We made it to Hawaii!

19 days travelling across the Pacific Ocean, and we finally made it to the port of Hilo, on the big Island of Hawaii late Friday night. It was a fabulous 3 weeks of sailing on such a big expanse of water, learning to live with 36 other people in such a small area. We are now in Maui, after visiting the big Island, and snorkeling in Molikini, and we are off to Kauai tonight, then we will end our Island hopping in Honolulu, Oahu by July 2nd, where we will be until July 13th (when we head for Marquesas, Tuamotus, and Tahiti). It is all very exciting, and there is much going on right now! I have a bit of time to kill before I need to go shopping for groceries, so while the trainees are off on the Island, looking around, I need to shop for food supplies. Gillian was cooking yesterday, so I had a day off to tour around Lahaina, Maui, and today is my day cooking, so I made fresh bread early this morning for sandwiches, with apples and pretzels for people to take to the Island, and now I have to stock up with fresh fruit, veggies, and other food we will need for the next few days until we get to Kauai, or Honolulu. Weather is fabulous, very hot here, so it's nice when we get to sail and have some fresh, cool breeze! Bonice (Skipper's wife) is writing a log every night or so of the trip, and what's going on. It's fabulous, so go to www.salts.ca to read about our trip. Right now, I am in the internet cafe with the two first mates, Jose and Antony, as well as Lindsay (a trainee) who will be helping me with shopping for food, and then Jordan (the bosun) will pick us up in the Zodiac and motor us back to the boat (as we are anchored, not tied up to the dock here in Lahaina). It's a beautiful place, but there's really no place like home. Yes, I do miss home already, but I'm looking forward to seeing the other places we will go to and all the things we will be able to do. Deck bucket showers are refreshing every couple of days. Shaving has reduced to once every week or more. Fresh water showers are glorious under a hose at the end of a dock, but my favourite is just getting to swing off the rope swing, or dive off the end of the bowsprit, go snorkeling, or bowsprit hanging off the front of the boat while underway (it's exactly what it sounds like - two people put harnesses on, clip into a rope and carabeener, and jump into the water off the very front tip of the boat while we are moving, under 6knots, and hand into the water, somewhat like shark bait, only we have had not casualties yet). I have gone twice now, but the second time I went with Karen, and she almost drowned me with her leech-like legs and arms, flailing about and trying to grab me and hold onto me. It was quite the scene, I have lots of pictures to prove it! Getting up is quite difficult though, as you can imagine. We have to wait for a big swell (wave) to come so the boat dives down into the water so we are floating and can reach the hanging rope. Then we have to climb up, pulling ourself vertically out of the water, harnessed in still, and shimmy our way up the bobstays (big wire bars) into the whiskers (netting) under the bowsprit and climb over onto the bowsprit, where we have to then reclip ourselves with another line and walk back along the whiskers onto the deck. It's quite elaborate, and - as Karen may tell you later - very difficult (we had to have two people pull her up because she was too tired after several tries to pull herself up). It's really a great workout! Another great workout is trying to cook and carry all the large pots while the boat is rocking side to side and front and back! I have already got a burn on my forearm, finger, and toe (spilled hot oil), and a few minor cuts, but nothing major. I'm getting really good at balance (good core muscles from all those years of dance)! There is so much more to tell, but I have to go shopping for food now. I never got seasick, but many others did! I am learning a lot about cooking, as well as dealing with many people on such a small boat (37). I am having a great time, but miss you all so much! Please send a message on my blog, as I will check this and update more often than my email! Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts. I will be updating again, hopefully in Honolulu (I have a few days break in between Legs 1 and 2. Love to all of you, my dear family and friends!

One Week Before Departure

Well, Gillian and I finally finished stowing all of the food (seen in the second picture, before it was loaded onto the boat), with much appreciated help from our sisters, Karen and Jen, and other S.A.L.T.S. volunteers. The top picture shows the staff and crew of S.A.L.T.S. in the stern of the Pacific Grace, taken in early May. We have all been very busy the past week; Gillian and I with figuring out what we need, ordering, getting all the food on the boat, below deck, and then stowing it. It took us 3 full days, but it's all done! I was busy in the bilge (the sole, underneath the floorboards in the forward most part of the boat) for most of the 3 days storing all of the cans - literally, hundreds . All that is left to do is our fresh shop (fruits and veggies) and get our cabin ready (which is still awaiting a book shelf and - hopefully - some reading lights, as the one in there doesn't work very well (it decides when it wants to turn on). We are having more fun now that the food situation is taken care of, and are down to our final stages of preparing to leave. Everyone is in a state of a little nervousness, maybe some anxiety, perhaps some stress, and an underlying excitement. Families and friends are expected to arrive this week, as well as all the trainees for Leg One. Everyone boards on Saturday, but a few of us will be sleeping on the boat the night before. We set sail on this Sunday, June 3rd, but I don't think I'll feel like it's really happening until the following week, or so Skipper Tony tells me (he has sailed numerous Offshores, with his wife, and 6 children, and they are all coming - the most lovely family too)! I am getting nervous myself as the days draw nearer, but I am looking forward to seeing Matt, my family, and some of my friends, who are all coming out this weekend! 4 more days...WOW!

