The Telltale

The Telltale
Wind - Rudder Indicator and Tale Bearer of
The Caribbean Sea~mester
British Virgin Islands, Nevis, Grenada
Fall Edition 2007, Volume I
Word from the editors:
Bios: Who’s on board?
We are happy to bring you the first installment
of the Sea|mester telltale fall 2007 edition. We
are having a blast down here in the Caribbean,
enjoying the sun and warm water as we sail,
scuba dive, learn how to navigate and learn about
the marine environment. We are making the
most of everyday and are busy from sunrise to
sunset and beyond. Here are a few of our
adventures from Ocean Star. Enjoy!
Joe Castano and Mandy Bidwell
Photo Editor: Mick Long
Conor Clancy (student): Conor Clancy is
your cookie cutter all American boy.
In
Newburyport Mass.,
where he grew up,
Conor was actively
engaged in sports. He
played
football,
baseball,
and
basketball.
Priding
himself as a star
athlete Conor brings a
lot of happiness to his
very, very Irish family.
Conor knows a lot
about working as a
cohesive pack to achieve a common goal of
success, and put these ideals and skills to work
on the field. When talking with Conor you can
really get a sense of how important his family is
to him. It makes you understand why he works
so hard to make them proud. His passion for
sports followed him through Springfield State
College where he
played football. After
two
years
at
Springfield, Conor is
now taking a break to
discover what is
really important to
him,
other
than
family.
Samantha
Dworkin (student):
Samantha
1
is
why he no longer
pursues the sport. He
attended
the
University of FL and
through
his
experiences there he
realized that his real
passion lay in the sea
and sailing.
He
immersed himself in
the marine industry
and learned the ins and
outs of yachts and
sailing. After going through all the necessary
steps he became a Captain and has been sailing
around the world and building ships for
Sea|mester programs. Boomer carries with him
countless tales of his adventures and experiences
around the world that he readily shares with us
every day.
graciously taking time out of her fast paced life
in Newton, Massachusetts to work alongside us
as a determined student and sailor. As a toddler
Sami loved puppies and even tried to steal
puppies from other people. She is no stranger to
the outdoors, Sami spent many months every
year for seven years at a Jewish wilderness
camp. At camp she learned how to survive and
live sustainably on her own.
Tired of the
dangers and challenges of her rugged Jewish
ways Sami spent most of her teenage years
getting into trouble and being a good friend. She
is currently a student at the University of
Delaware and is here to find herself and discover
what she is passionate about, other than her faith.
Conor McEntee
(student):
This
Scottish/Irish hybrid
has lived all over
Connecticut.
His
childhood and teenage
years were spent
moving around a lot.
You might at first
think it must have
been hard on him, yet
he feels completely
different about it.
Conor was happy to move around and always
meet new people and experience new things. He
used to be very into contact sports like lacrosse
until a few years back.
In a terrible
skateboarding accident, Conor fell into a coma
and received traumatic head injuries.
He
miraculously bounced back within days and
walked out of the hospital with only some
stitches and the loss of a few senses, which
include smell and taste. Unable to participate in
contact sports anymore Conor fell into music and
discovered his passion for it. When he isn’t
rocking out with his band, Conor is skating,
surfing, attending art school, and interning for an
architect. On board many believe that he is
trying to become the next Jack Sparrow (where
is the originality?).
Stephen Hart (student): Stephen is a
strapping young lad from New Hampshire. He is
now thousands of miles away from his best
friend, his twin sister. He enjoys long walks on
the beach and thousand page volumes of French
poetry. It is not a good idea to wake him up, eat
his chocolate, or steal his pineapple; he can get
quite grumpy. Stephen is quite fond of tea...
some may say he's a
little teapot, even
though he is neither
short
nor
stout.
Stephen often talks
about his surfing
adventures in Costa
Rica, but we have not
seen his skills in
action. He also claims
to possess skills in
ultimate
frisbee,
cross-country, and ski
team
(except
he
snowboarded). Stephen is a do-gooder and a
leader; he was part of Amnesty International, an
honor council rep, a class rep and a dorm proctor
at Lawrence Academy. After this, Stephen will
be attending UVM, and spending lots of time
with Joe.
Boomer Baumeister (captain):
His real
name I don’t know. It remains a mystery. What
I do know is that his father started calling him
Boomer when he was really little and the name
stuck. Boomer is from Palm Harbor, FL. As a
youngster Boomer was really into BMX biking.
Some say that most of his stunts consisted of
Napoleon Dynamite type tricks. Maybe that is
Chantale Bégin (1st mate & Marine Science
Instructor): This French delicacy comes from
Quebec. Chantale grew up in a family of seven.
Her siblings are diverse and in their own right
unique and skilled. As a youngster Chantale was
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in his heart and won.
All that is left is a
scar that reminds him
of his strength and
how he defeated a foe
that has and continues
to conquer many.
Mick spends almost
every
minute
outdoors on boats
fishing.
His
obsession with fish
has
raised
many
rumors on board claiming that he wakes up in
the middle of the night, pokes his head over the
cap rail and talks to the fish passing by. He
aspires to become a charter boat captain in the
Caribbean. If that doesn’t work out he says he
will look into piracy. The swordsman Mandy
and wannabe pirate Conor M. plan on joining
him if he does.
known as the wild
one of the bunch. As
a child she rejected
the attempts of her
mother to get her into
ballet and instead
embraced
hockey.
Her other interest
was classical music
and she played the
clarinet for many
years.
She often
thought of being the
next Yo Yo Ma, but
decided otherwise. After her teenage years she
went on to study at Halifax and in Quebec City
where she received a Masters in marine ecology.
After diving and researching marine life in the
cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic
she made the move down to South America and
the Caribbean where she studied sperm whales
and conducted tropical research. For the past
few years she has been traveling the world and
molding the minds of young sailors and students
on Ocean Star and Argo.
Kyle
Busacker
(2nd mate): This staff
member is coming to
us straight out of a
covered wagon from
the Oregon Trail.
Kyle Busacker is
Ocean Star’s second
mate and hails from
Bend,
Oregon.
Growing
up
in
Oregon
Kyle
developed a fondness
for adventure, pioneering, and the outdoors,
which explains his superior athleticism when it
comes to aerial acrobatics off the rigging of
Ocean Star into the sea. However, his dare devil
antics landed him with a collarbone in pieces
after a freak snowboarding accident. To cope
with the experience and for rehabilitation Kyle
looked towards the arts for peace of mind and
body. After attending the University of Oregon
(figures) where he studied history, jazz, film, and
business, Kyle kept himself busy entertaining
customers as a tepanyaki chef at a Japanese steak
house. Kyle moved on to work for Action Quest
and Sea|mester after attaining his PADI rescue
diver and MCA master of yachts.
Isobel Flake (student): Isobel was born for
life at sea. Growing up on the island of Martha’s
Vineyard it is easy to
assume it only comes
naturally. Her whole
life has been either
spent in the water
(she
schooled
everyone in our
PADI swim test the
first day) or traveling
the
world.
Extremely
athletic
Isobel played soccer,
squash,
lacrosse,
basketball,
and
tennis. When she wasn’t schooling people at
sports she was busy doing arts and crafts with
her chocolate lab Molly. She is currently a
student at Wheaton College. She is inspired by
Jane Goodall whom she previously met and one
day wants to make a similar difference in the
world.
Mick Long (student): We’d like to think that
Joseph Castano (student):
Joe is your
typical Vermont tree hugger. Raised in the
outdoors he has become an adamant hiker,
mountain climber, golfer, and of course Frisbee
Mick floated here on a makeshift powerboat
made from dental floss, Crisco, and submarine
parts from Fort Lauderdale, FL. Mick is a very
admirable individual. He battled serious cancer
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freak. If Joe isn’t
doing
yoga
and
finding his inner chi
he
is
probably
cooking or reading.
Joe
has
always
appreciated
fine
dining and has made
some very bold,
unique,
and
surprisingly
good
meals on board.
When asked about
his teenage years all I
got out of Joe was that he had a ponytail and was
either wearing a leather jacket or double popped
collars, need I say more. Joe is currently
studying English and history at the University of
Vermont. On board Joe has plowed through a
number of books in a matter of days. Joe has
done a considerable amount of traveling and
enjoys entertaining others with his many stories
and eccentric accents.
Kirsty
Nash
(Marine
Science
Instructor):
This
foreign import comes
from Haddenham in
the U.K., which was
declared
“Best
Village 2007” by
questionable
authorities. Growing
up in a quaint country
village, Kirsty was
fascinated
by
miniature donkeys, which decorated the grassy
hills and valleys. The animal’s boldness inspired
Kirsty to become the most skilled lacrosse player
Britain has ever seen. Her incredible skill
enabled her to destroy competitors across oceans
in the U.S. as a young teen. At sixteen Kirsty
traveled with her school to Namibia and knew
from that point on she was destined to travel the
world.
She attended the Universities of
Southampton and James Cook where she
received prestigious degrees in oceanography,
marine biology, and a Masters in tropical marine
ecology. For the past few years Kirsty has lived
all over Australia and the Seychelles doing
research and conservation work on corals while
living like a beach bum. Let’s just say she is
right at home with us in the Caribbean.
Mandy Bidwell (student): Mandy Bidwell is
joining us from Andover, Connecticut. As a
young child Mandy was unusually gifted
musically with bizarre instruments that no one
has played in hundreds of years like the fife,
which she plays to boost the morale on board
from time to time.
This grade grubbing
over
achiever
excelled in high
school and at SUNY
Purchase where she
went
to
college.
Mandy was a member
of the National Honor
Society, president of
the art club, film,
cheese (odd to say the
least), and fencing
club. She received
degrees in philosophy
and music. In her free time Mandy goes to zoos
and spends most of the time gazing upon red
pandas, which inspire her to do good and make
the world a better place. Mandy wants to spend
this time in her life after college learning about
the oceans and sailing so that she can crew a
pirate ship and really get to put her fencing skills
to use.
Tyler Fields (student): Tyler Fields is yet
another person from the state of Oregon. He
comes from the city of Albany, which is known
for its bad wind and stinky odor (which explains
why the six man cabin smells so bad). As an
infant Tyler rocked out at a Riders in The Sky
concert and got his dirty diaper signed by the
band.
The diaper
now lives in an air
sealed display case
on the mantle of his
fireplace…weird.
Tyler explains his
adolescent years as “a
mixture of awkward
moments and hard
lessons learned.” He
is currently enrolled
at the University of
Oregon, go figure.
Through
his
experiences
with
other people he earned the nickname of polar
bear, which coincidently is his favorite animal.
4
This polar bear is moved by Monet’s Water
Lilies and slurpies from Seven Eleven and we
are all happy to have him on board.
