24,536 Nautical miles - A Voyage to remember forever

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living" - Miriam Beard

Hi All,

Thank you for all your comments , it was always nice to here form you. We really enjoyed posting pictures and writing few words about the happening's during our Voyage. It will take time to process all we have been privileged to be a part of. I'll take the suggestion to follow up w/ a couple more blogs to let you know how the adjustment is working out.

We will be happy to see you all, and sad to say goodbye to all the new friends and people we met.

ps the picture of all the girls at the tables all helped us tutor and look after the kids at one point or another. We never could have stayed sane w/out them!!!

the dangerous looking soldier w/ the gun was our Coast Gaurd escort back to the USA mainland!

See you soon

Capt j

Latitude 27' 15' N

Longitude 124' 021 W

Closer and closer still

"It's not down on any map; true places never are" -Herman Meliville

We were just sailed threw waters that are very close to the furthest point from land anywhere on the planet. We were a good 1200 NM from Hawaii or the west coast of Cal.

Ship life is winding down and we are actually packing up. It has been a true community and a special one. I know people on this voyage will go on to do some incredible things. This is a truly talented , caring group. The voyage has opened our minds and showed us to have faith in humanity. If we were ever in need or lost no matter which country or continent we always found someone more than willing to help us out and take the time to find out who we were and make us feel welcome.

I will be far more conscious of that from now on. As the Archbishop says"... racism is when one of Gods children is no longer treated like one of Gods children. .. everyone deserves the right to love and be loved. No matter of skin color, religion or anything else..."

Look forward to getting back but first we will enjoy a little So. California weather.

Best jd

Latitude 27' 39" N

Longitude 132" 025" W

sea depth 14764

closest distance to land 752 NM West South West from Guadalupe Islands

Course 070'

wind 14 knots

sea swell 5 feet

Talent show and kid pictures

"Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled" - Mohammed

Hi All, Here are a few shots of Anna and her 8 yr old friend Kyle in the talent show. We did video , so I'm sure she will show it to you. "Party in the U.S.A" The joint was jumpin' close to 800 in the crowd 90% college students !

Maybe its a start of something for Anna. Theatre ? I remember when my little sister, Doctor Liz did South Pacific. I thought it was pretty amazing.

Layne got in the act during pre-port Hawaii. Dancing to a classic Hawaiian tune.

Dec's act is getting dressed up by the girl's to be the third sister. Lets just say HE'S a good sport.

Cute as a little girl ,maybe, but girly he is not!

Of course there is Traci getting in on the act at Pre port singing some weird song parade about some strange ailment like Ebola or rockin' diarrhea

Later jd

lat- 24' 10' N

Long- 142' 039' W

sea depth 13222 feet

course 070'

jd

Homeward Bound

Hi All,

We now have five more days at sea until San Diego. It's been so special for all of us. What a tremendous learning experience. We learned more about conservation and sustainability because we saw how people around the world do it. I think we learned respect for other people beliefs, religions and cultures. We learned how fast kids grow . Our 8 yr old is now 18 , and it only took four months? Traci is now possibly the most marketable NP on the planet. She has seen allot and handled it w/ professionalism and compassion few are able to achieve.

I've had time away from the pressures of the insurance industry which I hope will help me focus on the most important aspects of a successful small business.

I've got some great creative ideas , new works, and new contacts for FishAye Trading Co.

There will be so much we all miss about what we have experienced it is going to be bitter sweet. The view of the open open, sunrises and sunsets hundreds of miles from shore , the adventure of it all, knowing the gift we have given our kids will stay w/ them. Part of this voyage has been an endurance game as well. The pace has been day in day out. It will be nice to return to a bit of a routine and not spend all day everyday w/ the little people as much as we love them.

See you soon

JD

latitude 21' 35' N

Longitude 150 002' W

Course 069'

distance to nearest land 509 miles (NE Hawaiian Islands (USA) )

ocean depth - 17388 feet

sea temp 73'
wind 13knots
sea swell 7 feet
sea condition 3 feet

Air it out in Hawaii

Hi All,

"The journey not the arrival matters." - T.S. Eliot

Hawaii is made up of 125 Volcanic Islands. The Hawaii we know best is made up of 8. It has a rich history of ocean exploration and discovery. Capt. James Cook back in the 1700's.

