Life on the deck of the Cramer involves a lot of what some might call thankless tasks. Today, as we tacked around the end of Martha’s Vineyard, we had to strike the two stays’ls very quickly. B Watch, along with some miscellaneous folks that happened to be on deck, was confronted with a blur of muscle work

Hello to everyone reading this blog. It’s been a long, beautiful 24 hours on the Cramer. Just about a day ago I was settling into a beautiful Evening Watch—1900 to 0100. On lookout and the helm, I got a pretty excellent view of a full night sky.

Today was special, and most onboard would say, that is an understatement. Of course memories are short.  The day started off a bit rough.  We were motor-sailing in some rolly, confused seas.  The galley lost a bunch of eggs in one of those rolls and first sitting breakfast ‘only’ had bagels, fruit and bacon to start the day.

On our fourth day in program we are taking advantage of our proximity to shore to work our way up into a protected anchorage that should look very familiar to students (at least as they gaze at the chart in the pilot house). This river and its entrance were key elements in one of their piloting exercises on shore. Now they can see how the channel, the landmarks, and the navigational aids look in person.

What a difference a day can make.  That saying comes to mind as I reflect upon the past 24 hrs while comfortably sipping my afternoon tea as students prepare for a swim call.  That most certainly was not the scene onboard Cramer just 12 hours ago when salt spray was lashing across the deck in the middle of the night and students were bundled up in their foul weather gear!

This afternoon, faculty and crew welcomed 24 new students to the SSV Corwith Cramer, their new home for the next six weeks.

Another busy day aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer!  The new crew have really taken to their new home and have spent the day diligently learning more about their responsibilities during various emergency scenarios:  M.O. B (Man Over Board), Fire and Emergency, and Abandon Ship.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Gap year students and university undergraduates enrolled in SEA Semester Class C-294, Atlantic Odyssey and Ocean Exploration, join the SSV Corwith Cramer in Woods Hole on Oct. 11 for a nearly six-week passage to Key West, Florida, where they arrive Nov. 18. There are no scheduled port stops.

Greetings,

Today, the SSV Corwith Cramer docked in Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI, completing the C-288 voyage from Woods Hole, Ma to the Caribbean.

Much has happened for the Corwith Cramer and her crew over the weekend.  We shifted anchorages to Rendezvous Bay, held final Oceanography Presentations and celebrated everyone’s creativity with a Cramer Art gallery.  That was Saturday!