Our first full day aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer with all 31 souls aboard! We spent a busy day getting oriented to the ship with safety drills and an introduction to life and operations on board. Tomorrow, SEA class C-279 will finally head to sea. We will depart the Bahamas on our way to Bermuda, and ultimately into New York City.

Greetings from the SSV Corwith Cramer docked at Prince George’s Wharf in Nassau, Bahamas. Today class number C-279 joined the ship for the sea component of the Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Program (MBC). All of the students are doing well and getting adjusted to life onboard.

The students of C-279, Marine Biodiversity & Conservation, join the SSV Corwith Cramer in Nassau, Bahamas on April 18th.  They depart the ship in New York City on May 24th after a port stop in Bermuda.

It is rare that when something begins, you immediately recognize its importance. On February 16th, I wrote in my journal, “I know I am going to want to return to right now.” Even so early on, I could tell the Cramer was a place of both personal growth and learning through collaboration.

Hello All,
 
Though I have been sweltering in the Caribbean heat (especially on afternoon watch today!), my thoughts keep straying back to a distinctly wintery experience: cross-country skiing. Now, I’m not thinking of just any skiing but a specific experience that’s burned into my memory the very same way I’m sure many moments of this voyage will.

Hey readers, hope this finds you all well.  Our first full day of sailing since leaving Grand Cayman has been an fun one, for sure.  I was woken up at 0230 this morning for Dawn Watch, which is always an interesting time.

Speaking over the soft sheets of rain which overtook the misty Blue Mountains of his hometown, Colonel Wallace Sterling leaned forward slightly, as though he were speaking in confidence and said, “If you treat me like a stranger, that’s what I will be. If you treat me like one of your own, that’s what I will be.”

More than a day has passed after parting ways with Port Antonio, during which we have transitioned back to life underway. While routine tasks, meals, and watch schedules continue, the elements, conditions, and circumstances of every moment mean life on board is always engaging. Getting complacent is not an option­.

This morning we set sail once more, leaving Port Antonio behind for more open water. It’s always exciting to get underway again, and today was no exception, especially since we had an audience in the marina. Mama Cramer is extremely impressive, if I do say so myself, so it’s no wonder that a small crowd of the people who were docked around us in the marina came out to see us get underway.

Ahoy friends, family, friend’s family, and family friends. To start out I must apologize for not writing sooner. I was convinced that I had signed up to write for the 9th but the schedule clearly showed I was two days too late. So the delay in an update is entirely my fault and I must relay my deepest apologies.