Author: Riley, B Watch

This morning Ian woke me up for breakfast at 6 am telling me that it was
hot, that breakfast was in a little less than 20 minutes and that watch was
in 50 minutes. I thanked him and then got dressed. After that I got out of
my bunk just in time for breakfast. It was breakfast sandwiches, so good, I
ate one with plenty of hot sauce and avocado and headed back to my bunk to
finish getting ready. After I put on my harness I headed to the quarter deck
to muster for turnover. We’re doing JWOs right now or Junior Watch Officer
where two students (one for each half of watch) would have the deck and
would give commands to the other students; they would mandate rotations and
call out sail handling. I didn’t have to worry about it because I had
already been JWO twice. On deck the A watch JWO did the turnover where they
gave a debrief to the oncoming JWO (Teo) and spun the skirt on to them and
gave the hat over. I actually was supposed to be on lab but I switched with
Mattie because she hadn’t done morning science station often and then I
switched with Noah on dish because he gets really sea sick in the galley.

After turnover I headed down below to do the breakfast dishes I was in there
for about two hours before Teo called me up to do some sail handling because
we had to Gybe for science. After that Teo sent Liam to do dish to give me a
break and Noah and I worked to the Navigation report for class that
afternoon. We drew our track line stating in Woods Hole and ending at our
present location. Than we got the log of all of the nautical miles we had
traveled in the past 24 hours and the rhumb run, which is the nautical miles
from directly where we started to where we were with no turns as the crow
flies. Noah and I took a quick break for morning snack (grapefruit) and to
check in on science (I didn’t win the secchi disc bet). Than Obie (our watch
officer) gave us some reading to do so I read about how to steer with no
compasses and only by the wind and swells and gave Noah the highlights to
write on the whiteboard.

After that I was put on helm for an hour before I
went back to dish to start on the lunch dishes from the first seating. I had
almost finished the dishes before I had to go back on deck for turnover.
Paige was now JWO so she gave the debrief to C watch and they did the
turnover spin. After that all of B watch met on the high side for a quick
recap of watch and then we all went below deck for lunch. And that’s what a
morning watch looks like for me.

Author: Lily K., C Watch

Today was a rather irregular day aboard the Cramer for me because I was
Asst. Asst. Steward, or in Cramer words, stu stu! Instead of standing watch
today, I was cooking meals with our two stewards, an opportunity each
student has once per voyage. I was stood down from my dawn watch
(0100-0700), so I had a 0500 wake up to start on breakfast. Sleep in! This
morning, I went pretty simple with oatmeal and cereal. Cereal was a hit
because we had lucky charms, a rare Cramer delicacy.

After breakfast was cleaned up, I read my book club book, Cod, on deck and took a nap. At 1000,
I put out my mid-morning snack, plums, out on deck. Every morning around
0900-1100, we usually have our morning science station, which normally
includes three deployments: a Secchi disc, a Neuston net tow, and a CTD with
niskin bottles, as well as a surface station. After some more free time,
Raechel and Sebastian (the stewards) and I started on lunch. For lunch we
decided on tofu pad thai which had a delicious peanut sauce. After lunch I
started on my afternoon snack, brownies!! We were done just in time for
ships meeting/afternoon class. After our usual announcements and reports, we
practiced our gybes and sail handling because we have just began our Junior
Watch Officer phase of our voyage.

During JWO phase, each student has 2 opportunities to take on a leadership role on deck; this includes calling
all sail maneuvers and being responsible for everyone’s jobs and rotations.
To help us understand the steps of gybing a little better, for class we
gybed four times in a row. Each watch performed one gybe and each gybe was
called by a student who had previously been a JWO. After class, we wrapped
up with some brownies and I started on dinner. I made chicken and rice soup
with rosemary focaccia on the side. In between dinner seatings, I went up on
deck and enjoyed the sunset with friends. While my watch (C Watch) was
preparing to take the deck for evening watch (1900-0100), I was again stood
down because it was my steward day.

We have had some pretty consistent wind that had been in our favor since we
left Bermuda two days ago, so we have been cruising at a steady rate for the
last few days. The sea has also significantly settled, so the ride has been
pretty pleasant compared to our leg from Lunenburg to Bermuda. I had a great
day full of nice weather, science, sailing, and lots of cooking and I can’t
believe the sea component is coming to a close. I hope these wonderful
conditions last for the remainder of our voyage and I am excited for what’s
left.

