Setting Sail

We fold the sails up every night and have to raise them every morning. This is us in our glory.

We also trying put up a couple pictures in some of the previous posts as well.

Voice of the Sigsbee

Hi, I am the Sigsbee. In all my years as a boat (more than 100) sailing the Chesapeake Bay, I have never seen anything quite like what I saw on that hot summer day oh so long ago (yesterday). John, the educator that works on me helped the kids from catch many oysters in the dredge.



The kids got to separate the live oysters from the dead ones and the live ones filtered the chocolate milk-colored water they were in by the next day. Quite impressive.



Along with the oysters was mud and other stuff but the kids really got into the mud. Not only did my passengers get dirty but so did I. I was ready for a deck wash.



Then all the students put their hands in the mud and got it on their faces, arms and clothes. One boy in particular, Dominick, covered his entire face and looked lie a gooey grey hulk. It was actually quite scary.

The kids later swam at my side in the bay. Speaking of deck wash, they had the pleasure of giving me a bath and getting me partially clean, but from this experience there was something I learned: Kids will always be kids.

Blue Crab Rap

Our crab came from the bay
and some might say
"he's a little fiesty"
and that may be

Everybody knows our crab is cool
He's called CALLINECTES SAPAIOUS in science school

You can tell he's a male by his underside
5 to 9 inches is the average size

They're good to eat
they have a lot of meat

with their 5 pairs of legs
and 2 million eggs

They have a hard shell
in case you couldn't tell

They swim around a lot
can be caught in crab pots

Their name means beautiful savory swimmer
Deer Park eats a lot for dinner

They get eaten by eels
as their evening meals

When they're born they're called zoeae
You can see them swimmin in a clear container

When they're older they're called megalops
this is when they grow hard tops

This one here is real mature
Hope we have it for LA DEJAIRE.

Lucky or Just Really Good?

Yesterday I was one of the two people who DIDN"T get stung by a jellyfish. Yay! Last night we had smores and they were delicious. I'm having a blast here.
-Priyanka

Last night I learned some card games: Donkey, Big 2, Spades, Blackjack, Hearts, and another solitare. I also did well and won a couple times. At the end of the day we made smores. That was one great day.

After an extremely lucky escape from the jellyfish sting epidemic, I scraped myself up while climbing a tree. Otherwise camp is good and I'm learning a lot like how to put up a tent and make instant oatmeal (first and last things I learned on the trip so far). I really want a shower though which was made apparent when I got ecstatic over being able to wash myself with car soap and a hose.

The Mis-adventures of the Real John Horton

Last night there was a really cool storm. Two nights ago when we were swimming, I got stung by a jellyfish, stepped on a crab, fell on an oyster bar, and tripped over a wooden pallet. That was a tough 10 minutes.

What's In Your Trawl Net?

Well, well, well. Quite a bit has happened since our last entry so we'll post a couple different things today- maybe even some pictures.
Yesterday, we went trawl netting and caught some cool stuff. We broke up into four groups to present four of the animals to the rest of the group.
Sara, Melissa, and Brian presented the flat mud crab. They wrote a rap that started like this: " I want a flat mud crab with big tipped claws, its got eight muddy legs- not a single paw".
The big surprise was when the girls rapped how the crab was pregnant and Brian showed us the spongy egg-sac.
Priyanka, Samantha, and Rachael wrote a song as a rap but by the time the presentation came around it was part pop, part rock ballad, part giggle. Their informative song was about the blue crab probably answered any question you could have about the species.
Taylor narrated the interpretive dance performed by Dominick, and John. We never knew that sea nettles and comb jellies had it in them. Their performance was very interactive as the actors "darted", "wrapped their tentacles around prey", and "ate 500 copepods in one hour".
Just like Taylor, Isabelle decided to use an English accent for her presentation. She told us about the flounder while Grace and Jonathan stood on the side like backup singers and did their best sideways flounder impersonation.

