Programs Blog

Hello world!

Today is Christmas… Local apparent Christmas. It being the 25th (yes of
April; no, we don’t care) it is a cause to celebrate. There is a Santa hat
hanging in the salon, Murph the steward is wearing antlers, and a string of
fairy lights has appeared. These days it takes very little to surprise me
and even less to fill me with gratitude for my little world aboard SSV
Robert C. Seamans.

You must understand that it is quite hard to decide on what to write for
our blogs. On the one hand, all our days are so similar, but on the other
hand I swear each day has felt distinct from the last – its own amalgam of
lessons, gifts, colors, and zooplankton. The stars, seas, even the dinner
tables are constantly in motion and it’s really very entertaining.

I have loved to allow myself to drift into the activities and thoughts that
come naturally to me. Guitar and fiddle music, grinning at the stars, and
conversations with my shipmates have been my most beloved pastimes. It has
been such a blessing to peek into the charming world of bosunry and
seamanship, learning from folks who have embraced the sea in their lives
and being inspired by the values they hold – values that reveal the magic
of this wet and windy world.

I have eaten delicious and filling food (plenty of food, mumma), belted
songs from Rise up Singing, felt the embrace of conversations in Spanish
with Jocelyn and Taylor, and learned so, so much about the sea that I
can’t wait to share with my dad. My friends and family are heartfelt
companions as I stand lookout in downpours. I look forward to the future
and give thanks to the past in the moments I’m not (somewhat by necessity)
living in the present.

To my parents and bro: Happy birthday mumma! A year on earth is a long way
to fly through space. Every minute is brand new, and every breath is a
drink of water.  I can’t wait to tell you everything. Papa – tengo muchas
cosas para contarte tambien. En los momentos cuando la mejor manera de
entender algo sera sentirlo con las manos y el corazon, pienso en ti. Niko –
I’m doing a lot of exploring and investigating, big and small (Belomo) and
many things make me think of tidepools and you. I miss you all and I am
smiling.

Franzi – I am here because Opa told me to sail. Well, he was
right. When everything in your body tells you you’re in the right place
and all the new things you are learning feel like distant memories, it’s
like a firm hug and a gentle encouragement. Opa is with me often here. I
can’t wait until our next chance to chat and enjoy each other’s company,
Franzi!

Here’s a song I wrote to the tune of “We Are Young by Fun.” as part of a
presentation to class about us students leading a sailing maneuver called a
gybe:

Give me a second, I need to get the order straight

I said to square the braces, but I’m getting weird looks from my mate

Now hands to the mains’l sheet and two turns to the lee

Wait until the wind’s astern before we haul the sheet

And I know that I’m not Captain Allison

I guess that I, I just thought

Maybe by a month aboard I’d figure it out

But now here I am

Giving commands

And I’m pretty sure I’m doing it wrong

(chorus)

Woah! Gybe ho!

Hands to pass the jib and stays’ls

Ease that mains’l

Till we go!

That’s all I’ve got! Thank you for reading and singing along! Send us
breezy thoughts so we can keep setting all these big sails.

Liam Carvajal Janke, C Watch, Bowdoin College