Henry
up to help. That is when I first caught glimpse of
a little bit of land called Sandy Spit. The tiny
island is like something out of a dream. Blue
water lapping gently at a soft, sandy shore, a
couple of palm trees and some other island
vegetation is all that is there. I immediately felt
Reuss
(student): This fitness
freak comes from
Wilston,
Vermont.
As a kid, if Henry
wasn’t
fighting
everyone
on
the
soccer field he was
pretending to be a
ninja. It was clear
from this point on by
all who knew him
when he was little
that he would always be active. Henry played
football, lacrosse, practiced martial arts, and
played competitive paintball. He excelled so
much in paintball that he landed himself a
sponsorship and played semi-pro before he got
here. Henry’s only concerns right now are
making sure that whatever he does he stays
active and healthy, and making sure he is never
in the same place for too long.
the urge to jump ship and swim ashore to bask in
paradise. My fate turned out to be even better—I
didn’t have to swim there, I just had to hop in the
dinghy and hop out a few feet away from the
beach. There were a handful of other people
there, but they didn’t bother us, and they left
before we did, so we got to enjoy the island’s
pleasures by ourselves. The next few hours were
spent swimming, relaxing, throwing around a
football, exploring the island and watching
captain Boomer and first mate Chantale rip
across the water on their windsurfers. We
Brad Gustafson
(student):
This
swash buckling kid
from
Charleston,
South
Carolina
washed up on Beef
Island
eager
to
explore
the
Caribbean. Brad has
the upper hand on
this ship because
growing
up
he
apprenticed under his
older brother (who happens to be a sailor) and
learned the ins and outs of the sea. When asked
to describe his earlier years Brad simply replied,
“A series of exciting events snowballing into
constant running from the East India Trading
Company.” Not wanting to venture too far from
the ocean side city he loves, Brad now attends
school at the College of Charleston.
Stephen Hart
observed a goat standing on a nearby island, and
watched seabirds dive into the water hunting for
food. We had a peaceful afternoon relaxing on a
bit of uninhabited land, a rare find in today’s
hustle and bustle.
Mandy Bidwell
Sandy Spit
I was hanging out on Ocean Star as we motored
along to our next destination. I had no idea what
we were in for next; I was just enjoying the ride.
I heard the call for an anchor team, and jumped
5
the World Series. "Princess" was now booting,
and proved to us all something that we already
knew…quesadillas were not a good idea for
dinner on the first night of our first passage.
Time went on, watch groups changed and one by
Passage to Nevis
The first passage was our rite of passage. It was a
34-hour adventure between Tortola, our arrival
destination on day one, and Nevis, a stunning
island in the West Indies. This would be a test of
character and a way for us to “earn our sea legs,”
so to speak. We sailed away from the comforts
of land around two o’clock on September 29th
knowing that it would be the last land we would
see for at least a day. It was our first experience
on open water. It had been made clear that some
of us might struggle at the mercy of the ocean.
Some of us knew we would be all right, others
one the student body dropped. Half of us,
myself included, spent a good amount of time
hanging over deck, doing our best to enjoy the
phytoplankton glowing beneath us in the wake of
the boat. That is, if you could see it through the
vomit. We laid there possibly feeling the most
nauseous we have ever felt, while the other half
of us, who were experiencing the same elements,
slept comfortably below claiming the waves that
made us ill, “rocked us back and forth to sleep in
our bunks.” Stephen and Isobel got it the worst.
Stephen threw up so violently it caused his nose
to bleed. Isobel spent about thirty hours lying
down in the same position, in the same spot; the
rain didn’t even faze her.
anticipated seasickness.
The crew was divided into three watch groups.
These groups would be the same for the rest of
the trip. Three hours on, six hours off. Our
responsibilities had been assigned to us and we
all knew what we had to do. There was bow
watch, hourly checks and of course, taking over
at the helm and being responsible for getting the
students, staff and ship to where we wanted to
go. Duty started shortly after pulling out of the
harbor and allowed us for the first time to
actually understand the power of the ship and the
feeling of being in control of her.
As time went on and the waves took their toll,
we all sat laughing about who it was that we
thought would be chest down on the deck first. I
was sure that it would be me. I tend to submit to
motion sickness rather fast and was sure that in
no time I wouldn’t be able to control my
weaknesses.
The next thing I know, there’s Joe, suspended in
midair parallel to the deck after a running start,
soaring through the air and finally coming to a
sliding stop at the edge of the deck. His head was
under the cap rail only feet away from the
roaring ocean. He resembled a baseball player
sprinting home to score the final, winning run of
All of us agree that despite eight foot swells,
nausea and the unfamiliar sensation of the open
sea, it was a breath taking experience (in more
ways than one, its hard to breathe while
constantly vomiting). Despite the sickness, I
didn’t want to be anywhere else with anyone else
6
“Hey” to a friend, signal a turn, or swerve around
an inevitable crash involving a flatbed, a small
goat, and one young American student going
down the hill out of control on a rented mountain
bike. We learned a lot very quickly; what local
food tastes great, where to find the Internet cafés,
and that we should follow Kirsty if we need ice
cream. We have been told Nevis is just the start
and if the islands to the south are anything like
Nevis we are all in for a great term!
Tyler Fields
doing anything other than what we were doing.
This was the first “adventure” of many more to
come. We all got through it together and
successfully, and safely arrived at the beautiful
island of Nevis with a little more experience
under our belts.
Conor McEntee
Nevis
Nevis was our first stop and a whole new
experience for this kid from Oregon. Going from
the BVI’s to Nevis is like being dropped into a
whole new world. Before we headed for land,
Boomer gave us the rundown on the island and
suggested a handful of local restaurants to check
out. The experience was interesting; as soon as
you step on the dock you are swarmed by cab
drivers who are offering to take you everywhere,
locals talking a hundred miles an hour, and cars
flying in every direction. Charleston’s streets are
very narrow and are packed with cars. The
The Source: Blisters, Twisted
Ladders, Mudslides and One
Hell of a Good Time
Our first on land excursion took most of the
group to the Source, where the island of Nevis
gets its naturally pure water. Located on the side
of the tallest mountain on Nevis, it was our first
real hike up anything since reaching the
Caribbean. Being that it was our first hike, many
did not know what to really expect, including
what type of clothing or footwear should be
utilized (sandals for yours truly, they cause
blisters). What seemed like would be a very easy
hour and twenty minutes up a pristine mountain
side soon turned into the group getting hot, dirty,
and just generally worked all over…in a good
way.
As we started our climb we mostly traveled in
drivers in the Caribbean can be a little insane.
Lanes are just a suggestion and speeds are
whatever your car, van, or truck can do. The car
horn is used more here than anywhere in the
world (my own opinion). The horn is used to say
7
unison, wandering past old houses, broken down
cars, skinny little dogs, goats and very large
When we came to the end of the treck we were
confronted with a rather sketchy, curvy, rusty old
ladder that was bolted into the side of the rock
face. Each of us took turns climbing to the top
with the hope we would not fall, and the ladder
would not split from the side of the rock. With
all of us on top we enjoyed our first taste of the
hikes we would experience on the trip. It was a
good moment, in which we all took some pride.
But we had to travel back from where we came,
blistered and tired, knowing each future island
holds some little thing to conquer.
Joe Castano
slumbering pigs. But as the hike became more of
a climb the group began to split, and everyone
worked at whatever pace they wished. The path
twisted and turned through some of the greenest
and densest vegetation we had ever seen, all the
time with a very slippery edge just off our right
shoulder, making each of us take rather careful
A ride through the country,
literally
I'm not sure how many people can say that they
have biked around or through an entire nation;
but the skipper of Ocean Star and five of his
crewmembers now belong to the group of people
who can say they have done just that. Whether it
was a challenge or just another day in the sun,
the 20 or so mile bike ride circumnavigating the
island of Nevis was one experience I have no
steps. As the climb continued we began to
wonder how people could actually bring
thousands of pounds of pipe and cement up a
trail that we were having a hard time just
topping. This led us to the conclusion that the
people of Nevis are Herculean and must possess
super human drive.
doubt each of us will always remember. For
some like Boomer it was another go at it, one
8
road, only to be passed by them some time later
after we took to some shade at a bus stop.
A couple more hills, including one mammoth
straight uphill road nicknamed “the spirit
breaker” by Boomer, eventually led to the nicest
20 minute downhill ride anyone could ever
enjoy, which then culminated into a nice ride
through downtown Charleston, the capital of
Nevis. There we had a most delicious lunch from
Maria’s, served out of the side of an old school
bus. Refueled and re-energized, Boomer, Tyler
and I set off for the final 15 minutes of the trip
through the rest of Charleston where I
experienced some lovely cramps in the legs and
finally ended back where we began, two and half
hours, 20 miles, and one country later.
Conor Clancy
more notch on a long list of accomplishments;
for others including myself, it was one of most
rewarding experiences of our lives. When we
turned the final corner to meet Reggie, who
rented us the very bikes that now carried us
toward him, we were filled with a sense of relief
but also extreme accomplishment and
excitement. A 20-mile bike ride was on a list of
things that I would not have ever expected to
attempt, much less complete.
The bike trip started easily enough along a nice
level stretch of road going around the backside
of Nevis, along an airstrip and then right next to
the ocean. It was here that experienced riders
such as Henry and superb athletes Isobel and
Kirsty took off down the road ahead of the rest
of the pack. Tyler, Boomer and I were not to be
seen by them again until Reggie’s, two and half
hours away. The rest of the mostly uphill trip for
Boomer, Tyler and I was filled with laughter, a
The Passage to Grenada
Our day began with the usual; preparing the ship
for passage. We were planning two and a half
days of sailing. We plotted the course out and
began to raise the sails to start making way to
our destination. We were all then split into our
watch teams, which consists of three teams
taking turns in watching out for the boat and
maintaining it. The team would be on for three
hours and off for six until we arrived at the
destination. We would continue our daily duties
as normal.
The passage was off to a great start; we were a
few hours into the trip without anybody losing
their lunch. The sail consisted of nice calm days
with light chop and sunny skies. The nights were
just as nice as the days; no clouds in the skies but
millions of stars. We sailed over a vast ocean
spotting shooting stars, and dolphins with
bioluminescent green trails behind them. They
swam in front of our bow as if they were leading
us to a more peaceful place.
The night before we arrived in Grenada we were
lot of sweat, and embarrassingly a little walking
and resting in the shade. Laughs erupted from
jokes about how uphill the entire ride was, how
awfully uncomfortable the seats were, how very
hot it was outside and how at one point we
passed a few local women walking down the
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the fish for lunch the next day; it was delicious.
Mick Long
The Seven Sisters Waterfalls
Nestled high in the quiet hills of Grenada there is
a special place known as the Seven Sisters
Waterfalls. I got to visit these waterfalls the
other day and it was one of the high points of my
life. Even just getting to the waterfalls was a bit
of an adventure. We climbed up a big winding
hill in a cramped van that roared up and around
the corners, at times struggling to keep its grip.