Letter to my Family

Hi Mom and Dad.
We decided to write a letter to let you know how we are doing. We have only been away for one day but we are already coated in grime. It is yummy.
During our first night at the campsite, we all had to go to the bathrooms with out "potty partner". At the bathroom, Isabel was vicously attacked by a huge spider but she managed to escape alive. Or it could have just been nothing since it was pretty dark.
Priyanka enjoyed dinner and finished off the pot of sauce. Everyone else licked their plates clean as well. Pineapple/Jonathan will eventually find his toothbrush, so don't worry about that.
This morning, Grace woke up and let us know that her inflatable mattress pad was still 3 inches thick. CJ the RA doesn't think it will last the whole nine days but we'll see.
We had breakfast on the boat and afterwards Sam, Sara, and Melissa volunteered to do the dishes. They learned how to operate the sink but unfortunately this was after the dishes were washed.
TR saw what looked like an eel attacking a crab, but even more bizarre could be Dominick with pink and purple nail polish modeling the type 1 life jackets.
We learned about coiling ropes, setting sails and tying knots. We also could tell you guys a little about bumping and knobby thingies.
John became a rock star icon on the last boat even though he was on land at the time. Brian and Rachel are both doing fine and haven't let a little poison ivy spoil their fun. We'll write more soon.
Take care and have fun.


Love your kids,
The Oystas

Last Day!

Twas the night before campus and all through the boat
Was a feeling of excitement and hope.
The campers were happy, because they made great friends
But they were saddened the camping will end.
Through out our camping experience we saw many things.
These natural beauties were more valuable than diamond rings.

-Ethan (w/ a little bit of Jackie and Sophie)



Notes from Rachel on the last two days:
For the last two days we have been staying at Point Lookout, where an old Civil War prison used to be. Yesterday we were supposed to sail to a different campsite, however the 30 knot winds on the bay prevented us from leaving. Instead, we went to St. Mary's historic site by van. We also went on a short hike. This was our last night camping, and we are sad to go back to campus, but excited for showers and cleanliness. All in all, this has been a great experience and we have all made a lot of friends.

Day Six

Dear Beloved Parents,

Half the crew is missing. While we were sailing today we hit a large motor boat wake...a couple campers fell off the boat. Yet, we were having such a great sail that Captain Kate told us to keep going. Later that day, the survivors went to a thrilling museum and enjoyed 5 star dining. Ethan enjoyed a $2,000 bill (he sent it to his parents, of course) while Rachel satisfied herself with the simple caviar, lobster and sea bass plate. Jackie and Veda ate illegal whale...shhhh! Decker ordered the most high-end meal---Philly Cheese Steak. However, he didn't know what it was until he got it. Loie, Veda, Beverly and Sophie continue to enjoy oakum. Also, Kelly devastated a "Fat Daddy" sub while James ate 6 pieces of pizza. Adam and Jose skipped dinner to participate in a lively game of sumo wrestling. Right now we're preparing to swim ten miles. In fact, we're swimming to the exact spot where half the crew fell off.
Love,
The Remaining Children

P.S. Our educator John shaved his beard!


RA notes: Everyone was delighted to devour six large pizzas in fifteen minutes, but I figured some of you folks might enjoy a little more substantive information about what we've been doing. On day six we got up really early in the morning and spent about five hours in transit from Taylor's Island to Soloman's Island. The winds were very strong, and the kids did a fantastic job of using all their sailing know-how to keep the boat going at seven and a half knots. (One knot is approximately 1.3 land miles.) This was faster than we've traveled so far during our voyage, and to give you a further idea of what that means I will just say that the boat's maximum speed is ten knots. We got to Soloman's Island at about three pm and went to a special oyster exhibit and then to an adjoining museum wherein we saw all manner of aquatic life, boat models, pictures of old ships (including the Sigsbee!) and fossil exhibits. After the museums we ate out, then we all played kickball and tie-dyed some t-shirts before battling with the bugs for a while and surrendering in favor of the plastic protection of the tents. This morning we went on a great fossil-hunting expedition around Calvert Cliffs, which was only about a half mile from our camp site. We have just set sail and are preparing for another great day on the bay, and I am trying to curb comments about how sad they are that the boat portion is coming to a close. All the kids are enjoying high praise from captain and crew, and getting along splendidly.

Day Five--Poplar Island

Today was a great day. We went to Poplar Island, a federally funded island being built in the Chesapeake Bay. At first we only saw a flat patch of nothingness. However, it was interesting because we had a tour around the island and saw different terrains made completely out of dredge materials. We also saw various birds that live on the island like cormorants and swallows. We asked the tour guides about the history of the island and realized that the island had completely eroded away and was brought back with the help of millions and millions of dollars and lots of dredge material from the bottom of the bay.

