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British Virgin Islands, Nevis
Fall Edition 2004, Volume I
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The TelltaleWind - Rudder Indicator and Tale Bearer of
The Caribbean Sea-mesterBritish Virgin Islands, Nevis
Fall Edition 2004, Volume I
Introduction
After three grueling weeks of blistering sunburns, newly callused
hand, and the never-ending sparkle of salt, we the editors of this
falls Telltale, present to you our rst edition. We invite you
to live vicariously through our experiences aboard our belovedOcean Starand the lovely Natasha. Enjoy!
Tiffany Talsma, Jaimie Clifton and Christina Rizleris, editors
Tiffany Davis A.K.A T-dawgor Touch Down. She is someone who
is always smiling come rain or shine.Her personality seems to be a lot like
her smile, where nothing gets in her
way of keeping things up beat. She
may be quiet but she is loud with
laughter, if there is something that
strikes her as being funny it is known
talks, driving her truck & hunting. She is an important part of
the Ocean Starcrew with her laughter, and the photo of her
miniature donkey. Her energy to dance keeps all of us going.
Simon Koch (Chief Mate)A.K.A Simon. Simon that blond hair
heart throb is a guy who seems to be
dedicated to windsurng, but would
rather be ripping up the good waves
on a surf board. The few times I haveseen him on the windsurfer he has
proven to be most delicate. He has
also proven to be good at diverting
predators; out for a swim at Peter
Island darted a 3- 4 ft shark from the dark depths of the ocean
water, with a quick thrash and a loud shriek Simon's predator
veered at the last second leaving Simon breathless and in a
panic. He is guy, who even though is 27, still has that boyish
charm and loves adventures. He is the Man.
Boomer(Captain)A.K.ABoom, Boomster and pretty much
anything else you can add with
Boomer. Here is a guy who loves
to tell his stories, many of which I
came to nd out rst hand to be te
tales. You know when hes joking
because he gets this twinkle in his
eyes and a smile on his cheeks.
many talents and loads of knowledge for us to gain. Setting the
sails again he embarks on a new journey with us, the new crew
to Ocean Star. He hopes to pass on his love and appreciation f
the ocean. He is the master of his domain as well as a practica
jokester.
Michael Weber A.K.A Mikey,GQ or Aqua man.
He has a personality that cant be hid-
den. Once familiarized in his new sur-
roundings, the fun-loving and enter-
taining Mikey revealed himself to the
crew. There was nothing, however, to
prepare us for the enthusiasm that GQ
had shown us one faithful night. It
was on that night that he did his pelvic1
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thrust dancing to thriller, which had the ladies on board in an
up-roar of hysterics. But it didnt stop there, his moves were
then pressed to the max when he attempted to do a split. Dance
aqua man, Dance.
Tom Rose A.K.A Tom-O or TommyYou will always know when Tom
is around because there is always
someone (well, mostly Dave) thatshouts a loud and prolonged Tom-O
when he is present. He is an ener-
getic out-going guy who is computer
savvy and uses his capabilities in the
best of ways aboard O/Star by cap-
turing photos of the crew members.
His photos range from a beautiful
sunset on passage to an underwater
photo of Jack who found himself
on an old toilet from a boat that sank. - -
ment on our grill night, he jumped in with both hands and took
control. He is the kind of guy who is always making sure that
everyone is okay.
Jess Fry (Oceanography Instructor)A.K.ABeaker Mc wedgie
She is hard at work whether it
be at the helm, sweating up the
anchor or planning our next
oceanography class. She can keep
herself busy by absorbing herself
in the adventures of Harry Potter
and relax herself by going for
a late afternoon swim. She is a
sweet person, and has become ouronboard "Fish Chick"
Alice de Marco A.K.Alittle buddy or kid sister.
There is nothing that Alice is not
afraid to say, which makes her so
much fun. You can never tell what
she will come up with next. Her
intentions are geared toward love
is pain and pain is love. She is
a happy person with a personal-
ity that will keep you laughingfor hours. She is the kind of person who is always thinking
positively no matter what the situation. Although she is small
in size, she has a big heart and many big things to say. Her
expressions are priceless and her presence is cherished aboard
O/Star. She is Mighty Mouse.
Dave Lee A.K.A Sarge, is a strong, hard worker& jokester. During the day, you can hear him making
impersonations of the Tasmanian devil & Crusty the clown.
He has shared with us stories of months on end of hiding in
camouage and played for us his collection of Dave Mathews2
songs as well as songs of his
own. His boyish charm and
smart comments keep us all on
guard, which makes him like our
brother aboard O/Star. His drive
and energy are just what O/Star
crew needs. His songs are perfect
endings to our daily events. He is
the musical talent.
Jaimie Clifton We are number one and we willremain number one for the rest of the trip AKA: James,
Jaimie (pronounced hiiiimay), Man-
lover, The Asian persuasion
Jaimies talents aboard Ocean Star
stretch from horizon to horizon. Any-
where from quoting any funny movie
you could think of word for word
to a textbook squirrel dive. When
confronted with the query of how she
became such a diving champ she just shrugs er s ou ers
and tells you how it is. How is it you ask? It just is. TheAsian Persuasion. A natural born leader, and her can-do
attitude (hence the quote in the beginning) She of course will
always be number one throughout the trip (according to her
watch team).
Jonathan Brooknerya know oooookay.
AKA: Bond
Johnny is our very own Boy
Scout on board and we are often
regaled with tales from the camp-
ing trails. Although he sometimes
loses his water bottle, its really
not a big deal and hell nd it
later. He always comes out vic-
tor ac ua y spot t y I wr te. Jo n sous an caous an ca ee aass ss
a sunscreen fanatic and encourages us all to protect ourselves
from the sun's mighty rage.
Tiffany Talsma what up! AKA: T2, TT, TalsmaI remember it like it was yesterday. When fate decided to
save the best for last and T2walked into our lives a day late.
Her smile and laughter brighten all of our early mornings,
late passage nights and every moment in between. She meets
every task head-on with a what up!and is always on top of her game
(who can forget our rst real grill
night with her and Tom??). Talsmas
swimming skills surpass even some
shipmates ability to walk on land.
Sometimes she and Simon go swim-
ming. Were talking real swimming,
as in caps and goggles, not just jump-
ing off the starboard side and doggy
paddling around. In fact, Simon has
been forced to make up outlandish
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fore I wrote this because he has been
Scuba Steve from day one. Scoobs
has got the best attitude of anyone I
have ever met. He loves everything,
from the smallest plankton to the big-
gest sail. Steve gets the whole crew
ready for action and is the rock we all
lean against. Scuba, your enthusiasm
is astonishing and your mustache is
the best.
Erin Hoag AKA EErin seems to have an afnity for
hurting herself as much as she can
If ever you hear a yelp you can be
sure it is Erin running into some-
thing no one else would run into.
She is always laughing and crack-
ing everybody up. Her empathy f
others is uncanny and she has a lo
for life.
Erin Hoag and Alice De Marco
Whos on Natasha?
James Tyson James is our personal encyclopedia. This
North Carolina guy knows how to think for himself. If youhave a question, most likely he has an
answer. James can be found around
the Cat reading intellectual books or
writing in his journal. Sometimes
James will be chilling with his drum
playing a mellow beat. If the drum
isnt around, an empty can or plastic
bowl will do. James loves all kinds of
music, except for country and is very
multi-cultural with a great appreciation
for many types of music.
3
shark attack stories that, apparently, hinder his ability as a swim-
mer, since T2shows him up every time. What up Talsma!
Jack Hubbard Alriiiiiiiighty (pronounced very suave)AKA: Jack Attack, Jackie Boy
If Sea-mester was the reality TV show
Real World, Jack would be the heart
throb. With over 200 dives under his
belt, his vast knowledge of the under-
water world inspires the crew. He is
also our resident dare devil, boldly
jumping from unimaginable heights
off rat lines and free diving to depths
unseen by the naked eye. Jack always
has a hand in pulling up the sails or
and can name all of them. His dream is to take this talent all the
way to Howard Stern.
Traci Antonovich (Communications
Instructor)Are there any apples left? DUDE! AKA T-bomb, T-comm and GimpyTracy is our true blue Ocean Starhippie
who always has a smile on her face. She
makes everyone on board laugh out loud
and has taught us all that peanut butter
goes with everything. In fact, she just
served me a saltine cracker with peanut
butter and jelly on it. She entered our
little cruise with a gimp foot, but one
would never know. It hasn't stopped her
from windsurng or hiking.
Tyler Herrick AKA Tye, Sideshow BobAhh, one of our many Nantucket boys on this trip, but the only
one to grace us on Ocean Star. At 64, Tye is a big help on
board to us shorter kids.