Author: Cade W., C Watch

It's hard to encapsulate a day on the Cramer because everyone's day is
always so different, but I will describe how my day went today and hope that
will give you a good idea of what it was like living onboard for a day. My
wakeup was at 06:00 for my 06:20 breakfast and 07:00 watch. I got out of bed
and ate some biscuits made by the stews with some peanut butter. I went on
deck at 06:50 for watch turnover. We are currently in our Junior Watch
Officer phase and I was the first one.

I controlled the rotation on deck to make sure everyone did every role and wasn't in the same place for too long.
I also briefed the captain on our plan for the day and learned a lot about
how running a watch works. Towards the end of my time on JWO, I called a
sailing maneuver called gybing. It was intimidating at first but I got the
hang of it quickly and became more confident. Lily was the next JWO after
me, so I gave her an update and she took control. She did a very good job
running the rotation and also walked us through a gybe. It was cool to be
able to learn from not only my officers, but my classmates as well. After
watch we ate some delicious rice bowls for lunch. I did some journaling and
was able to talk with friends and relax for a few minutes before class. The
bell rang for ship's meeting at 14:15 and we were all on deck at 14:30. We
did our science, weather, and navigation reports for the day. Because I was
on morning watch, I presented the navigation report with Lily.

After reports and announcements, we had some study hall time for class. This was a nice
time to be able to catch up on work I was behind on because of our busy
schedule. After class, we had a lemon cake for Riley's 18th birthday that we
called the "Starboard Tack Cake" because it was slanted in the oven and
baked crooked.  It was still delicious though. We all sang happy birthday
and celebrated her milestone. Happy Birthday Riley!!!

I went on deck for a while to get some fresh air and look at the waves. I was feeling good today
but this is definitely the best cure for seasickness. It's truly a bonding
experience to sit on the deck boxes with someone and look at the horizon. I
took a nap before dinner, a vital part of life on a ship. I woke up for
dinner and ate some amazing homemade mac and cheese with peas, such a great
way to end the day. I helped clean up and hung out in the main salon until
around 19:45. I'm staying up a little too late to be on dawn watch, but it's
always so fun to have some laughs in the salon before going to sleep. Well,
goodnight, I have dawn watch wakeups at 00:30 so I gotta get to sleep.
P.S. Hi Mom, Dad, Callie, and Bob!!! I miss you all so much! See you soon
enough. Love you! (Pet the animals for me).

Author: Emma H., A Watch

After a challenging week of sailing through intense weather, it was so
exciting when we heard Whistler say "Land Ho" while standing at forward
lookout. As soon as the faint outline of Bermuda came into view, we mustered
at the bow in awe. The dark blue, choppy water all of a sudden turned a
gorgeous turquoise color, seeming clear. After tidying up the boat and
furling the sails, the Bermuda pilot boat began to lead us through the
channel towards the dock. Motoring into the Bermuda port was unlike anything
I have experienced and it was extremely different than Lunenburg. Luscious
greenery and uniquely colored homes lined the shore of the narrow channel.
It felt surreal.

As our dock arrival neared, it became hectic as we finished
setting up fenders and dock lines. As I was trying my best to hang on ever
so tightly to a fender over the science deck, I realized that in a matter of
minutes I would get to give Elsa the biggest hug. Oh how we have missed her
so much! A hectic hour later, Elsa and Brooks were allowed aboard the
Corwith Cramer! We had so much fun sharing stories about all of our unique
journeys.

The Bermuda Customs Office was so efficient! In what felt like a
matter of minutes, we were cleared to get off the ship! After these very
rocky days aboard, it felt pretty good to step on solid ground. We spent an
amazing rest of our day exploring the gorgeous town of St. Georges. Our
first stop was ice cream (which wasn't much of a surprise considering the
insane amount of ice cream we all indulged in while in Lunenburg) and then
we were off to Tobacco Bay to swim! It was a gorgeous snorkeling and
swimming cove which had unique rock and sand formations lining the division
from where the water rolled in from the Atlantic.

After exploring different coves and taking in the view from Tobacco Bay, it was time for a dinner and
oh how our group LOVES to eat! All 22 of us were able to be seated at the
same restaurant on an outdoor patio overlooking the water. We ended our
amazing day in Bermuda with full bellies and lots of laughter. Even though
it's bittersweet to only get to experience all that St. Georges has to offer
in just one afternoon, we made the most of it and created more memories that
will last a lifetime. I am excited to see what the last leg of our trip
brings as we head to Newport tomorrow. I am sure that by tomorrow we will
already have started to discuss what ice cream flavor we want to get in
Newport. Oh, except for Noah. He is very loyal to Vanilla every time!

