The Telltale

Volume I
British Virgin Islands, Nevis
Volume II
Grenada, Grenadines, St. Lucia
Wind - Rud der In di ca tor and Tale Bear er of
The Car ib be an Sea-mester
(Click titles below for quick-links to volumes)
Volume III
Martinique, Dominica, Les Saintes,
Guadeloupe, Antigua
Volume IV
Antigua, St. Barth, Statia, Saba, BVI
British Virgin Islands, Nevis
Fall Edition 2004, Volume I
The Telltale
Wind - Rud der In di ca tor and Tale Bear er of
The Car ib be an Sea-mester
British Virgin Islands, Nevis
Fall Edition 2004, Volume I
Introduction
After three grueling weeks of blistering sunburns, newly callused
hand, and the never-ending sparkle of salt, we the editors of this
falls Telltale, present to you our frst edition. We invite you
to live vicariously through our experiences aboard our beloved
Ocean Star and the lovely Natasha. Enjoy!
Tiffany Talsma, Jaimie Clifton and Christina Rizleris, editors
Tiffany Davis A.K.A T-dawg
or Touch Down. She is someone who
is always smiling come rain or shine.
Her personality seems to be a lot like
her smile, where nothing gets in her
way of keeping things up beat. She
may be quiet but she is loud with
laughter, if there is something that
strikes her as being funny it is known
talks, driving her truck & hunting. She is an important part of
the Ocean Star crew with her laughter, and the photo of her
miniature donkey. Her energy to dance keeps all of us going.
Simon Koch (Chief Mate)
A.K.A Simon. Simon that blond hair
heart throb is a guy who seems to be
dedicated to windsurfng, but would
rather be ripping up the good waves
on a surf board. The few times I have
seen him on the windsurfer he has
proven to be most delicate. He has
also proven to be good at diverting
predators; out for a swim at Peter
Island darted a 3- 4 ft shark from the dark depths of the ocean
water, with a quick thrash and a loud shriek Simon's predator
veered at the last second leaving Simon breathless and in a
panic. He is guy, who even though is 27, still has that boyish
charm and loves adventures. He is the Man.
Boomer (Captain) A.K.A
Boom, Boomster and pretty much
anything else you can add with
Boomer. Here is a guy who loves
to tell his stories, many of which I
came to fnd out frst hand to be tell
tales. You know when hes joking
because he gets this twinkle in his
eyes and a smile on his cheeks.
many talents and loads of knowledge for us to gain. Setting the
sails again he embarks on a new journey with us, the new crew
to Ocean Star. He hopes to pass on his love and appreciation for
the ocean. He is the master of his domain as well as a practical
jokester.
Michael Weber A.K.A Mikey,
GQ or Aqua man.
He has a personality that cant be hid-
den. Once familiarized in his new sur-
roundings, the fun-loving and enter-
taining Mikey revealed himself to the
crew. There was nothing, however, to
prepare us for the enthusiasm that GQ
had shown us one faithful night. It
was on that night that he did his pelvic
1
thrust dancing to thriller, which had the ladies on board in an
up-roar of hysterics. But it didnt stop there, his moves were
then pressed to the max when he attempted to do a split. Dance
aqua man, Dance.
Tom Rose A.K.A Tom-O or Tommy
You will always know when Tom
is around because there is always
someone (well, mostly Dave) that
shouts a loud and prolonged Tom-O
when he is present. He is an ener-
getic out-going guy who is computer
savvy and uses his capabilities in the
best of ways aboard O/Star by cap-
turing photos of the crew members.
His photos range from a beautiful
sunset on passage to an underwater
photo of Jack who found himself
on an old toilet from a boat that sank. Tom-O was in his ele-
ment on our grill night, he jumped in with both hands and took
control. He is the kind of guy who is always making sure that
everyone is okay.
Jess Fry (Oceanography Instructor) A.K.A
Beaker Mc wedgie
She is hard at work whether it
be at the helm, sweating up the
anchor or planning our next
oceanography class. She can keep
herself busy by absorbing herself
in the adventures of Harry Potter
and relax herself by going for
a late afternoon swim. She is a
sweet person, and has become our
onboard "Fish Chick"
Alice de Marco A.K.A
little buddy or kid sister.
There is nothing that Alice is not
afraid to say, which makes her so
much fun. You can never tell what
she will come up with next. Her
intentions are geared toward love
is pain and pain is love. She is
a happy person with a personal-
ity that will keep you laughing
for hours. She is the kind of person who is always thinking
positively no matter what the situation. Although she is small
in size, she has a big heart and many big things to say. Her
expressions are priceless and her presence is cherished aboard
O/Star. She is Mighty Mouse.
Dave Lee A.K.A Sarge, is a strong, hard worker
& jokester. During the day, you can hear him making
impersonations of the Tasmanian devil & Crusty the clown.
He has shared with us stories of months on end of hiding in
camoufage and played for us his collection of Dave Mathews
2
songs as well as songs of his
own. His boyish charm and
smart comments keep us all on
guard, which makes him like our
brother aboard O/Star. His drive
and energy are just what O/Star
crew needs. His songs are perfect
endings to our daily events. He is
the musical talent.
Jaimie Clifton We are number one and we will
remain number one for the rest of the trip AKA: James,
Jaimie (pronounced hiiiimay), Man-
lover, The Asian persuasion
Jaimies talents aboard Ocean Star
stretch from horizon to horizon. Any-
where from quoting any funny movie
you could think of word for word
to a textbook squirrel dive. When
confronted with the query of how she
became such a diving champ she just shrugs her shoulders
and tells you how it is. How is it you ask? It just is. The
Asian Persuasion. A natural born leader, and her can-do
attitude (hence the quote in the beginning) She of course will
always be number one throughout the trip (according to her
watch team).
Jonathan Brookner
ya know oooookay.
AKA: Bond
Johnny is our very own Boy
Scout on board and we are often
regaled with tales from the camp-
ing trails. Although he sometimes
loses his water bottle, its really
not a big deal and hell fnd it
later. He always comes out vic-
torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is torious and I can actually spot it by his side as I write. John is
a sunscreen fanatic and encourages us all to protect ourselves
from the sun's mighty rage.
Tiffany Talsma what up! AKA: T
2
, TT, Talsma
I remember it like it was yesterday. When fate decided to
save the best for last and T
2
walked into our lives a day late.
Her smile and laughter brighten all of our early mornings,
late passage nights and every moment in between. She meets
every task head-on with a what up!
and is always on top of her game
(who can forget our frst real grill
night with her and Tom??). Talsmas
swimming skills surpass even some
shipmates ability to walk on land.
Sometimes she and Simon go swim-
ming. Were talking real swimming,
as in caps and goggles, not just jump-
ing off the starboard side and doggy
paddling around. In fact, Simon has
been forced to make up outlandish
fore I wrote this because he has been
Scuba Steve from day one. Scoobs
has got the best attitude of anyone I
have ever met. He loves everything,
from the smallest plankton to the big-
gest sail. Steve gets the whole crew
ready for action and is the rock we all
lean against. Scuba, your enthusiasm
is astonishing and your mustache is
the best.
Erin Hoag AKA E
Erin seems to have an affnity for
hurting herself as much as she can.
If ever you hear a yelp you can be
sure it is Erin running into some-
thing no one else would run into.
She is always laughing and crack-
ing everybody up. Her empathy for
others is uncanny and she has a love
for life.
Erin Hoag and Alice De Marco
Whos on Natasha?
James Tyson James is our personal encyclopedia. This
North Carolina guy knows how to think for himself. If you
have a question, most likely he has an
answer. James can be found around
the Cat reading intellectual books or
writing in his journal. Sometimes
James will be chilling with his drum
playing a mellow beat. If the drum
isnt around, an empty can or plastic
bowl will do. James loves all kinds of
music, except for country and is very
multi-cultural with a great appreciation
for many types of music.
3
shark attack stories that, apparently, hinder his ability as a swim-
mer, since T
2
shows him up every time. What up Talsma!
Jack Hubbard Alriiiiiiiighty (pronounced very suave)
AKA: Jack Attack, Jackie Boy
If Sea-mester was the reality TV show
Real World, Jack would be the heart
throb. With over 200 dives under his
belt, his vast knowledge of the under-
water world inspires the crew. He is
also our resident dare devil, boldly
jumping from unimaginable heights
off rat lines and free diving to depths
unseen by the naked eye. Jack always
has a hand in pulling up the sails or
the anchor. Jack has seen every movie that has ever been made the anchor. Jack has seen every movie that has ever been made
and can name all of them. His dream is to take this talent all the
way to Howard Stern.
Traci Antonovich (Communications
Instructor) Are there any apples left? DUDE! AKA T-
bomb, T-comm and Gimpy
Tracy is our true blue Ocean Star hippie
who always has a smile on her face. She
makes everyone on board laugh out loud
and has taught us all that peanut butter
goes with everything. In fact, she just
served me a saltine cracker with peanut
butter and jelly on it. She entered our
little cruise with a gimp foot, but one
would never know. It hasn't stopped her
from windsurfng or hiking.
Tyler Herrick AKA Tye, Sideshow Bob
Ahh, one of our many Nantucket boys on this trip, but the only
one to grace us on Ocean Star. At 64, Tye is a big help on
board to us shorter kids.
If you think that is tall, wait till
you meet his 611, 16 year-old
brother who is destined to play for brother who is destined to play for brother who is destined to play for brother who is destined to play for brother who is destined to play for
Coach Kay at Duke. Tyler is al-
ways giving us a good laugh with
his dance parties along with Mike
in the salon.
Scuba Steve I love it AKA: Andy Bennett, Scuba,
Scubby, Steve, Scoobs, Scooby Certifed
Oh Scuba, how do I count the ways? I can, guilt free, say that
Scoobs is the best person out of all of us (sorry if you thought
you where the best). I actually had to ask him his real name be-
and sail. Nelson is laid-back and easy-going and always has a
crazy story to tell about his life. He has a wide variety in music
taste and can be found aboard reading a good book or drinking
green tea. Nelsons biggest accomplishment aboard the Cat was
taking the frst step in catching our frst Mahi Mahi. Thank you
Nelson.
Chris Williams (Captain)
AKA CW
This true sailor is our captain. Origi-
nally born in inland Florida, he is a
Hawaiian at heart. If hes not surfng,
windsurfng, sailing, or kite boarding,
then he is telling us good old pirate
tales or funny stories. Chris loves a
nice clean boat and loves to hear how
our circle of awareness gets bigger
every day. Chris favorite pastime
on passage is competing for fsh with Ocean Star, or drawing
sketches of his dream Catamaran. There is no doubt that Chris
will pursue his dream of yacht architecture because of his hard-
core motivation.
Liz Randlett Elizabeth is our live on-boat Drama Queen.
No boat would be complete without one and we love ours very
much. Liz has become infamous for reading bad novels, full of
scandalous information and can be
found hanging out in her hole,
astutely studying the latest Dan
Brown Books. She has found a
special ability to have some of the
funniest stories and could easily
be described as one of our craziest
people aboard. She loves shopping,
driving the dinghy without a dinghy
certifcation, spitting out random
information and consistently
nagging Chris. The paramount
question concerning Liz is, What exactly are you thinking dear
girl? A good question even the best of us cannot answer.
Chantale Begin Chief Mate & Oceanography
Instructor) AKA C-tal, The French Connection
Chantale is a faithful member of the morning coffee clubwait
a minute, she is the morning coffee club, along with her special
coffee mug and French Press. She has
a hidden collection of every movie
ever made by humankind and a very
diverse music collection, which were
just starting to discover. She is a very
knowledgeable girl, especially when
it comes to oceanography or the role
a proper frst mate, or any lowly ship
hand should play on a boat. Even if
she was the frst one to fall in the wa-
ter on our frst night out wet landing
at Sunshines, shes still one hard core
4
Davis Hammell AKA The
Gentle Giant
At frst glance, Davis can be quite
intimidating. Towering at 6 feet 6
inches, all the girls agree he would
make the best pretend boyfriend
at the bar scene to scare away the
local boys. Davis isnt your ste-
reotypical football player. He is a
big guy, with an even bigger heart.
His passion for reading explains his
very high intellect and love for learning. He can always be found
lying around the Cat reading anything and everything in sight.
Davis is the only one who can pull in the jib sheet without using
the winch- beat that Ocean Star!
Jeremy Garretson This Manhattan raised city boy may
have the city style down, but really is a sailor at heart. He always
gets excited about putting up the sails and probably is the one
aboard who has the most experience sailing. Jeremy transforms
into a new creature during passage. A crazy yet hilarious
personality comes out. This meat-
lover claimed the love pit (salon) for
sleeping arrangements, but if you
ask nicely he will share. His recent
famous drink called pinkerade
(a mix of lemonade and Gatorade)
keeps a nice variety of beverages
aboard. Jeremy keeps it lively
aboard with his occasional belts of
random song lyrics and can be given
the credit for our sailing theme song-
Enyas Sail
Away.
Clayton Webb Clayton is our
Nantucket Boy #1 on board. He excels
in climbing (so good, he is mistaken for
a monkey), surfng (fts the surfer look
to the T), cooking, and can make the
worlds best hemp necklaces. Clayton
makes any meal tasty with garlic
powder, salt and pepper- three essentials
our crew has now become dependent
upon. Easy-going and mellow, Clayton can always make you
laugh with a funny comment or story. If Clayton isnt snorkeling,
digging holes, or giving his informational speech in 3
rd
person, he
is most likely sleeping, sleeping, and
did I mention, sleeping?
Nelson,
Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original Nantucket Boy #2 is an original
character. He has a good head on
his shoulders and is one of our his shoulders and is one of our his shoulders and is one of our
entrepreneurs aboard. He owns his
own business back home called,
Help is on the Way. Nelson was
born for the water. He loves to surf born for the water. He loves to surf born for the water. He loves to surf
French Canadian chick you dont want to mess with.
Christina Rizleris Wow!
Where does one even begin describing
Christina. She is one of the most
pleasant, enjoyable, and sweet girls
Ive ever known. She is also always
willing to lend a hand to anyone who
needs it. Yes, even if she doesnt
know how to use a radio the right
way, consistently breaks rules with
Emiie, talks about Lifetime movies
on passage, or the fact that she is a
bonafde country girl from Chicago,
she is still an indispensable member
of our crew. You can often fnd this future marine biologist
sitting on the bow of Natasha, splashing her feet in the waves and
giggling like a little girl.
Emilie Montgomery Now let me tell you, Emilies one
tough little cookie. Not only was she the frst one to fall in the
harbor but the second as well. This Nawlins country girl
takes pride in telling us all about the South, lifetime movies, and
most simply how it is. Being a
rule breaker with Christina, whom
among her offenses not only had
the nerve to listen to music in her
room with the door closed, but
she did it listening to unacceptable
music- boy bands and pop groups
from the late 90s. And yes, she did
almost kill Liz and others including almost kill Liz and others including almost kill Liz and others including
myself (James) while sailing small myself (James) while sailing small myself (James) while sailing small myself (James) while sailing small myself (James) while sailing small
keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just keelboats, but something just
wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if wouldnt be right on this boat without her; however it would be if
she didnt bring a Gretchen Wilson CD.
Christina Rizleris and James Tyson
First Day
The frst day of my Sea-mester voyage summoned up an amaz-
ingly long list of emotions. How does one describe arriving in
a totally new world, without any idea of what to do? I am sure
that I could not even begin to assign words to all the feelings and
thoughts rolling around in my head. Arriving here knowing noth-
ing of what to expect while also trying to not feel too out of place
is an impossible battle. We did not all arrive at the same time.
The majority of us arrived on the 2:30 fight from San Juan,
however some had arrived earlier and others did not show up till
late Wednesday night. There was one exception, poor T-squared
had to stay the night in San Juan and did not arrive till Thursday
morning. But, we are glad she made it, because we would have
hated to make this voyage without her. So, back to my point, I
was lucky enough to arrive on the 2:30 fight. By the time we
cleared customs and took a 45 minute taxi ride that doubles as an
5
amusement park ride, we arrived in Sopers Hole, West End, Tor-
tola about 4:00PM. The anticipation grew exponentially when
we came into the marina and the tall masts of Ocean Star were
there to welcome us. I walked nervously down the dock to meet
the staff waiting to give us our boat assignments. It was almost
surreal. It didnt seem like it was really happening. I had read
all the previous Telltale newsletters and thought I had a good
grasp on how it all worked. But there I was, living out the stories
I had been reading. I must say, that Ocean Star was about how I
had pictured her, only with less storage space. After a boat tour
I chose a bunk in the focsle; an extremely small crypt space for
four in the bow of Ocean Star. After that it was unpacking and
free time until dinner.
So here I am, surrounded by all these strange people, in a world I
have never been to, living on a boat, something I had never done
before. My brain felt so overwhelmed that I didnt even know
where to begin. After some time to unpack and settle in, we had
a meet and greet on the trampoline of the original catamaran
Ibadilwamza. Meeting everyone helped to alleviate some of my
fears. Overall, the frst day is a mixture of fear and excitement.
Something one can never really understand until it happens. Of
course, that was three weeks ago and all these strangers feel like
family now. I look back on the frst day and laugh. It seems like
a year ago.
Tom Rose
Passage
Life at sea, is as calm as it can be,
Making me feel as though I am free.
Until my food decides to fee,
Things I didnt know could come out of me.
Up my stomach and out my throat,
The sort of stuff that surely doesnt foat.
On the bow and at the stern,
Making my fellow mates stomachs churn.
But theres much more to life at sea,
Than heaving chunks and holding pee.
person tails the remainder of the line. Once the sail is all the way
up, the halyard is to be pulled twoite by a process called sweat-
ing. When you sweat the halyard you do exactly that, sweat. It
is quite an exhilarating process but we managed without any
troubles.
Once the mainsail was raised, it seemed as if the major challenge
was over, until we realized there were four more sails to be raised
and trimmed. Following the mainsail, we worked on raising the
foresail doing the same process we used on the main. Once the
foresail was raised radiating perfection we moved on over to the
staysail followed by the jib. As you move from the mainsail for-
ward, the sails begin to get smaller. The main is the largest, fol-
lowed by the foresail, the staysail, and the jib being the smallest.
The boat was pointed into the wind, and the sails started to fap
as the wind blew through. Our skipper gave the order to fall off
the wind and we did exactly that. The sails became tight and soon
we were moving by only the power of the wind.
Once all the sails were raised, we all had a sense of accom-
plishment and teamwork. We had the same goals, and worked
together to achieve the goal of sailing. For the frst time this trip,
we had all acted as part of a team.
Scoobers (aka Andy Bennett)
Open water Diving
From watching an eventful and humorous video to diving a plane
wreck, the open water divers managed to survive a rigorous frst
two weeks of Sea-mester. For most of the group, diving looked
like it came natural, but soon we learned that there was more than
what we expected.
We began on Day 2 and have yet to stop. In the beginning, our
2 instructors, Chantale and Boomer, divided us up into 2 groups.
6
The fsh we catch make us dinner,
But in Alices eyes, we are all sinners.
Sailfsh, mahi, or a fresh tuna steak,
We give those fsh no time for break.
From dawn til dusk the lines are wet,
Only a foolish Cat (Catamaran) would take our bet.
A beautiful sunset to an unforgettable sunrise,
There are no breaks for our eyes.
A blue skied day and a starry night,
Certainly would be Van Goghs delight.
How beautiful life is indeed,
Makes you fathom how there could be greed.
Life at sea is truly kind,
So open your eyes and pull up your blind.
Admiral Mike Weber
Commodore Tyler Herrick
Sailing Ocean Star the 1
st
Time
Everything about Ocean Star and her 88 feet is intimidating. The
sails are huge, the lines are long, and the booms and masts are
massive. She was intimidating as ever the day O-Star crew had
decided to sail her for the frst time. No one knew what line cor-
responded to what part of the vessel, let alone what the purpose
or name of what each line was.
Our trusty skipper and chief mate gave us a briefng on what hal-
yard and sheet did what and soon they were barking orders at us.