When we arrived we where greeted by an excited
individual named Cliffon. He took us on a short
hike and on our way taught us about local plants
like nutmeg and cinnamon. I liked him; he was
really cool, he always said “mon” and was
extremely knowledgeable about the world that
surrounds him. His cheery and worry-free mood
made me feel much the same way.
When we arrived at the waterfall many of us
where quite shocked at the realization that we
cleaning up dinner then suddenly we heard one
of the fishing reels scream. Our captain Boomer
was the first to grab the rod as the fish continued
to spool line from the reel. We slowed down the
boat so that our catch would be easier to bring in.
We all started to make guesses on what it was.
As the fish came closer I shouted out “it’s a
Wahoo!” I grabbed the gaff and was able to gaff
it and bring it into the boat. I then got a strong
grip on the fish while it was flipping around
violently and I tried not to make a mess on the
would be flinging ourselves off it. In front of us
stood a massive waterfall about 45 feel tall. It
was a gorgeous sight. To get to the top of it and
all the higher tiers we had to hike a bit. The
tension was building knowing that we where on
our way to jumping the big one.
We arrived at the first jump a few moments later.
Cliffon explained to us the correct technique and
the right spot to land. He jumped first no
problem. I was next. The second jump wasn’t
very high or tricky; it was just quite shallow.
Cliffon told us we should sit in the air and land
on our bottoms. Once again every one pulled it
off just fine. After we all jumped, Cliffon
climbed back up and disappeared for a short
moment. We saw him come bouncing full speed
towards the cliff and executing a spectacular
display of grace and agility as he dove in from a
higher point than we had. After a short walk
deck. It took about ten minutes to put the fish
down. After the fish was dead we were able to
estimate it as a forty-pound Wahoo, which we
took pictures of and I then started to filet. We
bagged it and continued with our duties and
ended up in Grenada the next morning. We ate
10
down some running water and a shallow dive
into another pool, we arrived at the last waterfall.
air; my peace was broken by a violent reentry
into reality as I hit the water. It was only 11:33
and already I felt as if my day was complete.
After we all jumped, it was Cliffon’s turn. He
As we came upon the last jump I realized the
extreme height of it and got very excited; I
couldn’t wait to jump, others where a bit more
hesitant. I heard one of my mates ask himself
what he was doing here; “living,” said Cliffon.
He told us that he would stay at the top and be
the last one to jump. This meant I was first and I
wouldn’t have had it any other way. I peered
over the edge and our guide explained to us the
proper way to land. I flung myself off the cliff.
The adrenalin hit me like a brick, filling me with
absolute peace. As I fell back to earth, I had time
to think about how nice it was falling through the
came bounding to the cliff at full speed and
bounced of the rocks like a cheetah. In mid air he
stopped all movement and posed, it was almost
as if he had stopped falling all together. After
seeing that, my day really was complete and so
too was our adventure to the Seven Sisters
Waterfalls in Grenada.
Henry
Hesitation Blues
Everyone experiences a moment of hesitation at
one point or another. Some people choose to take
the plunge and others choose to walk away. That
instant, when you decide to jump or turn, is what
defines you.
It was a Sunday morning when the Ocean Star
crew was scheduled to take a hike up a waterfall
in Grenada. The day began the same as any other
day. We woke up. We had breakfast. We cleaned
up. We got in the dinghy and set out for an
exhilarating day. The cab to the waterfall was
filled with such anticipation that you could
almost touch it. We arrived at the path where we
were to start our hike.
At that point my adrenaline was pumping and I
was not confident that I could make the hike
down to the falls. I tossed all of my worries to
the wind and set off down the mountain. To my
surprise, I completed the hike and actually did
quite well. I was extremely proud of myself.
Then I realized that the hard part hadn’t even
begun.
Standing at the top of the 15-foot waterfall was
troubling enough. Jumping down it, well that
seemed nearly impossible. Yet, it was either the
adrenaline or the confidence I gained from
11
was not weak for making the decision to turn
around. I knew it was something I wasn’t ready
to do. You have to take life one step at a time,
but keep striving for that next step. I had just
defeated my fear of climbing up the waterfall
and tomorrow I can work on the next challenge.
She helped me realize that I shouldn’t be scared
of what my shipmates might think of me but that
I should be proud of what I had already
accomplished. Kirsty completely changed my
view on life and I will forever be thankful for
that.
My moment of hesitation happened on Sunday,
October 7th. I chose to walk away and in that
instant I defined myself. I might not be ready to
jump of a cliff but in my own way, I know I am
strong.
Sami Dworkin
making it up the hike, I was sure I could take the
plunge. As I watched all of my shipmates falling
through mid-air, landing with a great splash, my
mind began to race. What if I couldn’t jump far
enough? What if I slipped and hit my head on
those rocks? What if I jumped and never came
back up.
By the time my turn came, my legs were
shaking. I could see eyes of confusion staring up
at me from below. My shipmates began cheering
encouragement. I was thankful for the kind
words but overcome with the pressure it left me
with. I looked into Kyle’s experienced eyes for
assurance. He not only said it with his eyes but
he also used words of inspiration.
I wanted to jump for Kyle. I wanted to jump for
my shipmates. Most importantly, I wanted to
jump for me. I made my way to the edge of the
cliff and stared down at the water below. My
legs began to shake faster.
If only I hadn’t hesitated. If only I had just gone
first. If only I hadn’t thought about it so much. If
only.
But I did hesitate. With Kirsty’s look of
reassurance, I made the decision to climb back
down the waterfall. I walked away. Tears formed
in my eyes and the shame rolled off my cheeks.
In my mind, I was instantly defined as a loser. I
couldn’t do it. I was weak.
As Kirsty and I headed down the falls, she gave
me some words of wisdom that changed me
completely. She helped me to understand that I
Life on board
Whatever you thought of it, think again. From
the time we wake up to the smell or sound of
cooking (when we aren’t chef or sous chef) to
the time we doze off to the gentle lull of the boat,
there is almost never a dull moment. Each day,
the shipmates are “knighted” with a title for the
12
fresh water are more like side dishes. To take a
shower, you jump-in, get out, lather-up, jump-in,
get out and rinse off. It sounds easy, but during
shower time, you’ve got to be ready to react. For
example, if one were to casually come aboard
during shower time, they would most likely
wipeout on the much-dreaded “product.”
“Product” and the shipmates have a love-hate
relationship.
Yeah, it could be said that
“product” keeps us smelling fresh and clean, but
once you have fallen flat on your bottom on the
deck of a steel ship, you have more than likely
become the victim of “product.” So, showering
could be one of the riskiest actions that we
partake in onboard Ocean Star.
Bunk life has an interesting perspective as well.
One may need to crawl up or down in order to
safely enter their bunk. At this point they are
most likely surrounded by dirty clothes, zip-lock
bags, and stuff they brought but never use.
Basically, anything that we brought sleeps within
a foot radius of our bodies, so if we get lazy and
unorganized, then there ends up being little space
for us to sleep. The biggest problem one can run
into with the bunk life, is what I will call “smelly
shoes.” After hiking, or biking on shore, we all
come back with sweaty, muddy, and salty
sneakers. For the careless souls aboard, these
contaminated sneakers join the crew in their
musty bunk area. After about a night, these dirty
sneakers have been roasting in the hull of poor
Ocean Star, and they flat-out reek. The smell
spreads like the plague and every shipmate is
dying to find the culprit of the smelly shoes. On
rare occasions, the shoes and their owner are
identified, but surely we are never quite the
same. We know that it’s only a matter of time
before another attack of the smelly shoes.
Isobel Flake
day. Individuals become objects of their duties,
creating a cyclic balance on which Ocean Star
and the crew depends. For example, skipper of
the day--sounds simple enough to tell people
what to do, right? This person needs to make
sure that the chef and sous chef are up and
cooking in time for a 7:30 breakfast, 12:00
lunch, and 18:00 dinner; gophers 1 and 2 need to
be setting-up, then cleaning up meals; salties 1
and 2 need to be cleaning scum off of dirty
dishes; the freshy needs to be rinsing dishes;
driers 1 and 2 need to be drying clean dishes;
deckies 1 and 2 need to be washing crumbs off
the deck; the bosun needs to be keeping things
(lines, belongings, etc.) ship-shape on deck; the
engineer needs to monitor the engine, generator,
water-maker, batteries, and make sure everyone
leaves their lights and fans off when not in use.
This exhilarating process takes place on Ocean
Star a healthy three times a day, and every day
our jobs rotate. Of course, it’s not all work.
Between breakfast and dinner, we could be doing
any number of things--sailing, diving,
snorkeling, windsurfing, having class, exploring
shore, or maintaining Ocean Star (Boat
Appreciation Day). After dinner, we usually
have class, do homework, or if we are
completely bushed, we go to bed. Showers are a
total separate part of the schedule, and
ultimately, the onboard experience. Good old
salt water is the main ingredient; “product” and
13
The Telltale
Wind - Rudder Indicator and Tale Bearer of
The Caribbean Sea|mester
Grenadines, St. Lucia, Martinique
Fall Edition 2007, Volume II
1100. Turns out, it wasn't just rain we were
working against, we were also experiencing wind
Word from the editors:
We have safely rounded the half-way point of
our adventure. We have climbed mountains,
dove into the abyss, and sailed many miles.
Time is really flying by; no one can believe that
we’ve already passed the half-way mark. The
second half is said to go much faster, so we’re
trying to make the most of every moment…
Isobel and Mandy
that was pushing 50 knots. First, we had to set
our anchor, in the strong winds the crew had to
work flawlessly to insure a good bite. We set our
secondary anchor because the winds were so
strong. The idea was to use two anchors set in a
45 degree spread to make sure that we wouldn’t
Tobago Cays
We arrived in the Tobago Cays on a rainy day at
1
up and launch ourselves about 40 ft through the
air and let go. We did this for many hours until
we had to stop due to more wet weather. After
we put the boom swing away, we went down
below to get to work and start our oceanography
research projects. Time in the Tobago Cays was
spent exploring the little islands and enjoying an
assortment of water sports and dives. Even
though the weather was quite rainy and windy
we all had a great time. The water of the Tobago
Cays was some of the clearest and most
breathtaking of all the places we have been to so
far on our great journey.
Mick
drag. In the process of setting our secondary
anchor we managed to foul it. We ended up
sending three staff members in dive gear to
check out what happened. Boomer decided that
we totally drop the chain off the side of the boat.
After unfouling the secondary, we pulled the
chain back up by “heave hoeing” it using the
muscle power of five or six shipmates. It was a
longer anchoring than usual but out here that is
how it sometimes goes. We were exhausted
from what we had been doing, so we all went
below to recuperate.
