Sea|mester vessel Ocean Star Updates

Feb 16 Ocean Star Update

2011-02-16T22:06:00.001-04:00

Captain Eric and skipper of the day Annie calls in the update from Ocean Star in St. Lucia.

Dec 17 Ocean Star Update

2011-01-18T11:16:00.001-04:00

Ocean Star's first Spring Podcast

Oct 2 Update

2010-10-02T20:55:00.001-04:00

Ocean star calls in with 1st Podcast

Relaxation Day

2010-03-30T01:00:00.001-04:00

Author: Caitlin Smith
Location: Green Cay
Today we woke up and went to the beach and played soccer, frisbee, windsurfed, and some read. After play time we returned to Ocean Star to clean the hull and clean scuba gear and pack. Packing was not the most exciting part of the day and most of us despise packing so it was a challenge. After packing we hauled up the anchor and moved to where our journey began, the docks at West End. After docking there we had shower time and free time to enjoy cold beverages and candy. After dinner we watched a slideshow prepared by Casey that concluded our trip. It was fun watching how people changed through out the trip. Now we are all working on our cards that we write to each other per seamester tradition. I can't believe the trip is really ending but it is.

Flickr Photos from Today --- Flickr Photos from this Voyage

The Playgrounds

2010-03-29T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Green Cay, BVI
After leaving the Caves this morning, we headed around the west end of Tortola to the tiny island of Sandy Spit, a small sand bar with a few trees off of Green Cay. After dropping anchor in the beautiful blue waters, we set up for the last dive of the trip at the playgrounds, an underwater jumble of boulders with many nooks and crannys to explore. We played around, enjoying the many swim throughs and the curious (and big) fish. After all the diving of the semester, it's a bit sad to end, but at least we ended on a good note with a fun dive.

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Happy Birthday Marc

2010-03-28T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annie Ayres
Location: The Caves, Norman Island
We started off our day with delicious coffeecake and then motored to Norman Island, a short distance away. Once there, we snorkeled some really neat caves. The weather was cloudy and it rained a little making it a bit chilly, but despite it we had a fun time. One cave you could swim all the way until it was pitch black which was very eerie. Then we had sandwiches with homemade bread and study time after that. We worked on our animal creations and studied for our marine bio exam. Casey gave us the fun assignment of creating our own animal and then classifying it, explaining its characteristics, and how it lives. For dinner we had spaghetti and meat sauce with salad and garlic bread. We sang Happy Birthday to Marc and devoured the confetti cake. Then we had our exam and presented our animal creations. Today we had a nice mix of work and pleasure. I really enjoyed the caves and look forward to our dive tomorrow.

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Exam Day 1

2010-03-27T01:00:00.001-04:00

Author: Casey Debenham
Location: Great Harbour, Peter Island
As we approach the tail end of this great Seamester we are starting to wrap things up. Today was the day for the MTE, final exam, which consisted of some intense chart work and other navigation questions. However before the exam even had a chance to start, the shipmates were awoken to the sound of fire alarm. When they came on deck much to their surprise, they found out that Jenny and I had gone diving and were now missing divers. This was the last of several scenarios that shipmates were involved in order to get their rescue diver certification. Have no fear, both me and Jenny were safely brought back to the boat. This evenings activity consisted of a night dive along the reef in Great Harbour Peter. It was a good way to relax after a day of exams.
This is your skipper Casey logging out....

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Winding Down

2010-03-27T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jennifer Webber
Location: Great Harbour, Peter Island
This morning we said goodbye to Gorda Sound and headed to the classic wreck dive on Salt Island, the RMS Rhone. The Royal Mail Steamer Rhone was a 310-foot cargo ship that was pushed onto the rocks of Salt Island during a hurricane in 1887. It has two nice swim-throughs where we spotted many large barracudas and groupers looming in the shadows. We even found the "lucky porthole," its shiny brass clearly showing through the wreckage, and rubbed it for good luck (as a side effect, it remains polished). We then had a hot and sunny motor back to Great Harbour, Peter Island, where we tied off to Ocean Star's mooring line and jumped into the deep, refreshing water to cool off. To top off a perfect day in the BVI's, we enjoyed our last grill night aboard.

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All the Marbles

2010-03-25T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Marcus
Location: Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda
Today started out with a hearty breakfast and a informative and entertaining Marine Biology class. Without a second wasted after class we stormed onto Prickly Pear Island, where oddly enough we did not see one prickly pear, for some small sail racing. This is where it gets good. After a practice run around the course by both teams, it was announced that the next race would be for ALL THE MARBLES. In the beginning it was close, a real nail biter. However, after Eric and I hit the water it was very apparent that we had the race in the bag. That is why now all the marbles rest securely in the pocket of Eric and I.

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Study in the Sound

2010-03-24T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Giordano Peña
Location: Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda
Home again in Gorda Sound. In many ways, out of all the islands we have been to during this trip, here feels like home. We spent more time in this area than anywhere else before setting sail south, so hanging out all day working on school work we felt a sense of comfort from the islands.

Our day was fairly uneventful. We had class in the morning and class in the evening, and everywhere in-between was set aside for study. The original goal was to have some Hobie cat carnage, but alas hotel guests changed that. Keep fingers crossed for tomorrow! In the afternoon a couple of the shipmates went over to Bitter End for a change of scenery. I have to say, sitting in a beach chair with a palm tree for shade, white sand under my feet, and clear blue ocean for a view, was probably the best study locations I have ever experienced in my college career.

It's sad to realize that this is my last blog on the trip. I can't believe it has gone by so fast. This is definitely one of those experiences in my life that I will never forget. Well that is all from skipper Gio.

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Wind!

2010-03-23T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: John
Location:
A steady easterly breeze carried Ocean Star from Spanish Town to Gorda Sound without the taint of smelly diesel fuming from the engine. Taking advantage of the 25kts of wind we practiced tacking the boat with teams on the running backstays and jib. This was exciting for everyone but the disgruntled chefs who were trying to keep pots on the stove and dishes on the counter. Everyone was successful and lunch was made interesting by eating at a sharp angle.

Once we arrived at our destination we were reassured why no one should ever let Mark within ten feet of a chain that needs to be flaked. When the anchor was loosed from its davit it followed a short path to only feet below the waters surface. It hung there, arrested well above the sandy bottom and any hope of accomplishing its goal, because of a massive tangle in the chain. Eric was quick to pounce on the problem, but after five minutes we heard unfamiliar mutterings and indications of Marc's poorly planned flaking rising from the depths of the chain locker. Eric emerged a rusty and fiery effigy of all that an easy going wanderer through this life would never wish to encounter.

Once the anchor was finally down, we spent the afternoon processing the two sediment cores we extracted from Saba a few days ago. Now I'll scramble back to the salon to finish up the last few assignments that I will have as a student on Sea Mester.

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A Day at the Baths

2010-03-22T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Allison
Location: Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda
Our day started off as usual with breakfast at 7:30 and clean up afterwards. Then we sailed over to The Baths which was the highlight of our day. We spent a couple hours exploring in and around the rock formations. Some of ventured into the hollow rock and others ventured to the beaches. It was a beautiful day and the water was crystal clear. Since the end is coming near, we all were thinking of how much we will miss the Caribbean and all its beauty. After exploring The Baths, we sailed over the Spanish Town where we were able to have some shore time to explore. Spanish Town was small but it was enjoyable to get on shore for a little while. Afterwards it was time for showers then we returned to Spanish Town to listen to a local reggae band play and eat a delicious dinner out.

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Back in the BVI

2010-03-21T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Great Harbor, Peter Island
Our journey among the islands of the Eastern Caribbean has come full circle. This morning we made our way back into the BVI past Salt Island, and with bittersweet feelings bid farewell to the adventures of the semester. We headed into Road Town for customs and supplies, and the shipmates all got a chance to stretch their land legs after a rough and rolly night at sea. After lunch, we picked up anchor and headed over to Great Harbor on Peter Island to spend the night before spending the last 10 days of the trip enjoying what the BVI has to offer and finishing up finals.

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Sail to the BVIs

2010-03-20T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlin
Location: At Sea
Today we woke up early to dive the Third Encounter with Saba Deep. Bob, our dive master, took us out on the Jolly Mon' to a sea mount at 110 ft below the swelly surface. We saw lots of coral and fish and even saw a napping nurse shark. Bob claimed to have seen a whale earlier in the day so we were hoping for a surprise visit. After the dive we came back for a delicious lunch. Then John and I braved the huge swells and crashing waves to do retrieve sediment cores with Casey. John saw a massive stingray while I saw two huge barracudas. After the sediment dives we ate dinner and got the boat ready for a sail back to the BVIs, our old stomping grounds. We started sailing at about 7 and will arrive in the BVIs tomorrow morning.

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The Last Island...

2010-03-19T01:00:00.001-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Saba
This morning I was able to start off my day with an early morning science dive with Allison and Annie. Since Statia is a Marine Park, we invited a representative to join us to observe our sediment sampling project. After a full core was extruded from the dark volcanic sand, we looked around and saw that an entire school of fish had encircled us! It was a pretty fantastic sight to be surrounded by fish from all angles.

After breakfast, we prepared to set sail to Saba, our last island on the literary before heading back to our home port of the British Virgin Islands. As we approached the looming island of Saba, the shipmates finally understand what it means when the island is referred to as an island of extremes; it has the highest mountain peak we will hike and the deepest dives we will explore with scuba tanks. And, it is home to the most steps any of us will every climb in a row. 560 steps to be exact. And that's just on the path to get to the first town on the island, appropriately called The Bottom, as it lays in the shadow of Mt Scenery. It's another 1500 steps or so up to the top, though I lost count last time I did the hike. We spent our afternoon cleaning up Ocean Star and preparing it for a makeover of sorts (new paint and wood teak). Then, we jumped in the water to cool off. Marc and John swam to shore, and found another one of the island's extremes- very large waves crashing on a rocky shore. Very different than the white sandy beaches we are used to, but nonetheless, it will be quite the exciting dinghy ride to shore tomorrow!

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Diving

2010-03-19T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Marc Chesnutt
Location: Ile Forche
Today we left Saint Barths after clearing customs and watching a highly trained anchor lifting team maneuver and bring up our three anchors. After leaving the marina we got underway towards Il Forche, a uninhabited island about a half hour away from St. Barths. Upon arrival we ate lunch and then went out for a circum navigation dive of the tip of the island. For dinner we enjoyed home made baked ziti with garlic bread. Before barely enough time to digest we were heading back out into the water for a night dive. And now its off to bed looking forward to the sunrise hike that starts at six a.m..

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Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-18T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annie Ayres
Location: St. Eustatius
We awoke to green scramble eggs, fruit cake, and Gatorade in celebration of St. Patty's Day. Then we headed to shore for our hike to the crater along the Quill trail. It was a nice, leisurely hike first through Statia's suburbs and then through a shady forest trail. We saw lots of big hermit crabs, black racer snakes (harmless), and lizards. Casey, Marc, and Gio decided to race their hermit crabs and Gio's won with flying colors. We arrived at the top around 9:30am. We then split up and headed in groups exploring different trails. Allison, Jenny, and I hiked up to the Panorama Viewpoint which wasn't very panoramic. Then we headed back down town and met up with everyone and had Chinese food. Afterwards, we got delicious ice cream and shopped at the grocery store. Casey, Allison, and I went to the Fort and took pictures and then caught up with everyone at the dive shop buying t-shirts. We were picked up at 2:30pm and spent the rest of the day doing our own tasks, like boat work, laundry, studying, or practicing chart navigation. We had corned beef stew with freshly baked bread for dinner and an oceanography quiz afterwards. I really enjoyed Statia and thought the old Dutch cobblestone part of town was really neat.