If you think that is tall, wait till
you meet his 611, 16 year-old
rot er w o s est ne to p a oo
Coach Kay at Duke. Tyler is al-
ways giving us a good laugh with
his dance parties along with Mike
in the salon.
Scuba Steve I love it AKA: Andy Bennett, Scuba,Scubby, Steve, Scoobs, Scooby Certied
Oh Scuba, how do I count the ways? I can, guilt free, say that
Scoobs is the best person out of all of us (sorry if you thought
you where the best). I actually had to ask him his real name be-
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and sail. Nelson is laid-back and easy-going and always has a
crazy story to tell about his life. He has a wide variety in mus
taste and can be found aboard reading a good book or drinking
green tea. Nelsons biggest accomplishment aboard the Cat w
taking the rst step in catching our rst Mahi Mahi. Thank yo
Nelson.
Chris Williams (Captain)AKA CW
This true sailor is our captain. Origi-
nally born in inland Florida, he is a
Hawaiian at heart. If hes not surng,
windsurng, sailing, or kite boarding,
then he is telling us good old pirate
tales or funny stories. Chris loves a
nice clean boat and loves to hear how
our circle of awareness gets bigger
every day. Chris favorite pastime
on passage is competing for sh with Ocean Star, or drawing
sketches of his dream Catamaran. There is no doubt that Chris
will pursue his dream of yacht architecture because of his hard
core motivation.
Liz Randlett Elizabeth is our live on-boat Drama QueenNo boat would be complete without one and we love ours very
much. Liz has become infamous for reading bad novels, full o
scandalous information and can b
found hanging out in her hole,
astutely studying the latest Dan
Brown Books. She has found a
special ability to have some of th
funniest stories and could easily
be described as one of our crazie
people aboard. She loves shoppin
driving the dinghy without a ding
certication, spitting out random
information and consistently
nagging Chris. The paramount
question concerning Liz is, What exactly are you thinking dea
girl? A good question even the best of us cannot answer.
Chantale Begin Chief Mate & Oceanograph
Instructor) AKA C-tal, The French ConnectionChantale is a faithful member of the morning coffee clubwa
a minute, she isthe morning coffee club, along with her specia
coffee mug and French Press. She has
a hidden collection of every movie
ever made by humankind and a very
diverse music collection, which were
just starting to discover. She is a very
knowledgeable girl, especially when
it comes to oceanography or the role
a proper rst mate, or any lowly ship
hand should play on a boat. Even if
she was the rst one to fall in the wa-
ter on our rst night out wet landing
at Sunshines, shes still one hard core
4
Davis Hammell AKA TheGentle Giant
At rst glance, Davis can be quite
intimidating. Towering at 6 feet 6
inches, all the girls agree he would
make the best pretend boyfriend
at the bar scene to scare away the
local boys. Davis isnt your ste-
reotypical football player. He is a
big guy, with an even bigger heart.
His passion for reading explains his
very high intellect and love for learning. He can always be found
lying around the Cat reading anything and everything in sight.
Davis is the only one who can pull in the jib sheet without using
the winch- beat that Ocean Star!
Jeremy Garretson This Manhattan raised city boy mayhave the city style down, but really is a sailor at heart. He always
gets excited about putting up the sails and probably is the one
aboard who has the most experience sailing. Jeremy transforms
into a new creature during passage. A crazy yet hilarious
personality comes out. This meat-lover claimed the love pit (salon) for
sleeping arrangements, but if you
ask nicely he will share. His recent
famous drink called pinkerade
(a mix of lemonade and Gatorade)
keeps a nice variety of beverages
aboard. Jeremy keeps it lively
aboard with his occasional belts of
random song lyrics and can be given
the credit for our sailing theme song-
Enyas Sail
Away.
Clayton Webb Clayton is ourNantucket Boy #1 on board. He excels
in climbing (so good, he is mistaken for
a monkey), surng (ts the surfer look
to the T), cooking, and can make the
worlds best hemp necklaces. Clayton
makes any meal tasty with garlic
powder, salt and pepper- three essentials
our crew has now become dependent
upon. Easy-going and mellow, Clayton can always make you
laugh with a funny comment or story. If Clayton isnt snorkeling,
digging holes, or giving his informational speech in 3rdperson, heis most likely sleeping, sleeping, and
did I mention, sleeping?
Nelson,
Nantucket Boy #2 i ns an origs an orig
character. He has a good head on
s s ou ers an ours one os one o
entrepreneurs aboard. He owns his
own business back home called,
Help is on the Way. Nelson was
orn or t e w oves to surter. Heter. He
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French Canadian chick you dont want to mess with.
Christina Rizleris Wow!Where does one even begin describing
Christina. She is one of the most
pleasant, enjoyable, and sweet girls
Ive ever known. She is also always
willing to lend a hand to anyone who
needs it. Yes, even if she doesnt
know how to use a radio the right
way, consistently breaks rules with
Emiie, talks about Lifetime movies
on passage, or the fact that she is a
bonade country girl from Chicago,
she is still an indispensable member
of our crew. You can often nd this future marine biologist
sitting on the bow of Natasha, splashing her feet in the waves and
giggling like a little girl.
Emilie Montgomery Now let me tell you, Emilies onetough little cookie. Not only was she the rst one to fall in the
harbor but the second as well. This Nawlins country girltakes pride in telling us all about the South, lifetime movies, and
most simply how it is. Being a
ru e rea er w t C r st na, w om
among er o enses not on y a
the nerve to listen to music in her
room w t t e oor c ose , ut
she did it listening to unacceptable
mus c- oy an s an pop groups
from the late 90s. And yes, she did
L z an ot ers nc u nga moa mo
s w e sa ng smamy e Jamy e Ja
ething justboats, but soboats, but soee
t wou eut er; oweveut er; oweve
she didnt bring a Gretchen Wilson CD.
Christina Rizleris and James Tyson
First Day
The rst day of my Sea-mester voyage summoned up an amaz-
ingly long list of emotions. How does one describe arriving in
a totally new world, without any idea of what to do? I am sure
that I could not even begin to assign words to all the feelings andthoughts rolling around in my head. Arriving here knowing noth-
ing of what to expect while also trying to not feel too out of place
is an impossible battle. We did not all arrive at the same time.
The majority of us arrived on the 2:30 ight from San Juan,
however some had arrived earlier and others did not show up till
late Wednesday night. There was one exception, poor T-squared
had to stay the night in San Juan and did not arrive till Thursday
morning. But, we are glad she made it, because we would have
hated to make this voyage without her. So, back to my point, I
was lucky enough to arrive on the 2:30 ight. By the time we
cleared customs and took a 45 minute taxi ride that doubles as an
5
amusement park ride, we arrived in Sopers Hole, West End, T
tola about 4:00PM. The anticipation grew exponentially when
we came into the marina and the tall masts of Ocean Starwere
there to welcome us. I walked nervously down the dock to me
the staff waiting to give us our boat assignments. It was almos
surreal. It didnt seem like it was really happening. I had read
all the previous Telltale newsletters and thought I had a good
grasp on how it all worked. But there I was, living out the stor
I had been reading. I must say, that Ocean Starwas about how
had pictured her, only with less storage space. After a boat touI chose a bunk in the focsle; an extremely small crypt space f
four in the bow of Ocean Star. After that it was unpacking and
free time until dinner.
So here I am, surrounded by all these strange people, in a worl
have never been to, living on a boat, something I had never do
before. My brain felt so overwhelmed that I didnt even know
where to begin. After some time to unpack and settle in, we ha
a meet and greet on the trampoline of the original catamaranIbadilwamza. Meeting everyone helped to alleviate some of m
fears. Overall, the rst day is a mixture of fear and excitement
Something one can never really understand until it happens. O
course, that was three weeks ago and all these strangers feel lik
family now. I look back on the rst day and laugh. It seems lik
a year ago.
Tom Rose
Passage
Life at sea, is as calm as it can be,Making me feel as though I am free.
Until my food decides to ee,
Things I didnt know could come out of me.
Up my stomach and out my throat,
The sort of stuff that surely doesnt oat.
On the bow and at the stern,
Making my fellow mates stomachs churn.
But theres much more to life at sea,
Than heaving chunks and holding pee.
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person tails the remainder of the line. Once the sail is all the w
up, the halyard is to be pulled twoite by a process called swe
ing. When you sweat the halyard you do exactly that, sweat. I
is quite an exhilarating process but we managed without any
troubles.
Once the mainsail was raised, it seemed as if the major challen
was over, until we realized there were four more sails to be rai
and trimmed. Following the mainsail, we worked on raising th
foresail doing the same process we used on the main. Once the
foresail was raised radiating perfection we moved on over to th
staysail followed by the jib. As you move from the mainsail fo
ward, the sails begin to get smaller. The main is the largest, fol
lowed by the foresail, the staysail, and the jib being the smalle
The boat was pointed into the wind, and the sails started to ap
as the wind blew through. Our skipper gave the order to fall o
the wind and we did exactly that. The sails became tight and so
we were moving by only the power of the wind.
