May 18-21, 2015

SSIS Longboat Trip

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all of our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time”

-T.S. Eliot

Day 1 – Friday Harbor to Jones Island

Boats docked @ Jones

Journeyman

>

< Tern

Shirts and hats, waterBottles strewn cross pristine beach

Make, then leave no trace

Gear

Day 2 – Jones Island to Shaw Island

Eating breakfast ahead of a long day

Loading up our boats

Tawan standing guard

“The sail flaps in the wind. The air is warm and moist. “Ready About!” Sasha yells. The water parts from flat to wavy. ‘Helms A Lee!’ I scooted to the other side of the boat which makes a sharp turn. Wind presses against our faces. Small waves rock the boat.”

-Sonora Tate

Let’s go sailing! Journeyman & Tern separate

Captain John tells us how to tie knots

Cruising

“It was hard to hold the jib really tight so it wouldn’t slip. The rope gave me calluses and my hands would hurt everytime I had to pull in the jib or know when we were tacking to switch the jib. I kept having to readjust the the way I was holding the jib. Once I was sitting with it wrapped around my hand and John soon notified me that this could take off my hand. So I held it tightly in my hand and I could feel some of the little strings on the rope sliding down my fingers. The next day Nahja told me I could wrap the jib sheet around a fould pin and then hold it. From then on, it was smooth sailing.”

-Gwendalyn Westerveldt

Crossing paths with the Adventuress near Deer Harbor

Adventuress >

Day 3 – Shaw Island to Turn Island

Breakfast at Shaw; Eggs + Bacon. Yumm!

Departing Shaw

At the helm

“My favorite moment was our 2nd night. We were on Shaw, and we were all huddled around the fire. We were singing songs and laughing. We started telling ghost stories. Gwen, Nickie, and I, were all hugging sitting really close together. Then Sofia came behind us and we turned around and screamed. I put my hands on my ears and kept saying ‘I’m gonna die’”

-Hannah Larkin

“I smell bacon from my tent. I put on my jacket and started walking to the kitchen. As soon as I sit down, Nahja starts running and telling us that the boats are beached.”

-Rotor Luigs

To drink or not to drink Lay low

Benedict Cumberbatch? Frankie and Kramer navigating

Maybe Not.

Sonora -drawn by Juniper Blomberg

“One last point…come on we can do this,” I said. We were heading towards Shaw. We were scoping out Bill Gates’s property when we couldn’t sail any longer. We took the sails down and got out the oars. “Paddle, 2, 3, paddle, 2,3,” Forrest and I said. We just have to get to that point on the rocks and we will be there. My arms ache and my face burns in the sun because Gwen was borrowing my sunglasses. We came up on the rocky point and see…more Bill Gates property!”

-Sonora Tate

A challenging moment…

Frankie –drawn by Juniper Blomberg

“My favorite moment was this: sailing from Shaw to Turn, it was very windy and cold and we were heeling over. Everyone was calm though. Some people were looking through Juniper’s journal or sleeping or drawing. It was peaceful in a crazy time, while other people were singing, “Benedict Cumberbatch!”

“I learned that the different parts of the boat have different names.”

“I learned that the fastest our boat went was 4.7 knots.”-Sasha

“I learned to keep a clean tent and an easy way to hold the jib.” -Rotor Luigs

“I learned that if you are rowing really fast but not to the pace of everyone else you will slow down the boat and go nowhere.” -Gwendalynn Westerveldt

“I learned that you cannot be irritable and not expect others to be irritable back. And that it’s hard to wash out bacon and egg grease.” -Sonora Tate

Things I learned…

Day 4 – Turn Island to Friday Harbor

Leaving Turn Island Going home!

Tern >

“There is no better feeling than waking up early, before sunrise, outside, surrounded by a sea of fog. Our last morning on Turn really felt like a moment suspended in time, calming silence interrupted bu an occasional blast from a passing ferry. These are the times that I try to forcibly remember every snapshot –a glistening sea lion, a platinum white sun burning off the fog, the sound of wooden oars churning the water in time. “A drop of Nelson’s blood wouldn’t do us any harm, and we’ll all fall in behind.”

-Forrest Marowitz