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A Day of Diving

2010-03-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Casey Debenham
Location: St. Eustatius
I wonder if the shipmates ever dreamed that their trip aboard Ocean Star would have them diving down 90ft to explore a wreck in the pristine blue waters of the Caribbean. For that is exactly what we did today. This morning we had the pleasure of diving the Charlie Brown, an old ATandT cable laying vessel. This 300 ft ship was purposefully sunk by the Statia marine park to allow visitors to come dive on a world class wreck. With a 100+ft swim through this was a dive I'm sure nobody will soon forget. Even on our saftey stop we had plenty to see when a school of horse eye jacks decided to check us out as we were hanging off the morning line at 15ft. what a sweet dive, yet the fun did not stop there. Today we also performed two research dives where we collected sediment cores. These cores are for a past Sea|mester staff member who is now working on a PhD program. I think it provides a great opportunity for people to actually get involved in research and see how the process works in the field. What a sweet day of diving in Statia....

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Sail Away

2010-03-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny Weber
Location: Oranjested, St. Eustatius
Today started much too early for most people aboard Ocean Star as we had a sunrise hike on our agenda. The shipmates groggily stumbled from bed like zombies, but upon arriving on the island of Ile Forche, everyone perked up as we climbed our way up the jagged peaks in time to catch the sun rise over the horizon. As a natural early riser, I'm always the first up on the boat, and therefore am somewhat of a connoisseur of sunrises in the Caribbean, and I must say, today's sunrise was probably one of the most beautiful sunrises this semester! The sun streaked in perfectly formed beams, which reflected across the clouds in a range of colors from soft hues of lavender to vibrant oranges. It was the perfect opportunity to reflect on our experiences from the past 60 days, and think about what we look forward to accomplishing and learning in the remainder of our dwindling time aboard Ocean Star.

Afterwards, we returned for a quick breakfast and prepared for our sail to Statia. Once underway, our Captain decided the wind was finally right for putting up a rarely used sail, the Fisherman. Once it was up, it was a beautiful sight seeing Ocean Star with 5 of our 6 sails in place. Having settled into a fairly constant speed, the shipmates enjoyed a fun MTE lab to estimate our time of arrival to the beautiful island of Statia. After dropping pieces of bread in the water and timing the speed it took for the bread to travel the length of the boat, the shipmates started plugging numbers into calculations and determining their best guess. They then reported their results to Kevin and to make things more interesting, everyone added a little friendly wager. Marc ended up calculating the winning time- to the minute, and ended up with a bounty ranging from a pudding cup to a bag of Skittles.

Once anchored, we settled into our BA (boat appreciation) routine, then enjoyed a much deserved cool-down in the crystal clear waters off of Statia. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner of Mexican Lasagna then capped off the evening with an Oceanography class and the final episode of "Deadliest Catch."

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Exploring Shops and drops

2010-03-14T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Giordano
Location: Gustavia, St. Barths
Today, on yet another beautiful day here at St. Barths, we were given the chance to explore. Our day started off with some exciting chart work for MTE, but then we were free to explore. Most of the group went out to find a bakery for some fresh French croissants, there was also lunch at Le Bistro for some wonderful St. Barths pizza. In the afternoon the group shot out to Pain de Sucre for some scuba diving action. My group had an awesome dive exploring an island, checking out a reef shark, massive groupers, and exploring underwater caves. The other scuba group checked out a cool wreck of an old motor yacht. The end of the day was concluded by our 3rd marine bio exam. All in all a very relaxing way to spend our last day in Gustavia harbor.

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Catching Waves and Too Many Rays

2010-03-13T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: John
Location: St. Barths
Surf day began with a roller coaster ride in a car full of boards to a small beach with big waves. After the boards were waxed and a quick demonstration showed us the basics of when to paddle and how to stand up we were let loose into the crashing surf.

With the water a little rough, the biggest challenge was getting out through the white bubbling water to where the waves were just beginning to break. Once there we bobbed, drained of energy until a surge of adrenaline pushed us up onto the wave and left us usually kneeling on top of the board. For a few glorious moments we would stand, then plummet back down into the water.

Black and blue, and a little too red we crammed back into the rental car and headed for the boat. Then after showers and recounts of all of the times we almost had surfing down we dressed and sang Jimmy Buffet as we walked over to Le Select (the inspiration for the song Cheeseburger in Paradise.)
We had a fun time exploring St. Barth's at night, checking out sushi restaurants and listening to the live jazz band that played there. It was a cool end to a hot, hot day.

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Exploring St. Barths

2010-03-12T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Allison
Location: Gustavia, St. Barths
Today was a smooth and relaxing day which started out with cereal for breakfast and then an MTE class where we learned more about navigation. After class we had the chance to explore St. Barths for the day. It was nice to be able to enjoy the tasty pastries and coffee in the French island as well as the beaches in the surrounding area. Some of us walked to the airport where we could watch the airplanes land which was quite a sight to see. The planes have a short runway and they come down close to a hill which makes it unique to see. We visited the town near us called St. Jean and explored the shops and beaches around the area. Afterwards we enjoyed our fresh water showers, ate dinner, and had a class in oceanography. All in all, it was a great day being in St. Barths.

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Pure St. Barths

2010-03-11T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Gustavia, St. Barths
This morning we awoke surrounded by a menagerie of large motor yachts at anchor off Gustavia - yes, we were indeed in St. Barths. We spent the morning flaking sails, mopping floors, and generally making Ocean Star presentable again after our passage last night. When Kevin returned from customs, he brought word that there was space for us in the harbor, so we pulled up anchor and prepared for docking stern-to the dock, a procedure that would eventually involve three anchors and a dinghy to get us right where we needed to be. That completed, we ventured forth to explore Gustavia, which is a wonderful town.

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Monsoon

2010-03-10T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlin
Location: Off St. Barths
Today we woke up in English Harbour and got the boat ready for the sail to Barbuda. We stopped to fuel up in English Harbour before we left. After leaving the harbor we realized that we would make it to Barbuda around dark which is not what we wanted since Barbuda is hard to navigate at night. Kevin decided that because of that we would skip Barbuda and go straight to St. Barth. So we headed to St. Barths and it was a wonderful day sail until after dinner. After cleaning up at dinner and the start of my watch, it started to down pour. It rained pretty much the entire night except for when we finally made it to St. Barths around 11:30pm. We anchored outside of the port and started anchor. All was good on my anchor watch until about 12:30 when it started to pour again. It rained pretty much on everyone's watch. Hopefully tomorrow will be prettier. Even though it rained it was still a fun sail.

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A Day in St. Johns

2010-03-09T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annie
Location: English Harbour
The morning dawned grey and drizzly over Ocean Star. After breakfast this morning some of the shipmates headed into St. Johns, the Capital of Antigua, to see some more sights on the island. The rest stayed on board and settled into the salon for some rainy day activities like practicing navigation and knot-tying. Mark even started making a rope mat. This afternoon we waited in anticipation of the arrival of the 3rd place finisher in a transatlantic rowing race, but as of now they have yet to arrive. The two men in the rowboat have been rowing since December - this year there was little wind to help them along, so it's been taking a lot longer than usual. Tomorrow we all look forward to heading out for a nice sail and saying goodbye to Antigua.

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A Lazy Sunday

2010-03-08T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annie
Location: English Harbour, Antigua
We awoke to another beautiful day in English Harbor and had delicious homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Then we had MTE class and learned how to take a running fix on the chart. Afterwards, we had the rest of the day to our choosing. Allison, Gio, and I went to the Falmouth marina cafe and had chocolate croissants and coffee. Then we walked to Pigeon Beach and enjoyed the sun and cool water. After a couple hours, I separated from them and skyped (called) my family. They left a half hour later and took the trail back to the boat. After meeting up with my shipmates around 4:30, we took the dinghy across the bay and hiked up to Shirley Heights for dinner. The view was gorgeous and we could see both English and Falmouth harbors. We had cheeseburgers or BBQ chicken which was delicious. Sadly, I managed to spill my salad and potato salad, which everyone had raved about, on the ground. Then the band switched from steel drums to reggae and rock and we spent the rest of the night dancing. It was a lot of fun and the band was really good.

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First Day in English Harbour

2010-03-07T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Casey "WD-40" Jones
Location: English Harbour
This morning the shipmates awoke bright and early at 6am for a hike along Antigua's rocky shores. After a quick dinghy ride, they arrive on the other shore of English Harbor, where they headed over the hill to explore the intertidal zone. Back on board and breakfast in bellies, people set out to explore English Harbor - some shipmates headed to the beach, others into Falmouth to check out the yachts. After being on anchor for so many nights, it's a little weird being on a dock again.

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On the Big Boat Dock

2010-03-06T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: English Harbor, Antigua
This morning we said goodbye to the beauty of Green Island and headed to a much different scene- the hub of yachting activities in Antigua, Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour. Kevin maneuvered our boat with ease into a tricky slip between many large, sleek sailing yachts, and we spent the rest of the day exploring our new surroundings. Nelson's Dockyard is a place of interesting history as it was Britain's main naval station in the Lesser Antilles in the 1700's. Currently, the dockyard has been restored as part of the National Parks Authority, so that the historical sites are tastefully converted into museums, hotels, restaurants and businesses. There is an active sail making loft, which also made for an interesting stop, as well as the short walk to Fort Berkely Point to overlook the scenery of English Harbour. We capped off our day relaxing on deck and headed to bed early in anticipation of our early morning hike tomorrow.

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Last Day in Green Island

2010-03-05T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Marc
Location: Green Island, Antigua
Today we were woken up at 6:30 with three divers in the water needing assistance. A can of chick peas and two cans of black beans had fallen over board and it was up to us to use our newly acquired rescue diver skills to retrieve them. After a successful recovery we went into oceanography class and the rest of our day. For lunch we enjoyed some pizza bagels and got ready for kite boarding. With the exception of our captain, Kevin this was a new experience for everyone on board. For two hours we learned the basics of this relatively new sport, just enough to spark all of our interest for more. The time flew by and before we knew it, it was time to get dinner ready, which tonight was a beach barbeque. This is a day that none of us will ever forget. (Mom if you're reading this tell dad to sign us up for that school in Ocracoke.)

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24 In the Caribbean

2010-03-04T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Giordano
Location: Green Island, Antigua
Well today was an exciting day here on Ocean Star. Today is by far the most important day on this whole trip. This is due to the fact that March 3rd is this skipper's birthday! It's not every day that one can celebrate their birthday in the Caribbean. Let alone get an opportunity to jump in to the water and flail around or pretend to be unconscious during rescue diver training. We all had fun running various scenarios, throwing life rings, and searching the water during out action packed sequel to rescue diver training. We also got the opportunity to check out the shore of Green Island for the first time. But the best part of the day was simply the wonderful cake trifecta concocted by Casey and Eric. That's right it was an up-side-down, fun-fetti, pineapple cake, I know all of you are jealous...as you should be.

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Inflate Your BCD!

2010-03-03T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: John
Location: Green Island, Antigua
Have a panicked or tired diver at the surface? Well, we have answers. Three chapters of the PADI Rescue Diver Course and a skill session off of the boat have furthered both our competency in the water and improvisational acting careers. With approach and towing techniques mastered we're now that much closer to achieving our final dive certification of the trip.

Being back in a location great for wind sports we're planning to take full advantage of both our basic grasp of windsurfing and Antigua's surplus of sandy beaches in the next few days or our stay. Our mouths were watering at dinner tonight not only because of the tasty burritos but also with the news that kite boarding lessons are offered on a beach close to us.
It's safe to say that after a late night screening of Captain Ron to write our SLD papers our thoughts will drift quickly from work to play as so many opportunities lie before us.