First Week Cooking Alone

Well, this past week proved successful in terms of my cooking skills. I was officially on my own. After 2 3-day trips helping Gillian cook and learning from her, I was on my own for a full 5-day trip (the last Spring trip on the Pacific Grace before we leave on the big Offshore trip on June 3rd). It was pretty exciting! I was a bit nervous to begin, but after the first day, I felt a bit better and got myself into a "groove" of my cooking schedule. It was quite exhausting at times, but I learned to love it! My routine is very different than any of the watch officers' routines:

0530 Wake up and start breakfast (for 35).
0720 First breakfast sitting.
0800 Second sitting. Eat. Rest.
0930 Begin lunch.
1120 First lunch sitting.
1200 Second lunch sitting (sometimes one-sittting at 1200). Eat. Rest.
1400-1500 Begin dinner (sometimes before or after depending on what it is).
1720 First dinner sitting.
1800 Second sitting (sometimes one-sitter). Eat. Rest.
1930 Begin mug-up (dessert and hot drink).
2130 Serve mug-up. Clean up galley.
2200 Devos with crew.
2300 Asleep and rest for same schedule next day.

It's quite a schedule. But I love it! I think my favourite - and most memorable - meal I cooked was the last night (Thursday). I cooked a huge Beef Roast (this thing rivaled the one seen in How the Grinch Stole Christmas), seasoned with olive oil, Rosemary herbs, Montreal steakhouse pepper, garlic cloves inserted into the meatiest parts of the meat, and I think some thyme or other seasoning. But after having to defrost this chunk of meat for hours, and then cut it up in its raw stage - to be able to fit on the pan and into the oven - I can understand how some people are vegetarian! In order to have it ready for first sitting, I had to have it in by 2:30, just to be the perfect tenderness for 3 hours later. The roast was accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes (I threw some grated cheese in to liven the flavour, which the trainees LOVED), along with peas and yorkshire pudding. The pudding didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to (I used half whole wheat flour to make them more healthy, but that prevented them from rising). Skipper assured me it was okay, but that next time I should stick to the recipe. He helped carve the roast, which was quite a challenge as we were sailing and the whole boat was keeled over to the port side, then the starboard, then port, and then starboard again (we were tacking). You can imagine how difficult this was for cooking! I will have to get used to that, though, as we will be sailing all over the Pacific! Anyway, with some paper towel, sticky mats, and help from the crew and trainees who weren't heaving over the side of the boat, everything got under control, and the meal was served somewhat on time. Everyone loved the food. The mashed potatoes went the quickest (we would have had more, but some potatoes were lost overboard when I asked some of the trainees to help me with the peeling process). I lost a potato overboard too, so I guess next time I will have to begin with 70 potatoes instead of 60 to allow for mistakes. All in all, it was a great trip! My hands are proof of how much I used the stove (after cleaning it for an hour, I was left with a nasty black film under my nails). Food was good (according to the feedback I received), trainees were amazing for our last trip of the Spring season, and my crew was awesome, although they weren't the full crew I will be sailing with Offshore. I am really looking forward to getting to work with everyone, and seeing how we will all get along for the year! We all went out for dinner together last night and I got a little taste of how great everyone is and what each person will contribute to our overall community on the boat. It's truly amazing, and I thank God everyday for this amazing opportunity and such wonderful family and friends!

This next week we will be working on preparing for our Offshore trip and getting the final details put together (a LOT of things to do)! Karen and I will continue to be living in Victoria at the place we are renting from two of the sweetest ladies, so we actually get to shower and sleep in a stable bed for the next few weeks before we set sail. Please continue to pray for the strength, energy, and persevearance we all need to get everything that we need to get done before June!

First day away from home...in Victoria

I made it! To Victoria anyway. Karen (my sister) and I arrived late last night, and I am all settled into the place she lives, in Oak Bay. We are sharing a room, and my bed is a mattress on the floor. Quite cozy. I have two drawers for my clothes, some hangers in the closet, a part of a rack in the fridge for food, a piece of her table and dresser top for other stuff, and the rest is crammed in suitcases. I guess I have to get used to living with little and having next to no space. We set up the room today after breakfast to accomodate the two of us, then we went shopping for groceries and miscellaneous things we will need for our Offshore trip. The weather was quite nice, so we took a walk to the library (the only computer/internet available for us to use), and later tonight we have a meeting with our Offshore crew at Skipper Tony's house. I was very sad to leave home (many tears, and cried myself to sleep last night), but I am looking forward to the new schedule I will have soon, and getting accustomed to life away from home, family, friends, and Matt (I miss you)! I think I will be better once I start work tomorrow on my first sailing trip of the year, and getting to hang out with my crew. It may take a while to feel at home again, but I know I will fit in just fine. I miss you and love you all! I haven't got pictures yet to show, but I will work on that...

Graduation has finally come!

I AM DONE! Well, my University education anyway. Master's anyone? 4 years goes by so fast, but I have enjoyed every moment! I will be graduating with a Bachelor's of Human Kinetics from Trinity Western University tomorrow (Saturday). I leave that night to go live in Victoria for the month of May for training before we set sail on Offshore, June 3rd, 2007. Thank you to everyone for all of your love and support! I will miss you - and hot 30-minutes showers, well, really just showers in general - but I will post as much as possible while I am away! Until then, keep the memories vivid and the laughter overflowing...