The troops arrived in force late yesterday afternoon (Sunday) patiently waiting to board one of their assigned boats: the Harvey Gamage, Lettie Howard or the Ernestina.  There's something different about being dockside with the city lights coloring the atmosphere, rigging of neighboring boats making music on the masts and the squeaking of docks as they give way to the movement of the waves that lets you know you have taken you first steps away from land.....but still we are anxious to cast even these ties and share with our new charges the experience of an adventure out at sea. After hours of travel and lots of orientation, all were ready to find their bunks for the night... or at least until it was time to spell their shipmates on anchor watch.

The upper two charts show the evening track on Sunday to our first anchorage where we spent some time this morning.

This journal entry was submitted after a long and hard reflection of the first day.  The creative element was what we have been stressing and it is interesting to see what the kids come up with.  Now just imagine this being sung to the tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

In the boat
The schooner boat
We'll loose some sleep tonight

Chorus: we on da boat, we on da boat Ernestina----------------
we on da boat, we on da boat Ernestina ---------------

In the boat
The schooner boat
We dread the morning light

Chorus

In the fishhold
The smelly fishhold
The boys snore all night

Chorus

From the foc's'le
In the galley
The promise of food is our delight

Chorus

Five days of sailing
Just five days of sailing
Until we sleep through the night

I don't know, do you sense a theme here? Maybe first night impressions do hold a lot of impact.

~this entry was submitted by A watch and sung to all at morning muster.

Captain: Amanda Madeira
Program Coordinator: Inette Rex