--Jose

Day Four--Oysters and Jellies and Rain Oh My

Today we went to the Oyster Hatchery at Horn Point, which is run by the University of Maryland. We had soooo much fun. It was like a dream. We got to scrub huge tanks so the oysters could have a clean environment, which was cool. Then we saw clown fish and sturgeon. Our RA Amanda was staring so intently at the positively radiant sturgeon that we had to pull her away when it was time to move on. After that, we saw oysters. A lot of them. Many of them had clams and worms growing on their shells. We all breathed in the scent of bay water for so long that it's still in our noses. When we were collecting oysters to sample the spat (baby oysters) on their shells, Ethan and Jackie got stung by jellyfish so they got to enjoy a special meat tenderizer paste that made their stings feel better. They want their parents to know that jellyfish stings tickle. Oh yeah, and it rained so hard today that a few of us took showers in the rain!

Love,
Sophie, Veda, and a little bit of Ethan

The photos are of us drying our nails after painting them pink and orange with Rachel's polish, of Amanda showering in the rain, and of all of us in the truck after loading two hundred bags with oyster shells.

Favorite Memories So Far

These are the results of a creative writing activity Captain Kate did with the kids. She asked them to write about their most poignant/vivid/treasured memories of the trip so far:

"Too much!" I cried, as I peered into the pot of nasty, sticky, snapped spaghetti. As I put my fork into my mouth the chunky strands of overcooked dough stuck to the roof of my mouth. I wanted to flap and wave like a bird to escape.



Dinner Number One:Words Can Hardly Describe It, But We'll Try
Chunky
Mushy
Chugging
Nasty
Sticky
Burned
Waving
Bird
Deer
Overcooked
Too much
Garlic bread
Cold H2O
Bonding
Snapping
Painful
Boring
Dirty
Soapy

FISHING:
Jellies
Haul
Flapping
Net
HC
Good luck
Sticky
Sniff
Snapping
Blue
Stinging
Watery
Green
Wet
Gooey
Pinch
Pop
Gasp
Crazy

These photos are James with his fender while docking, everyone throwing the net overboard to trawl for fish today, and Adam sniffing the net for good luck before we trawled!

The following may be slightly exaggerated:

Dear Mom and Dad,
Wow. Ethan and Jackie are the best vegetable cookers known to man! (Of course cooking veggies instead of leaving them raw was Rachel's amazing idea.) We stayed our second night at a campsite in St. Michael's Boat Museum. It was SOOOOOO exciting and fun! There was a model skipjack that kept the whole group fascinated for hours. We could have spent forever exploring it's beauty. After frying our hamburgers in delicious animal fat, we played an exceptionally friendly game of ultimate frisbee. It was a close game, but we know we are all winners at heart! We have quickly become one big not-purple family!

Please remember to feed Ethan's goldfish.

Love,
Ethan, Veda, Kelly, Rachel, Jackie

P.S. This isn't exaggerated much.

First Day On The Bay!!!

These photos are Kelly hangin out, Jackie furling the sail (folding it around the boom so we can tie it up) and Jose, Adam, and Veda after trawling and catching tons and tons of jellyfish!

Today we had our first day on the bay. Everyone did great on the boat and we pulled two huge, dead horseshoe crabs out of the bay to study. Our first team building activity was making spaghetti for dinner. Though we burned it and it was a bit chunky, we still thought it was noodely delicious! After dinner Ethan chugged an entire pan of tomato sauce to save us from all having to eat more until it was gone. Then we had an incredible swim under a bridge. It was really cool.
Afterwords we went back to camp, where our port-a-potty smelled like flowers on a spring morning (we were told we should keep the blog upbeat). We also learned to set up tents. The tents were made to fit like six people, but the counselors let us sleep 2-3 people per tent.

Thoughts at the United States Naval Academy

Yesterday we visited the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. Walked around the campus and visited a couple museums. Outside of one of the museums we as the cadets march in formation in their dress whites. This is our story (cue the "dun-dum" Law and Order sound)...

Matt: future architect with master carpentry skills, his old ship job would have been cannons.
"Very nice, fancy, informative. The best were the class rings because if yours was in the museum then it showed that you had superior skill."

Henry: undecided future job, his old ship job would have been cannons.
"Really organized with high security. I left my bag in the main lobby of the museum and in ten minutes Kevin comes to me with my bag saying they were going to blow it up."

James: future doctor, his old ship job would have been master in command
"They looked really cool. The cadets were really into it. The model ships were awesome."