Once all the sails were raised, we all had a sense of accom-
plishment and teamwork. We had the same goals, and worked
together to achieve the goal of sailing. For the rst time this tri
we had all acted as part of a team.
Scoobers (aka Andy Bennett)
Open water Diving
From watching an eventful and humorous video to diving a pla
wreck, the open water divers managed to survive a rigorous r
two weeks of Sea-mester. For most of the group, diving looke
like it came natural, but soon we learned that there was more th
what we expected.
We began on Day 2 and have yet to stop. In the beginning, ou
2 instructors, Chantale and Boomer, divided us up into 2 group
6
The sh we catch make us dinner,
But in Alices eyes, we are all sinners.
Sailsh, mahi, or a fresh tuna steak,
We give those sh no time for break.
From dawn til dusk the lines are wet,
Only a foolish Cat (Catamaran) would take our bet.
A beautiful sunset to an unforgettable sunrise,
There are no breaks for our eyes.A blue skied day and a starry night,
Certainly would be Van Goghs delight.
How beautiful life is indeed,
Makes you fathom how there could be greed.
Life at sea is truly kind,
So open your eyes and pull up your blind.
Admiral Mike Weber
Commodore Tyler Herrick
Sailing Ocean Starthe 1stTime
Everything about Ocean Starand her 88 feet is intimidating. The
sails are huge, the lines are long, and the booms and masts are
massive. She was intimidating as ever the day O-Star crew had
decided to sail her for the rst time. No one knew what line cor-
responded to what part of the vessel, let alone what the purpose
or name of what each line was.Our trusty skipper and chief mate gave us a brieng on what hal-
yard and sheet did what and soon they were barking orders at us.
They told us what was going to occur and how we were supposed
to react when it happened. Although our crew was new and still
confused about the Ocean Starand her workings, we all had faith
in our trusty skipper and mate.
Before we knew it, the orders came to start pulling on halyards
(halyards are what raise and lower the sails). The rst sail to go
up was the main, and we raised it as if we had done it a hundred
times before. The main sail loomed over the entire aft half of
the ship. It takes one person to pull on the halyard while another
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That night, we all got together to watch an educational tape
of underwater diving created by PADI. We thank PADI for this
opportunity, because we now know not to become one of their
actors!
The next morning, bright and early, we all met on the Cat to
enjoy more lectures by our lovely instructors. After going over
how to assemble our dive gear, we were ready to head out. In
about 5 ft of water, all of us took our rst breath underwater.
(Even though it was only a few feet deep and the elephant grass
did major damage to a lot of our knees). With 3 more dives to goplus passing the exams, many of us were anxious to dive on our
own.
Then dive tables came around. Many people say that these dive
tables were tricky to learn but useful. After painful struggling
with the ever so famous dive tables, nally we mastered the skill.
Proceeding the tables, quizzes, and exams was dive number 4.
This was our last dive, and it came fairly easy to everyone. We
started out getting last minute maneuvers over and as soon as ev-
eryone was done, we explored a plane wreck that was purposely
put there for the movie, Six Days Seven Nights. After many suc-
cessful dives, all of us can proudly say we are scuba certied
and can dive without the help of our lovely instructors.
Emilie Montgomery
Advanced Divers & the Elusive SeaTurtle
The few, the proud, and the certied denes the advanced diver
group. However, the word advanced may not exactly describe us
all; nonetheless we came to Seamester already certied to dive.
The pressing question on our mind was what of us? How will
this ramshackle group of strangers entertain themselves while
the remainder of the boat took dive classes? We where not left to
wonder long. Jess, a.k.a Beaker, the British half of our beloved
Oceanography instructor duo, introduced us to the turtle tagging
project.
In the British Virgin Islands there is a project being led by Shan
non The Turtle Lady (never did nd out her last name). The
project is quite simple. We donned our snorkeling gear, jumpe
into the water and grabbed onto water ski ropes. See, it is theshipmates job to be drug through the water behind Irv, our
beloved dinghy, looking for sea turtles. Seem like some strang
ritualistic hazing? Oh, there is more. It was actually exciting.
We got a high speed (higher speed than swimming anyway) tou
of the reefs surrounding Gorda Sound. The excitement wore o
when we started running into jellysh. Our attention was shift
somewhat from looking for turtles to dodging jellysh in hopes
of avoiding a nasty sting.
The idea was that if we found a turtle we where to follow it unt
it was shallow enough that we could dive down and grab it. W
were then to haul the turtle back to the oating metropolis of
Camp Ocean Star. The project called for us to take measure-
ments, a DNA skin sample and inject the turtle with an electrontag. We then would return our new found friend to the big blue
Now, I know there are many of you out there crying to high he
en about the apparent monstrosity we are reaping on these poor
defenseless animals. In response to that I offer up two points o
information. First, turtles are hunted four months out of the ye
in the BVI. The local government is not interested in changing
their hunting laws. So, Shannon is trying to gather hard eviden
to show that turtles are endangered. The hope is that this will
bring an end to the hunting. Secondly, take rest in knowing tha
we never caught a single turtle. Not one. We did see one, but
he/she was way too deep, although we give props to Jonathan f
making a valiant effort.
Chasing the elusive Caribbean Sea turtle was not the sole en-tertainment of the advanced diving group. While the SCUBA
trainees took classes, we high jacked the catamaran and a coup
of staff members. With the threat of ogging hanging over the
head, the staff was all too pleased to take us on a breathtaking
Caribbean dive. Under the command and supervision of Chris
and Beaker (well, we like to let them think so), we dove the co
gardens and a plane wreck. I must tell everyone that this au-
thor has never dove in tropical waters. Being from Washington
State, this new world made me feel like a kid in a candy store.
Although I have to say, Washington does have some beautiful
diving, but it is just different from the tropics. We started with7
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a trip around the plane. Let me put in perspective for you. The
plane did not crash right where it lies, it actually crashed at the
Beef Island airport, then was used in a movie, and was sunk for
us divers to enjoy. In fact, it is not even the entire plane, only the
fuselage.
Our next dive was at Coral Gardens/Mountain Point. Again,
words cannot describe how beautiful it was. The challenge of
the Mountain Point dive was the surge. There was little we could
do to swim into it, so we just let it move us around. This made
for a really relaxing dive. Our latest dive was to the wreck ofthe Fearless, one of Jacque Cousteaus boats. The wreck was 80
feet deep. I got some good pictures, one in particular. The head,
a.k.a toilet, was sitting outside the boat. My dive partner, Jack,
decided he needed a little relief on the sea oor. The picture
turned out awesome! All in all the Fearless was very fun to
explore.
This last dive marked the end of the prestigious advanced diver
group. Since the SCUBA trainees have become the SCUBA
certied we are forced to close the book on our elite group of ex-
traordinary divers. But, we look forward to sharing the mysteries
of the deep with the remainder of our crew.
Tom rose
Keelboat sailing
The crews for both Ocean Starand Ibadilwamza were thrilled
to hear that we were chartering two IC24s for the day. It gave
everybody the opportunity to practice for their Basic Keel Boat
certication in a hands-on learning environment. The IC24s weremodied J24s that had alterations on the deck.
The staff split everybody up in four groups of ve and we all
went out on the boats. The wind was blowing strong at about 20
knots, perfect sailing weather. A few rain squalls blew through
the area, giving us an exciting sailing experience. As we sailed
around Sir Frances Drake Channel, we alternated turns at the
tiller, main sheet, and jib sheets. Everybody got a better under-
standing of the principles of sailing. For some, sailing the boats
was like a second nature to them, and for others, well there
is still hope for them. The sailing was good practice for us, and
soon we all got the hang of it. Later in the term we will really be
put up to the test as we get to go on Hobie Cats by ourselves.
Jeremy Garretson
Team Natashas Day of Luxury
Monday, October the third of two thousand four began like any
other Sea-mester day. We rose with the sun, ate a healthy but
simple breakfast, talked and planned for our passage to Nevis a
then motored to the historic and breathtaking site of the Baths
on Virgin Gorda. Unfortunately for our beloved Natasha, the
Sunsail catamaran fates were not in favor of Natasha. Approx
mately half way to Virgin Gorda, the port motor failed due ove
heating. While the Sea-mester crew played in the Baths, Nata-
shas fate was being sealed. Upon arrival to the Plat- Cat, th
crew was informed the passage was to be put on hold and a tw
hour passage with one motor was to be made to Hodges Creek
the Sunsail headquarters. We reached the headquarters with thhopes of an evening departure for Grenada, but again the fates
were in control forcing Natashas crew to remain on the docks
of Hodges Creek. However, our misfortune was not in vain.
fact, not only was the night a rewarding and luxurious night, bu
also with the setback our crew came together and overcame wh
could have become a seriously negative night. While stranded
with a malfunctioning catamaran, we enjoyed the pleasures of
fresh water showers, and in Jeremys case, four freshwater sho
ers. Following our uplifting bathing experiences, the member
of Natasha went to the world famous Fat Hog Bobs Bar and
Grill to indulge in fresh ice cold Cokes and yes, the restaurant
most popular one pound burgers. A perfect and fullling endin
to what started out as a day on a downfall.