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I couldn't think of a Title

2010-03-02T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Allison
Location: Falmouth Harbor, Antigua
We arrived in Antigua bright and early after an overnight passage. As soon as we arrived we ate our breakfast to give us energy for the day and began to clean the boat. We did a thorough boat clean for our boat appreciation. Afterwards we had an afternoon of shore time where we were able to explore Falmouth Harbor and English Harbor which was not too far of a walk. We ate at a local restaurant for lunch and then explored the town. Nelson's Dockyard was only a five minute walk from where we were and it was a lot of fun to see the historic sites in English Harbour. After shore time we returned to the boat and ended the night with dinner and a mid term exam.

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High Fives with Jacques

2010-03-01T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Deshaies, Guadeloupe
After our night dive at Pain du Sucre last night, we all headed for bed, ready for whatever today would bring us. Soon after breakfast we hoisted sails and left the rock behind, bound for Deshaies and Pigeon Island off the west coast of Guadeloupe. The Marine Park here is a popular dive site, and in fact was one of Jacques Cousteau's favorite dives. Just a few minutes into our dive here we realized why - lots of large fish, invertebrates, and coral that was far healthier than in many of the other places we've dived. At the end of the dive a statue of Jacques Cousteau sits in 40 feet of water, and as we swam by the shipmates gave him a high five. Back on board, we got the boat ready for our passage tonight to Antigua.

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Relaxation

2010-02-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlin
Location: Pain du Sucre, Les Saintes
Today was a very peaceful and relaxing day. After breakfast we worked on the ROV and are really close to finishing it. It is almost wired and the frame is practically built. After ROV work we motored over to a new spot in the Saints. The new spot is where we will do our night dive. After motoring over, we had free time before lunch. Most people read or took short naps. After lunch of chicken salad sandwiches we watched more oceanography presentations. After presentations we had more free time. Many people went snorkeling around the reef where we would later be night diving. After snorkeling napping and showering it was time for dinner. Casey and Gio made a delicious meal of sweet and sour chicken. After dinner we prepared for our night dive. The day was nice and relaxing.

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Shore Time in Les Saintes

2010-02-27T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Kevin
Location: Les Saintes
Today was a day of adventure and exploration for the Ocean Star Crew. Getting up with the sunrise we feasted on some homemade blueberry muffins made by our Chefs. Next we headed to shore to explore Terre De Haute, the main inhabited island. Terre De Haute offers a variety of delicious bakeries restaurants and great souvenir shops. On the far side of the island there is a small airport with a beautiful beach facing the Atlantic and on the top of one of the peaks lies the Great Napoleons Fort. After a long day of walking around, people watching and stuffing our faces with delicious gelato we made our way back to the boat for an afternoon free dive. Just 100 yards from where we are anchored lay a wreck of an old tug boat. It's in a shallow grave and easily accessible by snorkeling. We enjoyed our afternoon exercise and sat down for dinner. After lasagna the Oceanography class presented their projects for the group. It's a calm hot night and we look forward to a new day.

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A river and a sail to the Saintes

2010-02-26T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Casey
Location: Les Saintes
Ah what a glorious day. We started off with a little bit of science. It has been a Sea-mester tradition to have a guide row us up the Indian River, while we perform a depth profile of salinity and temperature. It was quite amazing to see how the surface layer of the river was fresh water, yet a mere meter below the surface there was nearly full strength sea water. We found this trend fairly far up the river, where we stopped a little shack and had some refreshing drinks. In the afternoon we sailed the short distance between Dominica and the Saints where we will be spending the next few days. Until next time
-Casey signing out......

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The Boiling Lake

2010-02-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Portsmouth, Dominica
This morning we awoke bright and early to meet Pancho on the dock for our hike to the Boiling Lake. We drove up into the mountains, and soon arrived at the trailhead, where we embarked on what would be an all day journey. The hike started off relatively easy, with smooth, flattish trails, but soon we crossed a small stream and began to hike uphill. We passed through the Valley of Desolation, rendered lifeless by the many sulfur springs, where we briefly stopped to hardboil some eggs over a vent. We then headed down the valley to where the water was cooler for a quick dip in some hot pools. After a relaxing swim, we donned our shoes for the last push to the lake. Dominica's boiling lake is formed by large geothermal vents which fill a natural crater - the lake is about 100m across and 20m deep, although we obviously couldn't test the depth. It constantly produces a vast cloud of steam as it bubbles and boils. On our way back to the taxi, we stopped at the Ti Tou gorge, where a river cuts deeply through the landscape, providing a cool and refreshing swim.

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The Best Island Tour Ever

2010-02-24T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Roseau, Dominica
Today we had the best island tour ever. We started our day early so we could meet our tour guide, a rasta named Sea Cat, who fittingly had an octopus wearing sunglasses painted on the outside of our tour bus. Sea Cat kept us entertained with stories and interesting island facts as we weaved along the curvy roads forming the valleys, peaks and gorges of Dominica. We learned that Dominica is known for its lush greenery, exotic wildlife (ranging from parrots to boa constrictors), bubbling waterfalls, vibrant diving, hot sulfur springs, and 365 rivers (one for each day as Sea Cat put it).

Dominica is a very wet, tropical island, and agriculture, next to tourism, is the primary business here. We quickly took part in enjoying the local fruits and vegetables, as Sea Cat would pull over to the side of the road and literally pick fresh produce for us off the trees. We sunk our teeth into juicy guavas, soft-ball sized grapefruit, custard apples, ripe mangos, and a unique favorite, jungle MandM's (the sweet outer coating of cocoa beans). In Carib Indian (the original island inhabitants) territory, we ground these cocoa beans by hand, mixed in some sugar and a little cinnamon (from the bark freshly cut off a tree, of course), and tasted pure bliss- chocolate as we know it.

Sea Cat showed us the eco-activities that Dominica has to offer, and we enjoyed stretching our legs throughout the tour. We visited Emerald Falls, where we jumped through the waterfall into the freezing waters below. Later, we enjoyed a rocky climb to the top of Trafalgar Falls, where we swam in the clear pools underneath the falls, and even found a neat swim through under a large boulder that tunneled underneath the falls. We ended the day with a relaxing soak in Dominica's natural hot tub... hot sulfur springs. It was a perfect day, with a perfect tour of the sights, sounds and tastes of what Dominica has to offer.

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Divin

2010-02-23T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Marc
Location: Roseau, Dominica
Today we woke up around 6:45 to get ready for a day of divin. After clearing customs we gathered our scuba gear and rush to the Dive Dominica docks. Upon arrival we hurry to our guide's boat and were off to the first of our two dives. On this dive we were able to experience a wall dive that was as deep as "only God knows," as stated by the guide. During the second dive we got the opportunity to see volcanic vents that were strong enough to warm the waters around us. After the dive we went back to the boat for voluntary haircuts, dinner, class, and then bed.

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Welcome to Dominica

2010-02-22T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Giordano Peña
Location: Roseau, Dominica
Today was a sail day. Our crew woke up and said our good byes to the beautiful St. Pierre and set sail for Dominica. The trip was a total of 35 miles and went fairly smoothly. Our crew is definitely getting into the grove of setting sails, and we should look like pros by the time we hit Antigua. The highlight of the trip was finally setting up the flying jib for the first time. Putting up a new sail is always exciting.

Once in Dominica we dropped anchor at a spot, well, called Drop Anchor. And did probably one of our most efficient boat appreciations yet! After all of our hard work we took a breath, showered, and are prepared for a well earned night off.

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St. Pierre, Martinique

2010-02-21T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: John
Location: St. Pierre, Martinique
An early wake up accompanied by a quick breakfast would be the most time spent at sea level for our group today. After that it was off to Mt. Pelee where the verdant landscape and overhanging fog inside of the crater prompted dinosaur imitations from the group. Up and up, then lunch, and up some more to the highest point (1488m) called la chinois, or The Chinese. There we scrambled up wet rocks and dodged crevices masked with moss to the best view of the crater, but only when the clouds hanging around us cleared.

Then we went low, very low to about 100ft below the surface of the water to complete the deep diver portion of our advanced certifications. We weren't able to spend much more than 15 minutes at that depth because of how much our consumption of oxygen increased, but we did see a very large hawksbill having a snack.

Traveling from the top of Mt. Pelee to the bottom of our anchorage, today was a day of extremes. Maybe tomorrow we'll focus on that middle portion a bit more.

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We are Half Way There

2010-02-20T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Allison
Location: St. Pierre, Martinique
We have finally reached the half way mark on day 40. It is amazing to think that we have been living on the boat for 40 days now. The day started out normally with wake up at 7:15 and breakfast at 7:30. Our plan was to motor over to St. Pierre right after breakfast but due to some technical difficulties we stayed in Fort De France for a while longer. While waiting, we had an MTE class where we were educated on true and magnetic north and about variation and deviation. It was quite an interesting lecture and fun to learn about how to navigate. Afterwards we took time to venture to shore again where we ate out at a restaurant where we ordered yummy pizzas to satisfy our hunger. We explored around town going into various shops and taking in the local culture. Later on we came back to the boat where we were then able to pull up anchor and head to St. Pierre. It was a nice ride over to St. Pierre and we all enjoyed taking showers after a long day. Dinner consisted of hamburgers and hot dogs cooked on the grill which made everyone happy. All in all, it was another great day in the Caribbean.

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Sailing to France

2010-02-19T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Fort De France, Martinique
We awoke early this morning for a swift sail from St. Lucia to the first of the French Islands we will visit, Martinique. We made good time, and covered the 35 miles in enough time to arrive before lunch. After lunch we all headed ashore to explore Fort de France, the biggest city we will visit in the Caribbean, and experience the difference of French Culture. As we stepped ashore, we had another, even more important mission in mind - to find the elusive gummy smurf candy, which seems to be only available in the French Islands. After a hunt through several island grocery stores, we finally returned triumphant to Ocean Star, gummy smurfs in hand, in time for a delicious dinner of Stir Fried chicken.

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Groceries Galore

2010-02-18T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlin
Location: Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
Today after a breakfast of biscuits and gravy we set off from the dock of Marigot Bay and motored over to Rodney Bay. While motoring it was felt empty on board because we were missing Jenny, Annie and Allison who were provisioning and would later meet up with us. Underway Eric, Casey, Marc, Gio, John and I did a mini boat appreciation. When we arrived in Rodney Bay Kevin picked up the others and we started to unload the mountainous amount of groceries. While unloading groceries Allison misjudged getting onto the boat and fell in, luckily just she got wet. With groceries away it was free time and some choose to go to shore and utilize the internet cafe and others stayed back and swam or worked on homework. After dinner we had class with Casey and we watched the shallow seas episode of Planet Earth and it was awesome.

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A Merry Time in Marigot Bay

2010-02-17T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jennifer Weber
Location: Marigot Bay
Allison and I woke up early to cook a delicious breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. Then, we did our dishes, as usual, in buckets and hand dried them, but this was to the amusement of the mega-yachters around us who told us they were surprised a boat existed without a dish washer! Though we live a simple lifestyle aboard Ocean Star, we all agreed it was way more fun and social to wash dishes on deck in buckets. Casey taught a Marine Biology class, then we had a friendly debate in my Oceanography class about the pros and cons of aquaculture. The shipmates had the rest of the day to explore Marigot Bay. Most enjoyed a lunch out with some very sinful looking desserts, some indulged in specialty coffee drinks, others purchased souvenirs, and some simply spent time on the internet getting in touch with friends and family at home. After a fun day in Marigot Bay, we ended with dinner on deck as we watched people wander around docks and listened to reggae music in the background.

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Beautiful St. Lucia

2010-02-16T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annabel Lee
Location: Marigot Bay, St. Lucia
Today we woke up to scrumptious sticky buns/biscuits and then had a fun Marine Bio science lab where we touched and studied sponges, mollusks, and cnidarians. We saw small shrimp-like critters under the microscope. Then we got our dive gear together for our third reef check at 10 o'clock but only ended up sitting around for an hour and half. Once we finally got into the water we each counted our specific marine group, mine was invertebrates which basically consisted of counting tons and tons of sea urchins. Afterwards, we quickly ate lunch which was cheesy casserole. It was really good and a first for me. We then motored to Marigot Bay. Casey, Mark, and I attempted to bag sediment Casey collected, but had some problems due to the wind and things breaking. We then docked for the first time since we left and had fresh showers! We had sweet and sour meatballs and then headed to Dolittles for our night off. We had a great time playing pool and cards.