David: future lawyer, his old ship job would have been privateer (because he wants to jump aboard enemy ships and fight the bad guys)
"During their marching, they were so synchronized. They were also loyal. The Don't Give Up the Ship sign showed how loyal they were to their country because it lists the people who had fought until they died."

Patrick: future chemist, his old ship job would have been navigator
"It was really prestigious. Not everyone (the students) realized how important the place was and so they didn't reapect it as much as the should have. It was a great place."

Paul: future member of the space program or armed forces, his old ship job would have been navigator
"I liked watching the formations."

Sarah: future dentist/orthodontist, her old ship job would have been captain.
"I think it was cool. There were so many names on the list of people who had died in wars from just this one college. The first place we went into had a picture of the captain of the Sigsbee (the first Captain of the Sigsbee, not Captain Kate)."

Wanda: future marine biologist, her old ship job would have been captain.
"I liked the displays at the museum. I didn't like the formations because it was silly; it seemed like a waste of time just to show off. But inside the museum was good."

Earl: future engineer, his old ship job would be gunman if there are no more captain positions
"It was the largest most beautiful place I ever been to. I'd love to visit again."

Mickey: future professional athlete, his old ship job would be bow watch
"The place was pretty cool. We got to see stuff that we probably wouldn't have seen anywhere else, like the cadets marching. In the main hall, my favorite thing was the picture of the guy who hung under the bridge with 500 pounds of plastic explosive in order to blow it up."

Amna: undecided future job, her old ship job would have been helmsman
"The Naval Academy had some really great artchitecture with lots of detail. The formations we cool because they had a starboard and a port formation just like us."

What I Have Learned So Far

Besides things like oysters, ships, coiling rope, knots, navigating, striking a sail, and positioning fenders, we also learned a bunch about ourselves and our team. This is what we know:

Navigating through the water is like navigating through life. You have to have a sense of direction if you're going to get somewhere. You should know where you're going but sometimes you don't have to. For me, this trip helps me to feel like I have a purpose. -Matt
I learned that I'm energitic and I can use this energy for sports or also to help people. -David
I thought work would be boring, but it is acutally fun. -also David
I learned about oysters but I also learned a lot about people. People from different cultures and the same culture were really, really fun. -Sarah
Teamwork helps out a lot. It makes everything easier and faster. For example, we were carrying a canoe with four people and it was a little heavy but not too hard. Then two people joined us and it was a whole lot lighter for everybody. -Mickey
If you're on a team and you don't cooperate things don't get done like they should. Cooperation is the key to teamwork. -Amna
It's easier to work in groups than by yourself. -Paul
Always be aware of your surroundings, even if it's just a little bit. -Henry (you might want to ask him about this one when you see him)
If you're on a team and you communicate, then each task will be a lot easier. -Earl
Without one person the whole team won't work right. If one person is homesick, the rest of the team can make him feel at home so they won't be sad and the whole group will benefit. -Patrick
Every single member is important and teamwork is necessary. If your team succeeds you succeed. Think about the team. -James

Working On Our Project

We had a wonderful time on the Sigsbee yesterday. We docked at Grannery Creek on Wye Island and then we took out some canoes. We were able to see the wetlands around the island as well as how the land on the island was managed. We saw some management techniques which we will be using on our Really Big End-Of-The-Session City Planning Project.
For this project we have been competing in two groups to come up with the best ideas to restore a once great 50,000-person city to it's orignal glory. We will reinvent it's history, redevelop it's economy, and plan what will be built where in this city on the bay.

Horn Point at Sunset

The bay looked like a blue silk blanket when you shake it. The sky was like a rainbow sunset behind the beautiful lit up Sigsbee. It was like a fairytale. -Amna and Sarah

Swimming With Sharks

Yesterday, after we left Horn Point, we went swimming in the Chesapeake Bay. It was fantastic even though the current was trying to push us out of our swim area. We all had life-vests and there were a couple lifeguards so you don't have to worry. We didn't really swim with sharks but there was an occasional jelly(fish) sighting.

We don't have pictures of us swimming in the bay but if we did we would have some trouble posting them. It's more difficult than we thought to get the pictures up while we are on the boat but we are still trying.

We think today will be our first shower day, even though we did get to use a solar shower after we swam in the bay.

Center for Enivronmental Science

We had a great time at Horn Point. While there we went to the AquaCulture Lab at the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science. We saw clown fish (Hello Nemo) and the pre-historic sturgeons that we being raised at the center but even more important to us were the oysters.