Liz Randlett
Windsurng
Sailing an 88-foot schooner and a 46-foot Catamaran in the
middle of a tropical paradise is an event that we the FCS04
Seamester crews have learned to love. There are many differen
factors that go into the art of sailing, and no one factor is more
important than learning how to catch the wind.
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Throughout these rst few weeks we have been learning vast
amounts of sailing knowledge. First it was our inaugural sail
where we nally learned that its not as easy as it looks, then
learning how to sail IC-24s where we found how powerful the
smallest amount of wind can really be, and most recently our
windsurng workshops.
Windsurng is basically taking a surfboard throwing a sail on it
and riding it around. Sounds easy right? Wrong! Out of all our
sailing classes and workshops this particular form of sailing has
proven to be the most difcult. At this point in our Seamestereverything from setting the board up to rigging the sail have been
difcult. Slowly but surely we are learning how to complete
these small tasks and hopefully we will soon be able to put the
windsurfer together without asking for help from our windsurng
big brothers Boomer and Simon.
After set-up comes windsurng right? Wrong again. The next
step is learning how to balance on the board so you can slowly
pull the sail out of the water. Next comes the sail. At rst when
you're lifting the sail up it seems as though you have 200 gallons
of water on the end of your up-haul, but as the water runs off the
sail it becomes lighter and easier to lift. Finally you have the sail
up. This is the point where most of us either loose our balance
or realize that the wind was actually at our face which causes
the sail to ever so quickly knock you right off the board at which
time you have to start all over again.
This arduous process gets harder every time you fall off the
board, and as our frustration goes up, our energy goes down.
Then something happens. Boomer and Simon like to call then
break-through days. Something nally just clicks into place. You
learn where to put your feet and you begin to learn what the sail
is about to do. Before you know it your slowly moving across thecrystal clear tropical waters. The excitement pumps through your
veins and you cant believe that you havent fallen off yet.
The few lessons we have had are only the beginning of our wind-
surng adventures, and we do get better every time we go out on
the water. Over the next sixty days or so it is our hope that we
will be catching a free ride from the wind to where ever our next
destination will be.
David Lee
Sandy spit and the BathsAfter turtle talk with Shannon the turtle lady, we all grabbed
some pizza and wings and headed off to and island called Sand
Spit. It was a neat little island that took a total of no more than
min to walk around. Two palm trees inhabited this small islan
and among it lives many hermit crabs. Although we did not ha
much time, it was a nice little visit and it denitely had a lot of
party potential. I wish we had the chance to use it for a BBQ o
something along that line. It was I nice little pit stop none the l
with a nice swim to it.
The Baths had to have been one of the neatest places we have
been to so far. Back in the days of slavery, this beautiful locat
provided one of the few chances for slaves to bathe after the lo
passage aboard ship. I have never seen or heard of a place like
that before. Huge rocks piled high covered an area of the beac
The water would come in and out from the sea and ll up knee
high depths of water in rock caves. Again, I wish we had mor
time to explore and see everything in the area. It was still an aw
some time and every one had fun. Luckily, there were minima
injuries. However, of the few injuries included T.D. falling and
sliding down a rock on her bum (it was pretty funny) Ty-sticks
got it pretty bad palming a urchin, but all and all it was a stella
time and I hope to go back some day.
Clayton Webb
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Passages and Fishing
While on our passage from the British Virgin Islands to Nevis
and Nevis to Grenada, Ocean Starand the Plat- Cat have been
in an all out shing battle. During the rst passage, I (Nelson)
tended to a shing line that was nothing more than a blue nylon
line and a lure. After an hour of tending the line, I was asked to
perform a task for Captain Chris. As I handed the line off to my
shipmate Jimmy, he hooked a beautiful Mahi- Mahi. Jimmy tru-
ly believes that he was responsible for catching the colorful sh
but in fact, the entire crew knows that in reality it was I. After
the sh was brought aboard, Chris gutted it, bragging to Ocean
Starthat he was actually responsible not me or Jimmy. During
the passage to Grenada, our boat, the Plat- Cat, caught an even
larger Mahi- Mahi than before. To please Jeremy, we give him
credit for this mighty ne catch. Yum- Yum- Yum. As for Ocean
Star, they are most likely lying about their catches, and cannot
and will never be trusted. (Or so they think- from the O-Star)
Nelson Allen
NevisWe motored off the western coast of Nevis on Thursday October
7th, dropping anchor around one in the afternoon after about 20
hours underway from the BVI. The 3000+-foot peak in the center
of the island drew my attention from the rst glimpse to the part-
ing view out my hatch, meriting at least ve or six pictures. Its
easy to see why Columbus called the island Nuestra Senora de
las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows) when you watch the sloth-
like clouds roll up and down the 3,232 ft. zenith like so much
Caribbean snow.
We spent the rest of the rst day clearing customs, provisioning,
showering and giving Natasha some well needed appreciation
thorough cleaning). On the following day, we got our rst chan
to walk the historic island and go to its only city, Charlestown.
wandered through the streets, visiting the public library, Intern
caf, and the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton before returnin
to the boat to eat. After lunch, we went to see a presentation fo
Oceanography class on marine invertebrates and were allowed
to hold and observe a few of the animals up close, including
starsh, various sponges, Caribbean spiny lobsters and an elus
octopus. That night we had our rst ofcial night out at the fa-mous Sunshines Beach Bar & Grille, on Pinneys Beach, ju
north of Charlestown. According to the Leeward Island Cruisin
Guide, no trip to Nevis is complete without enjoying Sunshine
special rum concoction, the Killer Bee, on the beach with him
and his nephews. I think its safe to say that we agree, as all ha
a great time. The following day was a free day to explore the
island on our own, to try to see as much as possible before leav
ing. Some shipmates stayed around Charlestown, shopping and
e-mailing, others rented ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicles) for a self
guided island tour. Most of the rest took taxis up to the Golden
Rock Inn to attempt the rigorous hike to the top of Nevis Peak
simply relax in the shade and swim in pool at the converted su
plantation hotel. Provisioning and laundry taken care of, we ha
a nal dinner in the bay and got ready for passage to Grenada.
That night I could see clearly through the Narrows, the pass
between Nevis and St. Christophers (St. Kitts) to the north, an
got chills upon realizing that that was where the pirate Captain
Culliford and privateer Captain Kidd met during a battle betwe
the English and the French almost 350 years ago. I fell asleep
wondering if they passed by where we were anchored, in their
stolen ship full of murdered French sailors. Overall, Nevis was
very interesting island for some, and very fun for all.
Davis Hammell
Barbs Lab
During one of our days at Nevis, we were able to meet a cool
lady named Barb. She lives on the island and is a local marine
biologist. We went into her house and all sat in a big room wh
she taught us all about Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (jelly-sh,
anemones, coral), Ctenophora (comb jellies and non-stinging
jellies), Echinodermata (star sh, sea cucumbers, sea urchins,
and sand dollars), Mollusca (univalves, bivalves, squid, octo-
pus, nautilus, nudibranchs), Annelida (sea worms), Arthropoda
(shrip, lobster, crabs), and Urochordata (tunicates). First, she j
went ahead explaining them and showing some video footage.She also passed around some dead specimens as well. After
we went over all the phyla, we then split into two groups. One
group played on the beach, while the other group went to Barb
two aquarium tanks she owned. We all got the chance to hold
starsh, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins. The most exciting thi
we saw was when the puffersh (who was named Elvis) ate a
one-legged brittle star, he swung his little head around and nea
ate him whole. It was a fun day of hands-on learning. We all
miss Barb and Elvis too.
Tiffany Davis10
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Hking in Nevis
The island of Nevis was named so by discoverer Christopher Co-
lumbus because of the resemblance to that of the Nieve mountain
back in Spain. On this peak is what is appropriately called TheSource. It is named that because it is the main source of fresh
water for the whole island.
We arrived at Golden Rock Plantation after a nice scenic cab
ride from our friend Barry. We pulled into the driveway seeing
Ververt monkeys playing amongst the treetops. After a short
brieng from the owner of the plantation we started our trek up
to The Source. It started off as a brief walk on a paved road past
some local houses. Some local kids playing and a small group of
puppies greeted us as we passed.
