SEAmester Student Diaries
"diaries sent from sea"

March 9, 2008

Alex Simolaris
UMass Dartmouth

T.S. Eliot wrote "if you aren't in over your head, you'll never know how tall you are." SEAmester is definitely a testament to that quote. In the past ten days the students and crew have all worked hard academically and physically, dealt with limited sleep and rough weather, and undergone a myriad of experiences most people only dream about.

Our first sail was from the clear blue waters of St. Thomas to the culturally rich and coral laden shores of Tortola and Marina Cay, B.V.I. It was a fascinating experience. We had a class about coral reefs early during the day, snorkeled in the afternoon, and later that night found ourselves reef snorkeling in the darkness, with a flashlight and a underwater drawing slates. The very next day we were permitted on shore and helped sail the Gli-Gli, a 35 ft. traditional dugout canoe that was sailed throughout the Caribbean to promote Carib culture, which was largely destroyed by European colonists.

During the passage from Tortola to Antigua, we sailed full and by (sailing into the wind,) and learned just how difficult sailing can be. After experiencing 25-30 knot winds, 8 ft. seas, and personally experiencing a hit to the face by a jib sheet during a tack, we learned to respect the power of the ocean. The whole passage was a challenge for all of us, but an invigorating and inspiring time in which to experience sailing in the way that people used to sail hundreds of years ago.

Seamester isn't a cruise. Everything here requires personal sacrifice and teamwork. Whether it's doing the dishes, setting the sails, or studying for the next test, just about every challenge can only be overcome by working together. Living on the ship often means long hours. There's watch duty four hours during the day, and four hours during the night. Everyone has to haul on heavy lines, help prepare and clean up after meals, and maintain the ship. Then tack on your daily classes, fieldtrips, and required reading, and you'll find that dealing with limited sleep is a way of life on board.

At the time of this writing we're docked in Antigua, a beautiful island that finally gained its independence from England in the 1970s. Despite the fact we are not currently sailing, our daily routine has been action packed. Already we have had several classes, nearly 40 pages of assigned cultural readings, a science field trip to a mangrove ecosystem, a field trip to the capital city of St. John's where we bumped into an International Women's Day Rally. Later we had dinner and a conversation with one of the most well known entrepreneurs in the Caribbean. The night before we happened to have some time off, which myself and a few of my classmates used to go socializing to converse with the locals about the island, Rastafarianism, politics, and of course, the best local rum. You can study culture your entire life, but the best way to learn about it is to see it for yourself.

So far SEAmester has been a difficult but incredibly rewarding set of hard work, new experiences and indescribable adventures happening in rapid succession. Whether it's studying hard one day or reef diving the next, being on this ship with such amazing classmates, crew, and educators has undoubtedly been the best and most enlightening experience of my life.