Gifft Hill Live-Aboard Program Day 1

St. John, USVI

Ship’s Log written by Gifft Hill students Jayson, Kenzey, Li’Undray, Zoe, and Anais

March 11, 2024

Today I started with getting on a dinghy. I thought it was going to sink. When I got on the ship, I went to my room and came upstairs to play a game. Afterwards, we put up the sails. It was really fun. We also had to do a swim test and got to go swimming. The day has been pretty chill and I have had a lot of fun.

-Jayson

So what we did today is we started off with getting settled and then we went onto setting the sails. After that we took them down by going onto the bow in harnesses while others cleaned the deck. Afterwards we did a swim test and hung out in the water. Afterwards was dinner.

-Kenzey

So today, the first day on the Denis Sullivan, was pretty good. Today we got on the boat for the first time and it was pretty hot. We learned how to set the sails and coil the ropes. After a while we did a swim test and I did good but then I ran out of breath and was tired and then I had started to drown. It was embarrassing. After that we had a little swim time and dinner. This is probably the best dinner we will ever have on the Denis Sullivan.

-Li’Undray

The morning started off kind of chill, loading on the boat and meeting everyone. In the rest of the morning- afternoon, we learned about the boat and some boating words, the sails, and about the people and their jobs. We learned about coiling the ropes, folding the sails, and cleaning/taking care of the ship. For lunch we had rice, beans, and delicious plantains. After lunch we cleaned the dishes and got to chill. We learned more about the boat/jobs and got to take a break. At 3:00, we all did swim test and got to spend more time in the water swimming and jumping off the boat which was really fun. Then we got cleaned up and ready for dinner. Dinner was pasta, meatballs, and bread. So far today has been really fun, filled with new experiences. Can’t wait till tomorrow.

-Zoe

When we first boarded the ship, we were broken into our groups and given a sort of introduction. We started by motoring, but soon we were taught the names of the sails and helped hoist them. The journey took around 5 miles because the boat goes very slow in light winds. We anchored in Lindburgh Bay for the afternoon. We helped fuel the sails by walking over the net over the front of the ship. We had to wear harnesses which made us feel more secure, and I thought it was fun and would like to do it again. Then we did a swim test and swim call for the rest of the afternoon.

-Anais