The center's goal is to put more than 350 million new spat in the Chesapeake Bay this year and we did our part. We cleaned huge tanks (they were big enough to play Ga-Ga in), cleaned the oysters (they have officially had more showers than us), and got to see what the center was doing at every stage of the oyster's lives.

We moved 200 30-lb bags of oyster shell with spat on them from the lab to the Choptank River. We got to go in the river but it was really shallow, only about three feet deep. The oysters seemed to appreciate our efforts. Here's what they had to say.

"Thank you for putting me in good water."- VALve
"Thanks to the people that helped me and my buddies move from my oyster tank to the bay."- Bubbles the Oyster
"Thank you for cleaning us up and putting us in salty water."- Squirts
"Thank you for putting me near other oysters and organizing us in the water so one day we can be free."- Shaq
"I'm thankful for the teens who cared about my health."- Fahloh
"I'm glad that the kids were willing to get muddy just to carry me to the water and save me."- Sarah Spat
"I would just like to say thank you for carrying me from my tank to the ocean so I can develop into a fine young oyster."- David the Oyster Spat
"Thanks for carrying me to the Choptank River. Thanks to you, I have a new home on an oyster shell."- Bob the Oyster

Wish We Had A Picture

We don't have any pictures up just yet, but if we did this is the stuff we wish we had a picture of:

1. waking up at 5:30am in a hall of the St. Mary's College student union (that's where we slept on our first night)
2. working in the storm to put up our sails (we were a real boat crew)
3. getting splashed/sprayed while on the boat (very, very wet)
4. seeing pelicans bomb dive the fish
5. steering the ship (don't worry, Captain Kate wasn't very far and she's a good teacher)
6. navigating the course of the Sigsbee (again, don't worry, first mate Sarah taught us how)
7. the crab we caught in a little strainer thing
8. us at lunch after we worked through the storm or us at dinner after half the day on the boat (no really, we were on there for a long time)

We'll have tons of pictures up very soon plus an added bonus for all those following our adventures.

Favorite First Day Firsts

Happy Fourth of July.
On our first day on the Sigsbee we met our captain, Captain Kate, as well as the rest of the crew. After lunch, we went out for a short trip but had to change our plans because of the weather. Still, there were some memorable firsts for all of the students.
Some firsts had to do with the boat. Most people thought their favorite first was just being on the boat for the first time while others, like Matt, were more specific and said really enjoyed their first time running up the sail.

We had a great time on land as well, from making dinner to learning how to set up camp. Henry and Patrick were pros at making salad and Amna used a butter knife to cut tomatoes wafer thin (almost...). Mickey helped make spagetti that everyone loved and we quickly finished.

Though we learned how to set up tents, actually didn't get to sleep on them on the first day. Because of that weather we mentioned earlier we slept inside. Perhaps we'll tell you more about that when you see us...

Sunday

This was another great day on the water and at camp. We had very smooth sailing all day until we reached port at Point Lookout State Park in the afternoon. Weather conditions were gorgeous and spirits were high and we were all looking forward to our one call home followed by a swim at a lovely beach. Unfortunately, the phone by the beach was broken. So we ended up making phone calls from a parking lot next to a store, but as there were no people in the vicinity we had a good game of parking lot frisbee going before long.
For the first time we camped on gravel, which took some getting used to as it was much harder to set in our tent stakes. But we had great facilities nearby, so we each took our second showers for the trip. Then some Camp Hosts came by and offered us a hay ride, so we rode out to the point singing songs and enjoying the breathtaking sunset. We also washed out our tie-dye. The batch was a mixture of success and white t-shirts tinged with pink. We are all going to sport them proudly in the next few weeks though.
We can't believe tomorrow is our last day on the boat! We've all had a fantastic time sailing and camping, but we're also excited for the Notre Dame portion of the camp. AC and showers every day!

On the bay again. We just can't wait to be on the bay again...

THIS BLOG IS FOR SATURDAY

Today we went fishing for the second time. We caught a bunch of fish and jellyfish and one Maryland blue crab that we named Marvin. Although Marvin was snappy, almost everyone held him. Later on we all created our own tie-dye t-shirts and then played a game of kickball. One team was winning for the entire time, but near the end of the game, the other team caught up and the game was tied. After the game we went to sleep and it rained all night.