The next day, after all that hard work all our
Hunting for Elkhorn
Elkhorn coral survey is the name and Elkhorn is
the game. Elkhorn coral is a rare and threatened
species, and Elkhorn coral surveying recently
became a part of the numerous activities we
participate in on board Ocean Star. Each survey
starts with a group of two to three enthused
shipmates, one or two psyched staff members,
and one slightly disappointed shipmate whose
efforts were rewarded as we set up the boom
swing for the first time. This happens when we
raise the main boom to a 45 degree angle and
push it outboard, then swing from about ten feet
duty consists of surface support or dinghy patrol,
2
depending on whether the survey is a dive or a
snorkel. Once geared-up and ready for the
adventure, the team heads out with high-tech
underwater cameras and a hand-held GPS. At
the site, everyone unloads and the hunt begins.
Bequia
Bequia was an excellent experience. The town
was full of interesting shops, great restaurants,
and lots of friendly locals. The first day we had a
local artist named Willie, a friend of Boomer,
sail out to Ocean Star on a very small boat. His
boat, "No Complain" was the literally the size of
a large coffee table and Willie’s sail was a
homemade chute that he held with both his arms
and feet. If that was not enough, as he sailed
towards us you could hear him whistling a tune.
Many of us bought his carvings and jewelry
We are told that Elkhorn coral resembles fire
coral, but Elkhorn has visible corallites and sure
enough, looks like the horns you might imagine
to find atop an elusive elk. Once you’ve seen a
colony of Elkhorn, it’s pretty easy to identify.
The size of the coral may be small when
developing, or quite large when full-grown. No
matter the size, it’s always a bit of a thrill when
you first locate a specimen of Elkhorn coral.
When there is a sighting, the bearer of the handheld GPS is notified and the location of the coral
is taken. The positions of all the Elkhorn are
taken with the GPS, valuable information that is
eventually sent to the NOAA organization in
Miami. After a few hours, the team will have
while he was on board and enjoyed listening to
how he creates his work. Once on shore, the
island grew on all of us as we ventured through
the little city and it soon became one of our
favorites. I walked along the streets talking to
local vendors and spent some time in the local
open market, where I found some delicious fruits
and vegetables. A handful of us became very
good friends with a local we met outside a
covered a large area of reefs, gathered important
data, and it is soon time to head back to Ocean
Star. With two successful surveys under our
belts, I hope that I can speak for everyone to say
that it feels good to contribute to such important
research and have a good time doing it.
Isobel
restaurant. Star Fox was a very friendly little
dog that seemed to like a few of us and tended to
follow our movements very intently. Even
though some of the pictures were lost, we all will
3
ashore. Sergeant Bros. Model Boat Shop was no
more than a house just off the road, and did not
look like much. That all changed the second the
shipmates walked into the shop and saw the
beautiful model ships that filled the room.
Ranging in size from 1 to 6 feet, the models were
breathtaking. The skill involved to create these
remember our buddy Star Fox and how much we
enjoyed our short stay in Bequia.
Tyler
Large to Small: Bequia’s Model
Boats
Bequia has long been known as a prominent
whaling community all beginning in the mid
1880’s when it enjoyed vast whaling success and
fame. One aspect of the whaling industry that
gave Bequia this success was its unique boat
building. The whaling vessels that were
produced in Bequia were extremely well built.
The boat building business in Bequia flourished
hand in hand with the whaling industry, however
when whaling declined so did the need for the
vessels. Today, Bequia produces no more of
their traditional Bequian whaling vessels that
once made them famous. However, the art of that
trade trickled down into another business, model
boats.
Even before reaching Bequia, Boomer had told
the crew of Ocean Star about the model boat
models was obvious from first glances. Down to
every detail, the models were perfect recreations
of their inspirations. The different models also
ranged in design. The traditional Bequian
whalers were on display along with different
types of racing schooners, including the famous
Endeavor.
One of the coolest features of the entire shop was
the ability for any customer to walk into the back
of the shop to witness first hand how these
models are built. The owner of Sergeant Bros.
explained that while some of the smaller models
take a couple weeks, some of the larger ones
could take as long as 4 months to finish. The
shipmates were astonished by the extreme
concentration and precision that is needed to
build these amazing pieces of art. A few
shipmates made some purchases of these boats
so that they can continue to admire these
beautiful pieces of work for a long time to come.
Conor Clancy
shops in Bequia and how beautifully well crafted
the models were. Naturally, these shops were
some of the first we visited when we stepped
4
waterfall, calling it the “fountain of youth.” We
weren’t wearing bathing suits, but Stephen
A Day in St. Lucia
While most people in the US were heading to
work for another mundane Monday, we were
going into a drive-in volcano in a taxi van. We
got this unique opportunity because the last time
it erupted, a side of the crater was blown off,
allowing road access to the massive crater. The
first thing we observed was definitely the smell.
jumped right in, and his courage got a few more
members of the crew to go for it. We got back in
the van and headed into our final adventure for
the day, the local Botanical Gardens. There, a
guide took us for a leisurely walk through the
lush forest filled with a variety of plant-life. She
excitedly pointed out common house plants, like
poinsettias that were the size of trees. We saw
amazing flowers and plant-life all around
including nutmeg, coconut, and cocoa. The
beautiful Diamond Waterfalls also ran through,
The stench of sulfur rose up from bubbling pools
of black water. A guide took us for an up-close
look and explained the history of the volcano,
telling us many interesting facts. For example,
what we thought was mud bubbling in pools was
actually water turned black because of its high
mineral content. The steaming water flowed
down the volcano and here in the pools thus
created, people bathe in it, claiming it has
healing effects. Sure enough, when we got down
lower to where the water is cool enough to go in,
bearing the same dark mineral infused water that
we saw in the crater. People can pay a small fee
to bathe at the Botanical Gardens, a tradition that
has been going on for a very long time. The
French built baths there hundreds of years ago,
and we saw the remains of one that was
supposedly used by Josephine Bonaparte. We
had a great day exploring what St. Lucia had to
offer, and all on what was most definitely not a
mundane Monday.
Mandy
there was a guy hanging out in one of these very
pools. Next, we went further down the mountain
to another spot for bathing. Unfortunately, there
had been a landslide a few days before so all the
pools were empty and local men were busy
shoveling away the dirt. We stopped and chatted
with them and they invited us to go in the
5
Reef Check
Lucia)
@
SMMA (St.
St. Lucia is home to one of the most successful
marine reserves in the Caribbean, the SMMA
(Soufriere Marine Management Area). Marine
reserves are areas protected in order to maintain
the health and preservation of threatened marine
ecosystems. Most of our time spent in St. Lucia
was dedicated to aiding the SMMA by
participating in local reef checks. Reef checks
are an international protocol for assessing the
we began our reef check. We worked in pairs
(scuba diving or snorkeling). One person swam
on either side of the transect line. Whichever
side of the transect line we were on was the side
we were responsible for checking. Once the
pairs began we would swim along the line and
observe certain areas (areas within our five-
health of coral reefs. The procedure for reef
checks is simple; anyone willing to volunteer
their time can effectively carry them out after a
short training period. Our reef checks went as
follows; firstly we needed the appropriate
materials. We needed the appropriate data charts
for the particular area on water-proof paper. The
data charts were then wrapped around a cylinder
slate, which was worn over one of our arms.
Then we needed a five-meter piece of light
plastic piping, which is carried by the same arm.
To record the data we just needed a pencil.
meter pipe) along the line in time intervals of one
minute. We recorded and tallied everything we
saw. The things we were checking for were
certain species of fish, substrate (corals, debris,
rubble, and sediments) and invertebrates
(organisms such as shrimp, lobsters, and
Lastly, a transect line measuring one hundred
meters was laid out along the reef that was being
checked. Once these materials were all set up,
6
urchins). We broke it up by assigning each team
with a certain group to check. One group would
check for fish, another for substrates, and another
for invertebrates.
The data we collected was then given to the
SMMA and sent to the International Reef Check
Center in Los Angeles, California. There, our
data will be recorded, analyzed, and archived.
Our data will be important in better
understanding reef systems so that we can
continue to help, maintain, and protect coral
reefs.
Stephen
bearable. The sun slowly caught up with all of
us, and it was time to meet the two men who
would be our guides. We met Tony, one of the
guides, on the beach at 6:00 in the morning. He
was a small man wearing an L.A. Lakers hat and
no shoes. The first thing he informed us, was that
the other guide would meet us at the beginning
of the trail. We started the hike out, walking up a
paved road for about 15 minutes, until we came
to the beginning of the actual trail. It had a small
opening right off the side of the road that you
Early Morning Climb
It was 5 A.M. when we all woke up, the sun was
still down and the day itself had hardly even
started. It is safe to assume this wasn’t exactly
everyone’s most favorite hour of the day. The
goal of the day was to ascend and descend the
peak of the Petit Piton by lunchtime; this gave us
roughly three hours up the mountain and three
hours down. We started our day with bagels and
cream cheese, with a country version of Snoop
Dogg's “Gin and Juice” sounding on the stereo in
the salon as our wakeup anthem. The song, I do
admit, made this unholy hour much more
could pass easily if you didn’t know it was there.
This is where our other guide met us. His name
was Norbert, and as a side note, the man had an
unusually large bellybutton, about the size of an
apple. After we all grouped up, we started the
2,400-foot climb. The first part of the hike was
7
just like the entire hike would be, straight uphill
with large rocks and trees to hold on to. We
climbed hand over foot for quite sometime,
jumping out of the way of falling rocks, and
just dragged myself through by one of the ropes,
through a hole that was about half my size. All
was worth it when we reached the top some two
hours after we started. The view was absolutely
amazing. We all sat at the top of the mountain
with a view of most of St. Lucia. The volcano
was clearly visible, the towns, even a cricket
field was in plain view. Clouds were rushing up
the mountainside and spilling over us.
Personally, this was one of the more amazing
things I think I’ve done in my life. The sweat,
bruises and cuts seemed to be only proof that we
all, as a group, achieved something so
extraordinary. After a good amount of time
spent on the top, we all grabbed our backpacks
clinging for dear life to roots and trees. This
continued for quite sometime until the hike, as
much as we didn’t think it could, got even
tougher. Now we had a series of vertical rock
faces that we would have to climb, using the
support of some rather "used" looking ropes.
The rest of the trail was a mixture of steep rocks
we could climb on our own, or steeper rocks we
needed the ropes for. None of it was easy, but
I’m confident in saying that everyone loved this
and headed down the mountain. This was a
process that took its toll on the knees. If anyone
says that walking down a mountain is easy, well
they’re just wrong. The majority of the way
down was spent on our butts, sliding and
grabbing for any piece of steady vegetation or
rocks we could use to steady ourselves. Just like
the way up though, it was all worth it once we
reached the bottom. After a painful walk down
the cement road to the beach, the nice cool water
in the ocean was a welcoming sensation. Never
before could I say that I had climbed a mountain
quite like this in a day, scratch that, half a day.