They told us what was going to occur and how we were supposed
to react when it happened. Although our crew was new and still
confused about the Ocean Star and her workings, we all had faith
in our trusty skipper and mate.
Before we knew it, the orders came to start pulling on halyards
(halyards are what raise and lower the sails). The frst sail to go
up was the main, and we raised it as if we had done it a hundred
times before. The main sail loomed over the entire aft half of
the ship. It takes one person to pull on the halyard while another
That night, we all got together to watch an educational tape
of underwater diving created by PADI. We thank PADI for this
opportunity, because we now know not to become one of their
actors!
The next morning, bright and early, we all met on the Cat to
enjoy more lectures by our lovely instructors. After going over
how to assemble our dive gear, we were ready to head out. In
about 5 ft of water, all of us took our frst breath underwater.
(Even though it was only a few feet deep and the elephant grass
did major damage to a lot of our knees). With 3 more dives to go
plus passing the exams, many of us were anxious to dive on our
own.
Then dive tables came around. Many people say that these dive
tables were tricky to learn but useful. After painful struggling
with the ever so famous dive tables, fnally we mastered the skill.
Proceeding the tables, quizzes, and exams was dive number 4.
This was our last dive, and it came fairly easy to everyone. We
started out getting last minute maneuvers over and as soon as ev-
eryone was done, we explored a plane wreck that was purposely
put there for the movie, Six Days Seven Nights. After many suc-
cessful dives, all of us can proudly say we are scuba certifed
and can dive without the help of our lovely instructors.
Emilie Montgomery
Advanced Divers & the Elusive Sea
Turtle
The few, the proud, and the certifed defnes the advanced diver
group. However, the word advanced may not exactly describe us
all; nonetheless we came to Seamester already certifed to dive.
The pressing question on our mind was what of us? How will
this ramshackle group of strangers entertain themselves while
the remainder of the boat took dive classes? We where not left to
wonder long. Jess, a.k.a Beaker, the British half of our beloved
Oceanography instructor duo, introduced us to the turtle tagging
project.
In the British Virgin Islands there is a project being led by Shan-
non The Turtle Lady (never did fnd out her last name). The
project is quite simple. We donned our snorkeling gear, jumped
into the water and grabbed onto water ski ropes. See, it is the
shipmates job to be drug through the water behind Irv, our
beloved dinghy, looking for sea turtles. Seem like some strange
ritualistic hazing? Oh, there is more. It was actually exciting.
We got a high speed (higher speed than swimming anyway) tour
of the reefs surrounding Gorda Sound. The excitement wore off
when we started running into jellyfsh. Our attention was shifted
somewhat from looking for turtles to dodging jellyfsh in hopes
of avoiding a nasty sting.
The idea was that if we found a turtle we where to follow it until
it was shallow enough that we could dive down and grab it. We
were then to haul the turtle back to the foating metropolis of
Camp Ocean Star. The project called for us to take measure-
ments, a DNA skin sample and inject the turtle with an electronic
tag. We then would return our new found friend to the big blue.
Now, I know there are many of you out there crying to high heav-
en about the apparent monstrosity we are reaping on these poor
defenseless animals. In response to that I offer up two points of
information. First, turtles are hunted four months out of the year
in the BVI. The local government is not interested in changing
their hunting laws. So, Shannon is trying to gather hard evidence
to show that turtles are endangered. The hope is that this will
bring an end to the hunting. Secondly, take rest in knowing that
we never caught a single turtle. Not one. We did see one, but
he/she was way too deep, although we give props to Jonathan for
making a valiant effort.
Chasing the elusive Caribbean Sea turtle was not the sole en-
tertainment of the advanced diving group. While the SCUBA
trainees took classes, we high jacked the catamaran and a couple
of staff members. With the threat of fogging hanging over their
head, the staff was all too pleased to take us on a breathtaking
Caribbean dive. Under the command and supervision of Chris
and Beaker (well, we like to let them think so), we dove the coral
gardens and a plane wreck. I must tell everyone that this au-
thor has never dove in tropical waters. Being from Washington
State, this new world made me feel like a kid in a candy store.
Although I have to say, Washington does have some beautiful
diving, but it is just different from the tropics. We started with
7
a trip around the plane. Let me put in perspective for you. The
plane did not crash right where it lies, it actually crashed at the
Beef Island airport, then was used in a movie, and was sunk for
us divers to enjoy. In fact, it is not even the entire plane, only the
fuselage.
Our next dive was at Coral Gardens/Mountain Point. Again,
words cannot describe how beautiful it was. The challenge of
the Mountain Point dive was the surge. There was little we could
do to swim into it, so we just let it move us around. This made
for a really relaxing dive. Our latest dive was to the wreck of
the Fearless, one of Jacque Cousteaus boats. The wreck was 80
feet deep. I got some good pictures, one in particular. The head,
a.k.a toilet, was sitting outside the boat. My dive partner, Jack,
decided he needed a little relief on the sea foor. The picture
turned out awesome! All in all the Fearless was very fun to
explore.
This last dive marked the end of the prestigious advanced diver
group. Since the SCUBA trainees have become the SCUBA
certifed we are forced to close the book on our elite group of ex-
traordinary divers. But, we look forward to sharing the mysteries
of the deep with the remainder of our crew.
Tom rose
Keelboat sailing
The crews for both Ocean Star and Ibadilwamza were thrilled
to hear that we were chartering two IC24s for the day. It gave
everybody the opportunity to practice for their Basic Keel Boat
certifcation in a hands-on learning environment. The IC24s were
modifed J24s that had alterations on the deck.
The staff split everybody up in four groups of fve and we all
went out on the boats. The wind was blowing strong at about 20
knots, perfect sailing weather. A few rain squalls blew through
the area, giving us an exciting sailing experience. As we sailed
around Sir Frances Drake Channel, we alternated turns at the
tiller, main sheet, and jib sheets. Everybody got a better under-
standing of the principles of sailing. For some, sailing the boats
was like a second nature to them, and for others, well there
is still hope for them. The sailing was good practice for us, and
soon we all got the hang of it. Later in the term we will really be
put up to the test as we get to go on Hobie Cats by ourselves.
Jeremy Garretson
Team Natashas Day of Luxury
Monday, October the third of two thousand four began like any
other Sea-mester day. We rose with the sun, ate a healthy but
simple breakfast, talked and planned for our passage to Nevis and
then motored to the historic and breathtaking site of the Baths
on Virgin Gorda. Unfortunately for our beloved Natasha, the
Sunsail catamaran fates were not in favor of Natasha. Approxi-
mately half way to Virgin Gorda, the port motor failed due over
heating. While the Sea-mester crew played in the Baths, Nata-
shas fate was being sealed. Upon arrival to the Plat- Cat, the
crew was informed the passage was to be put on hold and a two
hour passage with one motor was to be made to Hodges Creek,
the Sunsail headquarters. We reached the headquarters with the
hopes of an evening departure for Grenada, but again the fates
were in control forcing Natashas crew to remain on the docks
of Hodges Creek. However, our misfortune was not in vain. In
fact, not only was the night a rewarding and luxurious night, but
also with the setback our crew came together and overcame what
could have become a seriously negative night. While stranded
with a malfunctioning catamaran, we enjoyed the pleasures of
fresh water showers, and in Jeremys case, four freshwater show-
ers. Following our uplifting bathing experiences, the members
of Natasha went to the world famous Fat Hog Bobs Bar and
Grill to indulge in fresh ice cold Cokes and yes, the restaurants
most popular one pound burgers. A perfect and fulflling ending
to what started out as a day on a downfall.
Liz Randlett
Windsurfng
Sailing an 88-foot schooner and a 46-foot Catamaran in the
middle of a tropical paradise is an event that we the FCS04
Seamester crews have learned to love. There are many different
factors that go into the art of sailing, and no one factor is more
important than learning how to catch the wind.
8
Throughout these frst few weeks we have been learning vast
amounts of sailing knowledge. First it was our inaugural sail
where we fnally learned that its not as easy as it looks, then
learning how to sail IC-24s where we found how powerful the
smallest amount of wind can really be, and most recently our
windsurfng workshops.
Windsurfng is basically taking a surfboard throwing a sail on it
and riding it around. Sounds easy right? Wrong! Out of all our
sailing classes and workshops this particular form of sailing has
proven to be the most diffcult. At this point in our Seamester
everything from setting the board up to rigging the sail have been
diffcult. Slowly but surely we are learning how to complete
these small tasks and hopefully we will soon be able to put the
windsurfer together without asking for help from our windsurfng
big brothers Boomer and Simon.
After set-up comes windsurfng right? Wrong again. The next
step is learning how to balance on the board so you can slowly
pull the sail out of the water. Next comes the sail. At frst when
you're lifting the sail up it seems as though you have 200 gallons
of water on the end of your up-haul, but as the water runs off the
sail it becomes lighter and easier to lift. Finally you have the sail
up. This is the point where most of us either loose our balance
or realize that the wind was actually at our face which causes
the sail to ever so quickly knock you right off the board at which
time you have to start all over again.
This arduous process gets harder every time you fall off the
board, and as our frustration goes up, our energy goes down.
Then something happens. Boomer and Simon like to call then
break-through days. Something fnally just clicks into place. You
learn where to put your feet and you begin to learn what the sail
is about to do. Before you know it your slowly moving across the
crystal clear tropical waters. The excitement pumps through your
veins and you cant believe that you havent fallen off yet.
The few lessons we have had are only the beginning of our wind-
surfng adventures, and we do get better every time we go out on
the water. Over the next sixty days or so it is our hope that we
will be catching a free ride from the wind to where ever our next
destination will be.
David Lee
Sandy spit and the Baths
After turtle talk with Shannon the turtle lady, we all grabbed
some pizza and wings and headed off to and island called Sandy
Spit. It was a neat little island that took a total of no more than 2
min to walk around. Two palm trees inhabited this small island
and among it lives many hermit crabs. Although we did not have
much time, it was a nice little visit and it defnitely had a lot of
party potential. I wish we had the chance to use it for a BBQ or
something along that line. It was I nice little pit stop none the less
with a nice swim to it.
The Baths had to have been one of the neatest places we have
been to so far. Back in the days of slavery, this beautiful location
provided one of the few chances for slaves to bathe after the long
passage aboard ship. I have never seen or heard of a place like
that before. Huge rocks piled high covered an area of the beach.
The water would come in and out from the sea and fll up knee
high depths of water in rock caves. Again, I wish we had more
time to explore and see everything in the area. It was still an awe-
some time and every one had fun. Luckily, there were minimal
injuries. However, of the few injuries included T.D. falling and
sliding down a rock on her bum (it was pretty funny) Ty-sticks
got it pretty bad palming a urchin, but all and all it was a stellar
time and I hope to go back some day.
Clayton Webb
9
Passages and Fishing
While on our passage from the British Virgin Islands to Nevis
and Nevis to Grenada, Ocean Star and the Plat- Cat have been
in an all out fshing battle. During the frst passage, I (Nelson)
tended to a fshing line that was nothing more than a blue nylon
line and a lure. After an hour of tending the line, I was asked to
perform a task for Captain Chris. As I handed the line off to my
shipmate Jimmy, he hooked a beautiful Mahi- Mahi. Jimmy tru-
ly believes that he was responsible for catching the colorful fsh
but in fact, the entire crew knows that in reality it was I. After
the fsh was brought aboard, Chris gutted it, bragging to Ocean
Star that he was actually responsible not me or Jimmy. During
the passage to Grenada, our boat, the Plat- Cat, caught an even
larger Mahi- Mahi than before. To please Jeremy, we give him
credit for this mighty fne catch. Yum- Yum- Yum. As for Ocean
Star, they are most likely lying about their catches, and cannot
and will never be trusted. (Or so they think- from the O-Star)
Nelson Allen
Nevis
We motored off the western coast of Nevis on Thursday October
7
th
, dropping anchor around one in the afternoon after about 20
hours underway from the BVI. The 3000+-foot peak in the center
of the island drew my attention from the frst glimpse to the part-
ing view out my hatch, meriting at least fve or six pictures. Its
easy to see why Columbus called the island Nuestra Senora de
las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows) when you watch the sloth-
like clouds roll up and down the 3,232 ft. zenith like so much
Caribbean snow.
We spent the rest of the frst day clearing customs, provisioning,
showering and giving Natasha some well needed appreciation (a
thorough cleaning). On the following day, we got our frst chance
to walk the historic island and go to its only city, Charlestown. I
wandered through the streets, visiting the public library, Internet
caf, and the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton before returning
to the boat to eat. After lunch, we went to see a presentation for
Oceanography class on marine invertebrates and were allowed
to hold and observe a few of the animals up close, including
starfsh, various sponges, Caribbean spiny lobsters and an elusive
octopus. That night we had our frst offcial night out at the fa-
mous Sunshines Beach Bar & Grille, on Pinneys Beach, just
north of Charlestown. According to the Leeward Island Cruising
Guide, no trip to Nevis is complete without enjoying Sunshines
special rum concoction, the Killer Bee, on the beach with him
and his nephews. I think its safe to say that we agree, as all had
a great time. The following day was a free day to explore the
island on our own, to try to see as much as possible before leav-
ing. Some shipmates stayed around Charlestown, shopping and
e-mailing, others rented ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicles) for a self-
guided island tour. Most of the rest took taxis up to the Golden
Rock Inn to attempt the rigorous hike to the top of Nevis Peak, or
simply relax in the shade and swim in pool at the converted sugar
plantation hotel. Provisioning and laundry taken care of, we had
a fnal dinner in the bay and got ready for passage to Grenada.
That night I could see clearly through the Narrows, the pass
between Nevis and St. Christophers (St. Kitts) to the north, and
got chills upon realizing that that was where the pirate Captain
Culliford and privateer Captain Kidd met during a battle between
the English and the French almost 350 years ago. I fell asleep
wondering if they passed by where we were anchored, in their
stolen ship full of murdered French sailors. Overall, Nevis was a
very interesting island for some, and very fun for all.
Davis Hammell
Barbs Lab
During one of our days at Nevis, we were able to meet a cool
lady named Barb. She lives on the island and is a local marine
biologist. We went into her house and all sat in a big room while
she taught us all about Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (jelly-fsh,
anemones, coral), Ctenophora (comb jellies and non-stinging
jellies), Echinodermata (star fsh, sea cucumbers, sea urchins,
and sand dollars), Mollusca (univalves, bivalves, squid, octo-
pus, nautilus, nudibranchs), Annelida (sea worms), Arthropoda
(shrip, lobster, crabs), and Urochordata (tunicates). First, she just
went ahead explaining them and showing some video footage.
She also passed around some dead specimens as well. After
we went over all the phyla, we then split into two groups. One
group played on the beach, while the other group went to Barbs
two aquarium tanks she owned. We all got the chance to hold
starfsh, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins. The most exciting thing
we saw was when the pufferfsh (who was named Elvis) ate a
one-legged brittle star, he swung his little head around and nearly
ate him whole. It was a fun day of hands-on learning. We all
miss Barb and Elvis too.
Tiffany Davis
10
Hking in Nevis
The island of Nevis was named so by discoverer Christopher Co-
lumbus because of the resemblance to that of the Nieve mountain
back in Spain. On this peak is what is appropriately called The
Source. It is named that because it is the main source of fresh
water for the whole island.
We arrived at Golden Rock Plantation after a nice scenic cab
ride from our friend Barry. We pulled into the driveway seeing
Ververt monkeys playing amongst the treetops. After a short
briefng from the owner of the plantation we started our trek up
to The Source. It started off as a brief walk on a paved road past
some local houses. Some local kids playing and a small group of
puppies greeted us as we passed.
The hike continued through the small village up into the rain for-
est. Because of the signifcant amount of rain that the island had
received in the past few days, the sometimes steep and always
thin trail had become pretty slick. The trail followed a man made
aqueduct system that delivers the water from the source down to
where it can be used. On one concrete block there was a readable
date of 1896 scratched in by presumably someone who helped
build the system.
While in the forest, the trail opened up into some areas that of-
fered exquisite views of the sea far below. Hiking the slippery
trail through the dense vegetation took its toll on a few hikers in
the group and they turned back towards the comfort of the Inn,
but a few pressed on with determination to fnd the source. After
the others turned back, the trail took a turn for the worse. The
terrain got steeper, more slippery, and a bit more treacherous. We
fnally came to a set of concrete steps that led up to small dam.
The satisfaction of reaching the source was short-lived when we
realized that this still was not the source. So we pressed on, at
this point turning back was not an option.
The owner of the Inn told us that when we reached the bottom of
the source we would fnd a rickety and rusty old ladder, but that
it was safe to climb. We eventually found a ladder, but our initial
reaction was that this ladder was a little too rickety and a little
too rusty to be climbed safely. So of course we climbed to the
top anyway and upon reaching the top we realized that this was
in fact not the ladder she was talking about. Holding our breaths,
we descended the dilapidated ladder and pressed on further into
the forest. It turned out that actually the source was not too much
further from the faux source we had encountered earlier. Stand-
ing at the bottom of the next ladder we thought that it looked
even less inviting than the previous, so we climbed.
After a long hike of steep drop-offs, slippery slopes, and treach-
erous terrain we fnally reached the source. It wasnt exactly
what we had in mind. One hiker described it as searching for the
cup of life and fnding a plastic mug. The so-called source was
nothing more that a few trickles of water spilling out of a small
puddle over a steep drop-off. So there we were, three soaking
wet, muddy, sweaty, and tired individuals standing next to a
water source that didnt look like it could quench our own thirst
let alone a whole island nation.
So was it worth it you ask? Absolutely. There is nothing like set-
ting a goal for yourself and achieving it, even if that goal doesnt
involve a beautiful hike through a lush rain forest flled with
breathtaking view of some of the prettiest land on Earth.
Jack Hubbard
11
Grenada, Grenadines, St. Lucia
Fall Edition 2004, Volume II
The Telltale
Wind - Rud der In di ca tor and Tale Bear er of
The Car ib be an Sea-mester
Grenada, Grenadines, St. Lucia
Fall Edition 2004, Volume II
Word from the editors
Here we are half way through our adventure and weve all
been able to see and do what many people only read about. We
touched the clouds, swam to the sea oor, and have been sailing
through glistening seas of the Caribbean. We have much more to
look forward to in the upcoming forty days. The crews of Ocean
Star and Natasha proudly present our second edition of the Tell
Tale.
Jaimie, Christina, and Tiffany T.
Grenada
When we entered Prickly Bay of Grenada, our full crew drew in
a crude breath. Literally hundreds of buildings were torn thor-
oughly apart, hinge from hinge or were blindly in search of their
roofs. The group, one by one took turns looking intently and em-
pathically through the onboard binoculars. Each shipmate shook
their head at the surrealness of the sight and surroundings they
had just become immersed into. The desperateness we imagined
the islanders to have after the lives, homes and island had been
plunged into a state of despair caused both Ocean Star and Na-
tasha to have a pirate watch the rst night of being anchored on
the hip of Grenada. However, the initial trip into the towns of the
ravaged island proved the demeanor of the local people different
then the directionless victims we had thought them to be. Ev-
eryone on the island was not only hopeful and positive to rebuild
but also very welcoming to the group of thirty tourists barreling
through their existing towns in microbuses.
Upon arrival to the island for our second day, we were bom-
barded by taxi drivers who promised to take us wherever we so
desired. The destination for most was the most developed and
practical town St. Georges. Seven of the shipmates piled into
Aorels microbus, sweating, drenched and sticking to the seats.
We headed into the town with anticipation for the day ahead
including email and possibly telephone conversations with loved
ones, authentic souvenirs found in small personable markets and
the exploration of a completely new Caribbean town.
When I stepped out of the microbus, my body was wrapped
in the heavy blanket of the Caribbean heat and my excitement
exuded from my pores along with salty perspiration. My day
was spent walking through the narrow winding streets of what
seemed to be a replica of a small European third world town,
spending time in the aged National Museum of Grenada, email-
ing with friends and family and anindulgent lunch at KFC. The
rest of the afternoon was spent on the ferocious search for the
smallest bit of ice cream and relaxing by the waterfront with
other shipmates. On the waterfront, we had the privilege of
watching a family vend sodas and waters out of a cooler, interact-
ing with each costumer as a long lost family member.