Author: Ian R., A Watch

Wow. Bermuda is a beautiful place. The water is so clear and the town and
its architecture is so cool. But because of Hurricane Tammy and the weather
window that has opened up, we have gotten underway again and are quickly
running away from the storm. But to everyone’s delight, Elsa is back with us
on the boat after not being able to join us since the beginning of the trip.
B watch got up at 6:00 for a 6:20 breakfast to get us underway at 7:30. It
was sad to leave Bermuda knowing we had had such a short time on shore and
force 7 winds and big waves waiting for use outside of the protection of
Bermuda harbor. But everyone understands we need to get going and are ready
for the final leg of our voyage. As we made our way out of the harbor, we
quickly began to feel the big waves and fast winds against the boat. Water
was beginning to slash up onto the deck and we all knew what we had ahead.
And of course, right as we are getting out of the harbor, the Proctor and
SEA flags got stuck and Jeremy had to climb aloft to help free them. We
begin sailing with the Main Staysl and the Fore Staysl up. We start making
about 6.5 knots with just those sails which is crazy, and travel West around
Bermuda. While we are making ground, I decide to go up on deck and read the
Lord of the Rings. (Now father, if you do not know who is writing this yet
you should now, but that is if Ma has not already scrolled to the bottom of
the page to see if I am finally writing a blog.) The Morning watch was very
chill and eventually lunch came around and it was LEFTOVERS. Solid lunch by
Rachel and Seb. B watch then handed over the deck to C watch at 1300 till
1900. I then played Noah Young in a vicious game of spit which went on for
about 45 minutes. The game went back and forth the whole time and Noah ended
up coming out victorious. That took us all the way to class where Jeff
talked to use about corals the geological history of Bermuda. And Captain
gave us further information on what our JWO (Junior Watch Officer) watches
will entail. After class, book club groups met and people took some naps.
Because I have nigh watch, I am writing this blog in parts. So I have stated
it at 17:00 and will pick up later during my watch.

I have finally found myself a window of time. To pick up where I left off,
dinner was really good, it was rice bowls with meat and a very good sauce.
My watch then took over and now I am on lab with Emma and Nick but since a
storm hit and the waves have picked up we are not able to do anything, so we
have been helping out on deck. I was actually just at the helm for about an
hour and a half and Emma was at look out right next to me. It was fun, but
in these conditions when the boat is getting thrown, it can be really
difficult to keep it on course. And while I was at helm we saw a Moon bow.
It’s like a white rainbow at night. Now those on deck have taken over and
Emma and I have a break before we have to do a surface station at 2300.
Overall watch has been good so far with some rain and the boat heeling over
a lot.

Watch last night ended well. The Last two hours were very funny because I
think everyone was starting to get a little delirious. After a good six
hours of watch, B watch came to relieve us at 1:00. We had a short watch
meeting and the next thing I knew I was passed out in my bed. After another
great day.

This trip so far has truly been the experience of a lifetime. I am loving
every moment from getting thrown across the boat because it is heeled over
so far, to us walking around Lunenburg. The professional crew on this trip
are all amazing and there is no other group of kids I would rather be
experiencing this with. I have learned so much about myself and who I want
to be and I am so excited to keep learning new things. These kinds of trips
do not come around very often for many kids and we are such a fortunate
group of people that this experience can be a reality in our lives.  But
sadly this trip is coming to a close soon. I am going to miss the Corwith
Cramer and everyone on it. But I will always remember this experience
forever.

And to Mom, Dad, Annie, and most of all Maddy, I love and miss you all so
much and can’t wait to see you. And Of course, let’s go Yankees.

Author: Liam M., B Watch

Today started off like any regular day, getting woken up and coming onto
deck very tired and looking out at the horizon and seeing pretty calm seas.
Unlike last night, we were out of the Gulf Stream now and into calmer water.
Except I didn't see much of a horizon because I was on dawn watch and it was
1:00 AM in the morning. I was in lab with Paige, Riley, and Alli and we were
chilling, it had been a pretty calm watch since there were no deployments
because of rough weather. After our watch ended and we mustered we all went
straight to bed. I only got 2 hours of sleep though and then woke up at 9
and for some odd reason and couldn't fall back asleep. So I took a shower
and went up on deck and before I talked to some people on C watch I noticed
the sea color, it looked oddly purple for some reason.