Conor McEntee
A Quest for Food
Food it seems was my main focus during our
short stay at the French Island of Martinique.
The French are renowned for their culinary
expertise, especially in the realms of bread,
cheese and pastries. Though it was mainly the
sweet side of things that most feverishly
consumed my dreams and appetite, my first taste
was a freshly made baguette, smothered in brie.
The novelty of fresh bread and room temperature
challenge. There was even a group of rocks that
we had to actually climb through. I personally
8
The map also made us aware of what our captain
calls “the spirit breaker", a long stretch of stairs
and large rocks that is pretty close to vertical.
The map showed a picture of a small man puking
cheese was quite refreshing after almost forty
days of generically sliced loaves and Ziploc
preserved blocks and shreds of mozzarella and
cheddar. The freshness of these most delectable
of treats did not deter me from my main goal,
which was a chocolate cream filled pastry,
surrounded in an even darker, richer, more
palatable dark chocolate. I am of course speaking
of the eclair. This emotionally grounding
creation I found on our last glorious afternoon in
St. Pierre. Its presence in the world gave me faith
in humanity and the French, two things which
are sometimes lost in the humming of my brain.
Joe
upon completion of it. After we thoroughly
understood the paths we were to take, we set off.
Our first challenge was the spirit breaker. To my
surprise and the surprise of those around me we
found the spirit breaker to be more of a spirit
bender. This is to say it wasn’t that challenging
for some of the crew members. At the top of the
spirit breaker we looked down in amazement at
how high up we were already. We walked for a
short time around the edge of the volcano before
diving straight into its previously collapsed
center when the mountain blew in 1902. By the
Venture into the clouds
On our last day in Martinique we hiked into the
clouds as we hiked the infamous Mt. Pelee, a
resting volcano looming behind the town of St.
Pierre. After gathering a large amount of
baguettes, we took a van ride to the base of the
mountain. Upon arriving at the base, we all
stared up in awe at the size of Pelee, the summit
of which was hidden by clouds. We handed out
baguettes and took a quick picture. There was a
large map at the base that we reviewed. The map
showed several paths to and around the summit.
time we started back up the inside wall, we were
already far into the clouds. Once we reached the
other side of the volcano, the wind started,
blowing around 50 knots at this point. The trail
was less steep now but much more treacherous
due to slippery rocks and large holes that could
easily break an ankle if one false move was
made. As we hiked, we were constantly being
thrown off balance by large gusts of wind, but
after a bit more hiking, we reached the summit.
The summit was no more then a few jagged
9
x
rocks, which we promptly sat on to consume our
long awaited baguettes, which where delicious.
Unfortunately the clouds never broke while we
where at the summit, but it was still incredible
knowing we were 4,583 feet above sea level.
After our amazing baguettes, we started our
climb down.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
We took a different route back down that led us
around the crater of the volcano rather than
though it. This path allowed us to see a break in
the clouds, which gave us an incredible view of
the ocean and surrounding hills. On the way
back down, we stopped at a monument dedicated
to the victims of the eruption that wiped out St.
Pierre in Martinique.
Finally at the bottom, we stopped for lunch at a
snack bar to wait for everyone to descend. In all
it was a really fun hike, made more interesting
by the high amount of wind and the fact that we
were one amongst the clouds.
Henry
What is the most exciting thing you have
done this year?
What is your most exciting scar story?
!"#$%&'%()*%'+&,,%$"#$%-(.%"#/*0
Who is someone that has inspired you?
What is your favorite book and how has
it inspired you?
What is your favorite concert that you
have been to and what is one
artist/band you wish to see in concert?
If you could change anything about the
world, what would it be?
What is a funny quirk you had as a child
or what was a particularly funny moment
from your childhood?
Do you believe in a higher power (such
as god), and if so what is your idea of it?
What is something you admire in the
person to your right?
What is your biggest fear?
What are some of your pet peeves?
What do you want your life to be like in
the future?
***Feel free to use these questions around your
dinner table and maybe even start your own
“squeeze” tradition***
Shami
And the Question of the Day is…
In the history of the good ship Ocean Star, there
has been an ongoing tradition called the “the
squeeze.” Every night, as we sit down to dinner,
the skipper of the day reflects on the day and
asks a question for all of the crew to respond to.
Ocean Star’s Fall 2007 crew has happily
continued this tradition. Our questions have
ranged from being awesomely comical,
profoundly deep, and sincerely emotional. After
the skipper asks the question, we all go around in
a circle letting each crew member give a
thoughtful answer. Oh, and the best part is… we
are all holding hands for the entire squeeze! This
process ends the day by bringing everyone closer
together and letting everybody learn more about
each other. Here are some examples of our
questions of the day:
10
The Telltale
Wind - Rudder Indicator and Tale Bearer of
The Caribbean Sea|mester
Dominica, The Saints, Guadeloupe, Antigua
Fall Edition 2007, Volume III
reef life, Con was below us walking on his hands
and blowing air rings towards the surface. To top
Words from the Editors
Welcome to the third edition of the telltale for
Ocean Star this fall. Since our last edition we
have had several great sails on Ocean Star and
gained much confidence in our sailing abilities;
we have done many more dives and are on our
way to getting our rescue diver certification, and
we continue to enjoy every moment we can on
the islands and in the crystal clear waters of the
Caribbean. Here are some of our tales of the past
twenty days.
Mandy and Conor C.
(Photo editor: Tyler)
off his performance for the morning he removed
his fins and walked inverted on the hull of the
dive boat. Besides the antics of our dive master,
the two sites were beautiful. We began with The
Abyss. This is a reef wall that drops off from 30
feet to about 90 feet straight down. We dove
down to 70 feet and for most of us this was our
Dive Dominica
While in Dominica we had the opportunity to
dive with a local shop on two amazing sites. In
the morning we took a quick ride over to Dive
Dominica’s dock and met up with our two dive
masters for the day, Con and Reggie. Con was a
local character that we all enjoyed diving with.
While Ocean Star’s crew was focused on the
1
known as Sea-Cat. Sea-Cat is a very proud
citizen of Dominica, and was ecstatic to take us
all over the island in his van. It was quite the
adventure. He picked us up early in the morning
and took us to our first destination, the Indian
River. There we got in rowboats and a couple
deepest dive yet! During our dive we saw the
infamous frog fish that Chantale had so
frequently spoken of. He was an interesting little
guy, to me he looked more like Shrek snot, but
very cool in his own way. Our second dive was
a naturalist dive. On this dive we had to identify
a handful of species underwater and note them
for our dive logs. At the end of the dive Reggie
spotted a sea horse curled up and hiding. As luck
would have it, he spotted it just as Chantale’s
camera died. Even with the equipment failure,
the dives were a blast for the whole crew and for
the staff that joined us that morning.
Tyler
Sea-Cat’s Sense-sational Tour
local guys rowed us around while we took
salinity, temperature and depth measurements to
study the estuary for our marine science classes.
The Indian River is also where part of Pirates of
the Caribbean was filmed. Although there were
some creepy looking crabs on the riverbank, the
scenery was lovely and it was quiet and serene
except for the clicking of our digital cameras.
After the river we got back with Sea-Cat and
resumed our tour. We drove all over the island
We spent a whole day in Dominica with a man
while Sea-Cat told us about Dominica, including
many details of the villages we passed. The
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roads were very narrow, very curvy and had a lot
of potholes. We found ourselves in all parts of
the island, from the jungle to the beach to small
towns. Often, Sea-Cat would pull over and jump
out with the hand brakes barely on, leaving
Chantale in charge of the brakes because she was
riding up front. He would jump into the jungle
Europeans came to colonize the islands. We
stopped and met some of these people who were
selling their handmade jewelry and crafts on the
side of the road. We also checked out a
traditional machine of sorts that was used to
grind cassava. Sea-Cat took us to visit some of
his friends to show us the kinds of things they
were growing in their gardens. At one place, he
ground some cocoa into our hands and added a
bit of sugar. It was delicious, and a definite
highlight of our tour.
We also sampled
breadfruit there and drank the juice of young
coconuts. Towards the end of our adventure we
were let loose in a grove of grapefruit and orange
trees. We picked the fresh fruit until our
backpacks, pockets and hands could hold no
more.
Sea-Cat also took us to a beautiful waterfall to
go swimming. We took a short hike through the
woods on a trail to get there. There were already
a bunch of people swimming in the pool under
the waterfall. The water was cold, and we had a
very refreshing swim. At the end of the day we
brought back quite a haul to Ocean Star:
grapefruits, oranges, passion fruit, two
pineapples and one coconut.
Mandy
and return quickly, never empty handed. He
brought us all kinds of things to taste, touch and
smell. We experienced cinnamon, cocoa, and
passion fruit while riding around in the van.
Sea-Cat took us to a beach to eat our lunch. We
brought peanut butter and jelly which Sea-Cat
supplemented with fresh coconut and almonds.
In the afternoon we headed up into the
mountains to Carib territory. Caribs were one
group of native people living in Dominica when
Boiling Lake Hike
The boiling lake hike was, without a doubt, my
favorite hike of out of all the ones that we've
done, so far. The morning started out Pancho
(our guide) on the dock at 7am. After piling into
the van with Pancho and the driver, we made a
quick stop by a local bakery to pick up our ohso-loved fresh bread. While we were waiting, a
police officer came up to the van and asked if we
were going to climb up to the lake with Pancho.
Upon answering yes, the officer simply chuckled
to himself and walked away. We were confused
to say the least and perhaps just a little worried.
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terrain this was just about the best thing we
could imagine. We spent a while swimming in
the springs and taking strange pictures and
videos of us all submerging from the milky
colored water, then dried off and headed up to
We got to the bottom of the trail around 8:30 and
broke up into our separate hiking groups. The
hike was muddy to say the least. You would
have to watch a good amount of your steps,
otherwise you would end up anywhere from
ankle to knee deep in some pretty dark and thick
mud. As most of our hikes usually ended up,
pretty soon we were walking up steps carved into
the mountain-side, although these ones had little
grooves carved into them for "maximum grip,"
how thoughtful. After about half an hour into the
hike the trees started to get smaller and the
vegetation cleared as the mountain got steeper.
the boiling lake. It was about a half hour hike
from the springs to the lake, and more difficult
than the first half. By time we got to the lake it
was crowded to say the least. Perhaps all of
France decided to go on that particular day.
Despite the large groups, the lake was amazing.