We just spent 2 days in Oahu. They people have the beach culture down ."Hang loose" They probably invented it and continue to update and shape it to the "times". We rented a car and headed to Oahu's North Shore and the famous triple crown of surfing: Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Wiemaiha . It all was cool. Surfers paradise. Great shops, coffee,bars,food and beaches. We found some of the best food is sold out of "food trucks" -you know the kind that open up to a counter on the side. All fresh fish, shrimp, chicken, beef. Loved it.\

We did push the day too long for the kids and everyone was very edgy and agitated. It just reminded us how many days we have all spent every minute together. No one should ask a parent to spend that all their time w/ their kids. Nor does any kid want to spend all their time w/ their parents.

It didn't help that I found out that my fishing Charter wasn't going due to 40 knot winds!! Argggghhhh. I made the best of it and found the Islands fish auction at 4:30 am. Met some cool people who helped me register (speaking English as a first language) finally. I then bid on and bought a Mahi - Mahi . I threw it in the rental and searched out a spot for a few Pacific FishAye works. I found my self nice and calm enjoying the quite creation. For the record they came out pretty well I think. We then spent the rest of the day at an international market and the beach in Waikiki. It was great.

We are now heading to the Big Island. Hopefully more of the same. We plan to rent boards and surf .... jingle bells , jingle bells .. Santa surfs here!!

See you all soon

Best jd

lat itude19.9' N

longitude - 157' W

Dance Dance Dance

Hi All,

"You have to keep one foot in reality,Just not two!" Julliane Druffin

We crossed the international dateline a few days ago on this leg. We have travelled over 3000 NM so far from Yokohama to Hawaii. We now have a little over 300 to go which for us takes about a day averaging around 15-17 knots. The Pacific decided to keep things busy the whole way , we haven't seen a day or night w/ under a 7 foot swell.

Everyone is "Stoked" to get to Hawaii. It's a short stay but we are going to make the most of it. It seems to me we always do well when there is sun, sand, surf, and fish :) Forecast is looking strong, 83' and sunny! (I know I'll pay for that comment knowing we will be diving back into Old New England in the Winter, I just felt compelled.)

Today is the last day w/ the amazing tutor's . I don't know what we would have done w/out them. Let's hope Anna and Layne can apply it to classroom studies. I know they both learned a great deal on this Voyage. It will be an adjustment, the freedom they have here is unique and it has worked.

Anna recently did the shipboard talent show along w/ about 20 other acts. She and her little friend Kyle did a choreographed dance to "Party in the USA" . They got a standing ovation from a ruckus college crowd of about 700! It was wild, the music was loud the lights were spinning and flashing the sequins on their Indian dresses were shinning. Anna's self esteem has grown allot. This was all done by a little girl who was to afraid to join her classmates on stage to sing jingle bells two yrs ago!

Now last night Layne joined in the act. The dependent children all (10) got up at pre-port and did a traditional Hawaiian dance. They will be able to show you that. It was brilliant. We

filmed that one. Traci of course did a magnificently funny job at the medical team's pre-port skit. One of her line's in the 12 day's of Christmas was " And a Malaria mosquito bit me...." :) Good stuff. I must admit she saw all kinds of strange medical related issues on this Voyage. -Leaches covering people and getting infected, monkey bites (can you say rabies), Parasites, fainting, psychoses, broken bones, burns,sea urchin spines, STD's ... you name it . Of course she was confidential w/ the patients names but would often look to old Capt. JD for his diagnoses and remedy for a few laughs. My remedies were either very embarrassing or most likely more painful then the said injury.

We have finally arrived in Oahu Hawaii, we are docking as I write. This Captain Roman and crew are good. We had a rough sea for ten days including 10 foot swells as we approached land last night. Hopefully that bods well for the surf!!

Best j

ps I will post pictures of the girls dancing , I just wanted to get this off.

The pictures here are of Archbishop TuTu and his wife Leah's birthday party. One is taken w/ the Captain.

Delamonto

Hi ,

This is for Layne and her old precious soul.

Delamonto

At Sea we forget to count the days....