The hike continued through the small village up into the rain for-
est. Because of the signicant amount of rain that the island had
received in the past few days, the sometimes steep and always
thin trail had become pretty slick. The trail followed a man made
aqueduct system that delivers the water from the source down to
where it can be used. On one concrete block there was a readable
date of 1896 scratched in by presumably someone who helped
build the system.
While in the forest, the trail opened up into some areas that of-
fered exquisite views of the sea far below. Hiking the slippery
trail through the dense vegetation took its toll on a few hikers in
the group and they turned back towards the comfort of the Inn
but a few pressed on with determination to nd the source. Aft
the others turned back, the trail took a turn for the worse. The
terrain got steeper, more slippery, and a bit more treacherous. W
nally came to a set of concrete steps that led up to small dam
The satisfaction of reaching the source was short-lived when w
realized that this still was not the source. So we pressed on, at
this point turning back was not an option.
The owner of the Inn told us that when we reached the bottom
the source we would nd a rickety and rusty old ladder, but tha
it was safe to climb. We eventually found a ladder, but our initireaction was that this ladder was a little too rickety and a little
too rusty to be climbed safely. So of course we climbed to the
top anyway and upon reaching the top we realized that this wa
in fact not the ladder she was talking about. Holding our breath
we descended the dilapidated ladder and pressed on further int
the forest. It turned out that actually the source was not too mu
further from the faux source we had encountered earlier. Stand
ing at the bottom of the next ladder we thought that it looked
even less inviting than the previous, so we climbed.
After a long hike of steep drop-offs, slippery slopes, and treach
erous terrain we nally reached the source. It wasnt exactly
what we had in mind. One hiker described it as searching for th
cup of life and nding a plastic mug. The so-called source wasnothing more that a few trickles of water spilling out of a smal
puddle over a steep drop-off. So there we were, three soaking
wet, muddy, sweaty, and tired individuals standing next to a
water source that didnt look like it could quench our own thirs
let alone a whole island nation.
So was it worth it you ask? Absolutely. There is nothing like se
ting a goal for yourself and achieving it, even if that goal doesn
involve a beautiful hike through a lush rain forest lled with
breathtaking view of some of the prettiest land on Earth.
Jack Hubbard
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Grenada, Grenadines, St. Lucia
Fall Edition 2004, Volume II
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The TelltaleWind - Rudder Indicator and Tale Bearer of
The Carib bean Sea-mesterGrenada, Grenadines, St. Lucia
Fall Edition 2004, Volume II
Word from the editors
Here we are half way through our adventure and weve all
been able to see and do what many people only read about. We
touched the clouds, swam to the sea floor, and have been sailing
through glistening seas of the Caribbean. We have much more tolook forward to in the upcoming forty days. The crews of Ocean
StarandNatashaproudly present our second edition of the Tell
Tale.
Jaimie, Christina, and Tiffany T.
Grenada
When we entered Prickly Bay of Grenada, our full crew drew in
a crude breath. Literally hundreds of buildings were torn thor-
oughly apart, hinge from hinge or were blindly in search of their
roofs. The group, one by one took turns looking intently and em-
pathically through the onboard binoculars. Each shipmate shooktheir head at the surrealness of the sight and surroundings they
had just become immersed into. The desperateness we imagined
the islanders to have after the lives, homes and island had been
plunged into a state of despair caused both Ocean StarandNa-
tashato have a pirate watch the first night of being anchored on
the hip of Grenada. However, the initial trip into the towns of the
ravaged island proved the demeanor of the local people different
then the directionless victims we had thought them to be. Ev-
eryone on the island was not only hopeful and positive to rebu
but also very welcoming to the group of thirty tourists barrelin
through their existing towns in microbuses.
Upon arrival to the island for our second day, we were bom-
barded by taxi drivers who promised to take us wherever we so
desired. The destination for most was the most developed and
practical town St. Georges. Seven of the shipmates piled into
Aorels microbus, sweating, drenched and sticking to the seats
We headed into the town with anticipation for the day ahead
including email and possibly telephone conversations with lov
ones, authentic souvenirs found in small personable markets an
the exploration of a completely new Caribbean town.
When I stepped out of the microbus, my body was wrapped
in the heavy blanket of the Caribbean heat and my excitement
exuded from my pores along with salty perspiration. My day
was spent walking through the narrow winding streets of whatseemed to be a replica of a small European third world town,
spending time in the aged National Museum of Grenada, emai
ing with friends and family and anindulgent lunch at KFC. Th
rest of the afternoon was spent on the ferocious search for the
smallest bit of ice cream and relaxing by the waterfront with
other shipmates. On the waterfront, we had the privilege of
watching a family vend sodas and waters out of a cooler, intera
ing with each costumer as a long lost family member.
Boarding the dinghies back toNatashaand Ocean Star, we cam
back with a completely different understanding and a respect f
the island we had just experienced. We know how interested t
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locals are in us, how hopeful, and how beautiful their town is
as well as their culture.
Liz Randlett
The Seven Sisters Waterfall
The Seven Sisters waterfall was a very fun hike. This was one
of the many waterfalls in Grenada. Our group was the first
group to hike the path after the devastating Hurricane Ivan.
This made the hike a real challenge, considering the fact that
all of us were in sandals.
Many of the folks were slipping this way and many other ways
as well. The trail went down a little path with some debris and
then led to a riverbed. Although not every sister was visited
(each sister is a tier of this seven tier waterfall) because of
the state of the path, the one and only sister we did see was a
site to behold. It was even better to feel, for the first time, cold
fresh water. This was a nice refreshing reward to a long hot
sweaty hike. There was an awesome rock diving ledge as well.
Many of us were challenged to climb up to about 43 ft and
then jump into the cool refreshing water. That was much fun to
partake in. Overall, I wish we spent more time there but it was
definitely one of the best swims we went on and I will never
forget it.Clayton Webb
Tobago Cays
During our time in the Tobago Cays, where we spent several
days, we had an awesome time. Our time here was spent do-
ing various things; everything from windsurfing, and jumping
off the boom-swing, to visiting the Johnny Depp Island (as it
came to be called) and spending an awesome night barbequing
2
at another beach on Christinas birthday. The days past in a
blur; it was almost a pain to even have to leave these beauti-
fully sunny, and untouched islands. The Cays are a national
park and remain uninhabited, consisting of roughly 4 or 5
islands; the only population visible is the numerous yachts
that come to pay homage to this crazy place. To wander upon
these islands randomly would be like finding a small pieceof heaven on earth, but we found our heaven on earth here
regardless and loved every minute of it. Of course, we had to
cram classes the following week to make up for the reduced
amount of scholastic work while in the Cays, but it was worth
it. The morning we left, we were chased out of the reef la-
goon by a huge squall, which seemingly reflected our sorrow
at leaving such a beautiful place.
James Tyson
Night Snorkel
At 1900 hours, after eating a hearty meal, the crew of Ocean
StarandNatashaembarked on a night snorkeling adventure
in the Tobago Cays. We had snorkeled the horseshoe reef
site many times before this point, but that had been with the
safety of the sun at our back. Who knows what sorts of crea-
tures come out to stalk the high seas at night. For most crew
members, it was the first time going on a night snorkel. For
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It was a wonderful opportunity to be in the Tobago Cays, but
what made this part of the trip so special and exciting was that
one little island which we will call the Johnny Depp Island.
You will definitely recognize this tiny little island because it is
the same exact island that the characters Jack Sparrow and Eliz
beth were stranded on in the moviePirates of the Caribbean.
As soon as we had a good opportunity, we motored the cat to
the island and hung out for the afternoon to walk around, swim
snorkel, and even fly a kite. As soon as we landed on the John
Depp Island, a bunch of us found the exact spot where the patand rum shed were in the movie.
Another scene that you could recognize in the moviePirates of
the Caribbeanwas the town. After leaving Bequia, we made
stop by a little town called Wallilabou Bay on St. Vincent whe
you can still see the old houses and the windmill type thing tha
Johnny Depp escapes from. There were still a few houses left
from the several scenes, and we saw the rock arch that they hu
pirates from. This time we did not get to stop and look around
but got many pictures.
Emilie Montgomery
Beach BBQ (Christinas Birthday)
It just so happens oddly enough that our occasional beach bar-
beque happened to fall on my 19thbirthday.
We started some fire pits in the rocks on an uninhabited island
the lovely Tobago Cays. I was one of the fine chefs that day. W
fired up some burgers, (well, I dont think they could be called
burgers how about mystery meat) and some chicken dogs.
One thing we have come immune to is the funny meats we ingdown here in the Caribbean. It tasted good though just becaus
it was cooked on an open fire. The highlight food of the eveni
was the gigantic cake that both boats cooked all day. T-square
and Jaimie added the finishing touches. The mountainous cak
had frosting, sprinkles and candles! This was a real treat for u
all.
