ocean. We learned about the community and what they represent as a part of Caribbean history. At the ocean, we stood on a big rock and looked out over a beautiful view.

Coming back into the boat we were in a good mood. But the most exciting part was one of our teachers Molly coming back after a hard time at home. We all missed her. The sad part was our other teacher Nettie was leaving us. So it was very emotional day, but either way we had a better day, than we had in a while. With everyone coming in and out, I think its starting to bring us all back together, slowly but surely.

Veronica Olimpiada

March 30, 2009

Today we started our day by visiting an all girl’s school in Rouseau called Wesley High. We were greeted in the school yard by the principal and she then gave us a tour of the school. After showing us around she brought us to a class on the second floor of the small two story building where she introduced us to the students that we were going to speak with. All of the students were extremely polite and happy to provide us with any knowledge or information that we needed. After another successful school visit we headed back down to the dock where we met our tour guide Sea Cat. He took us to a beautiful snorkeling spot called Champangne Beach where we got the opportunity to snorkel, work on oceanography projects and just take the time to enjoy the weather and relax. When we finished there Sea Cat took us down to the salt water hot springs and to Scott's Head. After a long ride back to the boat we were all pretty exhausted so after dinner we all went straight to our bunks to retire from our tiring day and to get well rested for our next.

by Jasmine Dean

March 29, 2009

Today began with an early start when wakeups were pushed ahead of schedule in order to get ready to go to church this Sunday morning. The majority of our group decided to attend either a Catholic or Christian mass in the morning. The first group of students attended the eight o’ clock mass at the Catholic Church in town, and the second group of students went to the ten o’ clock mass at the Nations of Jesus Church. Although the two services were different, the services were a new experience to those who regularly attend church or do not go to church at all. The services were filled with all new hymns, a different way of praying, and even had experiences familiar with church back home. Although some people in our group were not religious, it seemed as if everyone has a good time experiencing a part of Dominican culture.
The second half of our day involved going back to the dock to pick up our laundry. We all picked up a bag and walked our clothes over to a local laundromat and spent most of our time learning how to work a washer and enjoying the fact that we can clean our clothes for the first time in two weeks. A few hours later, the majority of the class went to eat lunch and explore Dominica some more with Ann, while a few girls decided to stay at the laundromat with Nettie. During this time many comments about the piercing and punishment situation were discussed. This was because a student had disregarded the rules the day before and gotten a piercing, which had a consequence for all of us. Many felt that our discussion the previous night had not ended right and the incident was beginning to bring out the worst in some of us. Fortunately we continued the day on a mostly positive note and returned to the ship in a mostly positive mood.
After having some time to ourselves before dinner and eating some lovely leftovers, Gwen, Jasmine and Briana led a discussion that began with a review and recommitment to the student contract. Everyone was asked to comment on how they felt at the moment and how to address the piercing issue. Although the discussion brought up many things that were left unsaid earlier it was a difficult discussion. The group went through a roller coaster of emotions and issues. Ideas and thoughts were put out there, but they were pushed back and forth. Some felt the group was back to square one but we pushed on and created some recommendations to give Nettie and Ann as alternatives to our current consequence. After an hour so after the end of the discussion, the student gave an apology to the group about her piercing. Overall, today was filled with all sorts of emotions, but we now know that we have issues to work out and are on our way to solving them.

Julia Brooks

March 28, 2009

Today was our arrival to Dominica! It was very fun. As usual, we started with our morning chores and then got ready to go out to the island. We got to the island and got into groups and went had some time to explore the market in Rouseau. We tasted one of the best smoothies ever! They were so good. We also met some really cool people. For example, we met police officer and he was really cool. We also met a really nice woman who let Iris and Viki use her cell phone when she saw both of them in tears because they wanted to call home. We got to check out different stores and we walked around the Market. I got to buy my sister her birthday gift, an item you can only buy here in Dominica. I had a really fun time just getting to see all the stores they had and all the fruit that was being sold that looked so good! I enjoyed my first day in Dominica. =)