Then up until class at 14:30 everything went on as a normal day. The beginning of class was
normal with reports on Navigation, Weather, and Science. But then for the
main activity we were told that we were doing a special secchi disk bet but
there were multiple colors on. So as watch we guessed which colors would
disappear and which would stay the longest. But there was a surprise,
instead of a secchi disk it was two containers, one of M&M's and the other
one with Skittles. At first we did actually throw M&M's in the water and
kept track of how long we saw them but after that we all just ate them and
had a good time. Then after that it started raining for a little bit and we
went to the main salon and there it was, fudge popsicles and jolly rancher
popsicle.

Now at this moment I don't know if I could've been happier. So
most people grabbed fudge popsicles and some grabbed Jolly Rancher popsicles
and it was really good. Then since it was raining A-Watch was on deck and
the rest of us were either sleeping or playing cards. Then it was just a
normal day until about 17:30 or 4:30 PM. At which some of use went on deck
because it was too hot below deck, and the first sight we see is massive
waves crashing over the side of the ship and onto the deck. So what do you
do at that moment you might ask, well some of us stayed down below and slept
but most of us got our harness and went to the bow, and within minutes all
of us were soaked.

Most of us sat at the bow singing songs and chanting to
What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor. The swells were so big that it would
hit the side of the ship and drench us all in salt water. Some people were
smart and got there foulies on, Jackson even got his swim shorts on, but I
just sat there in all cotton having the time of my life with everyone else.
We sat out there for about 50 minutes and then went to dinner and dried off,
then throughout the night the waves just got bigger and bigger. But most of
us had fallen asleep, I wanted to but I was on watch for six hours again off
of two hours of sleep, not a smart decision on my part but I had fun so I
was fine with it.

Author: Tessa G., B Watch

When I was woken up by Sophie for dawn watch my first thought was, already?
Having just fallen asleep after a lot of rolling around my bunk it was
already time for Bravo Watch to take over the deck. Once Johnny had the con
I was sent to helm. The waves were pounding against the bow of the boat and
salt spraying back onto the lookout and I. Steering in the huge waves was
difficult but eventually I got the hang of it. A boat check and learning how
to use the GPS to track other boats was next. The trick to a good dawn watch
is to just keep on doing things. Onto the third hour and I was assigned to
forward lookout, singing to keep myself awake and alert. Liam paid a special
visit from lab and we discussed our Pizza Chef orders. Every Dawn watch at
about 0400 a watch comes together on the quarter deck for tea time. Today's
tea time was special though. Since there was lightning nearby all of the
students were sent to the lab. Waiting out the storm over M&Ms and chai we
talked about our upcoming arrival to Bermuda and the first things we want to
do when we arrive. Many answers included just being on solid land. Wakeups,
a few dishes, stealing the leftover apples and peanut butter from breakfast
and one last boat check ended my dawn watch. Immediately I flung myself into
my bed and went back to sleep after a long and salty six hours. Whenever I
am on dawn watch I use the time to reflect on the trip so far. I think about
the new friendships I've made and the old ones I've strengthened. I think
about my family and how I can't wait to see them when I return back to land.
I have come up with many ways to keep my mind awake during the hours of
darkness. Although dawn watch is not my favorite watch time to be on I try
to make the best of it as much as I can.

Author: Cole J., A Watch

When someone asks you what you did today you usually start with when I woke
up I did this, but I did not wake up, I was already awake. At 0000 the
science team, which consisted of Whistler, Jordan, and I (What a squad)
finished analyzing Chlorophyll-A and started processing seaweed. That is
just a few of the things we do in the lab. After getting relived by B-Watch
at 0100 I was conked out until breakfast at 0700. I woke up to some mad good
pancakes and then took a nap right after until watch meeting at 1100. We had
just recently switched watch officers and It was a good chance to finally
get to know them on a personal level. After watch meeting we haD some
downtime until lunch, where we played spit, which is our groups favorite
card game. Then we had lunch at 1220 and watch at 1300. Watch was what you
call a hectic watch. We did a lot of sail handling during class which made
in it feel like a crazy watch. We started watch heading in the wrong
direction but after class we jibed and quickly got back on course steering
190 degrees Compass to get us to Bermuda. Today was good, a little rain here
and there but overall one for the books. And the lasagna oh man, after a
long hard watch it was really what I needed. Best meal so far, but not as
good as yours, mom, don't worry. Thanks Tess and the galley crew for a bussy
meal.

Although it's only been two weeks I would say I have made memories of a life
time, whether its sailing while the sun is rising or playing card games in
the salon, or vlogging in the streets of Luneburg, or playing hangman and
Wordle during times when we shouldn't be, it has been the quite the
experience and I would have to say that although times can be rough aboard
the Cramer I am super grateful for this experience and cannot wait to
continue sailing with this group of people to Bermuda.