Unfortunately, a rain storm came to our parade, but we didnt l
the rain ruin our fun. It ended up blowing over. We cut the ca
in half and I delivered it to Ocean Starand the Cat kept one ha
On the Cat we sang Happy Birthday and, after a face full of fro
ing, we devoured that cake. Perfect ending to a perfect day.
Definitely one of the most memorable birthdays I have had. I
mean, not everyone can say they turned 19 in the Caribbean
3
me, the suspense of what was to come began boiling up like a hot
sulfur spring on Saint Lucia as we began to pull on our wetsuits.
At dusk, Jess and T squared went to the exact spot where we
would be snorkeling and put glow sticks on the buoys so that we
would be certain not to miss the reef. We loaded onto the dingy,
snorkel, mask, and fins in hand. The ride went smoothly exceptfor the occasional scolding from Jess to keep the light pointed
in the front of the boat, not in my eyes, Scubs! We arrived in a
record time of one minute from our starting point, Ocean Star.
We immediately rolled back into the dark and foreboding waters.
All at once there was a mad mass of slashing fins and lights
pointed in every direction. The usual snorkeling-harmony of the
crew was lost to the darkness as everyone insisted on kicking
everyone else in the face. The current was uncommonly strong
that night and before we began to venture out on our own we
seemed to have a magnetic pull towards each other. For the forty-
five minutes that we were in the water we saw a couple of squids,
numerous fish, a puffer, lobsters, and a stingray. A lucky few
including myself had a close encounter with a nurse shark. Dave
wanted to let everyone know that he and Boomer saw two squids.
Night snorkels rock!
Alice Demarco
Johnny Depp Island and Pirates of the
Caribbean Town in Wallilabou
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themselves to swing on it to see how low to the water it goes, a
they adjusted it appropriately.
Afterwards, the shipmates are given permission to use the
coveted boomswing. We were all very excited to try out this
newfangled contraption of ours. So, we began swinging on it.
Boomer went, then Sarge, Touchdown, T squared, Jack, Clay-
ton, Nelson, Tyler, Little Buddy, Scubs (Scuba Steve), Jonatha
Simon, Chris, etc. There were a lot of interesting moves being
displayed by everybody. Dives, flips, back flips, back flops,
plain old swings, and the whole nine yards. Everyone was doisomething interesting for the most part.
Touchdown put us all to shame with her constant and consis-
tent back flips. Clayton, being aerodynamic, swung out on the
boomswing and dove down gracefully. Scubs swung out and
dived every time he went. T-squared worked on her back flips
and eventually perfected the move after several more tries. Sa
flipped numerous times, and in between the flips, he got some
red spots due to some inconveniences in his swinging. Simo
swung out and did flying squirrels, as did Scubs. Tyler did flyi
squirrel after flying squirrel, and back flip after back flip. For
those of us who were unoriginal, Jonathan, Little Buddy, Nelso
and Chris, we just swung from the boomswing and tried not to
get hurt, which was a useless exercise. For example, take me,
Jonathan. I hurt my back trying to do a back flip, which turned
into a back flop. After these precious boomswing experiences
opted to not have any more that day.
Others were luckier, Touchdown didnt mess up or hurt herself
even once, and Clayton had minimal injuries, as did Nelson an
Tyler. Simon and Boomer had already had previous experienc
with the boomswing, and knew all the tricks of the trade so to
speak.
Of course, we had our photographer TomO, both on the deck, a
in the water (though not at the same time,) taking photographs
and video clips of the shipmates and staff members as they
swung from the boomswing.After several hours, numerous failed attempts, which lead to
some serious pain in some cases, it was time for dinner. Alas
the boomswing had to be put away, and our time with it was
done. So we dried off, and lowered the boomswing slowly, the
straightened the boom out the way it was supposed to go, low-
ered it, and of course, removed the thick rope that we had used
swing from the starboard (right) side of Ocean Star, into the bl
waters of the Tobago Cays.
Jonathan Brookner
Basic Keelboat Certification
Over the course of time that we have been on Sea-mester, the
students and even some of the crew have been learning to sail.
From day one, the sailing instructors have been doing an excel
lent job teaching us how to sail. We have learned all the parts
and workings of a sail boat, from bow to stern and from mast t
keel. We are learning proper maintenance of a sail boat - how
to rig and de-rig, how to clean and keep clean, and most impor
tantly, how to sail.
While in the Tobago Cays, we took the US Sailing Basic Keel-
4
Christina Rizleris
Navigation Dive
Now that we are all Scuba Certified we are pushing farther
in our diving learning and skills. Advanced Diver is our next
certification. Our first dive for this qualification was a naviga-
tion dive. This took place in the Tobago Cays right below Ocean
Star. The currents were pushing hard making it difficult forpeople to stay in one place for a long period of time, but we all
made it and the majority of us did not get lost.
The object of Navigation Dive was to use a compass to navi-
gate you and your buddy underwater. First, we had to swim in a
strait line for a hundred feet and swim back using the reciprocal
heading. Then we had to swim a four hundred foot square where
every hundred feet you make a 90 degree turn. This is where it
became a little more difficult because the current made it hard to
judge distances. While some people got washed way off course,others maneuvered around perfectly. While the conditions were
far from perfect, overall it was a very successful dive and we are
all looking forward to our next challenging and exciting dives.
Jeremy Garretson
Boomswing
Many have tried it. Many have attempted to better it. Many
have been abused by it. And many have tried to conquer it.
I speak of the boomswing. Now you may be asking yourself,What exactly is a boomswing? You will never know unless
you are able to try it yourself. This article, hopefully, will let you
comprehend the experience known as the boomswing.
The boomswing is a device made through brute, human strength.
The first step is to raise the main boom; this is what regularly
holds our mainsail. After the boom is raised from its perch, a
thick rope is tied to it with several knots. Next, it is swung out
at an almost ninety degree angle from Ocean Star, and is hoisted
up about twenty feet. Several knots are then tied at the bottom of
the rope as well, for people to hold. Next comes the initial phase
of swinging. Testing it. Simon and Boomer bravely volunteered
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oat tt
Basic Keel Boat certified, which is a great accomplishment for a
lot of us. Right now we are currently working on the navigation
portion of our curriculum which is quite a bit harder, but a chal-
lenge everyone is looking forward to.
Nelson Allen
Canouan Dive
During our brief visit to Canouan we met up with a buddy of
Boomers named Andy. A few years ago, Andy started the Can-
ouan Dive Center and we were fortunate enough to have him take
us on a local dive. He and a guy he works with named Tim came
out and met us onNatashaand we headed out to the dive site.
We eventually made it out to the dive site and were briefed by
Andy. We entered the water all in one big group, about twenty-
five divers in total. Strangely, we started swimming with the
current as opposed to against it, which is the norm when diving
in a slight current. This is done so that you can exert yourself and
swim against the current for the first half of the dive and then
just rest and drift back to the anchor on the second half. It did not
make any difference other than a couple people that came back to
the surface a little low on air.
Either way, we descended onto a reef that was filled with beauti-
ful fish and coral. We saw everything from tiny banded coral
shrimp to schools of grunts and even a nice size nurse shark.
5
One thing that sticks out in my mind about this dive were the
arrowhead crabs. Not on any of my previous two hundred dive
had I ever seen such big arrowhead crabs. They normally have
extremely skinny legs that are only about two or three inches
long. On this dive, I saw numerous crabs with legs that had to
push five inches. That does not sound like much of a change
but when it occurs on an animal that is so small, it stands out.
Another pleasant surprise from the dive was a good size yellow
fin grouper that was pointed out to me by Boomer off the deep
edge of the reef. Of all the dives we had done so far that was th
first grouper I had seen and it was around three feet long and h
some weight on it. Due to heavy fishing and spear fishing, you
not see many groupers anymore, especially ones that big.
Overall, it was a great dive. Even having twenty-five people
it did not seem that crowded because there was good spacing
between the divers. The good briefing given by Andy before th
dive enabled us to stay on the reef and all find our way back to
the boat, even without the guide being right there with us at all
times.Jack Hubbard
Raising the six sails
It was the 31stday of seamester when the FCS 04 crew of Ocea
Stargot the OK from Boomer and Simon to raise all six sails.
