Location: Slipway English Harbour, Antigua
Blub blub blub blub Hello. This is the Ocean Star writing. After my many conversations with Graham MF Stuard on anchor watch, I have decided to take the final blog over for him and let you know all the things I have overseen and overheard. Today, I was appreciated. Boat wise. Finally. They cleaned me and loved me and put everything away! Yippee!
Also, there is a hurricane coming. Oh, no. Why did we find this out today? Great question. But, good thing I’m now hurricane ready, thanks to all these fools. But, also, they’re leaving tomorrow. So, I’m sad 🙁
It seems like they had a really fun day on board, and it seemed bitter-sweet doing things for the last time (last galley meal from JJo and Grape, last salty pit and last deckie crew, etc.) It has been hard to wrap everyone’s heads around going home and the things/people they are returning to. The crew has been trying to focus on the time they have left and making sure they are enjoying it while it lasts. The last games of Bananagrams (very intense between JJo and Graham), Secret Voldemort (had Jaden stress-eating pounds of trail mix), and hot seat have been played. Time is slipping by fast.
I am pretty sad that they’re all leaving. These cadets have treated me well, and we’ve had some awesome adventures together, from sailing for 3 days straight across the Caribean to swinging from my mast into the water to singing songs on deck as the waves crash all around us. It has been a pleasure to have each and every cadet on my deck, and in their own ways, they’ve all changed me for the rest of my years at sea. Bye, boat worms!
;(
P.S. – If I was Graham, I would’ve written a Dr. Suess-style poem that didn’t rhyme at the end, but I’m not. I’m the Ocean Star herself, so you don’t get that. I don’t have the same delicate and intricate yet somehow powerful way with words.
Captions:
1 – Ash cheesin’
2 – Grape, queen of da saloon
3 – Mealy-ception
4 – Professor or inventor?
5 – Shining chef
6 – Shining chef pt. 2
7 – Boy boat
8 – Reminder of how pretty Caribean skies can be
9 – Pt 2.
10 – Pizza at port
11 – Birthday girl mid birthday feast
12 – Shirt swap
13 – T for Totally Teagan
14 – Cake became up for public consumption
15 – Engine room rainbow?
16 – Birthday girl up high
17 – Blurry Ashworth
18 – How Return of the Jedi should’ve gone