A Letter to Windjammer Miami.....personal info edited...

February 17, 2004

Dear Windjammer,

My son XXX and I sailed on the SV Mandalay February 1-14, 2004 and we wanted to tell you of our experience. It was fabulous! I was concerned about bringing an XX year old on a “notoriously pirate adventure” but the whole trip was just perfect!

As homeschoolers we were more interested in how the ship worked and the geography and culture in the islands than the “vacation aspect”, but couldn’t help but to be drawn into the life on Mandalay. Each member of the crew contributed to our “school” in different ways, and even though there was plenty of good stuff that I am sure happened that we weren’t aware of, I just wanted to mention the folks that paid particular attention to us and that we were aware of.

The stewards were very attentive to us. It’s difficult to get an XX year old to eat, especially when there’s so much going on! But Dian was like the “other mom” getting XXX to eat. Troy was always on the spot with a tub of peanut butter when the food just looked “too strange” for an XXyr old and if it wasn’t food it was a high five for good luck! Ace was always there to help carry stuff, encourage seconds and high five's! And the best part was Rocky’s flying Caesar salad, an education in itself and still a topic of discussion at our house!

The guys on the deck were also amazing to XXX and I. It was the first time my son has ever sailed, and what a ball we both had! The first time the sails went up and I got past my amazement of the beauty of Mandalay, I could see the magic that sailing is appear on my son’s face too. It took a while for my son to “help” hoist sails, but all the guys on deck encouraged his “volunteerism”. 1st officer Duane introduced my son to knot tying. With this new interest he bought a “Knots & Splices” book at the Bequia book shop and he and deck mate Kevin made it through the steps for several complicated knots, including one I think called “monkey’s fist”.

It’s kind of hard for me to imagine that an XX year old would have an interest in the bartender, but XXX and Spice really seemed to have an ongoing dialogue about many topics. Once hanging out near the beach bar in the rain, after a conversation about poisonous critters that live in Utah, they took on a battle with an aggressive crab that seemed to have a real problem with us humans being on his beach. The two of them had more fun trying to fool this crab than the rest of us did with the beach bar. Spice is an expert rock skipper and passed that skill on to XXX! Spice is also a master in the alchemy of chocolate milkshakes! Another asset to the crew of the Mandalay.

As for the activities mate Crystal, what energy and imagination! Crystal was extremely helpful in pointing us in the direction of the “academic” endeavors that Windjammer has to offer. At each stop she was a real resource as to where the “cool stuff” was to see and do. Most of our activities revolved around geography and culture, and Crystal seemed to be tuned into that idea for us. You have the right person in place on the Mandalay as activities mate!

Another person who helped in our “school” was Bacchus. Wow, what a knowledge about the stars! A busy XX year old usually falls asleep early -good for mom - bad for learning astronomy! The times Bacchus did get to speak to us about the stars he was very good about inspiring the tired boy to remember several things about the night sky. An asset to the crew of the Mandalay for sure!

As for the officers, 1st officer Duane and XXX really seemed to gel. Duane helped XXX learn navigation on the bridge once he found out there was an interest. They spent a bit of time looking at GPS, charts and in plotting a course to Bequia. Duane also sparked an interest in knots. Anyone who inspires a child to go buy a book on a loved topic is OK by me! Second mate Jesus also inspired XXX with his talk on how the ship works and other topics. The most interesting thing that XXX took away from Jesus was the mystery behind the anchoring ritual. Jesus was excellent at describing this procedure. (It’s funny what kids will remember and get into!) Because of these three people, (Duane, Bacchus & Jesus) my student has obtained from the local library “Dutton’s Navigation and Piloting” and “The Complete On-Board Celestial Navigator: Everything but the Sextant” and wants to learn more. He’ll have a bunch of questions for these three the next time he sees them! These guys are the best!

As for Captain Matt, he reminded us over and over that his crew was the real asset. But I think that’s what all good leaders will say about the people who surround them. Captain Matt is one of the best leaders I have seen in a long time. Not only is he knowledgeable about the places we went to, the customs of the people and the workings of a sailing ship, he’s a darn good professional. He always seemed to be there, from helping us out of the launch, to bussing tables, to preserving left over pizza and getting it served for a special treat. He really seems to enjoy what he does and that is rare. XXX really took a special liking to Captain Matt. Matt inspired us to clean up a beach to preserve it, to enjoy the Caribbean for it’s people and it’s beauty, to realize the reef is fragile, to help a school in Mayreau. Captain Matt was very helpful in guiding us to his books on Reef life when we couldn’t identify a fish we saw while snorkeling, he let us look at huge book about knots, he didn’t seem the least bit rattled when my son asked if Mac’s pizza delivered to the ship. He seemed genuinely concerned that we were enjoying our experience aboard Mandalay -as did all of the crew. I hope you folks in Miami realize what a great group of people you have on the Mandalay. We sure do!

Best Regards,

Amy & XXX