Just as I arrived it put on one of its shows, with
The shade that was oh-so-comforting was no
longer a protection from the sun that would go in
and out of hiding between the clouds. The first
checkpoint was a flat opening at the top of the
first peak. There was quite a view from the peak,
although it wasn’t particularly high up. Just
around the time the first of us had reached this
point, before we could even drink some of
Pancho's famous fruit juice, the rain reared its
very welcome head. This did make the hike a
little easier, especially on the part that was all
down steps from the flat top. Slowly the trail
started to get stranger and stranger. Before we
knew it, the lush green mountain was simply a
ring around what appeared to be a nuclear
fallout. There were multi-colored rocks
everywhere with steam and boiling water
dripping all around. The rocks varied from pure
white, to black spots and brown and reds
scattered around. At the end of the rock groves,
right where the vegetation started to pick up
again we stumbled upon perhaps one of the
coolest things that any of us have seen, natural
springs. There were about five different little
jacuzzi-like areas with warm clean water pouring
into them from the pool above. The water made
your muscles relax and your skin feel soft. After
an hour and a half of hiking through pretty tough
bubbles exploding at the top and steam rocketing
out of the lake as if it were on fire. We stayed for
a little while, ate our lunch and waited for
everyone to meet up at the lake before groups
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started to head back. We hiked back the way we
came. All the areas that were downhill on the
way to the lake seamed to be straight up on the
way back. Every step up the mountain made your
river that led to a hidden waterfall. It was dark,
damp and cold inside these open caves, and
looked like something that you’re more likely to
see in a movie than actually come across in your
lifetime. It was by far one of the coolest places I
think I have ever been. There were small areas to
stand and areas that were so deep you couldn’t
see the bottom. After an hour or so of swimming
around inside the cave and trying to find a
supposed hidden cavern behind the waterfall, we
all packed it up and headed back to the van. This
was unanimously voted one of the favorite hikes
amongst us students. The things we got to see
and experience on this hike were things most
people will never get to in their whole life. It was
otherworldly and we all knew it.
Conor M.
muscles ache and never seemed to end. Each
time you swore you were at the top of the peak,
there would be another 150 steps to go. Time
after time this would happen and spirits would
break a little more each time. The bottom was a
well welcomed sight for us hikers. There was
one more surprise for us though, the hidden
caves. At the bottom there was a pool that a
strange little Frenchman described as "water that
will add five years to your life." It was ice cold
Dive Dominica Night Out
I think it is safe to say that the entire crew really
enjoyed our time in Dominica. Yet, while we
were admiring Dominica, Dominica tourists
were admiring us. Well not us exactly, but the
lovely Ocean Star. A man even approached
Kirsty asking for a tour of the vessel. Later that
night the man arrived with a whole gang of
people who wanted to check out Ocean Star. Of
course a couple of the tour members were from
Oregon. Those people are everywhere!
Anyways, the following day was our hike of the
Boiling Lake. It was incredible but also a bit
exhausting so we were all happy to conclude the
day with a night out. It was arranged for us to
have dinner and a night out at the Dive Dominica
bar. When I got to the bar and tried to pay for my
drink, the bartender told me the man we gave our
tour to was buying all of our drinks! I turned
around to see the man standing behind me and I
thanked him sincerely. It was so nice of him!
The night couldn’t have gotten better. But it did!
We were then served a scrumptious meal of
bread, pasta salad, potato salad, rice and beans,
and chicken. We all ate until we were completely
stuffed. After, we all sat around enjoying yummy
drinks and pleasure of each other’s company.
Even Pancho stopped by to tell a few hilarious
stories. Overall it was a much needed relaxing
night.
Shami
Scooters in Les Saints
One morning Mandy, Boomer, Kyle, Rev (Conor
M.), Cebo (Conor C.), Stephen and I decided to
rent some scooters. We all put our helmets on
and started to cruise around the island of Les
and crystal clear, exactly what we wanted. Deep
into the rocky mountain side, there was a little
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uninhabited island just barely off the coast of
Saints. We all headed up to the fort of Napoleon.
Everyone parked their scooters and started to
walk to the gates and found out that it had closed
at noon. Then we decided to explore the island
and visit some of the coolest beaches, so we fired
up our 50cc engines and blitzed down the
mountain to the nearest beach. We even called
ourselves the “Hells Angels.” Once we arrived at
the beach we wanted to go swimming but none
of us had bathing suits . So we headed to the next
beach and lost some of the group but went on
with our journey. Then everyone decided to go to
the local café and eat some lunch and ice cream.
We ended up meeting the rest of the group after
having a nice lunch, then split off into groups
Guadeloupe. Jacques Cousteau himself was a
regular at the very island that Ocean Star was
now anchored next to, and called it one of the 10
best dive sites in the world. The crew
immediately began taking advantage of the
beautiful sites and started to begin dives. One of
the first dives was a drift dive around Pigeon
Island. At one particular point in the dive there
lies a bust of Cousteau sticking out of the sand
about 40 feet down. Several of the crew stopped
to check out the amazing sight of an underwater
again and started to drive around once again. We
all had a wonderful day driving around the island
of Terre de Haut in Les Saintes. It was definitely
one of the most enjoyable times we all have had
together
Mick
Pigeon Island
Throughout this trip the crew of Ocean Star has
been to many beautiful and amazing dive sites.
Perhaps nowhere else can compare to the dive
sites of Pigeon Island. Pigeon Island is a small
statue. The dive had many other remarkable
aspects to it. To do the dive itself, the divers had
to swim almost completely around the island
along a wall of coral reef among numerous
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multiple stages and dance floors. Entertainment
includes local bands and singers, and if you’re
lucky a six foot four, giant gyrating medusa
woman who hypnotizes young sailors and turns
them into mindless zombies with her gyrations
(according to Boomer and Kyle). Locals, people
from every corner of the globe, and people of all
ages make their way up the peak every Sunday
just before sunset to experience Shirley Heights,
and I’m happy to report that we did too.
The food was Caribbean barbeque and consisted
of your standard burgers and chicken with potato
salads. However, their unique dish was their
fried flying fish burger. Only the bold dare eat
this delicious delicacy, for many fear the
consequences that might follow. It is rumored
that any who eat the flying fish burger suffer
what is known as “the Shirley’s”, which is in
marine animals, some of which we hadn’t seen
anywhere else.
Ocean Star was to stay at Pigeon Island for three
days, so everyone had many opportunities to
dive. Diving was set up usually two to three
times a day with one in the morning and one in
the afternoon. Other special dives included our
first night dive and also an early morning dawn
dive where the divers saw sunrise from
underneath the surface. All in all diving in
Pigeon Island was an experience no one aboard
will soon forget.
Conor C.
Sunday
Heights
Nights
at
Shirley
In Antigua there is a weekly tradition like no
other every Sunday night, at a place called
Shirley Heights. Shirley Heights is located at the
top of a peak on the south east of English
Harbor, and overlooks the ocean. The site used
to be a part of the string of military forts
scattered along English Harbor; now the
remaining structures have been transformed into
a bar and outdoor restaurant complete with
medical terms known as severe diarrhea,
constipation, cramps, upset stomach, indigestion,
or vomiting, in which case the flying fish flies
right back out. Several of Ocean Star’s crew
tangoed with the flying fish burger and
fortunately didn’t have their toes stepped on.
During the initial dining phase and for a good
amount of time afterwards, a world-renowned
steel drum band entertained the masses. Ocean
Star’s crew hadn’t quite put on their dancing feet
just yet and merely swayed, tapped a foot or two,
and bobbed their heads up and down. After the
steel drum band had cleared out a local Reggae
band assembled on stage and began to jam.
Ocean Star’s crew’s dancing shoes laced
themselves up pretty quickly and then the night
started to become increasingly eventful. Back in
the harbor a yacht full of South American
beauties had docked next to Ocean Star. They
showed up at Shirley Heights and were quickly
swept off their feet by the moves my fellow
shipmates and I rocked their worlds with. One
shipmate, who will remain nameless for personal
7
This type of cereal is a rare thing in the
Caribbean so of course we got some. We also
found out that the Fruity Pebbles are now even
fruiter and tastier (it said so on the box) which
was just and added bonus to an already awesome
provisioning.
The best thing about checking out is the look on
the cashier’s face when she saw the shear
reasons, sadly was unsuccessful in his many
attempts to woo women with his bandana and
newly grown mustache, if anything he only made
everyone else look better. The entire crew at one
point found themselves singing and dancing
onstage with the band to some Bob Marley
songs. It is safe to say we landed ourselves in
many pictures that the other tourists took home
to show their families the amazing night out they
had at Shirley Heights.
Stephen
amount of groceries we had. Judging by the way
she was looking at us you would think we had
killed her cat or committed some other atrocity
that would warrant such a ghastly gaze. After the
brief stare and many looks of confusion, we
began checking out. I tried helping the process
along by bagging groceries but I soon stopped
because the three other baggers rushed over with
lightning quick bagging skills.
On the way back to Ocean Star, we stopped a
few more times to sort out the over-heating
engine. At the end of the morning I felt like I had
really accomplished something super rad.
Provisioning is a lot of fun and you can get a
good sense of pride out of it because you know
you’re helping provide food to your fellow mates
and having an awesome time doing it.
Henry
Provisioning
Of the jobs here on Ocean Star, provisioning is
definitely the greatest. While every one else
cleans, scrubs and polishes the boat during BA,
you and Kyle get to gather all the food for the
next week or two. In theory it’s pretty simple,
people write down what they need and you go
get it. However the fact that we are in the
Caribbean mixes things up a bit because some
things are hard to find and that’s what makes it
so much fun.
My provisioning experience started with a long
ride through Antigua. We rode with a man
named Eric, who was awesome. About every
twenty minutes he would have to stop the car
because his engine was over-heating. The engine
sat under the passenger seat, which he would lift
up in a hurry. When he removed a cap, steam
came shooting out of the engine and he would
then proceed to fill it with new water. He did all
of this while cursing his engine and spilling
water all over it.
After the sweet ride with Eric we arrived at a
pretty impressive market. Shopping for a family
of four can be fun but shopping for a family of
fourteen is really super rad. First, you get to fill
four carts to the brim with groceries. Possibly the
greatest point of our provisioning was the
discovery of Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms.
Quest for Food Part 2
Food. It seems to be an obsession in my thought
process. This time it was not the food of France
that most wonderfully hypnotized my pallet, but
the deep fried scents of chicken wings and
grilled patties toped with cheese and veggies.
These are considered weak wants by my fellow
mates and our excellent crew. However, I
thoroughly disagree.
English Harbor was the perfect location for
settling all of these desires. The place itself is
known for its historical value, marked with forts,
museums and surrounding scenery that makes
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watched in awe as he sped back and forth around
Ocean Star. Quickly thereafter, the beginner
windsurfer boards were brought out. From
experience, I can say that windsurfing is both
frustrating and fun, and most everyone who tries
one feel almost a century old. Nevertheless, with
all the hustle and bustle of a working port,
fashioned in 18th century attire, one might miss
the more essential aspects of the wonderful little
town, like its food. The bakery behind the
museum was full of fresh bread, cakes and pies,
it enjoys it. Over the next few days, Elkhorn
Coral research was on tab for a few crew
members, while the rest of us caught up on chart
work, homework, or just plain relaxed. We also
started our training to become rescue divers. We
first went over our knowledge reviews then got
in the water to perform some skills, and later
learned about first aid and enjoyed some more of
Boomer’s crazy stories. Our second rescue diver
training session was especially exciting because
we had to retrieve “lost divers” including Joe’s
treasured coconut body wash (with a dive weight
tied to it), which happens to smell like old lady.
