Ships' News: Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Happy Spring! We here in the Northeast are shoveling out from a late winter snowstorm while our students ply the waters of the Caribbean. It goes without saying: those of us that our office-bound wish we were sailing NW aboard the Harvey Gamage. Ships' company is underway, bound for Dominican Republic. As of yesterday they were north of Aves Island (a very small Venezuelan-owned island many miles from Venezuela) due south of St. Croix. When they arrive at anchor in the DR, students will head inland to the small community of Hato Nuevo where they will engage in a large service project: helping construct a new school.for the community's children. Holy week is coming right up: Palm Sunday is March 24th and celebrations continue through Easter day. The experience of being in country with a devout Christian-base will be an exciting one for our students. Stay tuned for more info about the Service Project in Hato Nuevo...

Schooner Virginia departed Chacachacare on Tuesday, bound for St. Thomas. They will fuel up in San Juan and head NW bound for the Dominican Republic. It will be a ten-day passage. They are due to arrive in the DR on Good Friday (3/29) and will launch into the aforementioned service project in Hato Nuevo around Easter Sunday.

All are well.


Do you have a student looking for a gap term experience? Look no further: OCF is offering a September to December GAP TERM! During the gap term (aboard schooner Amistad,) students will:

• participate in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race; 
• will do a service project for Hurricane Sandy relief, 
• will visit the Philadelphia Maritime Museum; 
• will engage in the Hato Nuevo Community School service project; 
• will have the opportunity to learn Spanish (there will be two Spanish-speaking instructors on board); 
• will receive training and certification for CPR and First Aid.
  
  And did we mention that sea time counts for any student looking to pursue a career in the maritime trades? Yes--that, too! Contact us for more information about Gap Term.