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Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jennifer Weber
Location: Soufriere, St. Lucia
This morning everyone crawled out 30 minutes earlier than usual so that we could get a jump-start on our day, which included a long morning hike up one of St Lucia's largest peaks, Gros Piton. Every morning, we wake up to the beautiful scenery of the smaller neighboring Petit Piton, a majestic peak that appears to rise straight out of the water's edge and end somewhere in the clouds. The Pitons are a "must-see" when visiting St Lucia, and are the landmarks the island uses in tourism bulletins, honey moon advertisements, and even movie scenes (one of the Superman movies includes the hero flying over the peaks). The hike was rigorous but on a well-maintained trail, and we found the effort to be worth it upon arriving at two magnificent view-points at the top. After a delicious picnic lunch of PBandJ and apples, we headed back down to the base camp for some cold water and hoped our muscles wouldn't be too sore in the morning. We ended the day with a beautiful pink sunset reflecting off of Petit Piton, though we still haven't spotted the alleged "green flash" that occurs as the sun dips over a clear horizon.

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Reef Check

2010-02-14T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlin
Location: Soufriere, St. Lucia
Today we woke up and had early morning math in the form of current tables for MTE class. After class we went out and did a practice reef check. We had three groups to count fish, invertebrates and substrates to check the health of the reef. After lunch and a quick nap, we did the real reef check where our data counted to help the SMMA record the reef data. After reef check we took our daily shower/swim time. We had a good dinner of jumbalaya. After dinner for MTE class we learned what not to do on a boat by watching Captain Ron. Best class ever.

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So Many Activities

2010-02-13T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Marc
Location: Soufriere, St. Lucia
We arrived in St. Lucia around 7 o'clock in the morning with a day full of adventure ahead. After boat appreciation, which made our home shine, we went into town to tour the island. The first stop was at one of St. Lucia's volcanoes, where we learned about the history of the island. Next up was the botanical garden. On this tour we learned about the agriculture of the area and the history behind the plants. We capped our adventure off by heading to the natural hot springs for a relaxing bath and a great view. It wasn't to long after class that we were all in bed for the night.

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Sediment and Shore Time

2010-02-12T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Bequia
Today was our last day in Bequia, and we set out to make it count. After a double dose of class in the morning (Tides and Currents for MTE followed by OCE), we split into two groups, with half of the shipmates heading ashore, and the other half joining Casey and I in taking sediment samples. Our group geared up and headed off to Devils Table, a reef jutting from the northern point of Admiralty Bay where we are moored. Once there, the training with the lift bag in the Tobago Cays paid off - no sooner was the corer in the water than it was gently being guided to the seafloor by Caitlin's expert hand. 20 minutes later the divers emerged, 30cm of sediment in hand, and we headed to a nearby shipwreck of a tugboat, which we snorkelled before heading for home. That afternoon, the situation switched, and another group headed to take samples while the morning's scientists got their last taste of Port Elisabeth. This afternoon we prepared the boat for passage, for tonight we leave the Grenadines for good, bound for the mysterious jungle and soaring pinnacles of St. Lucia.

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A Fun Day in the Water

2010-02-06T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annie Ayres
Location: Tobago Cays
This morning my fellow shipmates woke up at 6: 40 for the first advance certification dive which dealt with navigation. Then we had Chef Eric and Jenny's delicious homemade cinnamon rolls and an MTE (sailing) class intro to navigation. Then Caitlin, Gio, Allison, and I went to a new Tobago Cay island while John and Marc went windsurfing off Ocean Star. The weather was gorgeous as we wondered the island and snorkeled. Then we had Calalloo (a local vegetable) soup which was fun. Afterwards, we had a science dive meeting and more shore time on another nearby Tobago Cay. We explored and then either snorkeled, chilled on the beach, or windsurfed (me and John). John actually sailed the windsurfer to and from the island. Then we were picked up at 4pm and chilled/showered till dinner which was curry chicken with rice. Then we gathered our snorkel gear and headed to a nearby shallow reef for a cool night snorkel. We saw lots of lobster and everyone but me saw at least one nurse shark (some saw two). Today was an awesome day and the Tobago Cays are a really beautiful and fun place to hang out.

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Paradise

2010-02-05T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Tobago Cays
Today we woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the tranquil Palm Island. After a quick motor to Union Island, we anchored and headed to shore. I took a team of shipmates provisioning to give them an idea of what grocery shopping is like in a small island at the local markets. We searched through the meat freezers, looking for anything other than chicken feet, pig snouts or gizzards (thankfully, we found turkey legs, pork chops and hot dogs). We depleted the fresh bread shelf, marveled at the interesting flavors of yogurt (ginger?!), and were happy to find cheese in the cooler (last year, a shopkeeper sent her daughter home to run and grab their personal supply of cheese!). We then worked our way through the produce markets, purchasing local goods from each stand, and headed home with our bounty of fresh mangoes, watermelon, grapefruits, and oranges, along with some new vegetables to try, including Calaloo, the staple on most islands (it resembles a mix between spinach and kale).

Then, with much anticipation, we headed to the Tobago Cays, a post-card perfect set of uninhabited islands. Waiting for us are clear waters, white sandy beaches, grazing sea turtles, excellent snorkeling, and a place to play with wind toys or to simply relax and soak up the tranquility of it all. To sum it up, Tobago Cays is paradise.

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Sandy Island

2010-02-04T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlyn
Location: Palm Island
Today we woke up and had play time on the beach at Sandy Island. We tried playing soccer with the ball we bought in Grenada but there wasn't enough flat ground for it. A couple of people tried windsurfing again and John was the most successful at it. Kevin went kite boarding and it was pretty interesting watching him jump so high in the air. After chilling on the beach, we sailed to Union Island, which took us about an hour and a half, where we passed customs and did a little boat cleaning. After clearing customs we went to Palm Island. There Eric and Casey went free diving and the rest of us showered. After dinner we had a very interesting class of marine biology.

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Seven Sisters

2010-01-30T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Prickly Bay, Grenada
It is sad to say that we are now at our southern most point of the trip, yet there is nowhere else I would rather be right now. The winds are fair, the weather is kind, the island, it beckons us. Today we got a glimpse of the some of what Grenada has to offer, we went to visit the seven sisters. Contrary to popular belief they are not seven witch doctors of Grenada, nor are they the fabled seven pirate wenches, whom sail the open seas. They are in fact a series of seven waterfalls, which we got to jump off of. It was nothing more then spectacular. In fact it was so great I have decided to write a short poem about it........

We followed the Rasta through the jungle
His machete gleaming in the air
Down the trail we bravely went
Towards the base of the falls we did go
Soon we climbed bare foot and all
Sticky mud
Glop
Glop
Glop
Until at last we saw the first
Of the seven sisters
Jump we must and jump we did
Over the log one by one
In the water we splashed below
Onward bound a shallow hole
But worry not
Our backs and butts did break our fall
Then we traveled down a chute
With water rushing past, quite a hoot
Next we dove unto a pool
Then at last we stood up tall
We now face the largest of them all
For forty feet the water dropped
Crashing
Churning
Spilling down
So Forty feet we all did jump
Even the Rasta, back flip and all
His machete slicing through the air.

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Yay!! Ponies!

2010-01-29T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Sir. John Walsh
Location: Prickly Bay, Grenada
Without the familiar rocking, the boat and our stomachs seem strangely at ease. What will stick in my mind won't be the sea sickness though. If anything, it will be the incredible sense of looking out onto nothing but wind, waves, and maybe one or two more boats at the most whose paths happen to converge; as trite as it sounds there is something freeing in the sensation of needing to be almost completely self reliant.
Freshly showered and having recently given some much needed love to the boat all are happy with this pleasant, if less adventurous, feeling of clean. After a few flips off of the boat to stretch out after the two and a half days of unplanned tumbling we can look forward to shore time and renewing our now depleted stash of essential snacks and continue the search for coffee mugs and a soccer ball!

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Open Seas

2010-01-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Giordano
Location: Underway to Grenada
ARGHHH!!!
We be pirates through and through,
damned be showers and clean clothes we like the smell of our own brew!
With sea and salt we never shall want, for the sight of dry land.
In Grenada tomorrow we'll be, but our hearts stay with the tides and sand.

...ahhh though not writing by me, John puts up such a compelling story that I would feel wrong if I were to change it. Today was well wet. From sunrise to sun set there was ocean all around us. Though no one managed to feed any fish in our journey, there were plenty of times where homework was delayed, and it had nothing to do with procrastination. Every once in a while we had some excitement. Some saw some sperm whales swimming, and attention was peaked when fish grabbed at the lines...though the only fish we "caught" was when a flying fish jumped into our boat. Up and down to and fro we'll be knocked around our boat until we're home. See John is not the only one who can rhyme.

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To Grenada We Go!

2010-01-27T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annie
Location: Nevis and Underway to Grenada
Today we woke up and had a delicious homemade pancake breakfast with and without blueberries. Then we put of the main sail, staysail, and jib sail and headed for Grenada. We started our watch teams at 9am, 3 teams each with 3 hour increments. We had freshly baked bread with chicken salad for lunch and for dinner we had teriyaki chicken with rice and vegetables. While Casey was at the helm, with is superior steering skills (hehe, his words), the big pot of rice in the cockpit was engulfed with an extra seasoning of ocean saltwater but everyone enjoyed the extra salty rice. Of course it was one of only two spills into the cockpit and it just happened to be during dinner time. Otherwise it was another day at sea with mostly sunny skies and ash that covered the boat from the active volcano Mt. Montserrat. We experienced swells as high as 8 feet and the chefs Eric and Jenny were thrown about in the galley. So far to my knowledge no one has experienced any serious sea sickness and appears that we are gaining our sea legs.

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Goodbye Nevis!

2010-01-26T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Nevis
We woke this morning to our old friend, pouring rain. As unusual, we didn't let it deter us from having some fun, so the shipmates spent their shore time today to exploring the island as they wished. Some opted to go horseback riding on the beach. They came back with stories of the different personalities of their horses; one slow, one energetic and one more interested in stopping to graze. Others chose to visit the Alexander Hamilton museum to learn more about the Nevis native, who is famous for writing the Federalist Papers. Today was also a big day for the island- Election Day. With all the propaganda and heated political arguments, it seems pretty similar to have political elections to what we have in the United States, except they close the liquor stores on Election Day to avoid riots. Once everyone was back on board, we prepared the boat for our longest passage, to Grenada. We depart tomorrow and are looking forward to spending a few more days out at sea!

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The Source

2010-01-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlin
Location: Nevis
Today we woke up to a delicious breakfast of oatmeal. After breakfast we heading to Nevis and Barry, our faithful taxi driver, drove us to the Golden Rock Hotel where we would start our 2 mile hike up Mt. Nevis that takes you to the source of the islands water. The hike took about an hour and a half. We saw monkeys in the trees and baby pigs. The hike was beautiful and in a rainforest. It was pretty slippery in some places but not bad at all. The top of the hike ends at the waterfall. To get to the waterfall you have to climb a scary looking ladder. The way back down, another 2 miles, was not as strenuous but the trail and scenery were just as pretty. After the hike we ended back up at the Golden Rock and ate a delicious lunch of various sandwiches and soups. The Golden Rock has one of the oldest cannons in the Caribbean. The view from there was amazing. After lunch we had a few hours of shore time and then return to Ocean Star. Tonight we are having student leadership class with Kevin. Today was hard but rewarding and breathtaking.