Boarding the dinghies back to Natasha and Ocean Star, we came
back with a completely different understanding and a respect for
the island we had just experienced. We know how interested the
1
locals are in us, how hopeful, and how beautiful their town is
as well as their culture.
Liz Randlett
The Seven Sisters Waterfall
The Seven Sisters waterfall was a very fun hike. This was one
of the many waterfalls in Grenada. Our group was the rst
group to hike the path after the devastating Hurricane Ivan.
This made the hike a real challenge, considering the fact that
all of us were in sandals.
Many of the folks were slipping this way and many other ways
as well. The trail went down a little path with some debris and
then led to a riverbed. Although not every sister was visited
(each sister is a tier of this seven tier waterfall) because of
the state of the path, the one and only sister we did see was a
site to behold. It was even better to feel, for the rst time, cold
fresh water. This was a nice refreshing reward to a long hot
sweaty hike. There was an awesome rock diving ledge as well.
Many of us were challenged to climb up to about 43 ft and
then jump into the cool refreshing water. That was much fun to
partake in. Overall, I wish we spent more time there but it was
denitely one of the best swims we went on and I will never
forget it.
Clayton Webb
Tobago Cays
During our time in the Tobago Cays, where we spent several
days, we had an awesome time. Our time here was spent do-
ing various things; everything from windsurng, and jumping
off the boom-swing, to visiting the Johnny Depp Island (as it
came to be called) and spending an awesome night barbequing
2
at another beach on Christinas birthday. The days past in a
blur; it was almost a pain to even have to leave these beauti-
fully sunny, and untouched islands. The Cays are a national
park and remain uninhabited, consisting of roughly 4 or 5
islands; the only population visible is the numerous yachts
that come to pay homage to this crazy place. To wander upon
these islands randomly would be like nding a small piece
of heaven on earth, but we found our heaven on earth here
regardless and loved every minute of it. Of course, we had to
cram classes the following week to make up for the reduced
amount of scholastic work while in the Cays, but it was worth
it. The morning we left, we were chased out of the reef la-
goon by a huge squall, which seemingly reected our sorrow
at leaving such a beautiful place.
James Tyson
Night Snorkel
At 1900 hours, after eating a hearty meal, the crew of Ocean
Star and Natasha embarked on a night snorkeling adventure
in the Tobago Cays. We had snorkeled the horseshoe reef
site many times before this point, but that had been with the
safety of the sun at our back. Who knows what sorts of crea-
tures come out to stalk the high seas at night. For most crew
members, it was the rst time going on a night snorkel. For
It was a wonderful opportunity to be in the Tobago Cays, but
what made this part of the trip so special and exciting was that
one little island which we will call the Johnny Depp Island.
You will denitely recognize this tiny little island because it is
the same exact island that the characters Jack Sparrow and Eliza-
beth were stranded on in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.
As soon as we had a good opportunity, we motored the cat to
the island and hung out for the afternoon to walk around, swim,
snorkel, and even y a kite. As soon as we landed on the Johnny
Depp Island, a bunch of us found the exact spot where the path
and rum shed were in the movie.
Another scene that you could recognize in the movie Pirates of
the Caribbean was the town. After leaving Bequia, we made a
stop by a little town called Wallilabou Bay on St. Vincent where
you can still see the old houses and the windmill type thing that
Johnny Depp escapes from. There were still a few houses left
from the several scenes, and we saw the rock arch that they hung
pirates from. This time we did not get to stop and look around
but got many pictures.
Emilie Montgomery
Beach BBQ (Christinas Birthday)
It just so happens oddly enough that our occasional beach bar-
beque happened to fall on my 19
th
birthday.
We started some re pits in the rocks on an uninhabited island of
the lovely Tobago Cays. I was one of the ne chefs that day. We
red up some burgers, (well, I dont think they could be called
burgers how about mystery meat) and some chicken dogs.
One thing we have come immune to is the funny meats we ingest
down here in the Caribbean. It tasted good though just because
it was cooked on an open re. The highlight food of the evening
was the gigantic cake that both boats cooked all day. T-square
and Jaimie added the nishing touches. The mountainous cake
had frosting, sprinkles and candles! This was a real treat for us
all.
Unfortunately, a rain storm came to our parade, but we didnt let
the rain ruin our fun. It ended up blowing over. We cut the cake
in half and I delivered it to Ocean Star and the Cat kept one half.
On the Cat we sang Happy Birthday and, after a face full of frost-
ing, we devoured that cake. Perfect ending to a perfect day.
Denitely one of the most memorable birthdays I have had. I
mean, not everyone can say they turned 19 in the Caribbean
3
me, the suspense of what was to come began boiling up like a hot
sulfur spring on Saint Lucia as we began to pull on our wetsuits.
At dusk, Jess and T squared went to the exact spot where we
would be snorkeling and put glow sticks on the buoys so that we
would be certain not to miss the reef. We loaded onto the dingy,
snorkel, mask, and ns in hand. The ride went smoothly except
for the occasional scolding from Jess to keep the light pointed
in the front of the boat, not in my eyes, Scubs! We arrived in a
record time of one minute from our starting point, Ocean Star.
We immediately rolled back into the dark and foreboding waters.
All at once there was a mad mass of slashing ns and lights
pointed in every direction. The usual snorkeling-harmony of the
crew was lost to the darkness as everyone insisted on kicking
everyone else in the face. The current was uncommonly strong
that night and before we began to venture out on our own we
seemed to have a magnetic pull towards each other. For the forty-
ve minutes that we were in the water we saw a couple of squids,
numerous sh, a puffer, lobsters, and a stingray. A lucky few
including myself had a close encounter with a nurse shark. Dave
wanted to let everyone know that he and Boomer saw two squids.
Night snorkels rock!
Alice Demarco
Johnny Depp Island and Pirates of the
Caribbean Town in Wallilabou
themselves to swing on it to see how low to the water it goes, and
they adjusted it appropriately.
Afterwards, the shipmates are given permission to use the
coveted boomswing. We were all very excited to try out this
newfangled contraption of ours. So, we began swinging on it.
Boomer went, then Sarge, Touchdown, T squared, Jack, Clay-
ton, Nelson, Tyler, Little Buddy, Scubs (Scuba Steve), Jonathan,
Simon, Chris, etc. There were a lot of interesting moves being
displayed by everybody. Dives, ips, back ips, back ops,
plain old swings, and the whole nine yards. Everyone was doing
something interesting for the most part.
Touchdown put us all to shame with her constant and consis-
tent back ips. Clayton, being aerodynamic, swung out on the
boomswing and dove down gracefully. Scubs swung out and
dived every time he went. T-squared worked on her back ips,
and eventually perfected the move after several more tries. Sarge
ipped numerous times, and in between the ips, he got some
red spots due to some inconveniences in his swinging. Simon
swung out and did ying squirrels, as did Scubs. Tyler did ying
squirrel after ying squirrel, and back ip after back ip. For
those of us who were unoriginal, Jonathan, Little Buddy, Nelson,
and Chris, we just swung from the boomswing and tried not to
get hurt, which was a useless exercise. For example, take me,
Jonathan. I hurt my back trying to do a back ip, which turned
into a back op. After these precious boomswing experiences, I
opted to not have any more that day.
Others were luckier, Touchdown didnt mess up or hurt herself
even once, and Clayton had minimal injuries, as did Nelson and
Tyler. Simon and Boomer had already had previous experiences
with the boomswing, and knew all the tricks of the trade so to
speak.
Of course, we had our photographer TomO, both on the deck, and
in the water (though not at the same time,) taking photographs
and video clips of the shipmates and staff members as they
swung from the boomswing.
After several hours, numerous failed attempts, which lead to
some serious pain in some cases, it was time for dinner. Alas
the boomswing had to be put away, and our time with it was
done. So we dried off, and lowered the boomswing slowly, then
straightened the boom out the way it was supposed to go, low-
ered it, and of course, removed the thick rope that we had used to
swing from the starboard (right) side of Ocean Star, into the blue
waters of the Tobago Cays.
Jonathan Brookner
Basic Keelboat Certication
Over the course of time that we have been on Sea-mester, the
students and even some of the crew have been learning to sail.
From day one, the sailing instructors have been doing an excel-
lent job teaching us how to sail. We have learned all the parts
and workings of a sail boat, from bow to stern and from mast to
keel. We are learning proper maintenance of a sail boat - how
to rig and de-rig, how to clean and keep clean, and most impor-
tantly, how to sail.
While in the Tobago Cays, we took the US Sailing Basic Keel-
4
Christina Rizleris
Navigation Dive
Now that we are all Scuba Certied we are pushing farther
in our diving learning and skills. Advanced Diver is our next
certication. Our rst dive for this qualication was a naviga-
tion dive. This took place in the Tobago Cays right below Ocean
Star. The currents were pushing hard making it difcult for
people to stay in one place for a long period of time, but we all
made it and the majority of us did not get lost.
The object of Navigation Dive was to use a compass to navi-
gate you and your buddy underwater. First, we had to swim in a
strait line for a hundred feet and swim back using the reciprocal
heading. Then we had to swim a four hundred foot square where
every hundred feet you make a 90 degree turn. This is where it
became a little more difcult because the current made it hard to
judge distances. While some people got washed way off course,
others maneuvered around perfectly. While the conditions were
far from perfect, overall it was a very successful dive and we are
all looking forward to our next challenging and exciting dives.
Jeremy Garretson
Boomswing
Many have tried it. Many have attempted to better it. Many
have been abused by it. And many have tried to conquer it.
I speak of the boomswing. Now you may be asking yourself,
What exactly is a boomswing? You will never know unless
you are able to try it yourself. This article, hopefully, will let you
comprehend the experience known as the boomswing.
The boomswing is a device made through brute, human strength.
The rst step is to raise the main boom; this is what regularly
holds our mainsail. After the boom is raised from its perch, a
thick rope is tied to it with several knots. Next, it is swung out
at an almost ninety degree angle from Ocean Star, and is hoisted
up about twenty feet. Several knots are then tied at the bottom of
the rope as well, for people to hold. Next comes the initial phase
of swinging. Testing it. Simon and Boomer bravely volunteered
boat test and are proud to say that all of us are now US Sailing boat test and are proud to say that all of us are now US Sailing boat test and are proud to say that all of us are now US Sailing
Basic Keel Boat certied, which is a great accomplishment for a
lot of us. Right now we are currently working on the navigation
portion of our curriculum which is quite a bit harder, but a chal-
lenge everyone is looking forward to.
Nelson Allen
Canouan Dive
During our brief visit to Canouan we met up with a buddy of
Boomers named Andy. A few years ago, Andy started the Can-
ouan Dive Center and we were fortunate enough to have him take
us on a local dive. He and a guy he works with named Tim came
out and met us on Natasha and we headed out to the dive site.
We eventually made it out to the dive site and were briefed by
Andy. We entered the water all in one big group, about twenty-
ve divers in total. Strangely, we started swimming with the
current as opposed to against it, which is the norm when diving
in a slight current. This is done so that you can exert yourself and
swim against the current for the rst half of the dive and then
just rest and drift back to the anchor on the second half. It did not
make any difference other than a couple people that came back to
the surface a little low on air.
Either way, we descended onto a reef that was lled with beauti-
ful sh and coral. We saw everything from tiny banded coral
shrimp to schools of grunts and even a nice size nurse shark.
5
One thing that sticks out in my mind about this dive were the
arrowhead crabs. Not on any of my previous two hundred dives
had I ever seen such big arrowhead crabs. They normally have
extremely skinny legs that are only about two or three inches
long. On this dive, I saw numerous crabs with legs that had to
push ve inches. That does not sound like much of a change
but when it occurs on an animal that is so small, it stands out.
Another pleasant surprise from the dive was a good size yellow-
n grouper that was pointed out to me by Boomer off the deep
edge of the reef. Of all the dives we had done so far that was the
rst grouper I had seen and it was around three feet long and had
some weight on it. Due to heavy shing and spear shing, you do
not see many groupers anymore, especially ones that big.
Overall, it was a great dive. Even having twenty-ve people
it did not seem that crowded because there was good spacing
between the divers. The good brieng given by Andy before the
dive enabled us to stay on the reef and all nd our way back to
the boat, even without the guide being right there with us at all
times.
Jack Hubbard
Raising the six sails
It was the 31
st
day of seamester when the FCS 04 crew of Ocean
Star got the OK from Boomer and Simon to raise all six sails.
When we got up in the morning we went straight to work prep-
ping the boat to leave Canouan and head towards Bequia. We
raised the anchor then systematically started raising sails. Main
Sail, Fore Sail, Stay Sail, Jib. Then came the hate mission, we
needed a laz diver to go below and pull out the two remain-
ing sails the Flying Jib and the Fishermans. Scuba Steve being
the laz diver he is, went into the stale air of the laz and heaved
the large cumbersome sails up. The crew had own the ying
Jib before so prepping it and raising it was no problem for the
motivated crew, but the Fisherman's was new to us. Boomer and
Simon began to explain how to rig the sail and send it aloft. After
a few minutes of confusion of sorting out the correct lines, the
crew began hoisting the sixth and nal sail towards the clouds
and with astonishing accuracy Ocean Star was complete. For the
rst time the crew looked towards the sky and saw how beautiful
boat test and are proud to say that all of us are now US Sailing boat test and are proud to say that all of us are now US Sailing boat test and are proud to say that all of us are now US Sailing
corkscrew, or jewelry box, and carving it with a quite descriptive
picture of whales or whaling. The island of Bequia is a fruitful
place of outgoing people and has great presence.
Michael Weber
Scrimshaw
While on the windward island of Bequia, the shipmates and staff
had the opportunity to peruse a gallery of uniquely beautiful art
called scrimshaw. Originally, scrimshaw was the art of carving
and engraving designs on whale teeth by American whalers in
the early 19
th
century. Modern scrimshaw has evolved to include
whale and camel bone, elephant and walrus ivory, and ostrich
eggs. Bone and Micarta have all but replaced ivory, due to an
international ban on new whale and elephant products. Scrim-
shaw pendants, gurines, corkscrews and knives were displayed
for sale as collectors items; they ranged from $60.00 (U.S.) for
a small pendant to $1,000.00 (U.S.) for a rigging knife designed
for the recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The knives
were the most popular choice for the Seamester crew, with four
purchases representing four different types of knives. The scope
goes from two different sized camel bone rigging knives, to an
elaborate whale bone rigger, to a camel bone buck knife, all with
meticulously intricate designs. According to the pamphlet you get
upon purchasing one of the knives, they are made exclusively
for the artist, Sam McDowell in Seki City Japan by Kai Cutlery
Company, the nest knife makers in the world and descendants
of the Samurai sword makers. The blades are surgical stainless
steel and exceedingly sharp, the handles are individually hand-
made and carved by Mr. McDowell, one-of-a kind collectors
pieces. Needless to say, the elite few who now are proud owners
of one of these masterpieces have added a noticeable swagger in
their step.
Davis Hammell
The Truly Amazing Bequian Jeep Ad-
venture
Bequia, a beautiful island lled with some of the most pleasant
people in the world. Most toured the town of Port Elizabeth in
Admiralty Bay. Some of the more adventurous souls took taxi
tours. But, the truly pure of heart, those whos bravery is over-
shadowed only by their complete disregard for common sense,
rented a Jeep for our own customized tour of Bequia.
Erin, Emilie, Christina and Tom (myself) formed the prestigious
Team Yellow Jeep. Once a small debate over who will drive (be-
tween myself and Erin) it was decided that I would drive. Then,
we needed to obtain our very own local driving permit. I thought
this may be some sort of issue, like we would need to drive with
a policeman to prove we can do it or something. How wrong I
was, a few dollars at the customs ofce and a permit was issued.
So, permit, Jeep keys and a sketchy map of the island in hand
and we jumped into our yellow Jeep Wrangler and took on into
the wild blue yonder. Well, rst I had to weave out of my park-
ing spot around a bitter taxi driver who wouldnt move because I
didnt hire them for an island tour. Secondly, I had to learn how
6
Ocean Star looked with all of her sails in the wind. We continued
our journey to Bequia with Ocean Star looking her nest.
Dave Lee
Bequia
So much to say and such a small vocabulary to express it. Bequia
is a friendly historic place of beauty. I was given the privilege to
see the Bequia that few do. I got a cab to take Jeremy, Jimmy,
Liz and I around the coast of the island. We drove past secluded
beaches, a turtle farm, and rushing school children. The highlight
of the ride was most certainly the island kids that chased our
cab as they were getting out of school. They were wearing their
uniforms, screaming with joy, as we drove past and yelled hello.
Bequia has a vast whaling past. Now no more whaling occurs,
only two whales are caught and killed a year for tradition's sake.
This transpires between the months of January and April. Every
part of the whale is used after being killed. The island had a vast
selection of scrimshaw, the art of using animal bone for a knife,
to drive on the left side of the road. Surprisingly easy to accli-
mate to I might add, I only almost ran into a truck once. Not bad
for a day of driving in a foreign country (at least in my humble,
yet always right opinion). Soon we where gallivanting up hills,
careening around corners and honking our horn like locals. The
horn was broken so we just used our voices, ingenious huh? We
visited the Oldhegg Turtle Sanctuary where a local man rescues
baby turtles, raises them and then releases them back into the
wild to increase their chances of survival. We went to the top
of Mount Pleasant and then back to the beach to eat lunch at
Dawns Creole Shack, that is run by an (almost) retired couple
from the States. Lunch was lled with great conversation with
these pleasant Democrats!
After lunch we attempted to nd a local viewpoint call Moon-
hole Rock. After driving across the island, doing a little 4 Wheel
Drive Off Roading and ending up at a sketchy looking house
with a large No Trespassing sign, we gave up and retuned to
Port Elizabeth. Although our adventures were not complete. We
then ran into Alice who wanted to go for a ride. So back out to
the turtle sanctuary we went. Chantale met us there and asked
for a ride back up the hill (she had been riding her bike) past a
very mean dog.
We then returned to Port Elizabeth to return our little yellow ve-
hicle of adventure. Although the Bequia adventure had ended we
will never forget our experiences driving around their beautiful
island, where there are no driving laws.
Tom Rose
The Rock
Bright and early we awoke at 5:00 a.m. on day 39 to climb a rock
called The Piton on the island of St. Lucia. The rock was over
2000 feet high and went straight up and down. We were deter-
mined, even at the early hour we awoke, to conquer the rock no
matter what the cost.
We took the cat over to the dock at the base of the mountain at 6:
00 a.m. and by 6:30 we were climbing. Two locals named Tyrone
and Norbert led us up the mountain. Norbert was a fairly large
muscular man while Tyrone was of average build. Norbert rode
his bicycle to meet us and we all thought he was going to carry it
up the mountain.
Tyrone was quite a character and the leader of our group. He
was at the front of the line, wore no shoes, and did not sweat one
drop. When we got to the top of the mountain we were all out of
breath and sweating like pigs, and Tyrone was lying down like he
did not climb a mountain for the past two hours.
The climb to the top took us over two hours. The trail went
straight up in places to the extent that you needed a rope to help
in the climb. We all struggled to make it, some more than oth-
ers (e.g. Chantale due to the fact that one of her hands had four
recent stitches), but we all strived for the top. I personally could
feel my character building every time I smashed my shin on a
rock spilling blood and causing me to swear in pain, and every
time a re ant bit me.
Once I reached the top an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction
overcame me. I looked down over the cliff and saw how high we
were and I was astounded that we actually climbed a small moun-
tain. I personally have never accomplished such a feat.
Reaching the bottom was even more satisfying than reaching the
top. Looking up at the mountain I couldnt believe the size of the
beast and the fact that merely two hours before we were at its
peak looking down. The fact that we reached the bottom in one
piece and no one was severely injured made the hike even better.
Once at the bottom my shins were bleeding, I had sweat pouring
out of me and my legs barely functioned from sheer exhaustion.