Celina Lopez

March 27, 2009

Today was a normal sailing day but some interesting things went on. So galley duty is when you get a whole day to help Lizzie, the cook, out in the galley with the food preparation. I had galley duty today so I got to sleep in and have a day off from C watch. After I woke up and was done with the morning shift I sat on deck wishing I had a book to read and Nettie overheard me. I told her I wasn’t done reading twilight and she told me the series was here so I was really excited and happy. So the day went on and Lizzie taught Briana, Jasmine, and me how to harmonize while we braided her hair in singles. After that, lunch came around and we happily feasted. Then we listened to our weather, navigation, and resources report to find out how things were. It was the 2nd time people did them on their own and they did a really good job. Last but not least we finished the night by trying to finish Lizzie’s hair and stay up at the same time. Overall it was a normal and slightly interesting day today and I’m excited to get off the boat to explore Dominica tomorrow!

Gwen Fincher

March 26, 2009

Today we are on our second day of sailing towards our next destination, Dominica. It has been a rough sail so far. And I mean rough for us because it is hard to steer and stand on bow watch when the ship is going really fast. The speed is actually a good thing because we can get there quickly. The worst part is not staying dry. Every time we tried to do dishes we get splashed. At first I hated it but then I started to get used to it. By my night watch I was fully prepared to get wet.
The highlight of my day though was when Mr. Welsh caught his first fish of the trip. I could tell he was very happy by the smile he had on his face. Mr. Bailey and Dave also seemed very excited. Later that day Lizzie cooked it for dinner. I heard it was very yummy. I couldn’t even taste it after seeing how they cut it open and took everything out. Ann actually showed me the gills and the inside of the eyes. It was interesting but stinky.
At night I helped Lizzie make chocolate chip cookies. It was fun because I hadn’t baked in a long time. Finally the best part of my day was seeing a shooting star during my night watch! I was so amazed because I like to look at stars back home but it is nothing compared to what I have seen on this voyage. Now all I have to do is wait and see if my wish comes true.
Iris Galvan

March 25, 2009

Today we left Norman Island and set out for Dominica. Just to leave we had a lot to do like strike the awning, put up all the sails, and take up the anchor. All the students had to plan the voyage we had ahead of us, so we split up into our watches and got information that we needed to bring back at an all hand muster mid ships. During the night there was a big storm called a squall. You could hear everything up on deck. The waves were 8-10ft and we were going 9 knots. It was pouring raining. The whole crew had to come up and strike the jib and put a reef in the main. The squall only lasted for about 20 minutes but to make all the changes in the sails it took over an hour. After the squall was over the waves were 3-6ft and the wind force was a 5, which is big compared to what we have been sailing. The day was scary but also very exciting and I’m sure it will be remembered!
Briana Clemmons

March 24, 2009

Today we left Tortola and sailed to Norman Island. Norman Island is another island in the British Virgin Island. There where no homes that we saw just a beach bar and a lot of tourist. These tourists came here by boat and not a cruise boat but either a charter boat or their own boats. When we dropped the anchor we all got ready to either go snorkeling or work on our rocky intertidal project. Ashley, Jasmine and I went with Nettie to do our intertidal projects and we had a lot of fun. The intertidal here is very different from in California. We found a huge hermit crab that had mostly crawled out of its shell, various species of sea urchins and well hidden chitons. After we collected some information for our projects we went back on the boat to get ready for a nice hike. When we first started to walk up Spyglass Hill, we found out that it was not going to be a very easy hike. It went straight up a rocky path. We had to take at least four breaks because we got very tired but when we got up there it was so worth the hard work climbing up that mountain we got to see the view for miles and miles. We saw Tortola, Virgin Gorda and many more of the Virgin Islands.
Viki Contreras

