Lara and Casey along with our first mate on the boat, Mr. Barnes,
when we decided to play some games. One of the games that we
played was based on how well you know the people onboard
Geronimo, based not only on physical appearance or personality,
but also on their essence. This probably sounds a little weird, but
playing this crazy game in the middle of the night made me real-
ize how well I know my crewmates without even trying to recall
their specific characteristics and how little there is about me that
they don’t know. I find it very remarkable that at a time when I
feel most unaware and least like myself, I have been able to con-
nect with people on a level that seems almost impossible to be
achieved over such a short period of time. Thanks to these night
watches I now know my crew’s favorite Thanksgiving foods,
music genres, and even a few whacky stories about family pets. In
all, I have found that nothing can comprise a more unforgettable
night watch than swapping stories at 0300 over a pack of choco-
0 late chip cookies and a jar of Nutella.
’1
A
Y
—Stephanie Johnson ’10
URR
M
Y
P
OLL
OF
Keeping the course
Y
During our sail from Vieques and Ponce in Puerto Rico, we
COURTES
were first introduced to the helm. I was the first one chosen to
O
steer, and I was scared out of my mind. Though I’ve grown up
P
HOT
on the water, skippering has never been a passion of mine. As I
Lara McLeod ’10, Polly Murray ’10 and Stephanie Johnson ’10
listened to the mate’s instructions on how to take over the steer-
take down the main sail prior to anchoring off of Fernandez
ing, how to steer by a compass, and how to deal with the 7-foot
Beach on Cat Island in the Bahamas.
swells coming up behind us, I gripped the wheel just praying
that I wouldn’t end the Geronimo program. The next hour
was just draped over you, not to mention that the snacks were seemed to go on without end, as I nervously tried to steer a
just about the only things that smelled good on Geronimo, with course that would bring us to our destination. From this point
everything else musty due to the humidity and exposure to ocean on, we were expected to steer on a regular basis. I dreaded my
air during our prolonged passage over sea. Once energized, our turn at the helm for a while, and anxiously awaited my watch-
conversations drifted from chatter about the engine room, our mate’s offer of relief. However, over the past few weeks, I’ve
plotted position, or the fact that none of us had taken a proper come to enjoy my time at the wheel. While steering, the chatter
shower in more than four days, to much more interesting topics of the others on my watch is muffled by the wind blowing past
like constellations, family background, and eating food. Some- my ears, and this is the closest I’ve come to solitude and control;
times our talks would even lead to an outburst of song for a good all of my focus goes to the ocean and I’m soon gone with the
amount of time, reminiscing about classics from the ’90s, tunes wind. Looking out at the endless horizon provides a feeling of
from musicals, and occasionally singing an a cappella song from my smallness in this great ocean but also gives me a new appre-
the Snapdragon’s repertoire. I was very intrigued by our late ciation for the simple beauty of nature. To me, the best part of
night talks and how time consuming they were because by this Geronimo cannot be explained by a brochure or even alumni/ae
time in the night, after being really sleep deprived, anything and of the program, it is something that can only be understood by
everything happening around me was entertaining. A few nights experience.
ago for example I was on the 2300 to 300 watch with my mates —Polly Murray ’10
ST. GEORGE’S 2008 SUMMER BULLETIN 43
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