I looked to the top of the mountain and thought to myself it was
all worth it. The reward of knowing that I got out of bed, hiked a
2000 ft. rock, and did it all before lunchtime was such an accom-
plishment that Id do it again in a heartbeat.
7
Scuba Steve
Reef Check
Between the beautiful peaks of the Pitons in St. Lucia we were
able to participate in a scientic research project known as a
Reef Check. With the efforts of the local St. Lucian organization,
Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA), together we con-
ducted a reef check to see the current condition of the reefs in the
marine parks. In the fall of 2003, Sea-Mester students relocated
300 black spiny urchins to a reef called Supermans ight after it
was hit by hurricane Lenny in 1999. It was hoped that the urchins
would eat the algae that was covering the reef. Our mission was
to collect data to see if moving the urchins helped the reef as well
as the urchins reproducing, and marine life increase.
We had three groups that collected data in three different catego-
ries: sh, invertebrates, and coral. Each group had 100 meter tape
along the sea oor with a 2.5 meters on each side of the tape. The
groups had to count various sh and invertebrates and record
the substrate type. After all the data was collected, we marked
down all the numbers and they will be sent to the Reef Check
headquarters located in California. They will be compared to last
years results to see if there has been any improvement in reef
health since last year.
Jaimie Clifton and Tiffany Talsma
The Squeeze
Passing boats look and often wonder, what can make sixteen
people sit around the dinner table holding hands? Are they pray-
ing? Nope, its not prayer, but rather the traditional Sea-mester
Squeeze. Before dinner each night every member of his or her
respective boat will settle in around the dinner table and join
hands. The skipper of the day leads off with a quick reection on
the days events and how everything went. A question, statement,
or thought of the day is posed to the group. This can range from
personal reective questions such as, where will you be in ten
years? The skipper may ask a simple question, what is the
name of your pets? (Although Boomer doesnt like us to ask
these too often). On occasion we get a really sly skipper who
makes us really think with questions like, Name one quality you
respect about the person to your left.
Whether it is complicated or simple, about ourselves or about
others, the squeeze is an integral part of the Sea-mester experi-
ence that we all cherish.
Tom Rose
Deck Showering
Say goodbye to warm bubble baths and fresh water showers,
on Sea~mester all the showers are done on the stern of the boat.
Thats right, in the oceans salty water. Shaving will be done in
the open, dont worry by the second week your shyness will be
gone. All of our product is stored in gallon size freezer bags
and if left on deck its a major violation. Contests also begin
during bathing time, like the ying squirrel, which Tyler, Jack,
Simon, Clayton, Jaimie, and Dave have mastered. Scuba Steve
also has a great entrance into our enormous bathtub, known as
the dead mans drop. Showering in the open allows the crew to
bond together and will denitely not be forgotten.
Tiffany Davis
8
Martinique, Dominica, Les Saintes,
Guadeloupe, Antigua
Fall Edition 2004, Volume III
The Telltale
Wind - Rud der In di ca tor and Tale Bear er of
The Car ib be an Sea-mester
Martinique, Dominica, Les Saintes, Guadeloupe, Antigua
Fall Edition 2004, Volume III
A note from the editors:
Here we are once again with only twenty days to go, but with
twenty more words in French. After exploring these French
islands, we have discovered cheap phone calls, expensive ice
cream, and that the French like to make up their own holidays.
As we sail into the homestretch of our voyage, we continue to
live every moment as if it were our rst. So, here we are with the
next edition of The Telltale.
Jaimie, Christina, and Tiffany T.
Mount Pelee
Among the many ancient Hawaiian images of the afterlife,
the highest of these after worlds is in a aming crater atop the
volcano Kilauea, where the goddess Pelee presides. Atop Kilauea
there is no pain, only sheer delight and the old chieftains dwell
forever, playing their royal games in the ames.
Mount Pelee is a volcano that erupted 100 years ago, destroying
the town of St. Pierre. The current dome, formed after that erup-
tion, comes out of the old crater. The volcano is over 5,000 feet
high on the beautiful island of Martinique, with peaks like spires
reaching above the clouds, almost touching the heavens.
While climbing this mountain, I could not but help but think
back to the Hawaiian myths of the goddess Pelee in her volcanic
home.
We drove up a gradual ascent approaching the mountain, as it
loomed in the distance, passing through small country towns that
at once struck images of the French country side and also the
tropical feel of the Caribbean.
We started the actual hiking portion of our journey at about 2,000
feet and began walking up a foot path that seemed rather easy, at
rst. Perhaps 30 minutes through our ascent, the path took on a
rather vertical nature continuing for the next 50 minutes. By the
time we reached the top of our vertical climb we found ourselves
enshrouded in fog and clouds. We began walking along the rim
of the rst crater and were presented with two options; climbing
down into the crater then up on top of the new dome or to follow
the crater around to ascend the summit from the back.
I chose to take the long road, a solitary one providing a much
needed reection on my thoughts. I hiked for over an hour alone
to the summit, only happening upon fellow shipmates at the
zenith. When the fog cleared enough to see around, I found my-
self in the clouds staring at the sky, almost able to reach out and
touch it with my hand.
All of a sudden the Hawaiian myth and what the rst natives
must have thought looking into the heavens from this very spot
upon their gradual diffusion eastward dawned on me. Perhaps
some legend stuck with them and they found their long lost god
once again on this very volcano, looking into the great myster-
ies as I found myself doing. Perhaps the mountain brought some
peace and tranquility upon their long travels as it had on mine.
James Tyson
1
Boiling Lake Hike
Wake-up at 4:40, get out of your bunk, get moving, eat, pack
your bags, get your shoes, get in the dingy, get to shore. If you
think that this sounds like our Piton hike, or even Mt. Pelee,
stop yourself right there. Its the boiling lake hike. Like Mt.
Pelee, we loaded up into our trademark vans, sardine style of
course, and drove quickly to the site of our hike.
Now, since youve found out that we were going to hike to
the boiling lake, you should be saying to yourself, wow, its a
hike, not a mountain climbing excursion, which should be easy.
Dont kid yourself. To get to the boiling lake, you need to
climb, or hike the mountain. First, go up on a dirt trail that on
occasion has wooden steps that seem like they should make the
hike easier but actually dont. Next go down the mountain, the
same conditions applying. But part of the way going up, add
rain, sometimes hard, sometimes just a light drizzle.
After hiking up, then down the mountain, now with mud trails,
rain, wind, puddles, and sketchy wooden steps, you must
proceed down into the Valley of Desolation. This may sound
like a harsh place. If you think that it is, you're right. On dead,
crumbling ground, with sulfur steaming up through cracks in
the earth, we hiked to the boiling lake. Of course, we did take
a break to soak in the warm sulfur springs along the way. After
that much needed refreshment, we hiked on, soaked from the
rain and the springs, reeking of sulfur, tired, hungry, and ready
to press on, we trudged through the mud, creeks, rain, wind,
and crumbling discolored rocks to the at top where we could
see the boiling lake.
As we reached the boiling lake we were amazed by the sight
before us. We were told that the lake was as hot as 100 degrees
Celsius, and as deep as 150 feet. At the center of the lake,
the water was indeed boiling up, with steam that smelled of
sulfur, blowing in all directions. In wet, clammy clothes, cold
and shivering, we ate our lunch. Our guide, Pancho, made the
best sh meal ever. It was excellent, accompanied with freshly
squeezed grapefruit juice. After sh and peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches we began our journey back to the entrance of the
park.
Going back through the Valley of Desolation, climbing up the
wooden, muddy steps of the mountain, now soaked through
with rain and with wet vegetation, we slowly made our way
back. We no longer cared about the water seeping into our
2
shoes, or the mud clinging to our boots and socks, nor the
clammy clothes making us colder, not warmer. We continued
trudging at a mind numbing pace, concentrating on only put-
ting one foot in front of the other
While the boiling lake hike was hard and long, we all suc-
cessfully made it there and back. In addition to that, we
were given the privilege of seeing the last boiling lake in the
world. Another one discovered in New Zealand dried up
some years ago according to our guide, Pancho. The experi-
ence of hiking to and seeing the boiling lake can be compared
to nothing else on this world. There are man made wonders,
there are natural wonders, and there are just some natural
wonders that cannot be explained. But I would say without
a doubt, every minute of that hike was worth it. No matter
the amount of rain, the smell of the sulfur, the mud of the
mountain, or anything else, there is nothing that could have
made that hike harder, or more worth the amount of effort we
put into it.
Jonathan Brookner
Tour of Dominica
The tour of Dominica began with a trip up the Indian River
where we took measurements for our oceanography class.
After that we got in some cabs that took us around the is-
land. Along the way we stopped for lunch at a beach on the
windward side where the guides cut us fresh coconut to go
along with the lunch we brought with us. A crew member
got a little sick on the ride, so our next stop was a friend of
the guides house, in the Carib Indian territory, where they
cured the ailed student with some traditional home remedies.
At the same time the rest of the crew ate real chocolate, fresh
bananas, guava, sugar cane, sweet sap, avocado, and coconut
milk. The next stop was a waterfall where the crew hiked
down for a quick cool off in the spring. After stopping at the
waterfall we went to a fruit farm where we stocked up on
seedless oranges and grapefruits for the rest of our journey.
The tour ended with the remainder of the island seen from the
cab and back to the boat. We did so much in one day, and it
was a great way to learn about this amazing island.
Nelson Allen
salinity, depth, and temperature in four different groups. Also on
the way up we saw all sorts of wildlife, for example iguanas and
tons of different crabs. About a mile up the river there was an
isolated caf called Radjah Club where the bushman seemed to
enjoy drinking the local Dynamite Rum Punch. The caf was a
neat place where there was a little souvenir store with spices and
local wood carvings. After we made our way back to where we
were dropped off, we got back in the bus for the tour of the rest
of the island.
Jeremy Garretson
Scooter Tour of Les Saintes
Our arrival to Les Saintes graced us with a beautiful little island
with some of the coolest little shops and cheapest phone calls
one could ask for, not to mention the worlds best ice cream.
But to me, Les Saintes spoke in other ways. The moment I set
foot on this little island, it said, scooters. So being the brave
and adventuresome souls that we were, Emilie and I rented one
small scooter for the two of us to share. At rst, learning to drive
this little hog was difcult. Combine that with a passenger who
never rode a motorcycle before and it spelled almost certain
injury. However, we deed the odds, got our wits about us and
spent the day cruising around the island. We visited Napoleons
fort and gardens and all the beaches. We even located a super se-
cret phone that no one else knew about (except for Christina) and
enjoyed some uninterrupted calls home without a line up. I was
by no means the only scooter on the road. Actually, Les Saintes
3
Dominica Dives Dominica Dives Dominica Dives
During our stay in Dominica we managed to do it all. From hik-
ing to the Boiling Lake, rowing up the Indian River, and an ad-
venturous island tour, we managed to save an afternoon for some
scuba diving. We did a two-tank boat dive with Dive Dominica.
The rst dive that we did was called Abyss. During this dive
we were completing the Underwater Naturalist section of our
Advanced Diving certication. All we had to do was identify
sh, invertebrates and plants. During this dive we were able to
see a frogsh and a seahorse. These sea creatures are rare and
hard to nd because they are so good at blending in with their
surroundings. On our second dive, at a site called Champagne
we saw another frogsh which was cool. This dive was really
neat because at the end we gured out why it had the name it did.
There were little tiny bubbles coming from under the reef, and it
looked like a bunch of champagne bubbles. We saw a really
cool school of squid, and a lot of eels. Overall, these dives were
my favorite and it would have been fun to be able to do more, but
in the little time we had in Dominica we saw a lot.
Jaimie Clifton
Indian River
While in Dominica we got in SeaCat's bus and went to the other
side of island to the Indian River. When we got there we met
up with some local guides and got in their row boats to go up
the river to do a oceanography lab. On the way up we measured
Dominica Dives Dominica Dives Dominica Dives
was one of the coolest things to see. Night diving is denitely
an awesome experience and I think one of the best times to go
diving.
Christina Rizleris
Diving at Pigeon Island Times Three
Guadeloupe is known for its great diving and that is exactly what
we did while we were there. We had the chance to do three dives
at the Jacques Cousteau Marine Reserve on Pigeon Island. We
were going to fulll our deep dive requirement for our advanced
certication but due to murky waters and strong currents it was
decided to save the deep dive for another day. Instead we did a
fun dive at a safe fty feet. My dive buddy Liz and I geared up
and had the urge to submerge! While underwater we saw vari-
ous colorful tropical sh, sponges, sea fans, corals, and a statue
of Jacques Cousteau. Yep, you read that right, about forty feet
underwater there is a statue of Jacques giving the okay sign. This
was the highlight of our rst dive. The second dive took place
in the late afternoon that same day. We did a drift dive and let
the currents take us around the island. That time, Liz and I saw a
four-foot eel swimming around us. It looked like a snake ready
to strangle us just kidding I dont think it even noticed us but
Liz and I sure did notice him! The third dive we did the follow-
ing morning at the early hour of 5:30. Liz and I had the drive to
dive! The early morning dive was especially cool because we got
4
has about 6 cars and about 600 scooters on the island. The roads
werent really even built for cars, everyone drives scooters.
Because of this, it was a safe place for braving the roads. Other
members of the Sea-mester crew got jealous and wanted a ride
on my hog, such as Liz and Scuba Steve. Simon, Dave, Chris
and Beaks where also quite jealous of my powerful machine but
tried hard to hide it. I could see, for total certainty, I will return
to spend more time enjoying the food, ice cream and scooters of
Les Saintes sometime in the future.
Tom-O
Ice Cream
When we were in The Saints I fell in love with a luscious, sweet,
sexy, succulent and fullling beauty that goes by the name of cof-
fee. She was a tasty little morsel who I had to visit a second time
and then a third. I left with a feeling of completeness.
Veni, vini, edi, discessi!
Clayton Webb
Night Diving
Our last night in Les Saintes, we continued our advanced diver
certication by taking the ultimate challenge: night diving. Most
of us (myself included) were terried of the unknown- scared of
all the things lurking in the depths of the night. Hearts pounding,
palms sweating, we jumped into the darkness. It wasnt totally
dark, we all had our trustworthy light sources. I descended,
sucking in so much air because I was so scared, but once we de-
scended to the bottom, the fear was almost instantaneously gone.
It was as if I was in another world. Diving is a totally different
experience at night. New creatures are out that arent normally in
the day. All the corals have their polyps extended, weird worms
can be seen, and the urchins are out and about. I felt like I was in
outer space as we oated through the darkness. It wasnt a hor-
rible terrifying experience, but a peaceful and relaxing one. At
one point we all turned off our light sources and splashed around
the water in front of us. In the darkness, thousands of little algae
lit up with bioluminescence like little stars in the night sky. It
to see the different corals that are not usually out when we dive.
The dive site had a different feel to it in the early morning and
we really had a good time.
I had an awesome diving experience at Pigeon Island. I saw lots
of cool stuff and I especially liked the statue of Jacques Cous-
teau. Now I can say that I have seen a statue in the depths of the
Caribbean Sea.
T-squared
Night Passage
At midnight on the dot (we are always on time), the crew of
Ocean Star rose from their bunks to raise her sails for a 40 nauti-
cal mile sail from Guadeloupe to Antigua. Our ETA: 9:00 am.
As the rest of the crew went back to their bunks to squeeze in
a couple more hours of sleep before our watches, watch team
one stayed behind to steady our schooners course. At 3 am
Jaimie woke watch team 2 (MY WATCH TEAM!) with advice
of foul weather gear and with good reason, as ominous clouds
promising rain blocked the usual visible stars in the night sky.
Tracy, Jess, Jonathan, Dave and I stayed at the helm and Tyler
(as usual) went straight for the bow. Ah, watch teams famous
for leaning on the quiet side (especially if your shift is at 3 am) at
rst as people are emerging from their dreams. It always, though,
becomes a haven for deep conversations, meaningless memory
games, and semi-delirious giggles that spawn from seemingly
hilarious things that, I can almost guarantee, wouldnt be nearly
as funny during the day. Things were going pretty normally until
Tylers voice broke through the night shouting for all of us to
come quick! Hurry! Hurry! You can imagine the horrors
that ran through our heads: someone fell in we were headed
for a sh trap straight into land weve hit an iceberg! (just
kidding about that one) What he spotted high atop the bowsprit,
is something that all of us would agree was worth the scare. A
pod of dolphins were racing right along the bow of Ocean Star.
The bioluminescence that radiated from them as they weaved in
and out of each other was hypnotizing. It was denitely a sight to
see. Good thing good ole Sarge was at the helm (we should all
have such restraint) to hold our course towards Green Island, lest
the wheel begins to spin and we start to head to Haiti. It's things
like that that make a good tell tale: dolphins made of stars. Its
the company and the open sea and a sky of endless stars that you
would never dream of seeing anywhere else but in the middle of
the Caribbean at 4 in the morning that make the night passages
worth sailing.
Alice Demarco
Green Island
Past Eric Claptons house through a narrow and shallow cut
northeast of English Harbor sits a little spit of land called Green
Island. At rst glance this particular area looks no different than
the rest of Antigua, but as the crew was pulling anchor on day 59
departing from Green Island we couldnt help but think how a
few more days would have been great.
We arrived in Green Island on day 56 after a quick boat
appreciation/provision near English Harbor. It was mid-afternoon
5
when we dropped our hook and settled into our home for the next
three days. The windsurfers of the boat immediately knew that
this area would be one of the best spots to have breakthrough
days thus far and commenced on setting up the boards. The rest
of the crew went about the normal business, setting up the boat
boom, main & side tarps. As we all went to bed that rst night we
had ash backs from the Tobago Cays where it seemed as though
time had slowed down, we knew the next few days would be just
as relaxing and fun.
We woke up on the second morning and to a windsurfers
delight, the wind was holding at about 15-20 knots from the
north and it seemed as though a great day of windsurng was
in store. This turned out to be true. Between our Oceanography,
Seamanship, and Communication classes the crew had a great
time exploring the area. Everything from beach BBQs to hikes
around the point, the crew was always occupied, from sun up to
sun down. Throughout the three days in our tropical paradise a
handful of shipmates decided to become rescue divers and began
their training.
On our third and nal day we woke to the best day of wind-
surng. The wind had shifted just enough to the east and was
blowing steadily at 20-25 knots, a great day to whip across the
water at terrifying speeds. It seemed as though everyone wanted
a little piece of the action so we had 3 windsurfers in the water
all day. Towards the end of the day the wind began to die and our
early departure scheduled for 7am the next morning forced us
out of the water and back to Ocean Star and Natasha for a little
passage prep. Oceanography class was scheduled for 7:30 pm on
day 58, and after about an hour of learning about sheries, the
crew turned in for the night and would only dream about great
windsurng days from this point out.
On day 59 as we pulled anchor and watched as this great piece
of windsurng water and tropical paradise slowly went out of
sight we couldnt help but think how great a time it really was in
Green Island. English Harbor is next with three weeks to go, and
everyone wishes time would slow down.
Dave Lee
The Greatest Bonre Ever
It was a cool Tuesday night in Green Island and due to the
Daily Accomplishments of Tasks
Chores. Who likes them? At home chores tend to be a boring
and tedious job that only the truly OCD person can enjoy. On
Ocean Star & Natasha chores become duties and are denitely
much more fun. We have mentioned in past articles our beloved
Wheelie Dealie on Ocean Star or The Wheel of Wonder on Na-
tasha, which dictate our ship roles. I have decided that it is high
time to explain to you, our faithful readers, what duties we have
on the boat and how we make sure our daily work gets done.
The basic of it is that each day the wheel moves one position,
our names are on the inside and the duties are listed around the
outside. This way, everyday everyone gets a new duty. Here is a
taste of the jobs and what we do to share the responsibility of the
tedious work. Since I am on Ocean Star this will be written from
an Ocean Star perspective.
Gopher: Welcome to the lower rungs of the Ocean Star society.
