First Impressions: Colorado Springs School Aboard Roseway Day 1

Green Cay, St. Croix, USVI

Cailan R (‘23), Ella B (‘22), Haegan M (‘23)

Today was our first day stepping foot on the boat, and seeing it up close on the dock made us more excited than we already were. We started off talking about our hopes, fears, and expectations for the trip ahead. Some of our hopes included: stepping out of our comfort zone, taking on the responsibility of a leader, trying new things, and getting to know the ship and ourselves better. The first few tasks on the ship gave us a look into what we were getting into for the coming weeks. Of course with no prior knowledge of sailing or the terminology, there were some complications. However, we kept in mind that this was only our first day, and we’ve got a lot of room for improvement. 

The first thing we did upon boarding was take a tour of the boat. We familiarized ourselves with the living quarters we were going to be staying in, quickly realizing how small they actually were. The swim check was a task that we were surprised to be faced with, if only for the fact that we were already on the boat. After the swim check, we finally got into the hard work. We learned pin-staying techniques, how to raise the sails, and different methods of coiling the ropes. The chef, Jen, prepared us two wonderful meals: fried rice for lunch, and spaghetti for dinner. Finally, after our evening chores, we sat down and discussed some important words and ideas that we should keep in mind throughout the trip.