March 23, 2009

Today we played in Roadtown, Tortola. There isn’t really very much exciting here. It’s a big cruise ship stop and has all the tourist shops to go with it. We had our school visit at BVI High School, the only public high school on the island. It was a great learning experience for the girls as well as for me. The school system is setup so differently and doesn’t offer students as many second chances as schools in the US. There isn’t summer school or night school; you essentially have one shot to get it right. We met with From 4 students (the equivalent to 11th grade) math classes and the girls were able to get a lot of interesting information for their globalization projects. In walking around the classrooms and observing the conversations the girls were having with students, I heard many different topics discussed. I heard conversations about school uniforms and gang colors, sports, music, dance, women’s health, etc.
Ms. Sutcliffe, the Vice Principal, toured us through the school. She introduced us to one of the music instructors. He gave our whole group a quick lesson on the steel pans (drums). A couple of Tortolan students and the teacher helped us stay on beat. Gwen couldn’t help but dance as she played, but we’re finding out that she can’t really sit still any time there is music. During the tour we also learned that music is a really big thing in school in Tortola. As our music programs in the states are shrinking, their programs are expanding. They have a steel pan band, orchestra, jazz band and choir. It was an awesome experience and we were impressed with the variety of courses offered by this school. Check out the video below of our steel pan practice!
After leaving the school we let the girls explore Roadtown in their groups with the mission of completing a scavenger hunt. They found some pretty entertaining things that made them look more than skin deep. This was also their opportunity to call home, buy souvenirs, get their junk food fix and find some sort of iced drink. Everyone, including us teachers, needed to find a smoothie, glass of iced anything or ice cream just because we’ve been drinking room temperature water for so long while it’s been hot out.
As far as the girls and their sailing, they have been working hard to learn their lines, practice their navigation and remember where they need to be during emergency drills. They’ve had a lot thrown at them and for the most part, they’ve stepped up to the challenge. Every one of them has experienced a down time when they just couldn’t do it or were just tired and didn’t want to put the effort in, but it’s understandable and to be expected. Over all I’m really proud of the work they’ve done individually, but also as a team.

Ann Wasser (instructor)

March 22, 2009

Today was a very hard working day. I think we all did really great. We all had to wake up by 7 today and do our chores. We left from Saint John today and started our way to Road Town in Tortola. The trip was very smooth and easy except for all the hard work everybody put in today. We had to put up the sails and following that when we got to Road Town we had to take them down, it was a lot of hard work but we got it done and didn’t give up on what had to be done. It was very hot today by the way and that did effect everybody and their mood and reaction to things but it was all good because we worked though it and were rewarded with swimming time today. We had a lot of laughs today and I feel like day by day we are all getting closer and better at doing our job on the ship and learning our lines we did a lot of studying on them today and had things checked off our list. AMAZING we got to go aloft today and the crew was taking pictures we also had our first Tall Ships runway show, it was great. Tonight we had something special, smores oh yea we had them and they were great!!!! Over all today was one of the best days and there will be many more to come along with many memories and experiences.
Ashley Hurtubise

March 21, 2009

Welcome to St. John! After a first passage with great weather and smooth sailing, our crew has gotten their sea legs. Instead of pinched, green faces and grumbles the girls are smiling and singing through their duties.

After we dropped anchor in Francis Bay, we took our first small boat runs into the beach to snorkel. After enjoying the feel of land beneath our feet and running some sand through our toes, everyone jumped into the blue-green water with snorkel and fins to see what we could see. We swam through fish of all shapes and sizes; up at the end of the beach, sea urchins and a sea turtle were a fun surprise. For those who swam like fish, to our newer more tentative swimmers, there was much adventure to be had this afternoon.

After swimming for a while, a small group of us hiked over to the Anneberg ruins, an old sugar mill. We enjoyed the walk and the ruins. In addition, Sara and Ann spotted a battle between a red-winged fly and a spider that fascinated us. The fly won and eventually pulled the spider down into its hole, finishing the show.