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -Lao Tzu
Hello All! We are currently over 500 miles from the closest point of land, Midway Island, which we’re told is essentially a military base / fueling stop. We are about five days into a ten day crossing from Japan to Hawaii. People young and old are starting to get a little cabin fever! It’s hard to believe that when we arrive in San Diego on December 13th, we will have been traveling one week short of four months – one third of a year!
It is true that the days blend into one another at sea. Especially since while we’re sailing, every day is a school day and we’re just as busy on weekends as we are on weekdays! It is no exaggeration that most days we have no idea what date or day it is! Time is another strange phenomenon. Although our days are fairly structured, especially in regards to meals (8am, 11:30am, 5:30pm), we have been losing an hour every other night! Yesterday we had our own version of “Groundhog Day” in that we added another day because we crossed the international date line! So yesterday was our second November 27th – pretty wild, huh! Two students actually got to celebrate their 21st birthdays twice!!!
The kids continue to thrive at sea and in this unconventional living and learning environment. Today they were treated to a hot dog lunch in the faculty/staff lounge! They were served hotdogs, hamburgers, French fries, milk shakes, followed by ice cream and cookies! They danced to Disney tunes and frolicked in bubbles with their shipboard friends – all the while floating out in the middle of nowhere! They have five more days to work with their beloved tutors. We have been so fortunate to have 20 young women help us with individualized tutoring with the girls, and 2 hours of care for Declan over these four months! Their help has been invaluable! John and I wonder how the kids will ever return to a conventional classroom. Then we remember how resilient children are and how they adapt so much quicker than we do. I was talking to my boss Sue, the Executive Dean of the voyage today. She has a son and a daughter who have sailed with her for a third time this voyage – her son is a student, and her daughter works in the field office. She told me that her daughter who was eight the first time they sailed, told her recently that her experience on this ship shaped her into the person she is. John and I think that it will probably be years before we can truly appreciate the impact that it has had on our children – especially the girls.
This is the last week of classes for the students. After Hawaii, they will have exams. As a result, it has been extremely busy this week. We had the shipboard auction the other night. They did a silent auction during the day for smaller items, and then a live auction at night for larger items like rental properties. John’s placemats created a bidding war and earned a sizable donation for the Semester at Sea foundation – as always, I was very proud to have so many people recognize one of his many hidden talents. Last night, I was a participant in a career panel focused on healthcare professions. I have truly loved all of the interaction and mentoring of students throughout this voyage. Tomorrow night is a talent show, followed by a choral concert, then a comedy night. I never went to summer camp, but I imagine it feels something like this! There is always something going on! Life will feel quite monotonous when we return, but hopefully we’ll be ready for a little break…
Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving! Thinking of you all, Traci

Long Pacific Reflection

Hi All,

It has been such an amazing journey. Because of my status on the ship (basically Dad) I've enjoyed being able to write a little something and show pictures about where we have been and what it was like for us as a family. We have tried to learn from each country and culture we have encountered. I think Traci and I were able to clear our minds of preconceived expectation's of the destinations we had in store. This was good for two reasons , First, it kept the research and excitement high all the time and secondly we were open to except what ever came our way.

I have to tell you we were often surprised. For example I really had no idea what to think of Vietnam. I'll I knew was movies and documentary work on the US involvement in the war . I was born in 65' I wonder what my parents thought at the time? Going to Vietnam we found the people very friendly and happy to show you their world. I think they want to get past that time in history. They are an ingenious and industrious people.

Traci and I could come up w/ so many examples of experiences that en lighted us about another part of the world. It has been so special to "free the dock lines" and explore how some other people live, work and interact . The US is certainly not the center of everyone's world.

It also helps me appreciate how America has achieved so much since all people started making way to the new land.

This voyage has also given us a perspective of a new generation born in 1990ish. It is great to see the dreamers, those idealistic and passionate kids who honestly want to make a difference. The professors on the ship encourage everyone to learn, share, care. Sustainability of our plants resources , energy , water, the oceans have been on the forefront of any discussion about how one country or another gets it done. It never changes , education is the one thing in this world that will help us carry on and bring us closer to peace w/ each other. I don't have to be Buddhist or Muslim(fanatic's aside) to respect their choice and on the other hand I don't want to be told how I should live or pray.

Archbishop Desmond TuTu has experienced so much in his long life of caring and I don't think he could be definded by a religion. He believes in the good in everyone , and karma . we all can try a little each day to begin to make a difference . Nothing gets done w/out taking the 1st step.

Well that's it for today

best j

latitude 26' 7' N

longitude 171' 051' E

course 105'

sea swell 8 feet

sea condtions 3 feet

depth 19029 feet ( did you know the ocean greatest depth is 7 miles!

1700 nm to Hawaii

closest point of land ( 598 miles to Midway Island (USA) ) ....longtime since the closest point of land has been US soil !