When we got up in the morning we went straight to work prep
ping the boat to leave Canouan and head towards Bequia. We
raised the anchor then systematically started raising sails. Main
Sail, Fore Sail, Stay Sail, Jib. Then came the hate mission, weneeded a laz diver to go below and pull out the two remain-
ing sails the Flying Jib and the Fishermans. Scuba Steve being
the laz diver he is, went into the stale air of the laz and heaved
the large cumbersome sails up. The crew had flown the flying
Jib before so prepping it and raising it was no problem for the
motivated crew, but the Fisherman's was new to us. Boomer an
Simon began to explain how to rig the sail and send it aloft. Af
a few minutes of confusion of sorting out the correct lines, the
crew began hoisting the sixth and final sail towards the clouds
and with astonishing accuracy Ocean Starwas complete. For t
first time the crew looked towards the sky and saw how beauti
boat test and are proud to say that all of us are now U ailingoat test and are proud to say that all of us are now U ailingoat test and are proud to say that all of us are now U ailing
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corkscrew, or jewelry box, and carving it with a quite descripti
picture of whales or whaling. The island of Bequia is a fruitful
place of outgoing people and has great presence.
Michael Weber
Scrimshaw
While on the windward island of Bequia, the shipmates and sta
had the opportunity to peruse a gallery of uniquely beautiful ar
called scrimshaw. Originally, scrimshaw was the art of carving
and engraving designs on whale teeth by American whalers in
the early 19thcentury. Modern scrimshaw has evolved to includ
whale and camel bone, elephant and walrus ivory, and ostrich
eggs. Bone and Micarta have all but replaced ivory, due to an
international ban on new whale and elephant products. Scrim-
shaw pendants, figurines, corkscrews and knives were displaye
for sale as collectors items; they ranged from $60.00 (U.S.) fo
a small pendant to $1,000.00 (U.S.) for a rigging knife designe
for the recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The knives
were the most popular choice for the Seamester crew, with fou
purchases representing four different types of knives. The scopgoes from two different sized camel bone rigging knives, to an
elaborate whale bone rigger, to a camel bone buck knife, all w
meticulously intricate designs. According to the pamphlet you
upon purchasing one of the knives, they are made exclusively
for the artist, Sam McDowell in Seki City Japan by Kai Cutlery
Company, the finest knife makers in the world and descendant
of the Samurai sword makers. The blades are surgical stainles
steel and exceedingly sharp, the handles are individually hand-
made and carved by Mr. McDowell, one-of-a kind collectors
pieces. Needless to say, the elite few who now are proud owne
of one of these masterpieces have added a noticeable swagger
their step.
Davis Hammell
The Truly Amazing Bequian Jeep Ad
venture
Bequia, a beautiful island filled with some of the most pleasant
people in the world. Most toured the town of Port Elizabeth in
Admiralty Bay. Some of the more adventurous souls took taxi
tours. But, the truly pure of heart, those whos bravery is over
shadowed only by their complete disregard for common sense,
rented a Jeep for our own customized tour of Bequia.
Erin, Emilie, Christina and Tom (myself) formed the prestigiouTeam Yellow Jeep. Once a small debate over who will drive (b
tween myself and Erin) it was decided that I would drive. The
we needed to obtain our very own local driving permit. I thou
this may be some sort of issue, like we would need to drive wi
a policeman to prove we can do it or something. How wrong I
was, a few dollars at the customs office and a permit was issue
So, permit, Jeep keys and a sketchy map of the island in hand
and we jumped into our yellow Jeep Wrangler and took on into
the wild blue yonder. Well, first I had to weave out of my park
ing spot around a bitter taxi driver who wouldnt move becaus
didnt hire them for an island tour. Secondly, I had to learn ho6
Ocean Starlooked with all of her sails in the wind. We continued
our journey to Bequia with Ocean Starlooking her finest.
Dave Lee
Bequia
So much to say and such a small vocabulary to express it. Bequia
is a friendly historic place of beauty. I was given the privilege to
see the Bequia that few do. I got a cab to take Jeremy, Jimmy,
Liz and I around the coast of the island. We drove past secluded
beaches, a turtle farm, and rushing school children. The highlightof the ride was most certainly the island kids that chased our
cab as they were getting out of school. They were wearing their
uniforms, screaming with joy, as we drove past and yelled hello.
Bequia has a vast whaling past. Now no more whaling occurs,
only two whales are caught and killed a year for tradition's sake.
This transpires between the months of January and April. Every
part of the whale is used after being killed. The island had a vast
selection of scrimshaw, the art of using animal bone for a knife,
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to drive on the left side of the road. Surprisingly easy to accli-
mate to I might add, I only almost ran into a truck once. Not bad
for a day of driving in a foreign country (at least in my humble,
yet always right opinion). Soon we where gallivanting up hills,
careening around corners and honking our horn like locals. The
horn was broken so we just used our voices, ingenious huh? We
visited the Oldhegg Turtle Sanctuary where a local man rescues
baby turtles, raises them and then releases them back into the
wild to increase their chances of survival. We went to the top
of Mount Pleasant and then back to the beach to eat lunch at
Dawns Creole Shack, that is run by an (almost) retired couple
from the States. Lunch was filled with great conversation with
these pleasant Democrats!
After lunch we attempted to find a local viewpoint call Moon-
hole Rock. After driving across the island, doing a little 4 Wheel
Drive Off Roading and ending up at a sketchy looking house
with a large No Trespassing sign, we gave up and retuned to
Port Elizabeth. Although our adventures were not complete. We
then ran into Alice who wanted to go for a ride. So back out tothe turtle sanctuary we went. Chantale met us there and asked
for a ride back up the hill (she had been riding her bike) past a
very mean dog.
We then returned to Port Elizabeth to return our little yellow ve-
hicle of adventure. Although the Bequia adventure had ended we
will never forget our experiences driving around their beautiful
island, where there are no driving laws.
Tom Rose
The Rock
Bright and early we awoke at 5:00 a.m. on day 39 to climb a rockcalled The Piton on the island of St. Lucia. The rock was over
2000 feet high and went straight up and down. We were deter-
mined, even at the early hour we awoke, to conquer the rock no
matter what the cost.
We took the cat over to the dock at the base of the mountain at 6:
00 a.m. and by 6:30 we were climbing. Two locals named Tyrone
and Norbert led us up the mountain. Norbert was a fairly large
muscular man while Tyrone was of average build. Norbert rode
his bicycle to meet us and we all thought he was going to carry it
up the mountain.
Tyrone was quite a character and the leader of our group. He
was at the front of the line, wore no shoes, and did not sweat on
drop. When we got to the top of the mountain we were all out o
breath and sweating like pigs, and Tyrone was lying down like
did not climb a mountain for the past two hours.
The climb to the top took us over two hours. The trail went
straight up in places to the extent that you needed a rope to help
in the climb. We all struggled to make it, some more than oth-
ers (e.g. Chantale due to the fact that one of her hands had four
recent stitches), but we all strived for the top. I personally coul
feel my character building every time I smashed my shin on a
rock spilling blood and causing me to swear in pain, and every
time a fire ant bit me.
Once I reached the top an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction
overcame me. I looked down over the cliff and saw how high w
were and I was astounded that we actually climbed a small mou
tain. I personally have never accomplished such a feat.
Reaching the bottom was even more satisfying than reaching th
top. Looking up at the mountain I couldnt believe the size of t
beast and the fact that merely two hours before we were at itspeak looking down. The fact that we reached the bottom in one
piece and no one was severely injured made the hike even bett
Once at the bottom my shins were bleeding, I had sweat pourin
out of me and my legs barely functioned from sheer exhaustion
I looked to the top of the mountain and thought to myself it wa
all worth it. The reward of knowing that I got out of bed, hiked
2000 ft. rock, and did it all before lunchtime was such an accom
plishment that Id do it again in a heartbeat.
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Martinique, Dominica, Les Saintes,
Guadeloupe, Antigua
Fall Edition 2004, Volume III
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The TelltaleWind - Rudder Indicator and Tale Bearer of
The Caribbe an Sea-mesterMartinique, Dominica, Les Saintes, Guadeloupe, Antigua
Fall Edition 2004, Volume III
A note from the editors:
Here we are once again with only twenty days to go, but with
twenty more words in French. After exploring these French
islands, we have discovered cheap phone calls, expensive ice
cream, and that the French like to make up their own holidays.As we sail into the homestretch of our voyage, we continue to
live every moment as if it were our first. So, here we are with the
next edition of The Telltale.
Jaimie, Christina, and Tiffany T.
Mount Pelee
Among the many ancient Hawaiian images of the afterlife,
the highest of these after worlds is in a flaming crater atop the
volcano Kilauea, where the goddess Pelee presides. Atop Kilauea
there is no pain, only sheer delight and the old chieftains dwell
forever, playing their royal games in the flames.
Mount Pelee is a volcano that erupted 100 years ago, destroying
the town of St. Pierre. The current dome, formed after that erup-
tion, comes out of the old crater. The volcano is over 5,000 feet
high on the beautiful island of Martinique, with peaks like spires
reaching above the clouds, almost touching the heavens.
