Fall 2001 SEAmester East Journal

Sent weekly from sea by students on-board SEAmester ...

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SEAmester Log, Part 4

Dawn Watch

Darkness. We stumble up the stairs rubbing sleep out of our eyes, mittens on our fingers, woolen hats and snowman layers hindering our movement. Slowly we emerge, one by one from the shadows into the thickness of sea air and stars. The brightest catch our eyes at first, and we raise our heads against the wind and follow up the lines, past the sails and masts, flags and then a sea of magic and lights. We stare in awe as the sails pass before us, back and forth in the rocking sea, bowing in the majesty of brilliance we behold. We stand and stare, breathing in the night and it fills us, consumes us, and we billow as the giant sails and move, to the bow, to the helm, to the lines and sails that lift us through the sea. And so we passed the night, bow watch, boat checks, helm and sails, and then the sun came up. At first the sky was dark and then silent, simple pale, and the stars were fading into blue. The pink came slowly, fire and ice in the clouds but still we could not see the sun. The sails flapped in the breeze and we ran, sheeting in the staysail, jibing the fore and we looked back and there it was, an orange glow peeking through the clouds and suddenly, the sun. It rose slowly, as the b oat rose and fell across the water, and ripples of gold raced towards the bow. A ball of fire rose in the sky, and the last of the stars disappeared into the fading night. So brilliant, so clear, and the tiny boats, beckoned to the crystal waters scattered like shards of glass all around. The dark and silent waters came to the life and suddenly we could see. Welcome to the world, a breath of fresh air, shocking our newborn eyes into blindness, the trees, the land, all that was welcome and brilliant and our hearts cried out "We're here, we're here." and we celebrated another day.

-Skye Schmidt
SEAmester Student

Previous Fall 2001 SEAmester East entries:
Log 1: Prof. Chris Hamilton
Log 2: Marissa Benigno
Log 3: Andrew Hudak

Prof. Hamilton's Journal Archive
Spring 2001 Fall 2000