Back on board, we had a delicious dinner prepared by our galley wonder, Lizzie, did some homework and then went to bed early to prepare for our anchor watches.

Although there is still plenty of work and adjusting to do, this first landfall will be a good memory to carry into the future.

Nettie Kelly, Instructor

March 20, 2009

Some of us still feeling sea sick and feel that it’ eating us up into pieces we continue to be on are way to St. Johns, U.S Virgin Islands. Not getting there as fast as we would like to, do to our steering and wind conditions we continue to help each other out and cheer each other on. This new experience we are all facing is nothing we have done before so us trying to get use to the system having to clean the deck some of us doing soles and bowls and having to do dishes also with salt water, concentrated soap, and bleach is something new to us. Also one of us gets the opportunity to help Lizy are cook in the gallery for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that takes us out of our watch till after dinner. While helping the cook we have to do most of the prep stuff and putting things out. Once were done with that meal we can do anything basically we can choose to go to sleep we can just relax till the next meal of the day. As far as for us trying to learn are lines it’s still some work in progress because we don’t have them all down yet or remembered. We have also started to get some of our stuff checked off from our first checklist like for example what to do if they’re was a fire or man over board and abandon ship. Also were are all those things located like fire extinguishers, the PFD’s, water, food life rafts etc. Still enjoying this new experience we continue to be anxious to get to St. Johns soon.
Cathy Ortega

March 18, 2009

Today was a little bit of a crazy day. Molly had to leave us to be with her family and Nettie was finally able to join us. Once Nettie was aboard we untied dock lines and started off on our adventure. We set the fores’l and the jumbo and sailed off the dock. The girls were wide-eyed and not sure what to expect. I wish I could even begin to explain the mixture of expressions on their faces. As a sailor and avid traveler, I was jumping around with excitement and I’m pretty sure the girls thought I was nuts. I hope that they find the excitement in this journey that I have so been looking forward to. As we were leaving the harbor in Puerto Rico we passed El Morro, which is part of the fort in Old San Juan. Having visited on land yesterday, it was amazing to be able to see it from the sea and experience how big it really is. Not too long after leaving Puerto Rico the first of the girls started to get sea sick. First Iris, then Cathy, then Celina, then Julia…They did really well in not letting it get them down and still trying to be involved in what was going on. They were really supportive of each other -- a good beginning to them working as a team. Those that weren’t sick were jumping up to help cover for the other girls that were sick. All in all it was a good first sailing day minus the seasickness. The little personal perk for the day was seeing the Southern Cross, which is a constellation, for the first time. We hope everyone is doing well at home and keep checking in on our adventures!

Ann Wasser (instructor)

March 16: San Juan, Puerto Rico

This morning we woke up in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Coqui Inn to coffee and donuts in the lobby. We got ready and then headed over to one of the girl's hotel rooms to eat fruit and plan our first presentation to our first high school. Then we walked over to a private Catholic High School down the street from our hotel.

We visited a 12th grade honors English class. Our first presentation went well. Then we split up one on one with the students and were able to get to know them and ask a few questions. Each of us were able to talk to 3 students each. We learned a lot about their school and what it is like to live in Puerto Rico.

After visiting the school, we took a bus to old San Juan. We got our first look at our new home for 6 weeks. The captain came out to greet us as we looked at the Spirit of Massachusetts. Then we walked over to old San Juan. We visited two forts over there. We split off into small groups and explored each of the forts for 45 minutes. The first fort was used to defend the land and the second was used to attack at sea.

Then we walked over to a local restaurant and had dinner together. After the bus ride home, most of us went swimming in the rain in the hotel pool outside. A few of us did our first load of laundry (and probably our last for a while) and then finally went to sleep. It was a fun day!!