As gopher, the only real power you have is to reject any dishes
that the salties may not get totally clean. Before each meal one
will hear the chefs yell GOPHER! Then, as only the good little
gopher can, they will jump to their feet and run to their duties of
hauling up the food and supplies for the meal. After the meal,
our two gophers for the day will split up into up gopher and
down gopher. It is the job of the up gopher to clear the chart
house table (our serving buffet), provide courtesy scrapes* to the
serving dishes and manage the drops to the down gopher (more
on that later). The down gopher has the job that requires a little
more skill. As the dryers dry the dishes they will pass them to
the up gopher to drop them through the galley hatch to the down
gopher. This is where the skill comes in. The down gopher will
need to manage plates, cups, silverware, large pans and other
dangerous material ying down the hatch at their heads while
putting it all away in the cupboards and relling the juice jugs.
The more skilled of the gophers have managed the master the
ne art of Tiger Style, catching a galley knife midair. The even
more advanced gophers have even managed the curve ball, fast
balls and other creative ways of dropping dishes.
Salties: This is a great job, for Oscar the Grouch maybe. When
one is salty it is your job to muck around in the soapy salt water
and wash all the dishes in a big red tub on the deck. Salties are
constantly reminding everyone to courtesy scrape, because what
does not get scraped off the plate ends up oating in the salty
6
squally weather our beach BBQ was moved to the stern of our
boats. That didnt put a damper on our night and some of us
started a bonre. As soon as dinner and clean up was nished, all
of Natasha and some Ocean Star members headed to the beauti-
ful beach to take full advantage of the cool night. That afternoon
a few of the manly guys had prepared the re pit with huge logs
surrounding the re as seats. As the re raged on during the
night, ghost stories started pouring out of people's mouths. GQ,
I believe, had the best story of all. As the 9:00 curfew rolled
around, everyone pitched in to clean up and were all whisked
away on the one dinghy that came to pick us all up. This was
without any doubt my favorite night here on Green Island.
Emilie Montgomery
Green Island Poem
Green Island is where it went down
Just water and beach all around
The rain the week before brought some frowns
But the mighty re turned them upside down
Jeremy had some scary stories to share
Christina threw one out that sounded rare
Clayton knew one I think it was about a bear
GQ even had one that was true involving a dare
All these stories grabbed our imaginations and made us stare
It was quite an enjoyable time I do declare
As it was time to leave on the 9pm ride
We buried the re with sand so it would subside
All the ghost stories escaped back to hide
Leaving only our shadows by the waterside
A beach
A re
A starry night
A couple ghost stories and some good friends to tell them to
Take these ingredients and you have
A time worth remembering
Michael Weber
bucket. Derbis (aka debris) in the salty bucket makes the salties
very unhappy people. Another annoyance of the salties is chefs
(much like myself) who aspire to create gourmet taste sensations
for the crew, while using every dish in the galley.
Freshy: Probably one of the simpler jobs on the boat. It is the
freshys job to sit comfortably on a little wood stool and sprit the
soapy dishes with fresh water. We must remember to only rinse
the dishes, not soak. The less fresh water used the better. The
freshy has the authority to reject any dishes not cleaned to their
high expectation.
Dryer: Another job that isnt exactly a physical or mental chal-
lenge. The dryers dry the dishes and pass them to the up gopher.
Deckies: Yamma Deckie, I do my jobbie is the song of the
deckies. There are three deckies who work hard to provide an
entire deck scrub down after every meal. Part of the deckie team
arms themselves with our highly coveted buckets. They will
throw the buckets over the side and haul them back up full of salt
water to dump on deck while the other part of the team scrubs
with brushes.
Bosun: Bosun is basically deckie with power. The bosun is
in charge of the deckies and is responsible for making sure the
decks stay in good condition. This is denitely a power position.
Head Chef: The job is pretty self explanatory. The better chefs
will slave away for hours producing new and innovative meals
and treats that would rival Iron Chef. However some are content
with cereal, top ramen and canned chicken. Regardless of culi-
nary skill all chefs have worked hard to provide their respective
meals.
Sous Chef: This position is known by many pet names; Ill sum
it up to Assistant Chef. It is the Sous Chefs job to assist the
head chef in whatever needs are requested from chopping, to stir-
ring to playing DJ.
Dinghy Master/Salon Keeper: When you are DM, it is your job
to make sure both Exy and Irv are out of the water each night or
secured on deck for passage. Raising our dinghies on deck is
no simple matter. They are raised by muscle power alone. No
winches, no electric motors, just our arms, legs and a couple
block and tackle systems. This creates the single man/woman
challenge. Those pure of heart and strong of mind can take the
single person challenge. This means that, by yourself, you will
raise the stern of Irv and his 50 horsepower engine up and get
him on deck. Many have tried, not all have lived to tell the tale.
Since DM alone is a pretty cushy job, it is teamed up with Salon
Keeper. This means you are responsible for keeping the salon
clean, creative huh? Easy? Denitely not. Some have been
known to resort to guerilla warfare in keeping the salon clean.
If you have stuff in the salon, I will not allow you on the dinghy
to shore for night out, since I am both salon keeper and DM I can
do that!(Jonathan).
Engineer: This can be either a slack job, or a long, hot arduous
job, just depending on how the machines treat you that day. It
is the engineers job to perform checks twice a day, start up and
shut down our main engine if we are moving and to start up the
generator and make water or cool down the refrigerator (if Simon
and Jess dont do it for you). If we are making water or charg-
ing, generally Simon, Jess or Boomer, since they live in the chart
house, are kind enough to do the late night shut down.
Skipper of the Day: Thats right, the ultimate of the power
position. This is where it is at. The coveted and revered job of
dragging people out of bed in the morning, cracking the whip to
everyone on board and steering at the helm shouting orders while
the remainder of the crew sweats the sails up. The skipper is also
responsible for leading the squeeze at dinner.
Whether you are in a position of power or digging around in the
dirt as gopher everyone plays an integral part of keeping this boat
running right. We all try to make as much fun out of our respec-
tive jobs as we can.
Tom-O
*Courtesy Scrape: The act of scraping the remnants left on your
plate into the water. This is highly encouraged by all aboard,
especially salties. Often heard being shouted around the deck
immediately following a meal.
A Day on the Cat
One day I decided it was time to experience some time on Na-
tasha, our catamaran. The day was perfect; the sun was shining
and the wind was blowing steadily. I picked the right day to trade
spots with someone and experience a ve-hour cruise on the
catamaran between Les Saintes and Pigeon Island.
I imagine one could get the same feeling of what its like switch-
ing boats by switching cars with a friend or family member. If I
were to trade cars for a night with my neighbor, for example, I
would have had the same feeling; it is a car but not mine, and I
would have no idea where anything was but I would understand
how to get the car from point A to point B.
Being on an unfamiliar boat, I had many questions to ask. The
trusty skipper and the crew had plenty of answers for me and
were enthusiastic to answer. For example: the cat has rigging
that Ocean Star does not that I asked questions about, such as the
traveler. Once briefed on the traveler by Chris I understood how
to use the traveler for proper sail trim.
The difference between Ocean Star and Natasha is that Natasha
is a modern sailing vessel and Ocean Star is a traditionally rigged
schooner with classic design. Ocean Star has no winches to raise
the sails where the cat does, and Natashas anchor goes up or
down by the press of a button. They are both beautiful vessels
with outstanding crews, skippers and mates.
7
The cat might be a lot smaller than Ocean Star but she can
sure sail fast. We got the mainsail and jib up with ease. Shortly
thereafter, the wind started picking up and before we knew it we
were up to 8 knots. On the cat, you can hear the water break-
ing beneath the hull; it is nice to hear the sounds of a boat being
powered by the wind. The cat is a lot quieter than Ocean Star,
there are fewer crew members so theres less chatter, plus the cat
rides a lot closer to the water than Ocean Star, you can hear the
water beneath you moving a lot easier.
Many of the crewmembers enjoy reading books since it's so
relaxing and quiet on the cat. I was able to nally nish a book
I have been reading for the past month. It was quite relaxing to
nd a comfortable spot on the boat, sit back and put my feet up
with a book.
I found my experience on Natasha very informative and I had
a fun time with the crew, not to mention the sail we had and the
speeds we got up to. The skipper and mate were knowledgeable
about sailing and had answers to all of my questions. I also had
an excellent time with the crew and hope they will invite me over
again soon for another enjoyable sail.
Scuba Steve aka. Andy Bennett
My Day on Ocean Star
Not long ago, I was presented with an opportunity to switch from
my modern day sailing routine on the sleek catamaran Natasha
to the old fashioned, no winch sailing experience on the beauti-
ful black hulled Ocean Star. I awoke even before the sun had
peaked over the horizon and boarded Ocean Star for the passage
from Martinique to Dominica with two other Cat crew members,
Chantale and Christina. Upon boarding we were all immediately
put to work, no hand that was on deck was sitting or without a
task. The four sails on Ocean Stars deck needed to be prepared
to be brought up. Already very different from Natasha, on the
catamaran the set up is modern. Natasha has two sails, the jib and
the main which can both be brought up in a matter of minutes
using the maximum of four hands. The ease of getting the sails
ready and risen also allows for simple sail trim adjustment and
exceptional maneuverability, unlike Ocean Star. After we were
underway most shipmates settled into their bunks because they
had elected to use the watch team system which allowed for each
watch team have the responsibility of the boats course, engine,
log and bow watch for three hours. However, I was far from a
sleeping stage. I was grasping the surreal feeling of the work
that had just been exerted from myself along with the Ocean Star
crew, we had with our own hands, no mechanical advantages
such as winches, brought an 88 foot schooner to sail with six
sails and a steady and solid pace of six nautical miles per hour.
The thought was bewildering to me. I spent the rest of my day
getting a splicing lesson from the greatest splicer in our two boat
eet, Chantale, I crawled as far forward as the bow would permit
to do my share of bow watch, and I sat on the chart house look-
ing up in awe of the looming white sails on the clear blue ocean
sky. Ocean Star was in a sense the opposite of the sailing world
I had come from on Natasha. It was old fashioned, it was a big
schooner and it was most likely one of the most beautiful boats I
will ever get to sail.
Elizabeth Randlett
Facial Hair
At this point in our Sea-mester, male students and staff alike
are showing physical proof of their hours on the open sea, most
notably on their faces. After many strenuous hours of charting
the Caribbean Sea, these sailors display how salty they really are.
One can learn much about these salty sailors by their appearance
-- where theyve explored, how many hours they have logged
and how fundamentally manly they are. Some look sportier
than others, but all have a generally rugged and masculine aura
about them. Captain Chris and his soul patch lead the Cat crew
of Clayton (mutton chops & chin scruff), Jimmy (devilishly
pointy goatee), Davis (bear-like neck beard), Nelson (thin chops
& a Wooderson-esque mustache) and the fallen soldier Jeremy
(recently shaved goatee). On Ocean Star, you might see 1
st
mate
Simon and his somewhat reclusive mustache/goatee along with
the crew of Tyler (full beard minus upper lip hair), Jack and Mike
(general scrufness), and Scuba Steve (stupendous Magnum PI
mustache). As of right now, the facial hair showing is diverse
and interesting, but it is only a pale foreshadowing of what will
come on November 21, when Mike has pledged to shave half his
face. Until then, anyone who has the good fortune to gaze upon
our scarred and salted visages will see an unprecedented show of
rugged good looks.
Davis Hammell & Tyler Herrick
8
Antigua, St. Barth, Statia, Saba, BVI
Fall Edition 2004, Volume IV
The Telltale
Wind - Rud der In di ca tor and Tale Bear er of
The Car ib be an Sea-mester
Antigua, St. Barth, Statia, Saba, BVI
Fall Edition 2004, Volume IV
A Final Word From Your Lovely Editors
The day that we thought would never come has arrived. As
we prepare ourselves for the world outside of Ocean Star and
Natasha we say our nal goodbyes, share our memories and pack
it all up to take it home. As we return to our individual lives, we
will undoubtedly never forget the hundreds of miles we sailed
together with people we will never forget. Signing off as Telltale
editors of the Fall Sea-mester 2004 we invite you to enjoy our
nal Telltale.
Christina, Jaimie, and T-Squared
English Harbour
When we rst pulled into English Harbour a few weeks ago,
I remember rst being awestruck with the beautiful, historic
dockside next to which we were tied stern to -- until Clayton got
my attention by commenting on the landscape across the chan-
nel, Hey, that looks just like the Shire (from The Lord of the
Rings)! I started laughing at his childlike fascination, but then
I turned around and saw that he was absolutely right. The soft
rolling hills, the low-riding clouds, the squat, gnarled trees, it
was kind of an eerily similarity actually, and Im not ashamed to
admit that I thought that was really cool too. After admiring the
landscape, we hopped off Natasha for a self-guided tour of the
famous harbour, taking particular interest in the museum, wood-
carving art gallery and the awesome bakery (two meat pies, two
sausage wraps and a Sprite for 4 dollars). Our pastry and meat
cravings were taken care of, and we cruised back to the Cat for
the night. When we got back to the boat, it started to rain heavily
-- while most shipmates might be daunted and retire to the saloon
until dinner, we got up and decided to go for a row in the dinghy
and check out the Shire up close. We endured being laughed
at by staff, fellow shipmates and the other sailors docked around
the harbor as we powered ourselves around in the tempest, but
we saw it as an invigorating and cleansing experience (literally).
Among the other activities we enjoyed while in English Harbour
were the amazing Shirley Heights night out and the very interest-
ing Nautical Science walking tour of the boats around the harbor
and the yachts in nearby Falmouth. Altogether, we had a great
time on Antigua and its historic harbour.
Davis Hammell
Shirley Heights
The night was number 61 and the activity was the enchanted
place of Shirley Heights. Shirley Heights was voted the number
one place to be on a Sunday night by National Geographic, and
we soon gured out why.
To get to Shirley Heights we had to get up a moderately sized
hill. In order to get there the easiest (and coolest) way to get there
1
famous harbour, taking particular interest in the museum, wood-
was to hike. The only other option was to walk up the street but
that wouldve added an extra hour onto our efforts; wisely we
took the trail and as a group we hiked together.
As we hiked up, the closer we got the more we could hear
the 30 steel drummers drumming away on their steel drums.
I had only heard in the past one or two steel drummers play-
ing together at the same time. The sound of 30 steel drummers
playing in unison was incredible.
We soon reached our destination and saw where we would
spend the next ve hours. Shirley Heights had everything we
needed to stay entertained: food and music. When we rst
arrived the steel drummers were in the middle of a song and
the place was starting to ll up with people. As time went on
the music got better and better and our appetites got larger and
larger. We soon found our way to the barbecue line.
The food was all barbecue, burgers, salad, and drinks. We
enjoyed our burgers to the sound of music. As time went on
the place started lling up more and more and the line for the
food got longer. I was glad that I got in line before the crowd
showed up.
The steel drummers played for about two hours before their set
was over. Their drumming was incredible beyond what my ears
could comprehend. Their drums made my ears do a little dance
with each strike of their drum.
Once the drummers were nished another band called High
Intensity took the stage. They were energetic and GQ enjoyed
some dance time on stage which we all enjoyed. They played
some originals, and some covers, but the best part about them
was that they were energetic and we all had an excellent time.
After it was all over we took taxis home so we wouldnt have
to walk down the hill in the dark. All in all, it was my favorite
night out. There was music, food and friends; what more could
one ask for?
Scuba Steve (aka Andy Bennett)
St. Barth: Isle of Wonder, Pastries and the
Worlds Most Expensive Shopping
We arrived around 8AM in Saint Barthelemy, aka Saint Barth,
after an overnight passage from Antigua. Once we cleared
customs we did the frantic shufe of getting Ocean Star stern
2
to the dock with a heavy current, which we did without fail.
Since St. Barth is known to be the playground of the worlds
rich and famous we anxiously waited to see the Continental
Drifter, Jimmy Buffets boat in the harbor, but were sadly
disappointed. This sad intro to Gustavia, the capital city of
St. Barth was very quickly abated when we set foot on shore.
St. Barth is like no other Caribbean island we visited, having
much more in common with the French Riviera. Restau-
rants, bakeries lled with mind blowing French treats, high
society shopping and cheap phone calls greeted us on this
Isle of Wonder. Speaking of restaurants, many of us enjoyed
the simple yet delicious perfection of the Cheeseburger in
Paradise. (See article on Le Select for more info.) This au-
thor started a morning ritual of waking up early to sneak off
for coffee and croissants, the likes of which would get most
evicted from Weight Watchers. Walking around town, one is
greeted with the array of boutiques. Unlike other islands, the
boutiques in Gustavia sported the logos of Prada, Versace,
Louis Vitton, Tod, Quicksilver and countless other big names.
Although these shops where fun to visit, the big price tags
that accompanied them shyed away almost all the Seamester
shipmates. Almost. St. Barth is also the island of the Moke.
was to hike. The only other option was to walk up the street but
a surfboard. Since Nelson, Clayton and I have been surng for a
while, we charged out right away on the fun boards. There was a
really nice left break off a shallow reef, about chest high waves,
and the occasional head high wave came through. Clayton and
Nelson had some really sick rides. The weather was perfect, the
water was gorgeous and the surf was going off, truly a day to
remember. Meanwhile, on the other side of the reef, Simon and
Chris were doing their best to teach the crew to stand up on a
wave. From my perspective, there were a few individuals that
need some recognition for their effort and performance. Tiffany
(Touchdown), who has surfed before, showed her stuff shred-
ding a few waves before getting banged up by the board and
leaving the water with a fat lip. Showing no fear or pain she was
back at it again twenty minutes later. T-Squared showed the time
she has spent in the pool by spending most the time paddling
against the surf, but never gave up and eventually caught some
nice waves. Erin, another one who refused to give up, caught a
bunch of larger waves and having so much fun that she hardly
came in to trade off boards. Sarg, who would never give up at
anything he tries, picked up surng like he picked up push-ups in
the Marinespretty quickhaving better luck on a long board
than a short board, he was still convinced he could do it. After
a couple hours Simon decided to take a shot at it, having surfed
the day before at the same spot, he ripped up the waves like they
were his own. There were some distractions in the later afternoon
when a couple French surfer girls paddled out. Let's just say
that the surng got a little sloppy. Some say it was because they
were tired, some say that the surf got too big, but I know the real
reasongirl surfer intimidation. Which might explain why Chris
never paddled out Overall, the day was excellent. The Nan-
tucket boys got their surng x and the rest got to learn a new
hobby. By the time we sat down for the Thanksgiving feast, I
could see everyones eyes were at half-mast, arms like jell-o, and
starving for turkey. This day lived up to every expectation I had.
I hope surng has sparked a new passion in some people after
riding St. Barth.
Commodore Tyler Herrick
3
What is the Moke? It is a small car, not unlike a go cart, that pro-
vides a fun way to tour the island. As proven by Simon & Chris,
the Moke is also useful for stacking surf boards on in an attempt
to locate the best waves on the island. The dynamic science duo
also rented a car, but opted for the more practical Suzuki Samu-
rai, claiming they had no need for a Moke since they didnt need
to use a car to increase their coolness factor. A couple shipmates
also opted for the vehicle rental, settling on a small two seater car
with only one gear and a diesel engine that sounded like a couple
nails rattling around in a tin can. Eating delicious food, decadent
desserts, expensive shopping and a beautiful island to tour is the
excitement waiting for you upon your arrival to St. Barth.
Tom Rose
Le Select
In the middle of the town of Gustavia, in St. Barth, there is an
amazing burger joint called Le Select. For those of you who
know about Jimmy Buffets song, Cheeseburger in Paradise,
this is the place. For about ten Euros, you can get a double bacon
cheeseburger with fries. Whatever they do to the burgers, nobody
knows, but they are one of a kind. The place is covered with
bumper stickers and there is a bar and a grill off to the sides. Be-
hind the bar you can see pictures of the owner and Jimmy Buffet
performing at the restaurant. Most got to indulge in one of their
burgers and some people even came back two or three times in
one day. Just writing about it now is making my mouth water so I
am going to stop and leave the rest for your imagination.