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First Day on Shore

2010-01-23T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Nevis
As with every blissful day in the Caribbean, we started the day with a beautiful sunrise peaking out across the blue waters surrounding the island of Nevis. Our home is never without a beautiful view. Here in Nevis, we overlook white sandy beaches, and "The Source," the highest peak in Nevis, looming in the background (which we will hike in two days). With a sunny day ahead of us, we headed to shore to meet Barb, a local marine biologist. At Barb's lab, we learned all about marine invertebrates, and then visited her touch tanks to have a closer look at her collection of urchins, sea stars, conchs, corals, anemones, crabs and sea cucumbers. It was a great hands-on opportunity to hold some fascinating creatures that we wouldn't normally touch while diving. My particular favorite was the light-sensitive Brittle Star, which we typically see only during night dives. We all agreed that they felt like worms as they "walked" across our outstretched hands. After washing up, we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the beach, then the shipmates headed to explore Charlestown, the capital of Nevis. We were all back on board in time for an afternoon dive and some swimming time in the refreshing, clear water. We enjoyed a spicy dinner of Buffalo chicken sandwiches, while we laughed about last night's karaoke renditions. The day ended with a marine biology class and some study time. We are all looking forward to exploring Nevis more tomorrow!

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We Made It!

2010-01-22T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Allison
Location: Close to Nevis
Our long night of night watches and boat checks were close to being over when the sun rose around 6:30 a.m. as we were nearing Nevis. We could start to see Nevis in the distance and took the time to appreciate the beauty that the islands and ocean waters provide. There is nothing quite like watching the sun set over the ocean and rise the next day while sailing across the Caribbean waters. We continued to switch shifts every three hours to make sure things were orderly and in the right place. Most of the crew was still tired from being awake during the wee hours of the night, but it was rewarding to get to lie out on the deck and take naps while listening to the boat splash in the ocean as we continued our journey to Nevis. By late afternoon we finally arrived in Nevis and found that our journey was worth all the effort and hard work. However, our work was not done yet. Boat appreciation was still underway. The crew took the time to clean and shine the vessel which took us on a trip of over 100 miles. As a reward, we cleaned up with showers (boat style) and went out for dinner on shore. The quaint island restaurant fed the hungry stomachs of the crew with delicious hamburgers and barbeque chicken sandwiches. It was just the meal we all needed to energize ourselves to continue the fun and sing karaoke. Who knew some crew members could hit such high notes. Karaoke was definitely the highlight of the night and a great way to celebrate our journey across the ocean.

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Heading Down Island

2010-01-21T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Casey Jones
Location: Middle of the Ocean
At last the adventure has begun. After a slight delay in Road Town, we are finally heading out to sea. The BVI's are now just a twinkle on the horizon behind us, while our next destination, Nevis, is still some 20 hours ahead. We have spent the last 10 days learning how to sail and SCUBA. We now understand what it takes to live on a boat and we are starting to get to know Ocean Star. This passage will now help us get our sea legs under us, as the waves are starting to pick up and bit and the boat is moving around in response. It is nothing too bad but I'm sure a few will feel a bit under the weather. Even so I know that everybody will enjoy this passage, for there is nothing quite like the open ocean. The stars at night, the feeling you get when you can no longer see land, the sunset over the sea, the sunrise greeting a new day, dolphins playing off the bow. Life at sea is an experience that everybody should have. Now the crew of Ocean Star spring 2010 can start to understand what it is all about, as we head towards the first of our stops during this voyage.

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A Farewell to the BVI

2010-01-20T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Road Harbor, Tortola
I can think of few better ways to start the day than by watching the sun rise over the hills as we unmoored Ocean Star this morning, bound across the Drake Channel to Road Harbor. Once we arrived in Road Harbor, the crew was busy getting the vessel ready for this afternoons departure to Nevis. Yes, that's right, after 9 days in the BVI, we are outward bound, not to see these shores again for two months. Everyone on board is eager to visit foreign shores, meet new people, and do exciting things.

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A Return to Normalcy

2010-01-19T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: John
Location: Great Harbor, Peter Island
Little rain and lots of sun left or spirits high and our faces pink; reiterating that solar cane is universal cure all out here (thanks mom). Those of us playing catch up with our scuba certifications had our second open water dive today. We worked on skills like mask clearing, regulator recovery, and an alternate air source ascent. After lunch the crew deftly performed the now common task of raising the anchor to prepare to move. Then wind, and sails! Finally after a quick but thorough run through of the traditional rigging of the boat the six of us with help from the staff raised the sails and let the wind carry us to our present location.

Here in Great Harbor everyone is getting ready for bed, even though it's only a little past nine. Fresh in our minds is the 'passage prep' briefing we've all just received in the salon. Covering and explaining the effective methods of keeping us all safe while we travel up wind to Nevis tomorrow after a brief stop in Road Town. With a taste of sailing and our prospects brightening with the clearing weather, in the words of the ever popular Gold Fish boxes drained at lunch, "it's gonna be good."

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Sea Turtle Extravaganza

2010-01-18T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Giordano
Location: Mountain Point, Virgin Gorda
One week into the trip and things are going well! The smuggling runs have been successful, and the slave labor isn't so bad...Actually today was fantastic! In spite of what seems to be record rain in the area, there was still plenty of time to take our very first marine bio class and set sail out to Mountain Point. Though the original plan of doing the second open water dive (for us beginners) and another dive for the certified people was postponed due to rain, we were able to get in the water and look for and tag sea turtles. This involved a unique experience of gearing up, grabbing a line, and being towed by a dinghy while searching for a green or a hawks bill sea turtle. Our two plus hour tug boating experience was only interrupted three times. Fortunately each was because there was a turtle spotted. The first time John eyed the little guy, and it was quickly pounced upon by six eager shipmates and one staff. Though many near catches were made success was due to lady Alyson who surfaced with the hawks bill in triumph. We quickly (and gently) took the little guy (he was no more then two years old) aboard Ocean Star to take measurements, tag him (or her) and then pose for pictures. Once done, and after we let Jaba (the name given to the turtle) back into the water, we went back out in search for more. We did end up catching another turtle eventually...however it was Jaba yet again, not the brightest fellow in the world. From there we went to check out a little tunnel by the rocks of Mountain Point that required a little free dive to get into! Hours later with showers done and delicious food in our stomachs we sat down for a rousing class of CPR and fist aid. That was the just of day seven of this trip; it's crazy to think that it's already been a week. I have the feeling that the rest will fly by in a similar way!

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Persistence Through the Rain

2010-01-17T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Annie
Location: Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda
Today we woke up to another day of rain to our dismay, but were persistent in being active and getting off the boat. We started of the day well with yummy French toast and morning scuba dives for all the shipmates which also happened to be my first for this trip. The certified divers went first for their checkout dive and then the non-certified divers went for open water certification dives. In my dive we saw lots of conch and some small spurts of coral at a depth of around 15ft. Once everyone dove we had sandwiches for lunch in the salon and then had a sailing class about the different points of sail to prepare for our sailing activity. We then suited up in our rain gear and piled into a 24ft sailboat moored nearby, rented from the Bitter End Yacht Club. We sailed for a couple of hours around the bay in the rain each taking turns handling the main sail, jib and tiller. While enjoying a leisurely sail we debated over whether people were being towed by a boat were on a banana or hotdog. Near the middle it stopped raining and cleared up a bit. We then showered and hung out till dinner which was on the grill. We had hotdogs, burgers, and baked beans in the cockpit since it was a "grill day", which was great since we were able to eat outside and enjoy a beautiful pink sunset. After cleanup we had an intro to our sailing class. Despite the rain, everyone had a great time.

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Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2010-01-16T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jennifer
Location: Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda
Today was a rare day in the Caribbean- a rainy day. But, we eagerly took full advantage of filling the day with activities. We spent the morning introducing all the exciting lessons and labs we will encounter over the semester in our science classes, Oceanography and Marine Biology. After a warming lunch of quesadillas, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds providing the opportunity to stretch our legs on shore for a hike. We enjoyed vistas over Gorda Sound and snapped some shots of our beloved Ocean Star tranquilly sitting in the water. Then, the rain started again, but we were still all smiles as we carefully made our way down the muddy slopes to complete the hike.

Back on board, the shipmates warmed up, and we all curled up to watch a video for Basic Seamanship class about Irving Johnson, the founder of the school ship concept. I find the story of Irv, and his wife Exy (whom we fondly have named our dinghies after), to be fascinating and inspiring. As a couple, they traveled around the world 7 times from the 1930's-50's, each time with a new group of students keen to learn how to crew the ship; all the while exploring foreign cultures, and often, uncharted waters (Irv and his crew took it upon themselves to take depth soundings to create charts for these areas, which were in turn used by the Navy).

After a fun packed day and a delicious dinner, Casey and I presented a slideshow of common reef fish that the shipmates will encounter on their SCUBA dives throughout the Caribbean. After looking at all the amazing creatures that we will spy underwater, I think we are all anxious to jump in the water and start exploring! Though the forecast calls for rain again tomorrow, we know we will be so busy that there won't be any rainy day blues!

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Mmmm.... Crunchy!

2010-01-15T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Caitlin
Location: Gorda Sound, BVI
Today, after breakfast the divers going for their open water dive certificates went for another confined dive. After lunch we went and did a mangrove lab. We snorkeled around and then used quadrants and counted different bivalves and sponges growing there. We saw baby barracuda and an upside down jellyfish. After doing the lab we went and tried out windsurfing. It was hard but all of us got up and sorta moved because there wasn't very much wind to actually get sailing.

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Jan 13

2010-01-14T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Marc
Location: Gorda Sound
January 13th started out with a beautiful sunrise near Spanish Town. From there we sailed for about thirty minutes into Gorda Sound, where we became to learn the ins and outs of our new home Oceanstar. After lunch we separated into groups for scuba certification lessons and for a trip on shore to the Bitter End Yacht Club. At around four o'clock a group of students and faculty went on a scouting mission to find the next days dive. After a successful journey we sat down for dinner and discussed our day. The night was capped off with a slide show on sea life that we would be encountering the next day and important information about them. After some free time we all went to bed excited about the day ahead.

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Seamester Starts

2010-01-13T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Kevin
Location: Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda
Today began early with a 6:30 AM swim test to see if all our new crew could float! Everyone passes swimmingly and we indulged in our first breakfast as a team. Cereal was served and fresh Island fruits were served by our talented chefs, followed by a first big clean up in a new world. Following breakfast we sat down together and talked about Sea | Mester policies and went through a bit of an orientation. Just before lunch we prepared the boat, brought the dinghies on deck and started our 80 day adventure on route to Virgin Gorda. It was an easy motor and underway the shipmates studied for there upcoming scuba lessons and laid out on the deck to catch some rays...sunburns soon followed. Sorry Mom's I tried my best, but to no avail. When we dropped anchor in Spanish Town, we took advantage of the crystal clear water and went for a swim. Dinner was prepared promptly by 6 o'clock and boat introductions followed cleanup. All and all it was a productive first day and everyone looked forward to there first nights sleep on the water.

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Last Day

2009-12-08T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: West End, Tortola, BVI
At long last the voyage has come to an end. Today we left the fabled Treasure Island and returned to West End, 79 days after we left. We then buckled down to business, giving Ocean Star a final clean in appreciation of all she's done - 1500 miles through the Eastern Caribbean, with good diving, sailing, and times had by all. Good Bye to all the shipmates from the Fall Caribbean Sea|Mester on board Ocean Star - It's been a good voyage.

