I did not go to Colorado to become a bread baker like I was planning. Instead I am now working aboard a Ship. The Tole Mour, and I could not be happier with the outcome. The Tole Mour is an education experience where we take kids sailing to the channel islands (mainly Catalina), teach them about marine biology, snorkel, sing sea chanties and just have plain old fun (like rope swinging off the ship into the water). The kids love it, but I think I love it even more. The staff is composed of 13 stupendous people (that includes everyone, even the cook and engineer). I am learning so much, and I am so grateful for this experience! Here is a peek at what I have been up to this season.
This is the ship, she has 15 sails, but none are up now... I don't have any pictures with her sails up because frankly when they are up we are sailing and I am not about to jump off the boat for a picture. But if you want to see her in all her glory just google a picture of her.
this is the best I can do in my position to get you a look at her canvas
these are the jibs, they are at the front of the boat
this is my favorite place to be on the whole boat, if you lay down in the net, it is like a giant hammock. (the sails are the same as the ones in the previous picture)
The sails go up, and the sails come down
As the sails come down we furl them, or fold them in good condition
When we are at the dock we put this bad boy out. I made it! After drawing and burning the letters, I got to learn how to varnish and how to put an eye splice in a line (rope) for the first time!
We are very safe on-board and have crew members trained in SCBA gear in case there is a fire
We also have life rings all around the boat, not to mention life jackets and life rafts. (those ropes are to tie down the sails once they are furled).
These are the people I am stuck with on the boat all the time singing some songs of the sea, luckily they are a pretty great bunch.
The water can be mesmerizing to look at sometimes
The life in and around the water is pretty great too! This is a picture of a Blue Shark, that hung out during a sail one day. I have already seen so much life while on the Tole Mour from Mola Molas (the largest spiny fish in the ocean) to sharks, whales and dolphins and my personal favorite Sea Lions! I do not always have my camera ready but I will always remember them. Recently while sailing at night, I was on look out with three students and not more than 5 feet in front of the boat a fin whale surface for some air. It was so close and loud that all the kids jumped back, It was truly awesome!
We see dolphins quite often, My favorite of all the species are the common dolphins, because they are the most playful, and almost always jump out of the water.
Of all the wildlife we have encountered the Minke whale experience was certainly the most impressive. These small whales, which are notorious for being shy, swam right up to the tole mour and hung out for at least ten minutes, probably longer. Three of them swam back and fourth under the boat so kids on all sides could get a view of them. I had the opportunity to go out in the head rig (the place in the front of the boat that I mentioned earlier is my favorite place to be) and watch them swim right below me. I am not kidding if i jumped in I would have landed on one.
Oh yeah then a week later, while everyone was still stoked on the first experience, they came back and hung out again!
On a day we happened to anchor where there were a lot of flies, which was really annoying, but on the bright side it attracted a few hitchhikers
This one (I believe it is a Townsend Warbler) stayed on board for the entire transit from Catalina to Santa Barbara Island and ate flies the whole way. We called him Fly Slayer (although I was more fond of Catcher of the Fly)
There is so much to see below the surface, so lets snorkel!
Life underwater is breathtaking (although that could just be because we can't breath underwater... get it haha) I have seen various types of plankton, tons of fish, crabs, lobster, rays, octopus, sharks and so on.
dinner for the whole crew! Just kidding, saw these in a no-take zone.
Dear Mr. Bat Ray it was very cool swimming with you, and I mean that literally and figuratively
This is how happy I am all the time
Well that's all for now