Jeremy Garretson
Surf lab
When I awoke from a deep sleep of surng double overhead
waves, I knew that this was the day that I had been waiting
for the entire trip. Not only was this the day that we would be
celebrating Thanksgiving, but we would be surng. Renting four
long boards, two fun boards and a couple boogie boards, we took
cabs from the Quiksilver store and headed for the beach around
9am. Simon and Chris taught the beginners the basics of riding
(besides the English and French Canadian Oceanographers) this
was their rst Thanksgiving holiday away from family and the
United States. After a day of surng on the windward side of the
island, everyone got dressed up and proceded to a quaint little
French restaurant in Gustavia. The restaurant did their best to x
us turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, salad, bread and dessert. They
did an excellent job of making a Thanksgiving dinner that we
are used to with a little French are to it. After a long satisfying
meal, everyone enjoyed a night out and retired to the boats happy
and full.
Nelson Allen
Ile Fourche
I always dreamed of going to the moon but I never believed that
I would ever get there. I got closest to this dream, so far at least,
in Ile Fourche. The terrain and vast expanse of emptiness led me
to think back to pictures of the surface of Mars or the moon that I
might have seen in National Geographic.
My initial response to seeing Ile Fourche was; Were going to
that deserted thing? I didnt believe there could be anything
worth seeing on this small deserted island. Little did I know, I
would soon nd beauty in seeing something grow out of nothing.
When we arrived though, I immediately took a liking to this
small island. The huge winds gusts, clear blue skies, rugged,
beaten cliffs, and barren, sparsely populated plant growth of this
island all found a place in my heart. When I decided to go ashore
with Christina and Emilie, we started hiking up the closest peak.
We found a little hollow ideal for escaping from the drilling sun.
Hermit crabs and large lizards greeted us on our short break and
on we continued.
Once we arrived at the top, we found ourselves being pummeled
by wind and surrealistic multi leveled caves created from the
constant wind barrage. You could see in all directions on the top
of the mountain and could spot St. Martin, St. Barth, and several
other islands. It was nice nding myself in one of my dreams.
Jimmy Tyson
4
Shell Beach
Shell Beach was a much appreciated relaxation hot stop tucked
back behind Gustavia Harbor and the streets lled with the
beautiful boutiques of St. Barth. The beach became an instant hit
among the shipmates, especially the boys who were pleasantly
culture shocked. The girls however, had a special fondness for
the larger than life sized red wood and canvas mattress bed where
they spent the day reading and enjoying the glaring sun. Shell
Beach was a home away from Ocean Star and Natasha where
beautiful people sunned, beds where much larger than ordinary,
and relaxation reached its pinnacle.
Liz Randlett
Thanksgiving
On the third Thursday in the month of November the year 2004,
the crew of Ocean Star and Natasha were in the port of Gus-
tavia on the island of St. Barth. For almost everyone of the boat
The Charlie Brown Wreck Dive
One of the dives we looked forward to the most on this trip was
the wreck dive on the Charles L. Brown in Statia. The Charlie
Brown was built in Naples, Italy and spent its days laying cables
that connected small islands to the outside world. When AT&T
no longer needed the ship, the local dive shops on the island
bought it for a dollar. They sunk the ship about a year and a half
ago so it was still in very good shape. The ship is three hundred
and twenty seven feet long and lies in about ninety feet of water.
When it sank it still had all the cranes and equipment that it used
when it was in commission. We went out with Golden Rock Div-
ers and our dive guide Mike in two separate groups. We descend-
ed onto the bow of the ship, which rose off the bottom to about
seventy feet. Once we were all settled we started towards to
stern. When we reached the stern we crossed around had a look
at the screws. They were enormous and made good pictures for
the underwater photographers of the group. After a short photo
session we started back towards the bow. Along the way we got
to go into the ship in what is called the hallway. We rst entered
into a nearly pitch black tunnel. You could barely see your buddy
in front of you if you could at all. The hallway was about one
hundred feet long but seemed to last a lot longer than that. The
Charlie Brown was one of the coolest wrecks I have ever dived
on. We may dive a thousand more wrecks in our lives and not
see a nicer wreck.
Jack Hubbard
The Quill
The morning came like any other out here on our oating home;
it was lled with the bright rising of the sun accompanied by
breakfast on the deck consisting of cereal. (We decided against
the cheesy eggs because the last time we had that and went on a
hike people complained of almost having a cardiac arrest.)
We all prepared ourselves and headed off to our new destination
for the day, the top of what is known locally as the Quill. The
hike was easier than the last hikes we had but it still had a great
ability of making the heart beat a little faster and the muscles
5
work a little harder. While hiking I noticed the trees and their
shapes changing from thick and straight to windy and thin. The
peacefulness of this hike was that you go at your own pace. I was
alone and all I could hear was the sound of my heart thumping
and bumping in my chest. Once at the summit there was the view
of a crater of a volcano that left me in awe.
I sat there and thought about all that surrounds me and was
amazed, I have always been amazed on all the events and trips
that we have taken, but being so close to the end, it was one
of the last hikes that we do and I began to really think of how
wonderful it is to be alive and here experiencing things like this.
What a better place to reect than on the crater of a volcano that
over time has become lush and green with vegetation.
Erin Hoag
Diving in Saba
Our last stop before returning to the British Virgin Islands was
a fun little island, Saba. After doing a massive tank shufe, 50
tanks, 25 divers and not to forget little Mike (our dive guide)
we were off to our rst dive site. There was a super strong
current at the rst dive site we tried to go to so we ended up at
Man O War Shoal. At this site there were three pinnacles at
three different depths. Our maximum depth was 70 feet. There
were a lot of coral heads and little sh. Jack my wonderful dive
buddy and I felt like we could have stayed down forever. After
an extended period of time underwater it was time to go to the
surface and move on to our next site. This takes us to our second
dive called the Ladder Labyrinth. This dive was cool because the
reef was made up of lava ows from when Saba was an active
volcano. Here we just weaved in and out in between the different
coral heads. Time goes so fast underwater and before we knew
it, it was time to return to the surface. Once we got back on
Natasha we headed back to the dock and with another giant tank
shufe we said goodbye to little Mike and we were off to enjoy
the next day on Saba to go hiking.
Jaimie Clifton
demanding hike on my legs the entire trip. After about an hour
we slowly made or way to the summit where we were greeted by
a radio tower and a small sign that said, scenic view this way.
We slowly walked down the trail until it came to an end. The end
was literally a cliff that went down quite a ways and all we could
see was Saba well below us and the small islands of St. Eustatius
and St. Christopher in the background. It was awe inspiring site
and made every step on the way up worth it. On the way back
down we decided to go to the other side of the island and eat
some much needed food. When we got there we decided that
instead of eating there we would hitch a ride back to the port and
eat at the dive shops restaurant.
The nal hike of our trip was complete it was a great moment for
all of us we will never forget Saba.
Dave Lee
Rescue Divers
When theres something strange, underneath the sea, who ya gon-
na call? RESCUE DIVERS!!! Back in Green Island, we were
given the opportunity to get Rescue Diver Certied. Scoobs,
GQ, Jack, Dave, T-Squared, Liz, Jaimie, Tom, Jimmy and myself
all took that super cool opportunity to gain knowledge in our div-
ing adventures. The course was pretty intense. We met usually
after lunch to go over knowledge reviews and then we would
practice what we learned in the water. The knowledge reviews
were a piece of cake, but actually applying our skills in the water,
well it looked easier than it was. At one point, we had to rescue
lifeless bodies out of the choppy waters and into the dinghy. This
was by far the hardest task. But we all managed, and gave it our
best shots. Our nal exam was taken in Saba and we all passed,
but this was only the written portion. The real test was our Red
Alert. Since the time we nished our knowledge reviews until
now, we have been on Red Alert. This meant that at any given
time we may be called for pizza aka Help; we would have
a rescue scenario to manage. After playing mind games try-
ing to gure out when and where this would happen, nally on
December 6, 2004 at approximately 1445, our Red Alert was
in effect. We had just nished giving presentations about our
oceanography projects and Chantale and Beaks told us they had
a little video clip to show us as a nal class. So we all gathered
6
Hiking Mt. Scenery
It was the rst week of October when we rst saw the small
Island of Saba. We were in the middle of our rst over night pas-
sage from the British Virgin Islands to Nevis when the sun rose
and we saw Mt. Scenery welcoming us to a chain of islands we
were all curious to explore. It wasnt until two months later and
our last stop that we nally moored up on the coast of this rugged
little island. After two dives that could very easily have been our
best to date, our last challenge was Mt. Scenery.
Mt. Scenery is a towering chunk of land that stands at approxi-
mately three thousand feet and jets straight up from where the
ocean meets the land. At about eight oclock in the morning the
crew of Ocean Star piled onto Natasha for a short ride around
the corner to a little port on the leeward side of the island. Simon
wished us luck and told us that he would be back around 1500
for pick up.
The rst part of this hike consisted of a road that was quite easily
the steepest any road could be without cars falling off the edge.
After that warm up, a town named The Bottom greeted us. The
town is given this name simply because it is the closest to the
bottom. Our group slowly hiked our way through the town wav-
ing to the locals and enjoying every aspect of the small enchanted
island. After making our way through The Bottom, we reached
the trail that would bring us to the top of the rst peak before our
summit run. The trail consisted of old crumbling steps that went
on forever and ever getting more steep with every step. After
the never-ending stairway we came to a eld and small house
and were greeted by the owner as we trekked through his elds.
After about another 30 minuets or so we reached the summit
trail. The sign said it was 90 minutes to the top, but we knew we
would shatter that time. We pushed on and because we had been
getting closer to the top, the trail began to narrow and the steps
grew steep. This very easily could have been the most physically
into the salon of Ocean Star and watched about 10 minutes of
how the series Blue Planet was made. While this was going on,
Boomer, Simon and Chris had prepared the scene. We had no
idea it was going to happen at that moment. As we got up to
leave after the video clip, Tyler fell to the ground. Nobody really
paid any attention to this, we thought he was just being Tyler.
Then Chantale said, I think Tyler needs some pizza. None of
us could believe it was Red Alert time, so T-Squared took charge
and gave out orders to see what was wrong with Tyler. At the
time, there were limited jobs for all of us. Little did we know,
things would pick right up. So some just watched as Tyler laid
lifelessly on the oor, while others helped nd out the reason for
his state. We managed to gure out that he was suffering from
heat exhaustion so cool towels were laid under his armpits, on
his neck and groins. Then, from above we heard there was a
diver in the water. Immediately we rushed up to see what the
problem was. Chris was struggling at the surface of the water.
Nobody knew what to do, so I immediately jumped in the water
(jean shorts, tee-shirt, glasses and all) to aid Chris. Scoobs did a
snorkel patrol to search for Simon and Boomer who were miss-
ing while Dave, T-Square and GQ got geared up to search and
recover the missing divers. While this was going on, I managed
to gure out what was wrong with Chris. He had surfaced way
too fast and was suffering from decompression sickness. Imme-
diately we called for pizza and then I gave him some oxygen
and kept him calm. We got him out of the dinghy and then
Simon was found. He wasnt breathing, GQ and I grabbed him
out of the water as Dave gave him rescue breaths and took off his
gear. Simon eventually became conscious, and we found out that
he saw sharks, and I believe he was suffering from decompres-
sion sickness as well. In the meantime, T-Square was attending
to Boomer with Scoobs. Boomers new mask was lost in the
process (but eventually found later by GQ and Scoobs). Boomer
apparently was entangled in the anchor chain, and was ne. Liz
and Tom were taking notes the whole time. It wasnt as chaotic
as we all dreamt it would be. All of us did an excellent job in
taking action. Its a great feeling to now know we are all Rescue
Diver Certied.
Christina Rizleris
Natashas Last Passage
As we nished up dinner watching Ocean Star sail off the moor-
ing ball out of Saba and into the sunset, the crew on the Cat sat
with smiles on our faces. Seeing Ocean Star sail away on our last
passage gave us all a feeling of accomplishment. Natasha shortly
followed afterwards. We all came together as a team and sailed
off the mooring ball as well. For most, it was a really emotional
experience. It was a feeling of achievement, excitement, sadness,
and happiness all into one. I watched the distant island of Saba
slowly fade away into darkness as a tear rolled down my cheek.
I couldnt believe this was our last passage, the end was nearing.
We couldnt have asked for a better sail home to the BVIs. The
wind was perfect as we sailed broad reach making a steady 7-8
knots. At one point we broke our record and hit 10.8 knots! The
stars were out and the ride was smooth. The Cat quickly passed
Ocean Star and we arrived in the BVIs around 5 in the morn-
ing. I was lucky enough to be on watch at that moment. I was
at the helm steering around Round Rock, BVIs. As I sailed in,
I couldnt help but think of how cool it was to be back to where
we started. Thinking of where we have been, and now returning
from sea with all of the knowledge we have gained, I sailed back
a new person, well we all did. Our last passage was the real test,
and I do believe we all passed. As we all sail into the future, I
will never forget our last passage on Natasha.
Christina Rizleris
The Last Passage on Ocean Star
The sails were set on Ocean Star for the last night passage back to
the British Virgin Islands. What was different about this sail was
that we sailed off the mooring ball. That was a rare treat for the
crew of Ocean Star being that was the rst time we could do that.
We brought up the main and the foresail fast. We then brought up
the stay sail and jib and used those sails to fall off into the wind.
Ocean Star looked beautiful. After a blow of the horn and a cheer
from Natasha we sailed off into the sunset. The sail was one
of the top ve sails of the trip. We had lots of wind and lots of
sails to bring us back to the BVI's. The reality kicked in that our
voyage would soon be over. We soaked in that feeling that you
only get when you are under sail knowing that this would be the
last passage that we would all be together as a crew. Ocean Star
has been a great home to the crew. The memories that we shared
throughout the trip will be with us always.
T-Squared
Hobie Cat Challenge
After a long and hard morning of MTE nal with Coastal Navi-
gation, most of the O-Star and Natasha crew headed out to get
our 4 awesome hobie cats for the long-awaited hobie cat relay
challenge. After lunch the cat motored over by the beach to drop
anchor and everyone gathered on the beach to split up into teams
of 6 and one team of 5. With Jeremy, T2, Emilie, and Scoobs as
the four captains, we picked teams. Team Jeremy consisted of
Liz, Jonathan, Christina, Tyler, and Jack. Jaimie, Erin, Boomer,
TD, and GQ rounded up Team T2, while Chris, Nelson, Jimmy,
7
C-Tal, Alice, and Emilie were Team Cat + Alice, and nally
Team Scoobs were Tom, Simon, Dave, and Clayton. With all
the hobies lined up facing the marker, the count down started at
5 sec, and off were the rst set of pairs. As the hobies sped on
towards the marker, boats started to collide with each other and
arms ailed in the air. The outcome of the rst race was Team
Cat + Alice in rst, then Team Scoobs in second, following
was Team Jeremy and then Team T2. What I loved about
this race was the enthusiasm and willingness to participate on
everyones part. Yes there were boats that capsized, or just could
not make it back to the beach, but everyone got a turn. As soon as
everyone was done the rst race, it was time to start the second
and nal race. We shall call this the Bragging Rights Race.
Here we kept our teams and instead of rounding the mark one
time, each pair had to go twice. Again the race started out with
a capsize of a boat, and a few pairs did not make it back in time,
but this race was so much fun and lled with so much energy.
This time the winners were Team Jeremy, following them was
Team Scoobs and Team Cat + Alice (Team T2 was still stuck
in irons when the race ended). With a 4:30 return time, we all
said our goodbyes to the Hobie cats and off they went back home
skippered by some of the O-Star and Natasha crew.
Emilie Montgomery

A poem
Ah what a trip
Where to begin
Maybe with some turtle taggin
From using the head (once day 70)
To sleeping in my focsle bed
The bosuns are bossy
The dryers towel is hardly dry
The deckie lights are sketchy
The gopher is as dangerous as they come from tiger style to out
of control forks coming your way you are hardly a lofer
The engineer is important to save our rear
Theres always the chef and his sous, I swear one time I ate
goose
Make sure to save room for your double chocolate chip brownies
with extra m&ms
Oh no its Tom-os night to cook and youre a salty, washing
those dishes that are quite malty
Freshy is much better but slightly wetter
Dinghy master with all his pulling and easing hardly has time for
his own dinghy
Today is your day, you are the skipper so rally the troops and
make them feel chipper, its your turn to lead, so no sitting in
your bunk to read, get at the helm cause this boat is your realm
We sail
From Peter Island to Sandy Spit where our afternoon was well
spit I mean spent
On to Nevis, where else can you nd the source hike and a place
to go after and enjoy the night; Sunshines one of the best bars as
you have a drink under the stars
To Grenada, its devastation from Ivan was heart felt so we spent
a little extra money to show we cared, the seven sisters was not
short of a mother of a good time
Then to Tobago Cays a couple days in a tropical paradise
Then off to Bequia
to the home of the whale boner
dancing the night way, forever wanting to stay
To St Lucia and up the Piton, then after we enjoyed a piton of our
own
Oh, man Halloween was great, from women dressed as men to
men dressed as women
From pirates to toga to Chippendale dancers, to football play-
ers wearing giant masks if the spirits werent high enough ours
certainly were
Off to Martinique the French island
To the Saints the king of all ice cream parlors then hurrying off to
the secluded beaches
Then to Green Island for some relaxation
On to Antigua home of the best way to spend a Sunday night, oh
yes Shirley heights, also home of some cactus freights
Wow its almost done, it went so fast, not over yet
Still have St Barth, home of the free shower and our rst time
surng, a Thanksgiving well spent till someone acted foolish and
lost his hat in a lesson well learned
Colombier and Statia went so fast, but we had a blast, Chinese
food on a Caribbean island who would have thought
Saba where we will hike and hopefully spot a shark
Then back to the BVIs the end of our journey
A good time we have had
For this my memories are glad
To have shared these times out of my comfort zone
At times feeling alone
We work through it all only to keep going with our dreams
So make them reality and stitch all the seams
Michael Weber
FINAL THOUGHTS
The following entries in the nal Telltale for Sea-mester Fall
2004 are our personal reections upon our past eighty days as a
crew member of Ocean Star or Natasha. Eighty days may not
seem like a long time, but a lot can happen in that period of time.
8
Everybody has a certain perk about them, and we have chosen to
share some of those funny phrases or special talents with all of
you. We the editors have specially picked out the best of every-
one by awarding them with what they do best.
Capt. Boomer
S/V Ocean Star
The Best Storyteller
Quotable Quote: Hey you want
to do me a solid?
When taking the time to organize
a nal thought, all that is truly
apparent is the fact that our little
brave new world is about to shift
major gears. For the last 80 days
we have created and maintained
our own society upon the Earth, which we must now disorganize
and disperse amongst the rest of the world. In doing this we can
almost guarantee that a bit of Fall 2004 Sea-mester will remain in
our lives forever. Little things we encounter will surely bring us
back to our lives aoat on a regular basis. Perhaps that inadver-
tent OK sign will be shown to the retail clerk while trying on
those new pants or one of our relatives may need to be reminded
to courtesy scrape. The hard skills we have learned may be
easily dened by cards or grades, however the intangible bond
formed is harder to identify. It is a bond that can be seen in the
eyes of those aboard as they complete their routines for the nal
time as each day ticks away. It is a bond that can only come with
living aboard and experiencing the voyage together.
When we sail back into the port from which we embarked very
little is the same as when we left. Nearly 3 months ago a small
group of people boarded a couple of boats with an idea and a
mission. Now we return as a crew with brand new ideas and
skills to match. Those people have become our family with
which we have put many miles beneath the keels, and although
we may never sail collectively again, we will always have the
memories we created, out here, together.
Simon Koch
First Mate S/V Ocean First Mate S/V Ocean First Mate S/V Ocean First Mate S/V Ocean First Mate S/V Ocean First Mate S/V Ocean First Mate S/V Ocean
Star Star Star
The Best Scream like a Girl when The Best Scream like a Girl when The Best Scream like a Girl when
being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark!
Quotable Quote: It's go time! Quotable Quote: It's go time! Quotable Quote: It's go time! Quotable Quote: It's go time! Quotable Quote: It's go time!
