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July 3, 2009 – Capt. Andy Gregory Bids Us Farewell
by Capt. Andy Gregory
Ocean Watch crewmember Andy Gregory played an integral role in the refit of the boat and the outset of the voyage. Today’s Crew Log comes from Andy…
Thank you all again for this experience and the opportunity to participate in the project. My life has been forever changed and I’m holding you all responsible for that. Here are some thoughts on my time aboard Ocean Watch that I jotted down as I flew out of Dutch Harbor after the voyage from Seattle:
The sun returns.
High above the Gulf of Alaska, the sun beams down. I’m crossing the Gulf for the second time in as many weeks and so far this trip seems surreal compared to the arduous slog on the way out. In one seemingly effortless motion the Saab Turbo Prop left the protected harbor and sliced through the thick layer of marine stratus clouds (that we so diligently observed every day en route to Dutch Harbor) only to emerge aloft to be bathed in glorious sunshine. A few wisps of cirrus streak the horizon and the summer sun bakes me through the south-facing window over the starboard wing. In the distance I can see Mt. Shishaldin spewing a thin cloud of smoke and ash.
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| Around the Americas is a voyage of discovery, of education and of adventure. |
Time to reflect on my experience and this seems the perfect setting. The word “voyage” has been an integral part of my vocabulary for the last nine months, and it is a word that for me has many meanings. Around the Americas is a voyage of discovery, of education and of adventure. From the moment I heard about the idea on a cold rainy October morning in Seattle, I knew it would be not only an epic voyage, but also the next step in a paradigm shift towards greater environmental awareness. I left the boat today feeling just as confident that the voyage of the mighty Ocean Watch will accomplish and surpass the ambitious goals set by Captain Mark Schrader and his top-notch crew of sailors/scientists/adventurers.
Throughout my time on Ocean Watch, I saw her and her crew through many ups and downs. I saw her though a blitz-krieg refit at the Seaview East marina in Seattle. The phrase “drinking through a fire hose” doesn’t begin to describe the task and time frame placed before us. Perhaps “drinking from a waterfall” would be more appropriate. We battled dead-end wires, rusty lockers, hard-run equipment, and the coldest, snowiest winter in Seattle’s recent history to transform Danzante III into Ocean Watch. This spring she emerged from her cocoon anew, as a vessel capable of taking very precious cargo (a group of big-thinking, story-telling, ocean-loving sailors and their message) on the adventure of a lifetime.
Throughout the last few months of the rapid refit and the first three weeks of the voyage, the crew has been faced with impossible tasks under unrealistic deadlines. Were it not for the mission of Around the Americas, in which we all truly believe, none of it would be possible.
I fly now back to Seattle and a life patiently waiting at anchor for my next great voyage. My voyage is one of new horizons. I head off to graduate school at the UW School of Marine Affairs in the fall. My life thus far has brought me on a circuitous route from the safe harbor of Wickford, RI to the doorstep of the University where I hope to study many of the same issues being explored by Ocean Watch. The last few months and especially the weeks since leaving the dock in Seattle have been an immersion into the world of marine issues. The School of Marine Affairs seeks to explore “the human dimension of global change in the marine environment.” Already in the short three weeks aboard Ocean Watch, I have experienced first hand concerns about native fisheries in Alert Bay, BC; the impact of cruise ship traffic on the limited resources in Juneau, AK; the quantifiable rise in ocean acidity in the Gulf of Alaska; and the current state of massive scale fisheries in Dutch Harbor.
In addition to the issues faced by maritime communities in the Pacific Northwest, I have talked to the people
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| My life has been forever changed by my time on Ocean Watch. |
meeting these issues head on. The Kwakwaka’wakw people tell their story through traditional song and dance. NGO’s like Oceana in Juneau are researching policies to pre-empt the inevitable rush on arctic resources in the coming decades. Parents, teachers and counselors made their own voyage down to Ocean Watch to share our message with their kids in hopes of fostering an appreciation for the marine environment that will last a lifetime. Community leaders like Reid Brewer and Theresa Svancara helped to facilitate not only our in port experience, but more importantly, the advancement of conversations about marine issues within their communities.
After witnessing first-hand the many marine issues and potential avenues to solutions, I realize that I have a lot to digest over the summer. I feel confident that when I weigh anchor on my academic voyage this fall, I will be just as well prepared as the crew of Ocean Watch to face the challenges that lay ahead. To the crew continuing into uncharted waters, and to those of you following along on your own voyage through life, I wish you all fair winds and following seas.
-Andy Gregory with photographs by David Thoreson
This crew log submitted by Iridium OpenPort and Stratos
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