As Boomer explained, the use of such
possessions ensures that we know we can’t get
out of the water until the “lost divers” are found.
all things that are a great treat. They also had the
best selection of burgers that have been found on
our fifty days of sailing. There was also a stand
on the out skirts of town, where all one’s deep
fried chicken dreams could be satisfied. With
these two wonderful places, the forts, and all the
culture and history, English Harbor was a
relaxing break from all our hurried and adventure
filled travels.
Joe
Green Island
For four days in English Harbour, the crew and
staff of Ocean Star awoke tied to a dock busy
with elderly tourists snapping pictures of our
home. Coming to Green Island was a complete
transformation, waking up to teal waters,
blustery winds, and no tourists. The first day of
arrival was spent settling in and sorting out
Ocean Star. We were all thrilled to get back into
clear, clean waters, refreshing our minds and
remembering what this trip is all about. Boomer
immediately took to his windsurfer and we
One night, many of the shipmates enjoyed down
time onshore with a bonfire, a guitar, and of
course, a penny whistle. We made the most of
our time in this unreal setting with classes,
rescue diving, coral research, swimming and of
course windsurfing.
Isobars
9
The Telltale
Wind - Rudder Indicator and Tale Bearer of
The Caribbean Sea|mester
Barbuda, St. Barth, Statia, Saba, BVI
Fall Edition 2007, Volume IV
From the Editor
Windsurfing in Green Island
Welcome to the final edition of Ocean Star’s
Fall 07 Telltale. We’ve been having an awesome
time, and are experiencing mixed feelings about
going home. We all want to see those we love
back home, but don’t really want to leave this
beautiful place or these great people. We’ve had
a fantastic last few weeks, full of adventure. To
wrap up the trip we raced hobie cats in Gorda
Sound and eagerly awaited the arrival of Argo.
The crews got to meet each other and exchange
stories at a cookout on Ocean Star, and then we
all moved to Argo for a tour and to hang out. The
next day, both vessels put up all their canvas and
did some maneuvers around Gorda Sound and
then headed for Great Harbor on Peter Island.
The boats gracefully sailed together, their crews
working hard. We even switched crews. We
took lots of pictures and everyone was excited to
see their home sailing around and to explore the
sister vessel that we had heard so much about.
This final installment brings stories about
amazing dives, watersports, shopping, teaching
local kids, food and Kirsty’s eating utensil.
Mandy
Humbling, exhilarating, frustrating - whatever
you decide to call it, windsurfing is a guaranteed
good time, and many of Ocean Star’s crew
decided to give it a try. Getting started isn’t easy
and includes falling off the board before you
even touch the sail, falling back with the sail and
getting caught underneath it, and/or getting
pulled off the board by a big gust of wind, all of
which are usually accompanied by mumbled
profanities. Once you can stand on the board
and hold the sail, it becomes an act of learning
how to use the wind. By this time, you’ve
probably drifted a good distance from Ocean
Star, so you need to sail up wind, which means
you lean the sail sternward. If you’re lucky,
you’ll make it back near the boat and can attempt
some tacking, which isn’t easy. As almost every
shipmate experienced this process, a select few
decided to take things to the next level. Myself
and Conor C. a.k.a. Cebo, received some training
from Boomer on beach starts and tacking.
Although the skills were tricky and took a few
times to get the hang of, we both felt pretty
1
piece of plastic, but I have a strong degree of
sentimental attachment to it, and so in front of
the rather shocked shipmates I jumped fully
clothed into the sea to retrieve the Spork. Back
on board there was some joking about how
attached I was to a piece of camping cutlery but
suddenly it was viewed with a little bit more
respect. I disappeared below to dry off happy in
the knowledge that my prized possession was
safe for another day, when suddenly a shout
followed by a large splash came from above. I
rushed on deck to find that the Spork had been
handled carelessly once more and Henry had
accomplished at the end of the day as we were
gracefully maneuvering back and forth between
Ocean Star and the beach. In no way, however,
do we compare to Boomer, whose skills when
observed put us back in our rightful places—
beginners.
Isobel
Ode to the Spork
Our voyage aboard Ocean Star this semester has
been one of discovery: the weird and wonderful
places we have been, the sights we have seen,
and the ups and downs of living and learning
with each other. Many of these adventures we
have told you about in our blogs and previous
editions of ‘The Telltale,’ but one key aspect of
this trip has remained unmentioned to date, and
yet has shaped our lives afloat. So here I
introduce you to ‘The Spork,’ a small
unassuming piece of green plastic shaped like a
spoon at one end and a fork at the other.
leapt to the rescue, rising back to the surface
cutlery in hand. The excitement soon subsided
but there seemed to be a new found reverence for
the Spork and many jokes went back and forth
about its importance.
The incident may have well passed into the
distant memories of the crew of Ocean Star if
that had been the end of it, but the next evening a
careless hand picking up utensils from the
holder, sent the Spork flying into the dark sea,
with only a quiet clink sent up on its way
through the scuppers. The look of terror that
passed across the offender’s face will go down in
the annals of this trip and as the crew scrambled
for a torch, there was a rescue leap into the abyss
and thankfully the Spork was recovered from its
slow descent to the inky black depths. At this
point the crew realized that measures needed to
be taken to protect the Spork and in the spirit of
keeping all his crew safe, no matter how small or
seemingly insignificant, Boomer offered a small
float to attach to the Spork allowing it to drift at
the surface in the instance it once again was sent
into the blue.
Since that fateful day, the Spork is carefully
used, washed, transported, and stored with the
float attached and any handling of the utensil on
deck is accompanied by dire warnings of what
I brought the Spork aboard as a small token of
my life at home. Day in day out, the Spork
accompanied me to meals and invoked various
comments from the crew but in general went
unnoticed, until the fateful day that it went out
through one of the scuppers, over the side of
Ocean Star and into the sea. Yes it is just a
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may happen if passes are fumbled. When I
brought the Spork aboard Ocean Star I had no
idea of the power that a lime green eating utensil
could wield, but its influence is felt daily
throughout the vessel, regular as clockwork at
breakfast, lunch and dinner. I thank the crew of
Ocean Star for their loving care of the Spork.
Kirsty
Barbuda
I was skipper for our passage from Green Island
to Barbuda, steering us between huge reefs, a
mere boat length away on each side to get to the
open Atlantic. Barbuda is the kind of place you
can miss if you’re not looking. It is very flat, so
the first things you can see are palm trees. We
didn’t expect to see anything until we were right
on top of it, but Isobel spotted the palm trees
from 11 nautical miles away, just a speck in the
distance. Coming in to Barbuda was a little
nerve wrecking. There are a lot of shoals off the
shore, so we had to watch the depth very
carefully.
Barbuda is absolutely gorgeous. Clear water,
and miles and miles of deserted soft sand beach
are all you can see. Barbuda is essentially my
idea of paradise. We had the beach to ourselves
and spent many hours each day relaxing in the
sand, burying each other, swimming and body
surfing. About half the crew got really into body
surfing at the beach, myself included. We called
ourselves “Team Rad” and made sure to take full
advantage of our time on that beach.
Bonfire at Green Island
Early today Henry and Stephen went to Green
Island to explore and find fire wood for tonight’s
bonfire that we had planned. We all decided to
have a night of relaxation and peacefulness with
the stars, the moon and the crashing of the waves
on the beach. Henry and Stephen found us some
good logs that were washed ashore and were
ready to be burned. After we had a nice dinner
and waited for it to get dark we loaded up the
dingy and made a beach landing. We grabbed
some lighter fluid to get the fire going and after
we had it lit we all sat around Rev (Conor. M)
and sang songs that he played on his guitar; we
also listened to some of the songs he wrote
himself which were really sweet. After an hour
of listening to Rev we all just lay down to relax
and to look at the stars and awaited our ride back
to Ocean Star.
Mick
On our last day in Barbuda, Boomer had to go
into the one town on the island, Codrington, to
clear us out. He told us ahead of time it would
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be an adventure to get into town, so those up for
the challenge went along. First, we had to get
our dinghy, Exy, onto the beach. As we neared
shore, everyone in the boat was perched on the
edge waiting for the signal to jump out. We had
to have good timing to bring the boat in when
there wasn’t a wave. We successfully got Exy
ashore, and then dragged her over the sand into a
big lagoon on the other side and hopped back in.
We went all the way across to a small dock and
walked into town.
Someone was actually
manning the immigration office, so Boomer
didn’t have to go searching for an official to
clear us out. Our next mission was finding
lunch; we wandered through the streets until we
saw something that was possibly a restaurant.
We sent Henry in to investigate, and it was a
restaurant so we went in, there were only two
tables, and the owner had to bring out additional
chairs to fit all seven of us. The only things on
the menu were roti, so that’s what we got. The
owner claimed to be the roti king, and he was not
lying. I got conch roti and it was an amazing
meal. We also got fresh fruit punch. After lunch
we returned to the beach on the other side of the
lagoon, where Team Rad stayed behind for a few
more hours of fun in the sun.
Mandy
up, and ready to go in less than thirty seconds.
The van moved in and out of sharp turns and up
and down large hills and then parked at its final
destination, Anse de Cayes. After we had
unloaded our surf and boogie boards Chantale
reminded us of the key points of our class on
wave dynamics and Kirsty gave us an
introductory lesson on the basics of surfing.
There was only one word to describe the
conditions that day, epic. We had known ahead
of time that the swell was going to be pretty big
because the surge in Gustavia harbor on the
leeward side was very large, large enough to
make us move off the dock and anchor further
out in the harbor. So, the waves at Anse de
Cayes were between five and eight feet, and they
were breaking off a reef and a sandbar. We were
intimidated at first, but those feelings evaporated
as soon as we got in the water. No one stayed
out of the water; no matter what, everyone was
enjoying the waves somehow. There were only
four surfboards, so to be fair we took turns. If
we were not on surfboards we were on boogie
boards, and if we weren’t on boogie boards we
were body surfing, so it was no wonder everyone
A Day of Rad
My fellow fo'c'sle cabin mate and I had been
counting down the days, as the trip progressed,
for our surf day in Saint Barth. Finally, on day
64 it arrived. Everyone rose out of their bunks a
little earlier than usual, stoked for an entire day
in the waves. After an abnormally quick
breakfast and cleanup we made our way to shore
in Gustavia, where we waited at a parking lot for
transportation to the windward side of the island.