A few years ago I took a family from A few years ago I took a family from A few years ago I took a family from A few years ago I took a family from A few years ago I took a family from
Montana sailing for a week. After Montana sailing for a week. After Montana sailing for a week. After Montana sailing for a week. After Montana sailing for a week. After Montana sailing for a week. After Montana sailing for a week. After
the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me the trip the Dad wrote a note to me
about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and
that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what
actually happened and what he wished would have happened had
blurred. He wrote: my memories are sometimes replaced by my
dreams.
I believe that what we do here is the stuff of dreams, at times
maybe it has seemed like a bad one, but when we all return to our
respective homes we will rub our eyes and ask ourselves if that
really happened or if it was just some visceral fantasy.
When I reect on our voyage I smile at the memories of sunrises
at sea, ghosting along under sail power, diving with schools of
tropical sh in azure blue water and time spent with each of you
on deck during a 03:00 watch, washing dishes, or on the peak of
some volcano.
I hope this experience has been everything you dreamed it would
be. Make your dreams into memories, before it is too late.
Capt. CW
Best Ambassador to the Super Yacht
World
Quotable Quote: Can do"
I think if you tell someone about Sea-
mester, they hardly believe you that its
work. The reality is that life on a boat is
something special. Its not always easy
and if someone needs space, the farthest
they can be away is 46 ft. In the same
token thats what brings us so close. You cant fake anything
for eighty days, and everyone must learn how to work together.
Thats where all the beauty happens. We become a family in
every sense of the word.. The relationships that develop will last
a lifetime.
Most people work fty weeks a year to go to just one of the
places we visited. Sailing for me is a passion that grows every
time I set out. It is so fullling to introduce others to such a life-
style. Returning to the BVIs gives this voyage nality, and soon
enough we will have to say our goodbyes. Just looking around
as we cruise to Gorda Sound, I know that all of the students will
leave with memories and skills that will last a lifetime.
Chantale Bgin
The Superhuman
Quotable Quote: Whoa, whoa,
whoa guys
Some lessons from Sea-mester Fall
04
Glass in the trash can lead to per-
sonal injury.
A sliced hand is better than a sliced
knee.
A category 4 hurricane leaves serious devastation. A category 4 hurricane leaves serious devastation. A category 4 hurricane leaves serious devastation.
Experience living on a boat doesnt immune one to fall
ing in face rst in a wet landing.
Causes of an overheating engine can be mysterious.
Only approach the dock (or Ocean Star) as fast as youre willing
to smash into it.
It is possible to misplace a 1m
3
box of science gear on a 46ft
sailboat.
I would make a scary drill instructor.
There are whales in the Caribbean.
Girl talk on the cat involves a lot of candy eating.
Oceanography trivia reviews can become quite heated.
The places may remain the same but each group is different, and
Ill have great memories from the crew of Fall 04, of fast sailing
on the cat, cool chats on night passages, and a crew that came
together to be efcient sailors and that have shared an experience
that can hardly be put into words.
9
First Mate S/V Ocean First Mate S/V Ocean
Star Star Star
The Best Scream like a Girl when The Best Scream like a Girl when The Best Scream like a Girl when
being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark! being attacked by a 3ft. Shark!
Quotable Quote: It's go time! Quotable Quote: It's go time! Quotable Quote: It's go time!
A few years ago I took a family from
Montana sailing for a week. After
the trip the Dad wrote a note to me
about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and about how he enjoyed the trip and
that in his life, the line between what that in his life, the line between what
Capt. CW
Best Ambassador to the Super Yacht
World
Quotable Quote: Can do"
I think if you tell someone about Sea-
mester, they hardly believe you that its
work. The reality is that life on a boat is
something special. Its not always easy
and if someone needs space, the farthest
they can be away is 46 ft. In the same
token thats what brings us so close. You cant fake anything
Jess Beaker
McWedgie
The Passionate Provisioner
Quotable Quote: Im not
Q-jumping, Im being ef-
cient!
These past 80 days have own
past too quickly. I have many
happy funny memories though,
and a number of in-boat jokes which will just not make sense
to anyone else. I love my nick name, Beaker McWedgie, and all
the variations, Beaks, McWedgesicle, Mc Wedge-a lot, etc..
I will have to think to respond to Jess again! I hope youve all
enjoyed the oceanography course, it is such an ideal learning
environment with unique opportunities to experience rst hand
all that we taught. I hope Ive passed on to you all some of my
enthusiasm and an understanding of the special properties of the
ocean. Ive enjoyed all the teasing of my accent, and hope you
all continue using a few of our weird English words and say-
ings! Well done everyone it has been rewarding to see our team
develop to be running Ocean Star so efciently.
Traci Antonovich
Peanut-butter Queen
Quotable Quote: Dude
Shipmates Farewell
Perhaps you came with goals and
dreams
Or new interests to explore.
Perhaps you conquered your chal-
lenges
Or maybe youre leaving with more?
Hopefully, you learned how to plot and sail
And dive and clean and cook!
Youre sure to have made a few new friends
And read any number of books.
No matter your reason for doing so
Youve been eighty days aoat.
Will the life you know ever be the same?
You can be quite certain, it wont!
Now, if you nd at this voyages end
That you dont have living gured out.
Be inspired, my oating friend
Its what life is always about!
Be well and enjoy!
Davis Hammell
Mr. I Can drink a 1 ! liters of
water in 7 seconds
Quotable Quote: "Well actually"
When reecting on my Sea-mester
experience for this nal thought, I cant help but have conict-
ing emotions. I distinctly remember my original feelings, and am
chagrined to admit that they were primarily negative. I suppose
I was a little shell-shocked by my recent devastating withdrawal
from high school, and got locked into my false comfort zone I
had established this summer in Maine, in my job as a busboy/
waiter. Ever since I rst got on the plane in Northern Virginia
and arrived in the BVI's, I had been perpetually worrying about
the future, what was to come after my year off, and not thinking
about the now and the present opportunities I was being offered.
At times throughout the semester, Ive found myself enjoying the
present immensely, and upon realizing that I was actually having
a great time in the now, and not constantly occupying myself
with the unknown, or why the now isnt as I had always thought
it would be, I felt strangely content. It was like a series of un-
necessary millstones falling off my shoulders in a row, due to my
mental preoccupation with the amazing things I was doing and
seeing. After considering all my changed emotions, I am speci-
cally reminded of the great Danish thinker Sren Kierkegaards
feelings on the difference between the life of an aesthetic person,
concerned with romantic ideology and preoccupied with thinking
about why their life isnt the way it should be, and the existen-
tial life of someone concerned with dening themselves through
action with the cards that life hands them. This is claried in
his superlative work Concluding Unscientic Postscript, and it
conveys my personal feelings perfectly: Aesthetic pathos keeps
itself at a distance from existence, or is in existence in a state of
illusion; while existential pathos dedicates itself more and more
profoundly to the task of existing, and with the consciousness of
what existence is, penetrates all illusions, becoming more and
more concrete through reconstructing existence in action. True
happiness in existence stems not from protesting your life but
from living it. How truthfully obvious this seems to me now.
Overall, this trip has been a supremely positive experience for
me, helping me to see the detrimental effect that looking at life
aesthetically has had on me, and helping me start to change my
way of thinking.
Erin Hoag
The Biggest Snacker
Quotable Quote: Can I have
some of that?
From sunrise to sunset you can
see us out in the distance tearing
through the water with all six
of our white sails beautifully
set full of wind. I have found
myself fortunate to be able to
live in this watery world for so long, to have been able to see
such beautiful things rst hand. I have known new cultures and
seen the devastation of that of a hurricane named Ivan and even
in what would seem to be the gloomiest of hours in ones life, the
people of Grenada worked together in rebuilding their homes and
getting back to their lives.
Taking a morning jog I look around me and see a local dog that
follows me while in the elds play baby goats and sheep. It is
the smell, the tastes and the general sound of the water lapping
up against the boat in a side to side rocking motion that make this
10
Traci Antonovich
Peanut-butter Queen
Quotable Quote: Dude
Shipmates Farewell
Perhaps you came with goals and
dreams
Or new interests to explore.
Perhaps you conquered your chal-
lenges
my home on the water.
I cannot tell a lie, so I will just say that there have been moments
of anger and sadness, but it was the sheer happiness that brought
laughter and the laughter that caused the tears. I have enjoyed
my stay but am also looking forward to sharing what I have with
my family at my home on land. I want to thank Ocean Star for
giving me a place to sleep and for a chance to see new places. I
as well would like to thank two of the greatest people I know for
their support, encouragement and love with a poem, for Pete &
Gloria Hoag:
Aboard this oating home of mine it is the need I have to reect
upon this world, this place Im in. Our boat is set adrift as my
thoughts often are, while we cruise the open ocean. Wandering
in and out of past times and present times I ponder my thoughts.
It is in this ponder that I think of times of struggle and how it
is I came to be here, riding the waves of the Caribbean. Ambi-
tion and the eagerness of success are only a tiny piece of the big
picture of why I am here, family is number one, their love, their
support and their encouragement is the reality in this crazy world
and they are what I hold dear to my heart. Affected greatly I am
by life and all that surrounds me so I breathe in deep in hopes
to persevere what it is I see and feel. A sense of warmness has
come over me; it is the sun that is setting upon the once blue sky,
it blushes turning the sky to red leaving behind a glow.
I thank you for all that you have done for me.
Jack Hubbard
The Worst-Best Diver
Quotable Quote: "It happens"
This trip on Sea-mester was a long
time coming. For a long time lead-
ing up to the trip I didnt think I
was ever going to make it, so when
nally arrived it seemed like a
dream. It took me a couple of weeks
the beginning of the voyage to
come to the realization that it wasnt a
dream. I was really in the Caribbean learning how to sail an 88
schooner. How did I get this lucky and what did I do to deserve
this kind of opportunity? Those were the questions that kept
going through my mind. Near the end of high school I knew that
an ordinary college was not the next step in my education. Other
than knowing I wanted to be on the ocean I really had no idea
what the next step would be, until I found Sea-mester. My hopes
for this trip were that I would begin to learn my way around a
sailboat and the ocean. During my time aboard Ocean Star Ive
done both those things and more. Ive become a certied rescue
diver, seen places my friends from home can only dream about,
and made new friends Ill have until I die. I really had my hopes
up when I came to Sea-mester and thanks to Boomer, Simon,
Jess, Traci, Chantale, Chris and the rest of the shipmates, this trip
turned out to be everything I thought it would be and an experi-
ence Ill never forget
Jaimie Clifton
The Most O.C.D.
Quotable Quote: Thats disgust-
ing, Im gonna vomit!
T2: T-Sqwaaaaawhat can I say?
We had a blast! We have had so
many fun times together. E-mail-
ing, phone calls, not knowing
a word in French, deck shower
buddy, Dave Matthews fanatic,
galley dwellers, going everywhere
together, nights out, passing bunk notes, and the never forget-
table secret missions. I could go on for days with memories, so
I would like to say that you made my trip that much more fun
and adventurous. Thanks for everything Sugar Mama! Have
an awesome second semester at Hope College and Ill see you
in June. Dave: Sergio, Sergewhere do I start? My Wheelie
Dealie partner. We rock! We deantly mastered the GOPHER
CHALLENGE! Thanks for keeping me on my toes and entertain-
ing me with your unbelievable talents on the guitar. You have a
lot to offer others and I hope you continue to keep people in line.
Good luck with school this spring and I hope we are still on for
a visit to Colorado and a charter boat in the near future! Keep in
touch! Scuba Steve: You are awesome! Ive never met anybody
quite like you and I love that about you. You are so enthusiastic
about life and what we did everyday; I hope you are able to take
that with you when you go home. I had so much fun with you
from exploring islands, hiking mountains, and the occasional
random talks. I loved it all. Ill keep you updated on when I
nd you a job at a dive shop. Thanks for everything! Alice: You
are hilarious! Everything you did or said made me laugh even
when others may have not thought it was so funny. Im glad I
got to spend some quality time with you this semester. I loved
all of the little stupid jokes we played on each other. Hopefully
you will nd the little extras I sent home with you. Good luck
with your plans in the spring. Keep in touch! Touchdown: I
remember the rst day when you were on my ight from Miami
to Puerto Rico and then following you in the airport. Anyway,
you are such a fun person! You know how to have a good time
anywhere you go. Ive enjoyed your company and your laugh. I
loved all of your stories that you shared and Ill never forget the
hunting ones. Good luck with nding a fun yacht to work on and
I wish you the best of luck. Erin: The girl with the bottom bunk.
My bad for stepping on it or dripping my swimsuit all over it.
Thank you for all the little favors you did for me like hanging
up my swimsuit every now and then, or always passing me Big
Blues in our bunk. Have a good rest of the year and thanks for
everything. Tyler: You are a sweetheart! I guess I might know
why you have a million girlfriends. I had a great time with you
this semester, and it was fun blasting Styx Come Sail Away
with you at 6:00 in the morning. I look forward to you making
your way to Colorado. Keep in touch and well hang out when
you get there! Jonathan: The mysterious bunk dwellereven
though you spent your fair share in your bunk, I enjoyed getting
to know you through your unforgettable squeeze responses I
wish you all the luck in your rst year of college this spring or
next fall. G.Q.: You never cease to make someone laugh. Keep
it up and Im sure it will take you somewhere in life. Thanks for
making me laugh. Good luck with hockey! Keep me updated.
11
I
in
a
Jaimie Clifton
The Most O.C.D.
Quotable Quote: Thats disgust-
ing, Im gonna vomit!
T
We had a blast! We have had so
many fun times together. E-mail-
ing, phone calls, not knowing
a word in French, deck shower
buddy, Dave Matthews fanatic,
galley dwellers, going everywhere
Jack: My dive buddy that lost ME! I think the rule is if youve
lost your buddy you look for a minute and surface NOT 20
minutes and continue to look for the statue of Jacques Cousteau.
Anyway, I had fun with you this trip; you are a funny guy now
that I know you a little better. Have an amazing time next year
in your sail around the world. Tom-O: Im not scared of your
feetwell maybe a little. You made my trip so much fun with
your unmistakable laugh, de-saucing of pans while you cook,
your love for Cher. Thanks for taking all the pictures and thanks
in advanced for putting the time into our DVDs and photos.
Boomer: Where do I even begin? I guess by saying thank you
for everything. I couldnt have imagined going through this se-
mester with another skipper. I think that you are funny and have
a great outlook on life. I think that we had a lot of fun times
together. Make sure those mashed potatoes dont go anywhere, I
guess that means you will have to nd a shipmate in the spring to
give you all their courtesy scrapes. I will remember you forever
because of my nice little friendship scar (I didnt mean to break
the galley hatch.) Just kidding. Your feet are beautiful but I still
wouldnt touch them. I hope to keep in touch with you when the
semester ends. And, if you are ever in the mood to go skiing you
know whom to call! Thanks for the best time of my life. Simon:
You were an awesome rst mate. You know your stuff and will
make a very ne captain in the near future. Thanks for being
fun! I will send you Crocs! Take care! McWedgsicle: My fel-
low wedgie! Thanks for being vegetarian, it made my life a lot
easier. Thanks for helping me when I needed help with OCE or
my projects. I had fun redeeming myself giving you a haircut. I
enjoyed hearing about Dan. I hope that I get to hear the update
about you two. Good luck in the Bahamas, I hope you get the
job you want. Keep in touch! Traci: Good luck in the spring
with teaching or music. C-Tal: Im not sure if I would have
made it through the earlier part of the semester without you. You
are awesome and I wish we could have spent more time together,
but I think that the time we did get to spend with each other
was fun. AhemShirley Heights ring a bell. That was funny!
Thank you for all you did for me this semester even if that meant
touching me with your feet or touching my neck, it was all fun. I
wish you the best with getting your PhD! Keep in touch! Chris:
Although we didnt spend a whole lot of time together, I had fun
with you when we did. Pushing me into a wave counts as fun
right. Have fun wherever you go this spring. Liz: You are so
funny and Im glad that we got to get to know each other. I love
the way you think because it all is a little similar to how I do. I
hope we can keep in touch! Have and awesome time in Atlanta,
and if I ever visit my cousins Ill give you a ring. Emilie: I
know we started being funny together at the end of the semester,
but I had a lot of fun doing it. Classes were a lot more fun with
you around. I hope to make it to New Orleans sometime. Keep
in touch! Christina: My fellow Telltale buddy. I had fun put-
ting together the Telltale with you, writing intros and hanging out
whenever we got the opportunity. Good luck with school! Stay
in touch! Last but not least The Natasha Boys: Hello boys!
I know that we didnt get to spend as much quality time together,
but when I got to have a conversation with any of you or go out
to lunch I enjoyed getting to know you all a little bit better. I
know all of you are going in different paths, so I wish you the
best of luck in whatever direction you go. Keep in touch and
thanks for everything!
Goodbye all! Thanks for the time of my life!
James Tyson
The Master of the Philosophical
Monologues
Quotable Quote: I refuse.
Do I have any nal thoughts?
Well yes, but I dont think I want
give the typical, clich response that
everybody else is in the midst of
concocting. To be perfectly honest, I
concocted the same response for this
little article. But, sitting here in front of the computer now, I real-
ize that I was really just doing what others wanted me to say, not
what I wanted to say. So, here are my real nal thoughts.
Ive had wonderful times here, and Ive had not so wonderful
times. Life is life and it goes on regardless of how youre feeling
at the time. If anything, this trip has provided me with exactly
what I wanted it to; the ability to have enough condence and
will power to do what I want to do in life. What I want in life is
simple; be free, a eeting word in the cup cake generation. Im
not going to be that person who sits in his home town, maybe
getting married, maybe not, but regardless, never does anything
with his life. I know I wont be that now; I had my doubts before
this trip.
None of what I have recently gained has been without a price.
Ive been through times of highs and lows, just like the outside
world, as well as times of hard work and leisure. When I was
home before this experience, I would describe what I was going
to do to people and they would give me a response something
like; Oh, well I bet thats going to be tough. Just to clarify it
with those same people, they were right; it was hard, except Im
not saying this with a sarcastic tone. I earned the knowledge I
gained down here and Im a new person because of it. Do you
have a challenge for me? Im ready for it.
Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber Michael Weber
The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party The Best Solo Dance Party
Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin Quotable Quote: Just checkin
the specks. the specks. the specks. the specks. the specks. the specks. the specks.
What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in- What does it take to become in-
spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one, spired? Is it the loss of a loved one,
or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not or surviving when you should not
have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great. have, or meeting someone great.
For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable For me it was nothing comparable
to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish to these. In fact, it is rather foolish
to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not
sure what exactly triggered it, but I was scuba diving today and
saw it sitting in the sand, and an inspiring appreciation for life
came over me. If you look at the design on its top, the owery
loop pattern, you realize how nature has its ways of sneaking in
beauty where you least expect it. Dont you dare and try to take
it from its place at the bottom of the sea oor for it will crumble;
life is fragile. Some of lifes fascinations are better left alone
and enjoyed from a distance. I know all this sounds very dumb
and meaningless to you, but this is my nal thought and if I said
this wasnt true I would be so full of it, my back teeth would
be brown. So anyway, in the big scene, I know what I want out
of this life, or maybe this is just the closest to knowing I have
ever been. This program has brought a lot out of me. A little too
12
to
Michael Weber
The Best Solo Dance Party
Quotable Quote: Just checkin
the specks.
What does it take to become in-
spired? Is it the loss of a loved one,
or surviving when you should not
have, or meeting someone great.
For me it was nothing comparable
to these. In fact, it is rather foolish
to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not to anyone except myself. To me it was a sand dollar. I am not
much to sit here and throw at you like a grocery list. So just take
my word for it. What it is that I love to do is wander or as most
people like to call it travel. For me to get my aid for long distance
movement and nourishment I will have to write my ticket to this
life. I have too much in me not to write it down, or at least thats
what Darlene Weber once told me and I soon found it to be true.