While climbing this mountain, I could not but help but think
back to the Hawaiian myths of the goddess Pelee in her volcanic
home.
We drove up a gradual ascent approaching the mountain, as it
loomed in the distance, passing through small country towns th
at once struck images of the French country side and also the
tropical feel of the Caribbean.
We started the actual hiking portion of our journey at about 2,0
feet and began walking up a foot path that seemed rather easy,
first. Perhaps 30 minutes through our ascent, the path took on a
rather vertical nature continuing for the next 50 minutes. By th
time we reached the top of our vertical climb we found ourselv
enshrouded in fog and clouds. We began walking along the rim
of the first crater and were presented with two options; climbin
down into the crater then up on top of the new dome or to follo
the crater around to ascend the summit from the back.
I chose to take the long road, a solitary one providing a much
needed reflection on my thoughts. I hiked for over an hour alon
to the summit, only happening upon fellow shipmates at the
zenith. When the fog cleared enough to see around, I found my
self in the clouds staring at the sky, almost able to reach out an
touch it with my hand.
All of a sudden the Hawaiian myth and what the first nativesmust have thought looking into the heavens from this very spo
upon their gradual diffusion eastward dawned on me. Perhaps
some legend stuck with them and they found their long lost go
once again on this very volcano, looking into the great myster-
ies as I found myself doing. Perhaps the mountain brought som
peace and tranquility upon their long travels as it had on mine.
James Tyson
1
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Boiling Lake Hike
Wake-up at 4:40, get out of your bunk, get moving, eat, pack
your bags, get your shoes, get in the dingy, get to shore. If you
think that this sounds like our Piton hike, or even Mt. Pelee,
stop yourself right there. Its the boiling lake hike. Like Mt.
Pelee, we loaded up into our trademark vans, sardine style of
course, and drove quickly to the site of our hike.
Now, since youve found out that we were going to hike to
the boiling lake, you should be saying to yourself, wow, its a
hike, not a mountain climbing excursion, which should be easy.
Dont kid yourself. To get to the boiling lake, you need to
climb, or hike the mountain. First, go up on a dirt trail that on
occasion has wooden steps that seem like they should make the
hike easier but actually dont. Next go down the mountain, the
same conditions applying. But part of the way going up, add
rain, sometimes hard, sometimes just a light drizzle.
After hiking up, then down the mountain, now with mud trails,
rain, wind, puddles, and sketchy wooden steps, you must
proceed down into the Valley of Desolation. This may sound
like a harsh place. If you think that it is, you're right. On dead,
crumbling ground, with sulfur steaming up through cracks in
the earth, we hiked to the boiling lake. Of course, we did take
a break to soak in the warm sulfur springs along the way. After
that much needed refreshment, we hiked on, soaked from the
rain and the springs, reeking of sulfur, tired, hungry, and ready
to press on, we trudged through the mud, creeks, rain, wind,
and crumbling discolored rocks to the flat top where we could
see the boiling lake.
As we reached the boiling lake we were amazed by the sight
before us. We were told that the lake was as hot as 100 degrees
Celsius, and as deep as 150 feet. At the center of the lake,the water was indeed boiling up, with steam that smelled of
sulfur, blowing in all directions. In wet, clammy clothes, cold
and shivering, we ate our lunch. Our guide, Pancho, made the
best fish meal ever. It was excellent, accompanied with freshly
squeezed grapefruit juice. After fish and peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches we began our journey back to the entrance of the
park.
Going back through the Valley of Desolation, climbing up the
wooden, muddy steps of the mountain, now soaked through
with rain and with wet vegetation, we slowly made our way
back. We no longer cared about the water seeping into our
2
shoes, or the mud clinging to our boots and socks, nor the
clammy clothes making us colder, not warmer. We continued
trudging at a mind numbing pace, concentrating on only put-
ting one foot in front of the other
While the boiling lake hike was hard and long, we all suc-
cessfully made it there and back. In addition to that, we
were given the privilege of seeing the last boiling lake in the
world. Another one discovered in New Zealand dried up
some years ago according to our guide, Pancho. The experi-
ence of hiking to and seeing the boiling lake can be comparedto nothing else on this world. There are man made wonders,
there are natural wonders, and there are just some natural
wonders that cannot be explained. But I would say without
a doubt, every minute of that hike was worth it. No matter
the amount of rain, the smell of the sulfur, the mud of the
mountain, or anything else, there is nothing that could have
made that hike harder, or more worth the amount of effort we
put into it.
Jonathan Brookner
Tour of Dominica
The tour of Dominica began with a trip up the Indian River
where we took measurements for our oceanography class.
After that we got in some cabs that took us around the is-
land. Along the way we stopped for lunch at a beach on the
windward side where the guides cut us fresh coconut to go
along with the lunch we brought with us. A crew member
got a little sick on the ride, so our next stop was a friend of
the guides house, in the Carib Indian territory, where they
cured the ailed student with some traditional home remedies.
At the same time the rest of the crew ate real chocolate, fresh
bananas, guava, sugar cane, sweet sap, avocado, and coconut
milk. The next stop was a waterfall where the crew hiked
down for a quick cool off in the spring. After stopping at the
waterfall we went to a fruit farm where we stocked up on
seedless oranges and grapefruits for the rest of our journey.
The tour ended with the remainder of the island seen from the
cab and back to the boat. We did so much in one day, and it
was a great way to learn about this amazing island.
Nelson Allen
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salinity, depth, and temperature in four different groups. Also o
the way up we saw all sorts of wildlife, for example iguanas an
tons of different crabs. About a mile up the river there was an
isolated caf called Radjah Club where the bushman seemed to
enjoy drinking the local Dynamite Rum Punch. The caf was a
neat place where there was a little souvenir store with spices an
local wood carvings. After we made our way back to where wwere dropped off, we got back in the bus for the tour of the res
of the island.
Jeremy Garretson
Scooter Tour of Les Saintes
Our arrival to Les Saintes graced us with a beautiful little islan
with some of the coolest little shops and cheapest phone calls
one could ask for, not to mention the worlds best ice cream.
But to me, Les Saintes spoke in other ways. The moment I se
foot on this little island, it said, scooters. So being the brave
and adventuresome souls that we were, Emilie and I rented on
small scooter for the two of us to share. At first, learning to dr
this little hog was difficult. Combine that with a passenger wh
never rode a motorcycle before and it spelled almost certain
injury. However, we defied the odds, got our wits about us and
spent the day cruising around the island. We visited Napoleon
fort and gardens and all the beaches. We even located a super
cret phone that no one else knew about (except for Christina) a
enjoyed some uninterrupted calls home without a line up. I wa
by no means the only scooter on the road. Actually, Les Sainte
3
Do
During our stay in Dominica we managed to do it all. From hik-
ing to the Boiling Lake, rowing up the Indian River, and an ad-
venturous island tour, we managed to save an afternoon for some
scuba diving. We did a two-tank boat dive with Dive Dominica.
The first dive that we did was called Abyss. During this divewe were completing the Underwater Naturalist section of our
Advanced Diving certification. All we had to do was identify
fish, invertebrates and plants. During this dive we were able to
see a frogfish and a seahorse. These sea creatures are rare and
hard to find because they are so good at blending in with their
surroundings. On our second dive, at a site called Champagne
we saw another frogfish which was cool. This dive was really
neat because at the end we figured out why it had the name it did.
There were little tiny bubbles coming from under the reef, and it
looked like a bunch of champagne bubbles. We saw a really
cool school of squid, and a lot of eels. Overall, these dives were
my favorite and it would have been fun to be able to do more, but
in the little time we had in Dominica we saw a lot.Jaimie Clifton
Indian River
While in Dominica we got in SeaCat's bus and went to the other
side of island to the Indian River. When we got there we met
up with some local guides and got in their row boats to go up
the river to do a oceanography lab. On the way up we measured
ominica ivesominica ivesominica ives
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was one of the coolest things to see. Night diving is definitely
an awesome experience and I think one of the best times to go
diving.
Christina Rizleris
Diving at Pigeon Island Times Three
Guadeloupe is known for its great diving and that is exactly wh
we did while we were there. We had the chance to do three div
at the Jacques Cousteau Marine Reserve on Pigeon Island. We
were going to fulfill our deep dive requirement for our advance
certification but due to murky waters and strong currents it wa
decided to save the deep dive for another day. Instead we did a
fun dive at a safe fifty feet. My dive buddy Liz and I geared up
and had the urge to submerge! While underwater we saw vari-
ous colorful tropical fish, sponges, sea fans, corals, and a statu
of Jacques Cousteau. Yep, you read that right, about forty feet
underwater there is a statue of Jacques giving the okay sign. Thwas the highlight of our first dive. The second dive took place
in the late afternoon that same day. We di