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All the Good Times

2009-12-07T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Casey the Feared Pirate
Location: Treasure Island
Alas our GPS can not be given due to the fact that we are anchored outside of Norman Island in the BVI. For you landlubbers out there it is indeed the same island that Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote about in his book Treasure Island. In fact we can gaze off the bow of O'Star and see Spy Glass Hill and Skull Rock. As we arrived here today we navigated our small boats to shore and went exploring (snorkeling) some caves. Everybody was instructed to look for shining underwater relics made of gold. But our searches came up in vain. Afterwards we came back onboard and put away our underwater exploration gear (SCUBA stuff) for the last time. There was a moment of silence as it was a sad day knowing that our diving for the trip was done. But our spirits could not be broken and we soon re-rigged our main boom to turn it into a boom swing, soon the crew were swinging and having a great time. Tonight we are wrapping up the seamester with some closing thoughts and a secret briefings on all the treasures that we found, which brings me back to the reason we have no GPS, Treasure.

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Reaching the End

2009-12-06T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Katie K.
Location: Peter Island, BVI
Our day started off early at 6 AM with Casey and Kevin missing. We woke up to the fire alarm and successfully had our last Rescue Dive. I helped out with surface support along with Eric, and got the divers into the dinghy's.
After everyone was taken care of breakfast was served. We started are OCE Research Presentations right after clean up, and before lunch we presented are Final Exam. For this we had to make up are own creature and go into further detail for how it lives. The rest of the day was pretty relaxing; I actually didn't have anything to do which was weird. I'm fairly congested so everyone went scuba diving for treasure so I did not attend that session, unfortunately. Dinner was served shortly after and followed up with a culminating night dive.

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Once More Into The Breach, Dear Friends!!!

2009-12-05T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Matt
Location: Peter Island, BVI
This is my last communiqu as skipper of the daunting sailing vessel Ocean Star (complete with haberdashery and shoe shining, see ships fashion coordinator for details). Upon the breaking of the dawn my eyes were filled with breakfast burritos and flash drives whose contents were that of a paper for our Student Leadership Development course. While the morning haze was lifted from my mind and the fog from my eyes I came to see that the Ocean Stars crew had dispatched the procedures necessary for taking up anchor and we were soon making way to Norman Island. There was no time to tarry for we did in fact have a dive planned upon our arrival. My reaction to the time constriction was to tear off the shirt adorned upon my chest off like the hulk, which was not well received because it was not in fact my shirt.
The dive was a wondrous wreck known as the Rhone who had her back shattered against the rocky shore. During the storm the passengers panicked and the captain had them lashed to their beds with chain in order to keep them from impeding their own rescue, but sadly drowned in the wreck. As this was being described to us I slowly hid the paperback I was reading, "How Too Properly Chain Your Meddlesome Crew." The wreck was magnificent, with glorious swim throughs and fantastic aquatic life including a green moray eel which reminded me of stowaway I found in the bilge once.
Dives concluded we motored once more to a mooring we previously utilized at Peter Island. The familiarity of this place is strange given over seven days of unfamiliar islands in a part of the world I had never previously witnessed. We studied our notes and shoved lovely past goodness down our gullets in an orderly fashion to stay us for the Marine Biology exam that would soon ensue. It has been a joy to sail with the rogues upon Ocean Star.

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Crunch Time

2009-12-04T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda
The closing of a semester brings term papers, class presentations and final exams. The shipmates spent today taking two exams in Basic Seamanship and turning in a research project paper due in Oceanography. However, unlike everyone at home completing finals week on campus, the shipmates could be found studying on warm, white sandy beaches instead of dark, cold libraries. When they needed to release tension, they just headed to the clear tropical waters for a swim instead of running on an endless treadmill. Study breaks consisted of swaying in a hammock or racing across the water on a wind surfer. As the day closed, our dinner conversation was spent reminiscing about the early weeks of the semester, which brought on lots of laughter, and foretold of happy memories to come when we will look back on the 80 days we spent aboard the place we have called home, Ocean Star.

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The Races

2009-12-03T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Charlie
Location: Virgin Gorda, BVI
"What a day! What a day!" I stood in the shadow of the companion way licking my finger and letting the breeze roll over its moist surface. It was to be an exceptional day of small boat sailing I thought. I meandered over to the hose and proceeded to brush my teeth in my normal orderly manner- the way a gentleman mounts a horse or tends to his flower patch-with a strategy. The day progressed and after a brief bit of lounging and studying lunch rolled around. The crew and I ate while enjoying cool drinks and polite conversation. Then it was time. The curtains were drawn and with the parting of their smooth ethereal silk came the glimmer or blunt glow of two Hobie Cats. Their masts shot straight into the sky donned with pink sails. OH HOW THE WIND BLEW! BOATS CARVED THROUGH COOL BLUE WATERS AND THE WIND RAGED!

The Relay results are as follows:
Team 1: Dan, Devin, Matt, Phill, and I
Vs.
Team 2: Emily, Cheese, Katie, and Arielle

Round one (tack around orange buoy)- Team2
Round two (jibe around orange buoy)- Team1
Round three (tack around white buoy, alter course, then tack or jibe around orange buoy)-Team2

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Yay! Scuba Diving!

2009-12-02T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Arielle!
Location: Gorda Sound, BVI
Sunrise breakfast and diving first thing in the morning - what better way to start the day? After morning munching we hopped on over to The Dogs, a group of small islands, and attempted to not anchor atop an airplane. We were successful, and dove right off the boat, swam to the site and bubbled to see the wreck. We all liked to breathe underwater, but since the dive was only 50feet Eric and Phil decided they were cool enough to free dive it. We dove a small airplane wreck right by some coral gardens. The decaying hunk of metal supposedly crashed years ago but it's also rumored it was set there for a movie. It was pretty sweet- we got to swim through and all. After discombobulating our gear we motored to Virgin Gorda. Everything's totally different here now; 2months ago the area was deserted, now the waters are filled with boats as the tourists scout the land. We couldn't get over how weird it felt being back here, I'm sure the blogger yesterday mentioned it's like being back home, and it is. We passed by some familiar sights like Savannah Bay and Mountain Point, our first anchorings. Then we spent the afternoon studying and putting the final pieces together for our OCE research projects. It's weird, completing something we've been continually working on for the past two months or so, our projects became part of life aboard. Overall it was a swell day, that is, until the head clogged hour before dinner Fun times on Ocean Star. Delicious spaghetti dinner Katy and Charlie! After cleanup there is more opportunity for study time and then a good night's sleeps. I guess this is my last blog, thanks for listening, you'll all here from us soon! Strange day, can't grasp the fact we're in the mid 70's. Not only is it December and sunny and hot, today's we have only 1 week left until we depart. How sad! As excited as we all are for our snowy homes we'll be soaking up the rays every minute we can. The freezing atmosphere and normal, boring college will be mind-numbing. It'll all seem so mundane; I'm not ready to leave this! I guess 1 week is long enough; I'll have to stop wasting my time with blogs though and go enjoy it.

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Back to the BVIs

2009-12-01T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Devin
Location: Spanish Town, BVI
Our last night passage held true to the trends of this entire voyage; we calmly made our way from Saba to the BVIs under clear skies and rather unenthusiastic winds. It was a delightful passage, as always, but tinged with a bit of sadness as we're finally done with sailing and are back at our home base.
We arrived in Spanish Town around 8 o'clock am to see the waves raging against the shore; there was a Northern swell that was making quite impressive waves. Our original plan had been to pick up a mooring next to an area called the Baths, but the water proved too rough and we anchored in the harbor of Spanish town. After flaking all of the sails and doing a brief Boat Appreciation, we took a bus to see the Baths.
For those unacquainted with this natural attraction, the Baths is a coastal area dominated by gigantic rock formations and small beaches for tourists to take a dip in. We spent our day climbing over the rocks, scrambling to get higher or to an interesting ledge, and winding our way through tiny cracks between boulders to get to the next beach. It was a fascinating place to explore, and I can safely say I have never been anywhere quite like it. The key features of the Baths were the Cave, which was a maze of boulders to climb through and on top of, and the Devil's Bay. Despite the swell, some of us even went for a swim at the bay, which proved to be both entertaining to watch and experience.
After the Baths we spent a little time in Spanish town, exploring the area and buying last minute gifts for relatives waiting for us at home. This evening will be a relaxing one, giving us time to work on our final projects and spend some quality time together. As this is my last time as Skipper aboard the great S/Y Ocean Star, I would like to thank our loyal readers for keeping tabs on us. This is a rare experience that only a very lucky few get to enjoy, and I know we will all come away from our semester here in the Caribbean Sea a little wiser, bolder, and saltier. This is Devin MacDonald, signing out Its been quite a ride.

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Under The Sea

2009-11-30T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Saba
The intrepid crew of Ocean Star spent the day today diving the wonders of Saba's seas. In the morning, we divided in half, and while the first group went to dive Diamond Rock and another site, the other stayed on board, immersing themselves in their studies. Sharks, sting rays, and sea horses were all spotted, as well as the occasional squid. In between the two dives, the shipmates listed to stories of life on Saba told by the dive master, a Saban native.
Casey and I spent the day diving as well, but with a more scientific purpose in mind. We met up with Susan, a ranger with the Saba Marine Park, to take sediment samples from 3 reefs around the island for research. By this point in the trip, all the kinks in the coring device have been worked out, so we were able to bang out the dives in 15 or 20 minutes per core. In between dives, we learned a little bit more about Saba and its marine park, and found out that the Saba High School had its graduation last night with a graduating class of 11 students. As I type, the crew is cleaning up from a delicious dinner of French onion soup and sandwiches, in preparation for our return to the BVI. It's a little bittersweet, since tonight will be our last night passage, but it is nice to finally be returning to our home port and familiar waters. I'm looking forward to an exciting week ahead of us as we finish off the Semester in style.

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Up We Go!

2009-11-29T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Dan
Location: Saba
First thing after breakfast today we all prepared to head to shore. From the boat, the sigh of Saba was a bit daunting, being that it is a 3,000 foot mountain sticking straight out of the ocean that is fairly steep on all sides. None the less, we were all ready to brave the climb. It began with a "wet landing" on a rocky beach followed by a short walk to the beginning of The Ladder, which is a giant stone staircase leading up to the first and lowest town on Saba called The Bottom. It took about 45 minutes for the group to reach The Bottom, which is just as it soundsthe bottom. We continued our hike for about another hour upward in order to reach the windward side of the island. Once there, some of the group chose to continue up for another hour and half or so to the peak of Mt. Scenery (the highest point in the Caribbean). The others walked around town and found a very cool little glass bead shop where they got to make their own bead. We all came back to the boat for dinner and are now about to have our last MTE class. I think all of us will sleep well tonight.

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Octopi

2009-11-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Emily
Location: Saba
We all woke up this morning in good moods. We had the wonderful smell of double chocolate pancakes in our noses. Yum. After a breakfast it was time to do science diving. Two groups had to go out and get sediment cores to help Chantal with her research. People that were not going on the dives had time to do work and relax. If you are unaware the end of the trip is coming and school is ending. That means tests and papers. OH. NO.
After lunch we began our passage to Saba. We had planned to sail but the wind was dead. It was raining. What fun. Actually it was fun because our GPS was off so we took three point fixes in order to determine our location. Fortunately we could see Saba from Statia so we didn't really have to worry. Plus we're all expert navigators. The passage was less than three hours. When we arrived to this taunting island we grabbed the mooring line. In the mooring line came out a little octopus just a few inches long. It was very cute.
We played with the octopus for a little bit and then let it free again. We got the boats into the water and then had free time. I did some work and finished my Marine Biology log book IDs. Thank goodness. We just ate dinner and we're about to have OCB.
This is the last time I'll skipper. Thanks for listening to my crazy rants. I'm OUT.