Author: Myles S., C Watch

My Birthday started at 0000 when I turned 17. I was on helm steering the
ship. I was relieved and then plotted some points on the chart. I ripped a
boatie. Don't worry it was just a boat check. Then change over happened and
I went to bed at 0115. I woke up at 7 to the ring of the bell right in my
ear. It was none other than Ian ringing it to wake me up for Breaky. There
were Breakfast Sandos and Ian did them right. They were so good and then
went back to bed. I know it seems like I just sleep for the whole day but
don't worry this day was jam packed with events. I wake up for the final
time at 11 and get a lot of Happy Birthdays while still waking up. It was so
warm today I got to wear shorts and a tee shirt. It was a nice break from
the bone-chilling cold that we were so accustom to. It was so warm because
we were in the Gulf Stream.  We had lunch at 1220 then I got ready for
watch. I was on dishes today so I was in the Galley with Rachel, Seb, and
Ian. It was a squad.

For the first part, I was all alone just doing dishes.
I go up on deck and see Madi giving Tahoe (Teo) a haircut. If you ask Tahoe
he will say it looks really Good! If you ask anyone else they will say it is
not very good.  Then we had class which was fun and we prepped the ship for
heavy weather that was coming. We put nets to save us from falling
overboard. We also rigged a line on each side of the ship that we have to
clip into to walk along the deck. This did not stop Lily's sunglasses and
hat from going overboard! They both just flew right off! We also got a visit
from a pod of dolphins. There were 3 babies and they were so cute! This is
when the afternoon got eventful. We celebrated my birthday and had a cake
with brownie on the bottom and cookie on the top. And you know what goes
great with those? Milk. I got a full quart of milk and it was the cherry on
top of everything! That combo is top 10 in my book. I went back to do more
dishes and Rachel, Seb and Ian joined me.

We were slowly starting to rock back and forth. Then we hit a big wave and everything falls I am holding
stuff in all my hands and a can with my foot when I see a mug starting to
slide. I yell at someone to get it and at the last second  Ian grabs it! It
was sick! Every few minutes we have a wave like that. Until we get to the
biggest one of the day. Ian was up on deck so it was me with and the 2
stews. The wave hits and we turn 35 degrees on a keel. We have little metal
walls that keep the food in but we had extra ones that slide so I was
holding those.

While this was happening the water from the 2 sinks fully fly
out onto my legs! Then out of no where one of the metal things flies across
the galley and misses my knees and hits the wall with such force that it
makes a small dent in the wall. It was exhilarating! The boat came back to
like a 5 degree keel and it comes down screaming CADE WAS OFF THE DECK AND
WAS HOLDING ON TO JUST A ROPE. Cade that must have been so scary but also
sick. And don't worry he was clipped in and was safe within the rails but
just off the ground because the boat was on the it's side. So yeah the day
carried on like that and I got off watch and had some burgers. I am writing
my blog right now with my mouse falling across my screen with the boat
rocking. Signing off.

Author: Noah Y., B-Watch

Early this morning we departed Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, after an amazing 4
days there. B-Watch was on watch that morning so we were responsible for
leaving dock. The students were on fender control, which controls the bumper
buoys so the ship doesn’t hit the dock. We had rotated watch officers this
past weekend, so today was our first real watch with them. Our watches
stayed the same but we switched mates, scientists, and deckhands. We first
had the 2nd mate Jeremy, 2nd scientist Nick, and our deckhand Maggie. Now,
we rotated to the chief mate Johnny, 3rd scientist Ali, and Hillary as our
deckhand.

It was tricky getting out of the dock in Lunenburg. Teo was on
helm (steering the ship) while the rest of us were either sail handling or
stowing various items. After we got underway this morning, I was in lab with
Teo and Tess. We did a few deployments, including the secci disk (records
light penetration in the water column), a shipek grab (collects seafloor
sediment), and a neuston net tow. We caught a starfish in our shipek grab
which was crazy very cool. In the neuston tow, we caught a juvenile cod
which was also interesting. Ian was the winner for our secci disk bets with
9m (which is the 18% light penetration depth). While all of this was
happening we noticed two land birds from Lunenburg on the boat, we named
them Rick and Morty.

After we turned the watch over to C-Watch we all ate
lunch and I took a nice nap. Then we had class at 1430 which included our
normal science, navigation, and weather reports. But then it started raining
so we had to move inside to the main salon. Today’s class was about
different ocean zones at different depths and wildlife’s adaptation to those
different environments. After that I took another nice nap until dinner.
Overall today was a pretty good day with a lot going on.