Limericks in Honor of the C-285A Company

(written by Jonathan Levine, and read to everyone’s delight at our last night’s celebration aboard Cramer)

I’d never before been to sea
So I boarded with trepidity.
But, Captain and crew,
My thanks go to you:
The Cramer’s been fine company!

I will admit that when I heard we were to sail on the Corwith Cramer from NYC to Woods Hole at the beginning of our summer break, I was expecting blue skies, warm sun, and essentially beach weather. Yes, I packed a bathing suit.

This morning when I opened my eyes in my cozy bunk after being woken by Colin at around 0600, I was extra eager. A Watch was assigned to the 0700 to 1300 shift, and I was assigned to be in lab.

We were awoken by the calming voice of Giovanni Vigilante at 0030. After scrambling our way into the usual five layers of clothing, topped off by our foul weather gear and trusty harnesses, we headed up to the deck to join the rest of B watch and begin the Dawn Watch.

A sailor’s life and livelihood are inextricably tied to the weather; the winds and waves can make or break a voyage. From the very moment we set foot upon the deck of the Cramer, that fact has been apparent.

Early this morning, we helped to set the sails and prepare to reel in the anchor. Though we are all still inexperienced, it’s so thrilling to know that we’re genuinely contributing to the success of the ship’s voyage.

Welcome to the SEA Colgate Benton Scholars program blog! I am happy to report that all 18 Colgate University participants (16 students and their professors Amy Leventer and Jonathan Levine) safely arrived in Brooklyn and boarded the Corwith Cramer at 1400 this afternoon.

Although millions of people live less than a hundred miles away from it, very few people know about one of the largest canyons in the United States, Hudson Canyon. This amazing underwater landmark is located south east of New York City and is the largest marine canyon on the United Sates Atlantic Coast.  It supports a large array of organisms and has been nominated to be a National Marine Sanctuary.

There has been a photo of the Corwith Cramer in my room for the past 11 years. It has had a place in my childhood home, college dorm room, and even my current house. The form has changed overtime – at one point the 8x10 framed photograph was replaced by a 2ft x 3ft poster print, but the image has remained the same.

Floating across the great blue, time flows a little differently here in our coconut life raft. At times it passes by slowly and at other times, all at once.