Heading out to SEA - Sailors for the Sea

Heading out to SEA

 April 30, 2018  | By: Oceana

See what our Onboard Reporter, Alex, has been up to as she prepared to head out on her journey to the open ocean with SEA.

First Look

tall ship, marine science, onboard reporter

We got our first look at the Corwith Cramer today! She is so beautiful, but looks tiny in comparison to the huge cruise ships that are docked next to her in the harbor. It’s crazy to imagine living on her in just two days. The next five weeks are going to be an adventure!

How Do You Test Out Your Foulies? 

rain, foul weather gear, bahamas

When it storms in the Bahamas it’s the perfect time to test out your foul weather gear! Instead of just testing out in the shower like we would at home we got to practice in real conditions which is so much more fun.

Putting Nautical Science Knowledge to the Test

bahamas, nautical science, sheet anchors

There are a few things that Captain Jason requires for boarding the ship: your passport, proof you can tie knots, and your sheet anchor. Sheet anchors are a compilation of everything we have learned in our Nautical Science course that we can easily reference on our voyage. We have been working diligently on our sheet anchors to get them completed before the boat, and there is no better place to do it than at the tide pools in the Bahamas!

Waving Goodbye to the Bahamas

bahamas, tall ship, marine science

Waving our final goodbye to the dock in the Bahamas! My shipmate, Alena, and I have been counting down the minutes until noon when Captain said our departure would be. It’s a very intensive process removing docklines, waiting for the Nassau harbor Pilot to board our ship, and go over safety protocols with all of the crew. We are expecting to motor for around a day and then catch better wind tomorrow and be a full-fledged sailing vessel!

Team Work Makes the Dream Work 

tall ship, marine science, hoisting

First time hoisting up the mainsail and we really needed everyone’s help! I definitely underestimated how impressed I would be with the mainsail up and how ready for the ocean Corwith Cramer really looks. We have had plenty of docked practice furling the jib, hoisting the fore staysail, and learning how to sweat lines like the fisherman’s throat halyard. All of these things were completely new to me, but the crew makes it look like second nature, so it’s very easy to catch on.

Stay tuned for more updates from our Onboard Reporter, Alex!

In collaboration with Sea Education Association (SEA), Sailors for the Sea is offering an award for a SEA Semester student to become an Onboard Reporter. SEA is an internationally recognized leader in undergraduate ocean education through their study abroad program. As a recipient of the new Sailors for the Sea Onboard Reporter award, Alex Merkle-Raymond is chronicling ocean health issues observed during her voyage aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, one of SEA’s tall sailing ship research vessels, in the Caribbean. Alex is a third year undergraduate student at Northeastern University.