Sea-mester has given me a crash course on not judging people
for starters. I now feel to be quick to judge is as deadly as ring
at an approaching soldier whose distance is to great to determine
where his loyalties lie. I can sit here all day and tell you why
Sea-mester is a great experience but I dont need to, for one I
dont work for them, and there are too many good things to men-
tion, but also because I gotta go help Boomer cook dinner cause
I am his sous chef and all. Its good for those of you who forget
to just live sometimes. So, put down those TV remotes and those
cupcakes and go grab life by the...
Nelson Allen
The Goldbond King
Quotable Quote: Yeah, what he
said.
As the semester comes to an end lots
of feelings have been going through
my head. I am looking forward to
going home but at the same time I do
not want to leave. Ive learned a lot
about the ocean and living on it, but
I want to learn more. Over the course of the last two and a half
months I have made friends that I will never forget. Im hoping
that I will get to see some of these people Ive become friends
with on Sea-mester over the years to come regardless of the dis-
tance that will separate us. I will always remember all the good
times weve had here in the Caribbean and appreciate everything
that the staff has done to make this a memorable experience.
Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy
Bennett) Bennett) Bennett) Bennett) Bennett) Bennett) Bennett) Bennett) Bennett)
His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed
by his mustache by his mustache by his mustache by his mustache by his mustache
Quotable Quote: I love it! Quotable Quote: I love it! Quotable Quote: I love it! Quotable Quote: I love it! Quotable Quote: I love it!
The trip is over but the adventure The trip is over but the adventure The trip is over but the adventure The trip is over but the adventure The trip is over but the adventure
continues. Taking what Ive learned, continues. Taking what Ive learned, continues. Taking what Ive learned, continues. Taking what Ive learned, continues. Taking what Ive learned, continues. Taking what Ive learned, continues. Taking what Ive learned,
Ive accomplished, overcame, and Ive accomplished, overcame, and Ive accomplished, overcame, and Ive accomplished, overcame, and Ive accomplished, overcame, and Ive accomplished, overcame, and Ive accomplished, overcame, and
conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the
help of some navigation skills I am help of some navigation skills I am help of some navigation skills I am help of some navigation skills I am help of some navigation skills I am
found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain. found. The friends Ive met and the places Ive been will remain.
Friends I have made, places I have been will always be there.
Exploring the world North, South and East to West I can. Never
have I thought I could achieve all that I did. I know what Im
made of now, and its not cupcakes. I am adventure, enthusiasm,
charisma, and excitement all in one. Say what I do and do what I
say, for its adventure all the way.
Have a Nice Day!
T-squared (Tiffany
Talsma)
The Coffee Queen
Quotable Quote: I go to Hope
Callage!(said with a midwestern
accent)
I didnt know what to expect when
coming on the Sea-mester voyage.
Now that I have been there done
that, I will never forget it. This
experience has been so amazing and is beyond any words to de-
scribe. The hikes, sails, and dives that I have done are what most
people only read about in magazines. I consider myself lucky for
what I have just been through. The staff and shipmates who were
strangers to me in the beginning are now my good friends. I will
never forget the awesome times that we shared. I lived my dream
the past 80 days.
Celebrate we will cuz life is short but sweet for certain
Tom-O
King of the Focsle
Quotable Quote: Have I told
you how cute my dogs are?
When I arrived to Ocean Star on
the rst day, I couldnt imagine
what compelled me to leave my
home for a tiny bunk on a boat
lled with strangers. Sitting here
today I cannot imagine why I
would ever have wanted to allow
this to pass me by. The places I have been, the things I have
learned and the experiences I have had are nothing that can
be expressed in words, but I will try. I have been happy, sad,
pissed off, home sick, screaming for joy, left without words and
experienced a world few ever have or ever will. I helped steer
an 88-foot schooner onto a dock in St. Barth, pondered thoughts
in the silence of the night on bow watch, seen the worlds only
boiling lake with my own eyes to only name a few things. I have
done, heard, witnessed and learned things that 99% of the world
never will. I have experienced a culture and way of life so far
from the American experience that I couldnt even begin to com-
pare. I have witnessed the fall out of a category 4 hurricane with
my own eyes and experienced the wonder of human ambition
as they worked to rebuild their lives. Ocean Star has provided
me with a home like no other lled with perfect strangers that I
will never forget. I have learned something from each and every
member on our voyage and can only hope I have been able to
teach something to them. These words are nothing compared to
the memories and experiences I have had here. It has been ev-
erything I hoped and nothing I expected. If you are reading this
because you are thinking of coming to Sea-mester, my advice is
to go for it and dont think twice. I sailed away in the warm sun
and trustworthy Trade Winds of the Caribbean leaving my life in
the wake. As I prepare to leave my home and my family of the
Caribbean in the past I now see that Sea-mester did not bring me
full circle back to the beginning. It is a straight line of growth
that left me in a whole different mind set then when I started. I
havent come full circle; I have arrived in a whole new location.
I am excited to bring my experiences back to my real life. Al-
13
Scuba Steve (Andy Scuba Steve (Andy
Bennett) Bennett) Bennett) Bennett)
His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed His Enthusiasm is only outweighed
by his mustache by his mustache
Quotable Quote: I love it! Quotable Quote: I love it!
The trip is over but the adventure The trip is over but the adventure
continues. Taking what Ive learned, continues. Taking what Ive learned,
Ive accomplished, overcame, and Ive accomplished, overcame, and
conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the conquered. I came here lost; with the
help of some navigation skills I am
T-squared (Tiffany
Talsma)
The Coffee Queen
Quotable Quote: I go to Hope
Callage!(said with a midwestern
accent)
I didnt know what to expect when
coming on the Sea-mester voyage.
Now that I have been there done
that, I will never forget it. This
though my real life will be nothing like what it was when I left.
Tiffany Davis (Touch
Down)
The Best Laugh
Quotable Quote: Boomer, can
we go faster?
The past eighty days have been the
most incredible days of my life! I
feel as if Ive been dreaming and I
never want to wake up. It is hard to
put into words how much I enjoyed
this program. I have seen the most beautiful places and met
some amazing people. I will miss everyone so much; each person
is so unique and special to me. My home is on the ocean and part
of my soul will be sailing around with Ocean Star forever.
Jonathan Brookner
The Most Mysterious Ship-
mate
Quotable Quote: Ya know.
Sea-mester is coming to an end,
and within a week Ill be home
again. Everyone is looking
forward to the end of the trip, and
everyone wants to get home, but
for one, am going to miss living
on Ocean Star immensely. For
the last two and a half months Ive lived on this boat. Sailing
Ocean Star has been an experience that I will never forget, and
living here in the Caribbean has been exciting, to say the least.
For the past several months, Ocean Star has been my home, and
living this experience has made me a better person. I honestly
cant imagine what my life will be like back home after this trip,
and I cant see how my life was satisfying before it. This trip
has changed my life for the better, Im more motivated, and Im
looking forward to going to college, something I was hesitant to
do before.
This time three months ago I would not have imagined that I
wouldve done all the things, and seen all the places that Ive
been able to. I didnt know what exactly to expect from this trip.
I had high expectations for it, and Im glad to say that they were
met. Ive learned to sail, scuba dive, and navigate a boat in the
time that Ive been here. The Sea-mester experience cannot be
expressed, or explained, in words. How can I tell my friends
about it? How will I be able to explain to them, something so
great, that they have to experience it for themselves?
In a few days I leave Tortola to return to the United States, in
a few days, my life will return to what it was before this trip. I
personally plan on making my life as much of a polar opposite of
what it was before this trip. Im going to miss everything here,
both the good and the bad. From sailing Ocean Star, and all the
new friends that Ive made, to boat appreciation. Ill miss being
here in the Caribbean more than I know right now, and more than
I can say.
There are so many conicting emotions running through my
mind at this moment I cant describe them: eagerness to go home,
sadness to leave, anxiety, and impatience. This trip has been the
experience of a lifetime that is, and has been, completely unfor-
gettable. My life has been changed by it for the better, and Im
glad that Ive had the opportunity to be here.
Elizabeth Randlett
Queen of the Most Random
Comments
Quotable Quotes: Shut Up! I
mean, all i'm saying is that's not
true!"
The days that we thought would
never come are here. They came to
us, depending on whom you speak
with, either with the speed of Nata-
sha or as slow as Clayton waking in the morning. The nal day,
day 80, will mark the end of Sea-mester and with that will come,
tears, joy, a sense of accomplishment and a new knowledge of
ourselves. For me, the days leading to the end of this whirlwind
Caribbean sailing experience were not only forming but days
that fall under the category of the times you will never forget.
Thank you to everyone who made my experience beautiful and
educational especially those who did not bat an eyelash to stay
up laughing and living until all hours of the morning before the
treacherous Piton. I will forever be grateful to the staff members
who taught me so much about sailing, the ocean and this engag-
ing lifestyle I have been living for so many days. I will never
give these 80 days or the adventures each day held to a forgetful
memory, I will hold onto them with my heart and with my mind.
Surge (David Lee) Surge (David Lee) Surge (David Lee)
Windsurngs #1 Fan! Windsurngs #1 Fan! Windsurngs #1 Fan!
Quotable Quote: Scoo-doo-doo- Quotable Quote: Scoo-doo-doo- Quotable Quote: Scoo-doo-doo-
doo-doo! doo-doo! doo-doo! doo-doo!
It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was
looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page
every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the every second I could just to see the
new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with new faces that I would be living with
this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I
cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone. cant believe how fast time has gone.
This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so This has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so
grateful for all the knowledge and experiences I have gained.
There are so many things about Ocean Star and Natasha I will
miss. I will miss late night watch teams chats about ice cream
with Beaker, nightly De-Brief sessions with JC and Squaa,
wind surng with Boomer, sailing with the crews of both boats,
study sessions with Scuba Steve, C-Tal calling me recruit, GQ
with Stacy, giving Liz 2 for inching, jamming out with Simon
on the guitar, heated discussions with Jimmy and many many
more memories. We have all seen and learned so much together.
We have experienced island countries that many people will
never even hear of. We have learned the value of teamwork, but
most importantly we will take away a small group of lifelong
friends. I will miss everyone, but to Scuba Steve, Jaimie, T
2,

Boomer, Simon and Beaker, I will miss you guys the most. I can
always count on having a great time when Im with you guys and
I am a better person for having made friends with you. Scuba,
Im not going to lie, the stash is ridiculous, but I cant even begin
to picture you or this trip without it. I will coastal navigate with
Surge (David Lee)
Windsurngs #1 Fan!
Quotable Quote: Scoo-doo-doo- Quotable Quote: Scoo-doo-doo- Quotable Quote: Scoo-doo-doo-
doo-doo! doo-doo!
It seems like only last week that I was It seems like only last week that I was
looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page looking at the Sea-mester web page
every second I could just to see the
new faces that I would be living with
this fall. Here it is on day 77 and I
cant believe how fast time has gone.
14
Tiffany Davis (Touch
Down)
The Best Laugh
Quotable Quote: Boomer, can
we go faster?
The past eighty days have been the
most incredible days of my life! I
feel as if Ive been dreaming and I
never want to wake up. It is hard to
put into words how much I enjoyed
I
you any day. Jaimie, my wheelie dealie buddy we have mastered
all jobs on board, weather its a knuckle ball, or a curve ball, I
know youre always there to take the cups like a champ! T
2,
our
love for Dave is something that only you and I will understand, I
will think of you every Sunday morning when the rain is falling.
Boomer and Simon you gave me a passion for sailing and for
that I am grateful. Beaker, my little vegetarian friend we have
had some great talks, Allison and Dan will be proud to know how
much they came up in every conversation we had.
Unfortunately Sea-mester for us is almost over, and like all good
things in life, it has to come to an end. It is now up to all of us to
remember the experiences we have had and to hold onto these
friendships that we have made. Life is good and friends are great,
Sea-mester has been a dream.
Clayton Webb
The Best Food Concoctions (ex-
cept for the mayonnaise on grilled
cheese)
Quotable Quote: MoanMoan

Well I just want to say that I had fun,

and I learned some cool stuff.
If I had to do it all again I would
because its fun. I really like sailing
and looking at stuff that is really neat. Well I can say I made
some friends and found a path to follow in the future. This was
an awesome experience that taught me a lot about many things
and about myself. If you have not been on a Sea-mester Im
sorry, you should do it, it will change you for the better. This is
FABULEEZ over and out.
Alice Demarco
Ms. I leave everything everywhere
(especially on Natasha)
Quotable Quote: I swear, Ill
never do it again!
Once in a while I forget where I am
(but not today the surge is too
strong with us moored up in Saba for
me to not realize that Im on a boat),
I am still in awe of what is going on
around me. I dont think Ill ever get over that. (Our Fine Little
Editors warned us to keep our nal thoughts to a minimum, and
with good reason, as I have the urge to ll several pages I
promise to try and control myself thoughlook at how much
space Im wasting with disclaimers, nooo!) Anyway, there is
no way that my nal thought can do justice to what I want it to
deliver in our last week of life at sea. We are in a place unlike
any other, where teachers become your buddies (god forbid),
where you learn skills that are vital, not only to you, but to six-
teen other people. I have learned unity in every way that one can.
There is nothing like the camaraderie of a crew. I never thought
that I would get so excited about waking up at 3 am for a 3 hour
passage shift to Nevis. But I do. I take comfort in knowing that
Touch Down is sleeping 6 inches above my head and Erin, Jaimie
and T-Square are 6 inches to my..ummbow, I guess? The rock-
ing of an 88 foot schooner puts me to sleep. In this place where
you can actually see your wounds heal in every sense of the
word, where you pick up a vocabulary you never knew existed,
I have discovered what I love to do and these people here, who
make it so easy to be passionate about doing it. I have been edu-
cated on every movie that I can think of and many a movie that
I cannot. I have come to terms with all Chris Farley and Adam
Sandler quotes since the 80s, and I have no doubt that there
will always be a special place in my heart for Undercover of the
Night by Rolling Stones and coconut lime body spray from Bath
and Body Works (special thanks to Tyler, Mike and T-Square).
Living out here on this ship with these people on this sea lls
you with some energy that you forgot could ll you. It gets in
your bones and your lungs and allows you to press on (Scubes)
when you might have felt that there was no pressing on. I know
I will realize this so much more when I get back home, but
Boomer, you were right; its pretty nice to be part of the cause.
As for the next pod of Fine Little Helpers planning to set sail on
Ocean Star, come with an open mind and an open heart. You will
be pleasantly surprised by with what they are lled with. Boom-
er, Simon, Traci, Jess, Tyler, Scuba, Jon, Dave, T-square, Jaimie,
Erin, Tiffany(TD), Mike, Jack and Tom. Youre all pretty weird
and pretty funny. Sorry Im a violator sometimesyou violate
too. You guys are key. I love you a lot.
PS: I LOVE THE CAT TOO! Thanks for the fake nutella
PPS: I like gold bond. Thanks Tyler
Christina Rizleris
The Most Gullible to Boomers
Stories
Quotable Quote: I think Im
gonna pee my pants!
Our journey has come to a bittersweet
ending. In a little less than 3 months,
I have seen, learned and experienced
more than some people do in an en-
tire lifetime. Ive swam to the depths
of the ocean, explored shipwrecks, glided weightlessly through
complete darkness, trudged through ancient volcanic rocks, ex-
plored the tropical rainforests, touched the clouds, conquered the
Caribbean Seas, and yes, stomached the enormous amounts of
canned chicken. I pushed myself more mentally, physically and
emotionally than I would have ever thought possible. The friend-
ships and memories made will create stories that will be told
over and over again. As this trip comes to an end, I feel like I
am waking up from a really great dream. We only have one life,
and only one shot in it, I dont want to spend it dreaming, I want
to spend it doing. There is a whole world out there waiting to be
seen, and I am ready to see it. This end is only the beginning in
my awesome adventure called life.
Clayton Webb
The Best Food Concoctions (ex-
cept for the mayonnaise on grilled
cheese)
Quotable Quote: MoanMoan

Well I just want to say that I had fun,

and I learned some cool stuff.
If I had to do it all again I would
because its fun. I really like sailing
15
Jeremy Garretson
King of the Love Pit
Quotable Quote: "Call the Wham-
bulance!"
Well the trip is winding down and
there are only eight days left until we
all y home. I still have yet to grasp
how little time there is left before
departure. As I prepare to go back
to Manhattan, I realize that I will be
going back a changed person. I have
grown up a lot over the past eighty days and become a lot more
responsible.
The experiences that I have had down here have been life
changing. Whether it be diving on a 300 foot cable laying ship
or hiking to the Boiling Lake in the pouring rain. Maybe it was
dancing like mad at Shirley Heights or going on the island tour
of Grenada and seeing the devastation after Hurricane Ivan. This
trip has opened my eyes to the world and made me realize that
there are so many opportunities and things to do out there. Most
importantly this trip has made me realize that yachting is going
to be a huge part in my career.
I would recommend this experience to anyone who is willing
to explore new place and do new things. The trip is an amazing
cultural, personal, and educational experience where the possi-
bilities are endless.
Emilie Montgomery
Southern Belle
Quotable Quote: Oh my
gowd! (In an old south accent)
So here we are at the end of a
fantastic adventure at sea with
Sea-mester. Coming here with
no experience of sailing, scuba
diving, and especially hiking, I
certainly nd myself an expert at these plus more. At rst I was
overwhelmed and had no idea what I was doing here, but in the
end ew by and I feel right at home. Everyone feels like family
to me. The experience has changed my life and the way that I
look at things. Sea-mester will always have a place in my heart
along with the new and improved sailors. Ive learned so much
that I will denitely use when I get back to civilization! Its sad
to leave the Caribbean, but I know after this experience I will
denitely come back.
Tyler Herrick
The Whitest Rasta
Quotable Quote: Yeah buddy!
What a long, strange trip its
beenThere are so many memories
and so little time. Eighty days may
seem like a lot of time to be spend-
ing in the Caribbean, but those
days turn into hours, the hours turn
into minutes, and the minutes turn
into seconds. It is hard to believe that I have sailed almost the
entire Caribbean, down and back. The things I have seen and the
people I have met. Every island so much different than the last,
and never spend enough time on them to see it all. One side of
me has seen the Caribbean in its entire state, but the other side
has only seen a small portion. I try to remember everything from
island to island, but I cant seem to do it. How do I describe the
feelings of spending eighty days at sea, walking the big cities and
small towns with all their distinct features, sailing the clear blue
ocean, and sleeping on an eighty-eight foot schooner with fteen
strangers has been a little out of my ordinary life. But what an
incredible experience, not just for me, but also for everyone in-
volved with this journey. What once was a boat full of strangers,
has become a boat full of family. I couldnt begin to write how
this has affected my life as a person. I came aboard Ocean Star
at the perfect time in my life. This was a time between school,
where I needed to nd something new and exciting with an
educational twist. I have lived by the ocean for my entire life, but
never have I lived on the ocean. It is hard to believe that not long
from now, I will be waking up in my bed in Nantucket, wonder-
ing if this trip was a dream. I have a new appreciation for life and
a new appreciation for travel. I am going to miss each and every
individual immensely, but our time is up, and it is time for a new
group of Muppets or inexperienced children, to experience all
we have seen and done, who then will transform into real adults.
So, Scuba Steve, Sarge, GQ, Tom-o, Jack, Jonny boy, Davis, Jer-
emy, Jimmy, Nelson, Clayton, Christina, Emilie, Liz, T-Squaw,
Touchdown, Jaim-o (So-yon), Little buddy, Erin, Jess, and Traci,
remember, you dont need to know what you want to do for the
rest of your life just do what you love, and love what you do.
To Boomer, Simon, and Chris, Ill see you out there Sail Fast
and Live Slow.
Keep on truckin. Keep the faith. Live life to the max.
I love you all.
Emilie Montgomery
Southern Belle
Quotable Quote: Oh my
gowd! (In an old south accent)
So here we are at the end of a
fantastic adventure at sea with
Sea-mester. Coming here with
no experience of sailing, scuba
diving, and especially hiking, I
certainly nd myself an expert at these plus more. At rst I was
16