Location: Tobago Cays, SVG
TODAY ON 88 FEET:
Hello Party People! Skipper speaking! Here to update you if you missed today’s episode! (spoiler alert. you did)
Skipper or slacker: After her 5-6 watch, the skipper had to get woken up by other crew members at a ghastly 7:01 AM. Crawling out of bed, she got a burst of excitement smelling the explosion of flavors coming from French Toast a la Ashlyn in the galley. But that was not enough to put a real pep in her step. As she slugged around the saloon, she tried to be as convincing as possible that today was a good one to wake up for. With most, she saw great success. With others (cough, cough Dani and Aidan), she struggled greatly. Truth be told, today was a good one to wake up for! Ocean Star was journeying away from the beautiful (potentially haunted) Union Island for The Tobago Cays after breakfast. The skipper finished off her third cup of coffee and got her hands on the helm to get us out of Chatham Bay. The Island, along with our amazing guide, Katrina, will be missed dearly.
Students or scoundrels: During the passage, we saw the top ten most tranquil moments on the Fall 2022 Ocean Star trip thus far. Crew members studied for the upcoming exam, drew some exotic fish for ID log books, or violently napped (shout out focsle boys). But this calmness was quickly put to a halt when they arrived at their new stomping grounds for the next couple of days. The Tobago Cays, Steph’s favorite place in St. Vincent, if you haven’t heard, is beyond breathtaking. With bright blue waters and the sighting of the Island seen in many folks on boards’ most referenced feature film, Pirates of the Caribbean, morale shot through the roof. Which was perfect timing for our next segment of…
*insert commercial break* Motts fruit snacks! Keep your sailors fueled through any passage! Great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be sure to buy in bulk! I heard 20 people can go through a pack of 90 in less than 48 hours.
Evens or odds: The sound of a Seamanship Knowledge Review left many crew members wondering what that would look like. I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the true nature of this review. Eyebrows raised as the skipper was instructed by Professor Drew to alert the crew to wear something they didn’t mind getting wet. Gathered in the saloon, the once united crew was split into teams by their given numbers. Tensions raised pretty quickly: lots of smack being talked, lots of bets being made. Drewski then finally spilled the beans and told everyone what was about to entail. The deck was severely dismantled in more ways than could be recounted. The sides of the boat were scuffled in countless areas. It was go time. Each team was assigned a side of the boat to clean up as fast and efficiently as possible. If that isn’t chaotic enough, staff members ran around with buckets of water. They asked trivia questions (originally about the boat, eventually much more obscure, i.e., “What is my favorite fish?!”- Heather). Despite the gallant efforts of the starboard side, the staff members decided that the port side prevailed. I heard they bribed Drew with the new Dinghy 8000 but whatever…
*insert commercial break* Dinghy 8000! Super fast! Great gift for your seamanship professors!
Open or closed: After the Seamanship extravaganza, the crew settled down in the saloon for a leadership class led by the one and only Alexis. The lesson about “Understanding Yourself” left everyone feeling very reflective. Leadership is a time the crew uses to open up to everyone on board; the questions during class allow people to get to know those they are living with a little better. Sounds pretty backward if you think about it. Another opportunity arose for the crew to express themselves after the scrumptious dinner of burgers and french fries. The squeeze question of the night was: “what is your most controversial/psychotic trait?” After the confessionals of dipping Oreos in lake water and eating cans of tuna fish for breakfast, the crew was left not quite knowing who to trust but moving past it nonetheless.
Crazy times here on O-Star! Hope you come back next time for another episode 🙂
Sneak peek to next time on 88 FEET:
Steph: “I pick the boat 80% of the time but the other 20…”
Photo 1: The skipper’s 4th cup of coffee on passage
Photo 2: “Where’d all the rum go” Island
Photo 3: Waring triumphing through broken acrylics
Photo 4: Professor Alexis doing KT’s hair
Photo 5: Studying at Sea
Photo 6: Green Flash!
Photo 7: Intense Light Saber Fight
Photo 8: RIP Casio