A van peeled through the lot and stopped just in
front of us. Sure enough, Kirsty was at the
wheel and roused everyone into a seat, buckled
hit the sack early that night. If for any reason
anyone found themselves on the beach they
would cheer others on as they paddled out for
waves or admired the locals rip it up on the huge
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Dior to your right. Most of the shipmates had no
clue what those names meant but for me I knew
breaks over the reef. Making the best out of this
righteous opportunity we spent as much time
hitting the surf as possible; we were relentless
from eight in the morning until two thirty in the
afternoon when we had to return the van we had
rented.
it meant I was in trouble. Designer stores lined
the streets along with quaint little cafes. The
crew’s store of choice was not a designer shop
nor a fancy boutique but rather the groovy surf
shop Totem. Another popular store was the
Quicksilver store where, I am proud to say, I got
my first pair of board shorts and a surfer-type
hat. I wanted to be prepared for surf-day. The
crew’s restaurant of choice seemed to be Le
Select, a burger joint known as the place Jimmy
Buffet wrote “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” Le
Select was quite tasty but I had a different
Words cannot describe the bliss I felt throughout
the entire day. Surfing is one of the most natural
ways in which to have fun and enjoy nature. My
fo'c’sle roommate, Conor M. (a seasoned surfer)
and I talked about how we noticed an extremely
positive group dynamic amongst everyone at the
beach that day. Everyone was watching out for
one and helping one another catch waves. It is
humbling to know that this dynamic has carried
onto life on board, making each day we have left
in the Caribbean, with one another, more
valuable. Spending a day laughing, playing,
surfing, and getting tossed around by waves with
shipmates and staff members we have built
strong friendships with, was one of the purest,
happiest, and most genuine experiences of my
life.
Stephen
restaurant I favored. Baz Bar is a hip Sushi bar
that completely satisfied my two-month sushi
craving. Another popular place on St. Barths was
the ice cream shop. It was quite small but had
many different flavors, and even frozen yogurt!
The Funny Face bookstore was also invaded by
shipmates. With so many restaurants to eat at
and so many stores to shop at, emptying your
wallet is a very easy thing to do.
Shami
St. Barths
St. Barths was a bad, bad place. Well, not really,
but it is a very bad place to go for someone with
a slight shopping addiction. As we stepped off
the boat, you could see Cartier to your left and
A Quest for Food: Part 3
With all that has occurred over the last 70 days,
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Ile Fourche
The island of Ile Fourche has no citizens. There
are no roads, no houses, no people of any kind. It
doesn’t have a McDonalds or Burger King.
There are no malls or mini-marts. There are not
any traffic lights or cars waiting at them. There
are lots of trees and bushes. There is a lot of
grass and open spaces. This is the type of places
double bacon burgers with a boat load of fries
seemed to bring everything into perspective. For
those who do not know it, St. Barth’s Le Select
is where Jimmy Buffet wrote his masterpiece,
Cheeseburger in Paradise. It is no surprise that
he chose this location for this song; the burgers
and the atmosphere certainly lends itself to the
lifestyle of chill. The burgers themselves were
double stacked, with cheese, four healthy strips
of bacon, fresh onions, lettuce and tomatoes,
that the crew of Ocean Star has been to and for
many of us, have come to love. Personally, the
two days we spent at Ile Fourche were two of my
favorite days of the trip. The hours were not
spent online, or on the telephone. They were not
spent sitting in front of a TV watching some
reality TV show or some other pointless program
. My two days were spent hiking the very small
island by myself and enjoying myself more than
I have in a very long time. The island is filled
with numerous peaks that you can climb and
hike up to. Personally, whenever I reached the
top of my climbs I did not want to leave. I spent
lots of hours just sitting at the top of the small
island looking out at the Carribbean and loving
every second of it. Hours just to yourself and
your thoughts were more enjoyable than I could
have ever imagined. Being at the top let me just
sit there and think about anything an everything,
until I decided I had been at that particular peak
long enough and quickly jumped down to start
the next hike and climb to the next peak. Finally
at the end of the second day, I had completed my
goal I had stated as soon as I saw Ile Fourche;
that I would climb to every peak on the island,
all 7 of them. For something very trivial it was
quite rewarding, even if it was not the Piton, or
Mount Pelee. All in all, the two days at Ile
Fourche were more rewarding than any other two
I have had in quite some time.
Conor Clancy
accompanied by a side of hot and greasy fries. It
was hard not to be in a good mood, with full
stomachs and lighthearted music filling the air.
The best news came when Thanksgiving arrived.
Most of us were feeling a bit homesick, thinking
of turkeys, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, with a
side of backyard football. However our
wonderful crew knew it was the perfect
opportunity for Le Select. With those
magnificent burgers and some of the best
company one could ask for, the night was toasted
and deemed a success for all parties involved. As
the night faded away, and the easy listening
songs of Le Select guided us back towards
Ocean Star, our hearts glowed just a bit brighter.
Even though Jimmy was not spotted on our short
stay at this wonderful little island, his spirit
seemed to be everywhere.
Joe
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Divers made the dive a really unforgettable
experience. This was our first wreck where we
have been able to go inside the vessel. The way
the Charlie Brown sits, it has a long hallway
under the bridge that ranges from 8ft x 20ft
down to 8ft x 8ft. This was a very exciting
experience for all of us and made for some
nervous moments. On the outside of the ship, a
large number of organisms have made the
Charlie Brown their new home. A huge
barracuda hovered over the hull while smaller
fish like blue tangs swam in and out of the
portholes. Back on the surface, and for the rest of
the day, all we could talk about was when we
were able to dive our next wreck. I think it is
safe to say; we are hooked on wreck dives!
Tyler
Charlie Brown
While we visited St. Eustatius we had the
opportunity to dive a wreck called the Charles L.
Brown. Built in 1954, the Charlie Brown is a 327
ft cable laying ship once owned by AT&T that
was sold to the island of Statia for the incredible
amount of $1.00. At the time it was a fully
working vessel and fully stocked with everything
an ocean going ship would need. When it was
delivered to the island the locals were allowed to
strip the ship for anything they wanted. Radios,
computers, dishware, and everything else you
Diving Saba
Saba is a quaint little island with some
phenomenal diving. The divers of Ocean Star
got to take part in some of this diving. The
captain of our dive boat was named Mike and the
dive master was Kevin. Mike and Kevin were
awesome. Mike was an extremely animated
character and made the diving experience that
much better. Before each of us rolled back into
could think of was removed from the ship before
it was scuttled a short distance off shore. Now
she lies on her starboard side at a max depth of
98 feet. Our dive masters from Golden Rock
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the water he would say ’God Save the Queen.”
Before and after dives he would entertain us with
Marine Biology for Kids
Right after the marine science exams were
completed, we went to visit a local elementary
school on Virgin Gorda. The shipmates of
Ocean Star, armed with their new knowledge of
the marine environment, taught local kids from 3
to 11 years old. We taught them about marine
organisms that have interesting camouflage,
large teeth, great migrations, and those that
stories and jokes.
The first dive was to a pinnacle, an underwater
mountain with a flat plateau on top. It was our
deepest dive yet and we got to see some really
big fish and a shark. Saba is known for having
large fish and sharks at their dive sites. After the
first dive we took some time ashore for a surface
interval and to get some lunch.
produce bioluminescence. The kids were quite
excited about all the cool facts, but we quickly
learned that elementary school students have a
VERY short attention span, and after our quick
slide show we move on to colouring. Shipmates
divided the kids into 3 groups, and each group
learned about one of three endangered species:
elkhorn coral, whale sharks, and sea turtles, and
were given a line drawing of their particular
species to colour in. They learned specifics
about that species, and ways in which we can
The second dive was to diamond rock. Diamond
rock was a pinnacle that broke the surface of the
water. We started at the bottom and spiraled our
way up. Near the bottom we got to see a really
big nurse shark. On our way up we where
greeted by many large groupers that seemed to
take interest in us by swimming close.
The diving at Saba was amazing in itself but the
experience was amplified by the great company
of Mike and his dive master Kevin.
Henry
help it. We finished our activity with each group
sharing what they've learned with the group,
while showing off their drawings.
It was a great morning; the kids were getting
really excited about the pictures we were
showing them, and some were jumping up and
down in their seats with their hand up, waiting to
be allowed to ask a question or share what they
know. After our activities were done and it was
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ship, just as the bottom, seemed to appear out of
nowhere. The ship was old and broken, the wood
panels that barely clung to themselves covered in
time to go, a few of the kids came over and
asked if they could get a hug so Mick obliged,
ending up with about 8 little kids around him. It
was a great way to end our semester of marine
science classes, and to spread knowledge of the
marine environment and ways to conserve it to
local kids.
Chantale
coral. We swam around it, peeking into the
crumbled holes to see different parts of the ship
that were never meant to be submerged. We all
kept the stories about sharks at this site in the
back of our minds and every now and then a
flashlight beam would extend frantically into the
darkness searching for a hazard. This only added
to the excitement of the night dive and although I
admit I am timid about swimming with sharks, it
was exciting to know they could appear any
second, and I was a bit let down not to see a
single one. We followed Kyle around the boat
and then up over what used to be the deck. There
was a large mass that stuck up into the water by
itself, seemingly held together by the coral and
algae that coated it. The fish seemed to be
unaware we were even swimming around their
home and would swim into our chests and faces
as if they didn’t care. The dive consisted of the
usual mass that we make while diving together.
No less than a foot to the left or right without
The Fearless
The dive started out with perhaps one of the
coldest dinghy rides that we have had on the trip.
The swells were splashing over the bow of the
boat and throwing us every way they could. It
took us a little while to find the dive sight
because the glow sticks were pretty much
submerged in the waves. After about five
minutes of searching we finally found the
mooring line and began to prepare for the dive.
The night, although a little chilly, was as clear as
can be and sitting out on the water with the stars
shining and the bright lights of the islands far off
in the distance was particularly enjoyable,
especially being one of our last nights. After
moving around in Exy to find our equipment and
then doing our buddy check, we were all
surrounded by the darkness of the ocean at night
and ready to go explore the Fearless. Kyle was
the leader of this dive, and once it was completed
he would be considered a Divemaster. Once we
were all ready we met with him at the mooring
line and began to dive. The descent consisted of
nothing but the movement of flashlights in what
seemed to be outer space. As if it hadn’t been
there at all before, the bottom of the ocean
appeared out of nowhere when we were just five
or ten feet away. One of the first things seen was
something that I quite honestly didn’t expect to
see on the dive… a toilet. Every flashlight beam
was now illuminating this strange little thing
sitting in the sand, all making sure that we were
seeing just what we thought we were. After this
with a quick turn around, there we were. The
bumping into another diver. This was no
exception for the ascent as well. We all clung to
the line as the current pushed hard against us and
then climbed back into the dinghies for a heated
night of trivia challenge.
Conor M.
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