Kayla Altobelli-Libercent

March 16 2009

The first day we to got to San Juan, Puerto Rico we all had a great first impression of the beautiful island. Although the flights were long and tiring we soon learned once we got there that it was worth it. After we arrived at the hotel and got settled in we headed straight for the beach. Nobody hesitated to get in the water because for most of us it was the cleanest, warmest and most beautiful water we ever swam in. After we got back to the hotel we had a couple hours of free time to shower, use the internet, and relax. Since we were all so used to our hot, unlimited showers back home we were all very disappointed and frustrated with our limited supply of cold water that we had to shower with. After we enjoyed our free time we walked a block to the hotels restaurant. I don’t think that any of us really knew what to expect after ordering but I think we were all satisfied with our meals for the most part. Overall we had a fun and exciting first day leaving us all very anxious to find out what the future had in store for us.

Jasmine Dean

March 14-15 2009

Arriving to the airport and meeting the girls after our day off from school, you could see the entire shell-shocked look in our eyes. We all were happy to go, don’t get me wrong. But at the same time, it was just going by really fast. We all had crazy emotions running threw our mind and to tell the truth I still don’t think it settle in anyone’s mind. Leaving or families, boyfriends, best friends, and anyone else that we were leaving were really hard, but the idea of us coming together sounded great. Seeing each other cry was the hard part, but making each other feel better was that was easy. First time on the plane from San Francisco to New York was different. Few of us got comfortable by switching seats, than we all started talking, some of us tried to sleep but that didn’t really work out. The next time we got on the plane from New York to Puerto Rico we all went to sleep some how, some way. Coming into San Juan we all felt the different weather. Getting our bags, getting into the cabs to go to the hotel we got our first look at San Juan. Picking our roommates, getting our keys to our new rooms it all started to feel some what real. The first thing we did together as a group was go to the beach. Playing in the clear Caribbean water, you can see how close we have gotten from the first day we met. We ate together at the hotel restaurant for our first dinner at San Juan. As the day turns into night we all heard into one room and hang out there for awhile, doing homework, talking, and most of all trying to comprehend how to get our mind settle that were not going to be home for the next six weeks. As we started finishing up the day the bomb start to hit us that we are really doing this and that there’s no turning back now.
- Veronica Olimpiada

Week 8: March 9-13, 2009

This was our last week at SF State! All the girls had mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety for we realized we are going to be leaving soon. We began to count down the days of our departure. It felt like things were going too slow and we wanted to leave already but also felt like things were moving too fast and we didn't want to lift our feet off the ground. Monday was like any normal day at State. We had our classes: first Leadership, then History, Lunch, Oceanography and Navigation. Tuesday was yet another long day but when we reached Wednesday it began to lighten up. We went small boat sailing once again and worked on our presentations that we will give to the crew and schools we will visit. That was when a big conflict rose.

While we were suppose to come up with two good presentations, some people began to get off task while others formed a smaller group where they came up with the presentation. I was one of those people who had no involvement in the assignment until Kayla told us that we should help with this and pay attention. We decided to became part of the working group. While some of the girls expressed their ideas, I felt like mine wasn't respected by the others and no one even wanted my help. Hurt & frustrated, I walked out with two girls and as we were called back in, everyone formed a circle to talk it out. I explained how I felt that I was targeted for being off task but when I tried to join in, I didn't feel I was wanted for the discussion. It hurt even more, how I was told that I should be quiet so others could talk. At the end, the group was able to talk everything out including the misunderstandings. We ended with a group hug.
I believe every single girl here has a strong personality and attitude but I hope in the future we will learn from this experience and no unkind words will be said. We will all be able to work through problems in a respectful and open minded way. This is going to be most useful for when we step on the boat and HAVE to be able to work together.

Thursday was our last day at SF State and we took it all in. Our last session of Bootcamp, our last real day of regular classes including Vincent :-(. We had a cake for Marcella and Elissia's birthday which Ann accidently dropped on the floor. Haha. Our last day was sort of a sad but an exhilarating change that none of us, even by packing, could prepare for. However, we do have each other and that, most importantly, will prepare us for anything.