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Charlie Brown

2009-11-26T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Katy P
Location: Statia
Today we awoke to an excellent meal of oatmeal and fruit. Shortly afterwards, we all filled out some dive paperwork and then headed off to shore. We were all pleased to find that Statia is a very quaint place filled with friendly locals. Some even commented that it reminded them of Cape Cod because of the gingerbread houses. Some people did some provisioning with Jenny while others went to the post office to send post cards, or simply just explored the town. At lunch time we returned to the boat for some ramen noodles, and those of us who have been to college reminisced about our ramen-eating days. After lunch we all geared up for a very highly anticipated dive- the Charlie Brown. The Charles L. Brown is a huge shipwreck, over 100 meters long, and about 30 meters at its deepest. Our dive guide took us through what they call "the highway"- a long hallway about 8 feet wide and 8 feet tall. It was a little creepy being in a very narrow, dark place 85 feet under water, but we all thoroughly enjoyed it. We all left the dive with smiles on our faces, and headed back to Ocean Star for some study time before dinner.

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Charlie Takes it All

2009-11-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Phil
Location: Statia
Today we set sail shortly after eating breakfast. We left from Ile Fourchue, St Barth's and sailed to Statia. The voyage started off great because we had so much wind and the wind continued to increase throughout our voyage. Kevin our captain told us we had to figure out how fast we were moving and how long would it take to get to Statia without using any kind of GPS or charts. Instead he split us up into teams of three and he gave us two pieces of bread. The bread was used to find the speed and once we found out how fast we where moving we used our MTE equations to figure out how long it would take us to travel 25 miles. However, it was almost impossible to guess exactly what time we would arrive. Individually we all put wagers on what time we thought we would arrive and Charlie was the closest wining everyone's wagers. Today was a great sail and everyone enjoyed putting their MTE skills to the test..

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A Tour of Ile Fourchue

2009-11-24T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Professor Casey
Location: Ile Fourchue, St Barth's
Barely 5:30am, it was still dark when I awoke. I was greeted by Arielle who was still on watch. We both cheerfully went down below and started making a ruckuss to wake the remainder of the shipmates up, for today was our sunrise hike on the barren island of Ile Fourchue. It was pretty cool, we made it on the beach by 6am, we then hiked up to the top of one of the peaks to watch the Sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. Sweet. Back on the board the boat the day continued on, there was a morning and afternoon dive group out to a small island right off of Ile Fourchue,. During the dives animals such as nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, sting rays, barracudas and groupers were sighted. It was also a perfect time for me to throw in a rescue diver scenario to the shipmates. After dinner I presented a slide show on Antarctica to tie in with the polar seas that Jenny has been talking about in her marine biology class.
This is skipper Casey signing off, until next time
Cool
Peace
Bye

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It's So Cheesy It's Easy

2009-11-23T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Katie K.
Location: Ile Forche, St. Barth's
The morning started out with oddly good tasting tater cakes or what may sound more familiar, potato pancakes. We had class for a couple hours and got some free time until lunch. Lunch was awesome, we had Cheese Casserole by the famous Casey and Eric. I nearly gained about ten pounds in just one meal, it was fantastic.
We motored to Ile Forche, it was just across the way so it was a very short passage, about twenty minutes or so. The ones who are doing their Research Project in OCE on sea grass, went on a dive with Casey to gather information. After, some went on shore to the beach and others stayed on bored reading, practicing navigating, or like me did their laundry.
When dinner finally came around we all ate chicken teriyaki, which was absolutely wonderful. To end the night we had a very riveting Marine Biology class with a guest lecture from our very own Casey on Polar Sea's.

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It's A Matter Of My Handsome Good Looks

2009-11-22T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Matt
Location: Columbiere Bay, Gustavia

The labors of the day were found early in the day for the boys and girls of S/Y Ocean Star, beginning with a cleansing for the boat as well as for the sleep fogged heads of its crew. After the aforementioned cleansing we were graciously allowed a stint on the shores of a paradise of whose inhabitants are the unimaginably wealthy. Some of us procured items from the grocer, mainly sweets and carbonated beverages to pour down our gullets to satiate sugar addictions.
Once the various crew managed to pull away from their transactions and stowed or devoured their goods we went through our maneuvers which involved the reverse procedure of our arrival. This was of course a stern to technique involving many different complexities (such as port and starboard windless, anchor burtons, and the occasional French diver making sure our chain isn't fouled).
Released from our bonds and traversing coastal waters for what seemed a glimpse we arrived at Columbiere Bay. A handful of other sailboats shared our company as we diverged into two groups; one leisurely relaxing on the beach, the other boldly looking for deeper free diving than what was immediately available. Those more serious about their diving reached depths upwards of fifty five feet, the rest resolved to peruse the wildlife and attempt underwater somersaults. The day closed with a delicious pasta dinner and an intriguing look at deep sea life in our Marine biology course.

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Cheeseburger in Paradise, Dude!

2009-11-21T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Gustavia, St. Barth's
Today was a wonderful day in the little island paradise of St Barthelemy. Donning our rash guards and loads of sunscreen, we headed over to a beautiful, remote beach were we rented some surfboards. After a brief Oceanography lesson on the beach about wave dynamics and determining wave sets, shipmates tried their luck at surfing the waves. Most of the morning was spent simply getting used to the boards, and avoiding being hit by them after wiping out. However, as the waves built and became more gnarly, shipmates started to look like real surfer dudes and dudettes. We had delicious fresh jambon et fromage baguettes (ham and cheese sandwiches) which we picnicked on in between bodacious wave sets.

After a day full of sun, sand and surfing, we returned to Ocean Star to change out of our beach baggies and bikinis to nicer clothes for a well-deserved dinner out at Le Select. Le Select is a small burger joint that became famous after Jimmy Buffett wrote the song, "Cheeseburger in Paradise," about Le Select's "big warm bun and a huge chunk of meat heaven on earth with an onion slice." Some ate with lettuce and tomato, Heinz-57, and all with French fried potatoes. After a fantastic day, we were stuffed, but happy. As his song says, it was "making the best of every virtue and vice; worth every bit of sacrifice!"

(And a Happy birthday shout out to my big brother, Matt, who has always been my surfing buddy)

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Another Day Ashore

2009-11-20T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Charlie
Location: Gustavia, St. Barths
Class let out, the salon emptied and we all went ashore. Some of us sought solace on familiar beaches, while others went on a romp along island roads or dove near the entrance to Gustovia. I decided to walk along the road leading to the airport to see the audacious landing and found myself in St. Jean sitting in an Italian grocery store. I enjoyed an eggplant panini and then meandered down to the beach. The water was as any have seen in an ad for the tropics and the resorts looked quite expensive. I swam out to a buoy and with my hand on it raised my head to see a plane roar past. I became sated with the beach and walked across the island and back to Ocean Star where I sleep and read. I'm looking forward to surfing and must leave now to watch blue planet. All are thoroughly enjoying St. Barths despite it's price tag.

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Oh, Bartholomew

2009-11-19T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Arielle
Location: Gustavia, St. Barths
Ahh, full night's sleep, quite refreshing. Yesterday was fun but today was relieving, down time came perfectly. We'll be in St Barths for a couple days but no one minds, the harbors not the same as a uninhabited island but it is a nice area. There's lots of shops, restaurants, beaches and fun, legal hitchhiking to do. All of us are taking full advantage of the shore showers, while at sea we often forget how much we love freshwater. We did a little exploring today, testing out this new French land, so far so good. Today wasn't all play though, we still had some docking practice tied in with a little anchoring as well. If I do say so myself we did some awfully nice maneuvering, especially since some of the staff had the day off (we miss you Eric and Casey!), but that's ok we're only students but we do the job well done. After deliciousness (chocolate pancakes) prepared bright and early by of wonderful chef Katy P. we learned the in's and out's of GPS as well as mariners weather in MTE class. Most of the day though was spent onshore exploring, and studying for the marine biology exam. Some ventured to shell beach (go ahead and guess-it's a beach made up completely of shells), which sounds like a good time I'm definitely checking that out tomorrow, as well as the other numerous paradise beaches nearby. Some of us heard something about some airplanes and hiked to the airport to check out this phenomenon ourselves. Crazy French have to land their planes the daredevil way. They lower down to within meters from a road atop a hill then dive down into a steep valley, landing before running off into the ocean. It's quite a spectacular, couple of us found great amusement in it. I think we've just been on land for too long already though; airplanes landing should not be such an enjoyment. Thank-you once again chefs for a scrumptious meal. After dinner we completed our 3rd OCB exam and now it's time for more sleep to prepare for some real exploring and hitchhiking tomorrow. According to Harvey; overall, it was a mighty fine day.

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Back in Frenchland, Safe and Sound

2009-11-18T00:39:00.000-04:00

Author: Devin
Location: Gustavia, St. Barthelemy
We wandered up on deck, rubbing sleep from our weary eyes to witness St. Barths glowing in the early morning sun. We had spent the night sailing from St. John's, and what an interesting night it had been. Despite Eric's plea, the winds did not favor us and our voyage was full of shifty winds, jibing back and forth and running away from thunderstorms. After having such consistent calm seas, the voyage was a welcome change for everyone, no matter how tiring.
We pulled into the harbor around 9:30 am, ate a quick breakfast of cereal and yogurt, then began to make Ocean Star sparkle and shine with a brief BA (Boat Appreciation). We flaked the sails, scrubbed the deck, and made sure our personal spaces were neat and tidy as always. After waiting out a small rainstorm, we moved further into the harbor and in a beautiful display of maneuvering and teamwork, landed stern-to at the dock. The spectators that had gathered to watch us dock were impressed, to say the least. Once the ship was safely in place we were released to explore the island. St. Barths is a French island, and although not all of us could speak the language, we could all appreciate the beautiful shops and culture. Making our way back to the ship around 4:30, we sat back and relaxed until a wonderful dinner of angel hair pasta with meat sauce prepared fabulously by Phil and Arielle.
After dinner we took an Oceanography quiz on tides, currents and waves and then began our unit of biological oceanography. It was a relatively relaxing yet productive day after a long and exciting night of sailing, and I do believe we're all going to sleep well tonight.

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Hot Hot Hot! Dinner!

2009-11-17T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Eric
Location: Deep Bay, Antigua
The morning dawned cold and clear over Ocean Star as we lay anchored in St. John's Harbor. Those early risers amongst the crew who found themselves on deck at 6:15 were treated to the sight of not one, but two monstrous cruise ships steaming by no more than 300 yards away on their way to disgorge their cargo of passengers onto the unsuspecting town. Those not fortunate enough to witness this spectacle were treated to the wailing guitar of Ozzie Osborne, summoning them to a new day.

Bleary eyed shipmates tumbled out of bed, only to find new vigor from the music - soon all were wolfing down a nutritious and filling breakfast of cereal, grapefruit, and oranges, lovingly prepared by our fearless chefs. As breakfast concluded, I shuttled our intrepid shore party of Kevin and Casey to the docks to search high and low through the cruise ship crowds for propane. As they battled the fanny-packed throngs, back on board the shipmates were entranced by Jenny's masterful delivery of her marine biology class as well as an MTE class by yours truly.

Lunch broke hot and sweaty in the windless confines of the bay, but brought with it good news - Propane was on its way! With cooking fuel on board, we gladly bid farewell to St. John's sweaty confines and voyaged around the point to the (ironically) named Deep Bay - depth 25 feet. Motivated by their passion for keeping Ocean Star at her finest, the crew leapt into the water as soon as our anchor was set, green scrubbies in hand, to begin a fierce assault on the grass and barnacles that had befouled her once fair bottom. The mission accomplished, some braved the surf at a nearby beach, while Arielle led a snorkeling party into the water to explore a nearby shipwreck.

Back on board before dinner, we watched a thunderstorm roll over the island, ravaging the land with torrential downpours of rain and flashing lightning. Would it reach us?! Casey and Devin dove into the galley, ready to prepare dinner rain or shine with our fresh supply of cooking gas. By the time enchiladas were wafted from the oven an hour later, the clouds had moved inland, letting us enjoy a delectable dinner in peace. Dinner cleanup wasn't the end to our day, however. Not by any means. As shipmates finished with their tasks, they took the initiative and moved onto new missions, preparing Ocean Star for our night passage to St. Barths. As I write we are bound to sea, safe in the trusty hands of the watch on deck. May you have Fair Winds, my trusty readers!

