Spring 2001 SEAmester East Journal
Sent weekly from sea by on-board SEAmester coordinator and professor Chris Hamilton ...
SEAmester Log, Part 1 March 6, 2001
Antigua, West Indies
Just over a week ago 23 eager and pale students filtered aboard the Schooner Harvey Gamage at a marina in St. Thomas to begin their SEAmester experience. That day was a cacophony of provisioning the ship, stowing gear and getting to know one another. At our social event on the first evening Captain J.B. Smith, Cathy Fach (humanities professor) and myself (science professor and program coordinator) led toasts and welcomed the students to the Caribbean, the ship and the program.
The following morning after an early wakeup (0630) and breakfast the students had a basic introduction to the ship and its safety features before we pulled out of the marina, raised the sails and pointed our bow toward St. John. We couldn't have asked for a better first day of sailing, a steady breeze out of the north (we were headed almost due east) blue skies with a few white puffy clouds, and the brilliant blue water of the Caribbean Sea beneath us. We took our time in getting there, practicing basic sailing maneuvering such as tacking, gybing and a man overboard drill, and eventually anchoring off the southern coast of beautiful St. John, a welcome relief after the development of St. Thomas. Following the first of many great dinners from the greatest cook ever, Laura, we gathered mid-ships for a 'get to know each other better' conversation. That first night the students shared the responsibility of standing anchor watch, making sure everything was in order while other shipmates slept.
After another early wake up and a hearty breakfast, we put ashore in Reef Bay for a cross-island hike (the crew would bring the ship to meet us at the other side of the island). Our hike started in the US Virgin Island's National Park and we worked our way from the coast, through the ruins of a sugar mill, past ancient petroglyphs and through the forest to the top of the island. This was the first visit to a tropical ecosystem for most, and everyone was impressed with the birds, flora and even the beach sand that is completely different than what we are used to at home. After a two-hour hot and sweaty hike, we reached the top of the island with not only a spectacular view of several other islands but also a tropical fruit smoothie bar! We followed the road down the other side of the island, visited the Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins, then met the ship in Leinster Bay, where we spent the rest of the day snorkeling among the corals, rays and tropical fish. Not a bad first day in the field! We all slept like babies that night.
I would also like to mention that we are fortunate to have with us on this trip and independent videographer, Jill Mara, from In the Wild Productions. She is videotaping the entire trip to produce a video memento for the students, a short promotional piece for SEAmester, and possibly a program for television broadcast. She had no problem finding several students to volunteer to be profiled on the video, as a way of portraying the SEAmester experience through the students' eyes.
So, we are now up to day four, which was filled with academics. Yes, the start of all classes, six all together, punctuated by a swim call after lunch and several visits from a hawksbill sea turtle. That night, after a spotted eagle ray glided past our ship (with its ten foot long tail) about 17 of us went on a night snorkel to see the reef in a completely different way. At first light, the next morning, we set sail for Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. After a plankton tow and more sail handling, we reached the island, cleared through customs and went ashore in the late afternoon to visit the Baths. The Baths are not a spa but rather a unique and beautiful stretch of coastline strewn with massive boulders of granite, whose presence is anomalous in this region of limestone and volcanic rocks. We spent the end of the day climbing these massive rocks, and swimming in the beaches, caves and natural pools flushed with seawater by the waves. Fresh coconuts and sunset on the beach were followed by dinner in town and back to the boat to end another fine day.
After a morning of classes we set sail off the hook (from anchor) and headed out into the Anegada Passage toward Antigua. The sailing was a beautiful as we left the Virgin Islands and the sun behind us on the horizon and headed out to sea. The wind was light and steady, but unfortunately was coming from near the direction in which we needed to sail, so we fired up the main engine and motor sailed through the night. This was our first night underway, and many students were excited by the experience of sailing by moonlight, and the bioluminescent dinoflagellates in the water. Some were less thrilled by the overall situation, those that were feeling seasick. By morning, most were feeling pretty good and we had another full day of classes (always a good preventative for nausea!). Late in the day, we sailed past the spectacular island of Saba, a steep and rugged volcanic peak rising out of the sea. We sailed close enough to catch a glimpse of the white tailed tropic birds soaring the cliffs, the red and whie gingerbread houses and the lush vegetation of the higher elevations reaching into its own island created cloud.
So, we arrived in Antigua, where we are anchored in English Harbor, one of the most protected in all the Caribbean, which is good for us because we are expecting strong winds out of the south west (very unusual for the Caribbean) for the next few days. We will remain here snug as a bug in a rug continuing our academics, and having historical and scientific field trips until the seas have calmed enough for us to anchor off of Montserrat, our next destination just an overnight sail away.
Most of you are probably wondering about one very important facet of the trip that I have thus far omitted, have we caught any fish? Yes! We set the line out in the Anegada Passage and within a few hours caught a decent sized (32") mackerel which we filleted and served with dinner. We expect to catch many more much bigger and better tasting fish, so stay tuned.
Fair winds and calm seas,
Chris Hamilton