Sara Cortes

Week 7: March 9-13, 2009

Wow this week was so fun and crazy, but in a good way. As you should know this is second to last week on land. Its finally hitting everybody that it’s real; this is really happing to us. When we were told we were going to have gear check for the first time, everybody looked at each other in shock like we leaving soon. It’s funny because every girl in the room signed up to be here, and we knew we were going to go to the Caribbean for 6 weeks, but I don’t think it ever really hit us tuntil this week. All of us have very mixed emotions about leaving and going away for 6 weeks, but we all could agree that we are really excited.

This week we also went down to Hyde Street Pier for our first day of sailing. It was really fun, but hard work at the same time. We learned how to put the little sails on the sail boats and how to steer the boat (it’s harder than it sounds, trust me.). This is the first actual time that we needed navigation on the water, and sadly I don’t think it’s the last, but that’s okay. We also learned some more terms for the boat. It’s like a whole different language but you get use to it after a while. You can see the girls and how much they enjoy it by the smiles on our faces. Even if it was cold we still had fun. Also this was the first week we had school on Saturday, and you know us teenagers love our weekends, but we all had great attitudes and we did what we had to do and had fun doing it.

After this week and all the exciting things we’ve gone through, we are ready for this trip!

Veronica Olimpiada

Week 6: March 2-6, 2009

As we entered our sixth week at San Francisco State, we began to realize that we only had three more weeks left until the beginning of our voyage. Both nervous and excited, we began a week filled with many decisions and visitors. On Monday morning we had some time to brainstorm and create a layout for a flag that would represent our group that we would fly during our trip. Although we had many ideas, we could not think of any solid ideas, so we decided to go over new ideas on Tuesday’s Crew Muster.
On Tuesday our first guest of the week, The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) spent the day evaluating Tall Ship’s program by interviewing the teachers and sitting in and asking us questions about why we joined the program during our Crew Muster. During Crew Muster, we finally came to a consensus on the final idea for our flag. Then after that discussion, we took the time to go around the group and tell one another how much they are appreciated.
On Wednesday during Navigation, we were greeted by numerous guests. In the morning, Laurie, who we met at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, gave us a lesson on Mangroves in the Caribbean and in America. Later on in the day we were greeted by our surprise guest Dr. Oswaldo Garcia, who is a professor of Meteorology at San Francisco State. During his visit, he taught us the basics of weather charts and how to read and understand wave heights and wind speeds. During the end of the day we took time out of Vincent’s class to rehearse and present little performances based on Maya Angelou’s poem Phenomenal Woman.
Thursday was a typical day, with the exception of our guest teacher Blanca, who was a Tall Ship alumni in 2006. Blanca taught us a lesson on video and skills and techniques we can use to make a documentary of our voyage in March. After learning about various shots and cuts, we went around campus to practice what we had learned.
We ended the week with our typical schedule, and got ready to spend the weekend packing and getting ready for our trip.

Julia Brooks

Week 5: February 24-27, 2009

This was a short, but very exciting week. On Wednesday we visited the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. We finally got to see all the animals that Ann has been talking about in Oceanography. When we first got there, we were introduced to some of the park rangers. We then ate lunch and had to change into our rubber boots because we knew we would be getting really wet. We took a small hike up to the beach. On the way we saw a lot of seals lying on the beach. We even got to see one of the newest babies. After finally getting down to the beach everyone was anxious to explore and touch things. Everyone touched the anemones first. When I first touched one of the open anemones it had a tiny shock to it, and the texture of it was very sticky. Hermit crabs were also really popular, everyone was picking them up and hoping they would come out of there shells. Jasmine was attached to one of the hermit crabs the whole time; she even named him “Hermie”. She was very sad when we had to leave him behind when it was time to go. After a bunch of exploring we had to get down to business and collect some data for our “Rocky Intertidal Lab”. After writing down all the data everyone was tired and relieved to go home. This week all of the girls have been getting along, and I look forward to the trip!
Briana Clemmons