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Change of Plans

2009-11-16T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Dan
Location: St. John's, Antigua
We awoke today at 6:30 in Green Island to Casey yelling, "Missing divers in the water!" We all knew it was a drill but took it seriously none the less. It was part of our Rescue Diver training and therefore, should certainly be taken seriously. Our 'missing divers' consisted of cans of food he had tossed overboard. We split into teams, got our dive gear together, and were in the water within minutes. Each team took a side of the boat and we conducted our searches using the search patterns we had learned about in class. Every group found their 'missing diver' before the allotted time ran out, so it was a success as a whole.
After breakfast I was informed that instead of hanging around Green Island for another day we were going to head to Barbuda. One of the research teams (Katy, Emily, and Devin) went on a snorkel to inventory Elkhorn Coral in the area. While they were doing so, the rest of us prepared the boat for passage. The passage was a lot of fun. We did some sailing maneuvers, such as a couple tacks and jibes and raising and lowering sails due to potentially foul weather. The weather only really ever turned out to be rain, but it was exciting anyways.
Meanwhile, the chefs were in the galley preparing grilled cheese and tomato soup when they suddenly ran out of propane. Oh no! Because Barbuda has no place to refill our propane tanks, we decided to alter course and come to port in St John's in Antigua. We all just enjoyed some take out pizza, and after clean up will be hitting our bunks for a good night's sleep.

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This is Oxygen, May I Give it To You?

2009-11-15T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Emily
Location: Green Island, Antigua
I always enjoy being skipper because it requires me to awake before anyone else. I have time to make a strong cup of instant coffee before waking the troops. There's nothing like a quiet morning on Ocean Star. I woke up early enough to do some oceanography work we have a quiz coming up soon.
We enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and then it was all over it was time to get down. Parents and friends, we're rescuers now, well almost. We were broken into two groups to practice in water rescues. We practiced bringing unconscious divers back to a boat and how to actually transport their bodies onto a dinghy. It's a little more difficult than one might think. There was definitely a 2-6ing (The call used to synchronise hoisting sails) of bodies, I never thought that would happen. My personal favorite part was being the unconscious one. We had to remove gear and it was quite exciting. If you ever get into a diving accident you're going to want me to be there.

Lunch was my favorite, BLTs. Yum, who doesn't love bacon? After lunch it was more rescue diving. We didn't enter the water, but we learned how to deal with supplying oxygen to different types of injuries.
After lunch the boys went to shore. The ladies stayed behind and hung out on board. It's been a pretty relaxed day, which everyone has appreciated.
We are about to watch some Blue Planet for our Marine Biology class. I believe it's the episode of Coral Seas. It's bound to be interesting. I have thoroughly enjoyed having these words with you. It's given me time to listen to my reggaeton. And who doesn't love that?

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Rescue Me!

2009-11-14T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jenny
Location: Green Island, Antigua
Today we woke up with much anticipation as we officially start the in-water part of our Rescue Diver course today. But before we had even finished cleaning up breakfast, we found out there was a different type rescue mission to be had. unclogging the girl's head! This drew the interest, and breathe-holding, of the entire crew as Kevin worked to loosen the head parts, while Casey and Eric jumped in the water with a scuba tank to reverse the air flow through the output hole, in a hope to push the source of the clog (thankfully just toilet paper) back. After forcing a lot of scuba air in, the pressure subsided, and with a nice kur-plunk the toilet paper shot out with such force that it seemed like it could make a dent in the head! Gross rescue mission 1 accomplished.

With that, dive group 1 jumped in the water and worked through a series of basic skills that we may encounter in a rescue situation- breathing with a buddy, using a buddy's secondary stage, mask clearing underwater and inflating our BCD's orally. Then the real fun began- we started simulating how to approach divers both underwater and at the surface that were either tired, unconscious, or panicked. The scenarios involving panicked divers were the most entertaining as it entailed creativity and dramatic acting skills on the victim's behalf. Victim's flailed, yelled and splashed around while the rescuer attempted to control them. Tricky victims tried to swim away, throw off gear, or jump on the rescuer while speaking gibberish. Don't worry, we have been well trained by Casey on how to manage these situation, and were happy to able to do it while having fun. Once dive group 2 had their turn, I know we were thoroughly entertained to watch our fellow shipmates undergo "organized chaos."

After completing our rescue diver missions, Emily and I jumped into the galley to begin a delicious lunch of chicken Caesar salad wraps, only to hear some laughing from the engine room. We peeked in and saw only Eric's head peaking out from the bilge. Gross rescue mission number 2, retrieving a displaced o-ring, with his toes while the guys looked on at his misfortune.

After lunch, groups were brought to Green Island to search for firewood to make our night's bonfire. After successfully mounding a massive pile of dead, dry wood and Casey built a neat fire pit for a BBQ, we all took some RandR time on the beach. Some swam, some sunbathed, Kevin kite boarded, and I continued working on learning how to wind-surf. It's a tricky sport, made harder by being only 5 feet and having a sail and boom that is too large and high for my size. However, I find it fun to learn and am up to the challenge! Some other shipmates are also taking the opportunity to learn the methods of wind-surfing. In particular, Phil quickly has caught on, even performing the more difficult jibes while sailing.

Beach time continued as the sun faded away and we started up the coals in the fire pit for barbequing some hot dogs and hamburgers. I think the guys enjoyed reverting to the chest-pounding caveman feeling that comes with building a fire for food! After stuffing ourselves, we gathered around the roaring bonfire, where we sang along to popular songs as Dan accompanied us on his guitar. We ended the evening by satisfying ourselves with large pieces of Funfetti cake in lieu of s'mores.

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Arielle Did It

2009-11-13T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Katy P.
Location: Green Island, Antigua
Today we all awoke to our last morning at Nelson's dockyard. It was time to say goodbye to the luxuries of the dock life, such as real bathrooms and cold drinks only yards away, not to mention a limitless supply of electricity and water. But none of us minded, and we were all excited to move to the uninhabited Green Island. Today was my first day orchestrating a maneuver such as leaving a dock- but all went well, and we were soon on our way. Upon arrival, we reviewed our rescue diver homework, and then had free time until dinner. Some of us learned how to wind surf, some went to the beach, and the majority of us went snorkeling around the nearby reef. I found a really cool sea urchin test (skeleton), but unfortunately Arielle broke it. Shortly after clean up from dinner, we will all attend Oceanography class, and I'm sure after that we will all head for our bunks and get a good night's sleep.

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The Most Totally Fabulous Awesome Day Ever!

2009-11-12T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Phil
Location: English Harbor
Today was another day to sit back and relax. We started our morning off with OCB and OCE and finished up around ten. That gave us the whole day to our self's. Charlie and Emily went to provision with Jenny while the rest of the crew went to explore St. Johns. Matt and I where the only two to stay back and help with some fun jobs around the boat. After being in English Harbor for five days everyone is ready to set sail to Green Island. It has been very enjoyable being at a dock however, all the shipmates can't wait to be back at sea.

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A Rainy Day

2009-11-11T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Casey
Location: English Harbour
Rain rain go away come again another day!

This should have been our theme song for the morning and the early afternoon. When we awoke there was a dark cloud on the horizon. After breakfast we all put on our foul weather gear and went hiking to along the outside of English Harbor to place called the Arches of Hercules. This is where the current has eroded the rocks to form a steep cliff. There is one particular sport where there are some flattened areas along the shore break that we could hike down to do. Although the tide in the Caribbean is not large at this spot because of the vertical structure of the cliff you can see some intertidal zonation patterns while looking around at the intertidal pools, the grey clouds which had been threatening us all morning finally decided to move onshore. We hiked back in the rain and then proceed to have two classes down below while the rain continued on. After lunch there was some free time to go explore Antigua. Dinner was followed by a fairly low key night. Although everybody has enjoyed their time in English Harbor I feel that we are ready to head back out to sea.

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Island Time

2009-11-10T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Katie K.
Location: English Harbour
I awoke to the smell of cinnamon swirl french toast. Shortly after, I got the joy of waking everyone else up after a wonderful night out. We've kind of been docked in Antigua for 2 days. When I say kind of I mean were not exactly docked, we have a dinghy rigged up to take us from the boat to shore using a weight as a pull system. But it makes getting on and off shore a little more exciting than usual.

After eating such a delicious breakfast we had an intriguing Marine Biology class and following an MTE class, where we watched an interesting movie. I enjoyed it at least. We had a full day of shore time, I luckily got a lot on my list accomplished in those 7 hours. At 4:30 everyone had to meet back at the boat to go through the knowledge review for Rescue Diving.

Arielle and I decided to then travel back on shore one last time for the day to finish up a few things. We ate a wonderful dinner, and right before Eric decided to spill a full cup of pomegranate ice tea all over Dan and me. It was definitely the topping to my day along with the invigorating Rescue Dive Video that was almost two hours long. We slept, we ate, we relaxed, it was quite an amazing day.

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Hike Sally, Hike

2009-11-09T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Matt
Location: English Harbour, Antigua
After waking up from a well deserved night sleep we took part in an Ocean Biology class which involved a strange stampede of students wanting to use their laptops in order to input data into Microsoft excel. After said event we were allowed to explore Antigua, which has many offerings. Right off of the boat we find ourselves surrounded by historical British buildings and the remnants of an old fort, which some took the time to hike to, as well as to enjoy the beach nearby. Others walked to nearby Falmouth to take in the other boats (including a schooner owned by Dutch royalty) and contact their loved ones.
The day was easy going for the crew of the Ocean Star, and soon we were preparing for a leisurely night out. Of course there was a half mile hike that was taken into account by most of the crew, except possibly some of the ladies who were doomed to a fate of wearing make up and dresses through thirty minutes of traversing an upward trail to Shirley Heights. Disheveled, sweaty, and proud we emerged from woods into the gaze of much more people than we are used to seeing. Upon socialization with these dryer and more cleanly people we found a diverse group here for many things, from boat races, to weddings, and even retirement from the FDNY. The serenade of reggae renditions of mustang sally and come together were the tunes that faded with sun as well as another day upon this voyage.

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Lots of Moving

2009-11-08T02:00:00.000-04:00

Author: Jennifer
Location: English Harbor
We started off today at 12am, hoisting our sails and aiming our bow towards Antigua. We broke into our watch teams and I had my favorite watch, starting at 6am, right in time to watch the sun rise and have a warm cup of coffee in hand. We merrily jumped right into a "mega BA (boat appreciation)" to clean Ocean Star to her full beauty. She is a breathtaking ship, but it always amuses me as we pull into new harbors and marinas the attention that Ocean Star receives. We always have onlookers pointing and waving, or even whole catamarans of tourists snapping photos of the ship as we glide by.

As the BA wound down, I took two lucky shipmates to go provisioning with me in the town of St. John. Surprisingly, the supermarket there was very similar to the mega grocery stores in the US, and for the first time this trip, we headed home with bags packed full of every single item on our shopping list! Normally we run into shortages (the French islands seemed to be out of lettuce the whole time we were there), lack of selection (when the only meat available is pig snout) or just don't carry the items we may be used to (sorry shipmates, marshmallow fluff just isn't going to happen down here!). Provisioning in the Caribbean means being flexible, and being able to change menus on a daily basis, but that doesn't mean we go hungry or eat poorly. In fact, I think some of us eat better than we do at home 3 well-rounded, fresh meals, hot and ready at the same time every day!

After lunch, we moved the ship to English Harbor in Antigua, once again to much fanfare and picture taking upon arrival. Shipmates spent the afternoon relaxing and exploring English Harbor, a cute area built upon the old English fort and dockyard of the 1800's. Tomorrow we plan to explore the historical sight more!

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