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Web Log Hey Captain and Admiral, It's Rob from Troop 233! Remember? Troop H2O? Yeah that one. Anyway, sorry it took so long to write on your blog, I was trying to get something ready. We all made it back all right; even Ben didn't have any more problems. The week you planned for us was amazing! I can't stop talking about all the things we saw/did. In fact, I'm actually wearing my crew shirt right now. (Purely coincidence) I just thought you'd like to see the video I made for our troop to see the things we had done. The youtube link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_tQq7zascQ I hope you like it! I tried my best. Enjoy Ciganka for me. -Everyone from 233 Posted by: Robert Coale Troop 233 at 9:47:54 PM A - Awesome M = Moonlight sail (yea, we went on a full moon week) A = Admiral Linda's cooking - accommodating the vegetarian and the gluten intolerant Z = Zipping along under full sail I = Incredibly patient Cap'n Thomas - teaching us landlubbers! N = Nautical terms are part of our lexicon now G = Great time, trip of a lifetime. Thought you might also like the picture of the Girl Scout aboard leading the way to the "Joy Showers." Posted by: Mary - Troop 170 Mom tagalong at 6:02:26 PM hey capy and admiral, ur trip was fantastic. i wish i was sailing right now! u guys are awesome teachs, instructors, and friends. i miss u already and i hope i can see u again. until next time. one of the three musketeers, luke Posted by: luke at 1:14:32 AM Dear Admiral and Captain, We made it back on Friday (actually Saturday @ 2 AM) and were too excited to sleep right away. Nick and Laura and I regaled my wife, Diane, until her lids got heavy. We were so happy to see the pictures you posted. Here is the song-poem which Bill and I performed at the campfire-less campfire: "Ode a' Dizzy Us" We started with landlubber's legs And not a knot we knew. You took us, raw and arrogant, And made us a working crew. We learned that being ship-shape Meant also being true. That we travelled on the "Gypsy Girl" Made us the lucky few... 'Cause Sea Base can have its Albury's, Its two-masters, and its CAT's But your sea hospitality Will always bring us back. Captain Tom and Admiral Linda, The sea has its allures; But the loving net that caught our hearts Is the net that's uniquely yours. Love to you, Chuck, Laura, and Nick (Troop 82 & Crew 4) Posted by: Chuck, Troop 82 and Crew 4 at 3:46:19 PM This is a once in a life time trip, it never gets old. Just stop your search here and book your trip! The Captain and Admiral are two of the nicest people i have ever met, and are very intresting and fun to hang around with, and talk to and they definently know what they are Doing! I Dont know how any other trip on any other boat went , but i don't care because i would never trade my time on this boat for time on any of the other boats!!! The food was amazing, beyond belief, they were way past my expectations, ranging from steak, pot roast, cake, cobbler, french toast everything, It was amazing!!!! Oh and get this for Boy scout trips ICE, which means cold drinks it was good, they will obviously have this for charters!!! The ship is amazing, is very spacious, and very well kept up and clean! Everything you do is awsome: from the sailing, to the snorkling and diving, to the island exploration, to just relaxing on the boat! You see everything in the water from sharks to eagle rays, sting rays, groupers, lobsters, concheels, it is some of the best snorkling in the world, so on that note. If you are looking for the trip of a life, with the most spectacular views of your life you can stop searching your search is over. YOU JUST FOUND IT!!!! Posted by: Phil Troop 333 at 11:27:06 PM Great trip, Captin and Admiral are the best just remember to give a firm hand shake. The reefs I saw were the best in color and life. One once in a life time dive is the drift dive dont warry about the jelly fish they wont hurt you.Captain, Admiral thanks for trip!!! Bring a camera Posted by: Mason troop 333 at 2:22:32 AM wow I just got home today from the trip and the only word I have to describe it is AMAZING!!! Posted by: Adam "Batman" Munoz at 1:09:14 AM This is the best trip I have ever been on. Everything was awesome. The food, the captain and admiral , the boat, everything. Before I came down I had a concern though, I am not that great of a swimmer. It turned out, you need to be able to swim around the boat twice(pace yourself). After you did that, you would get an inflatable life jacket. It made snorkeling really easy, and enjoyable while putting in little effort. Snorkeling was a great experience. Although we didn't see any sharks, we had numerous encounters with sea turtles. Along with the turtles we also had jellyfish. You can touch the jellyfish, but be careful not to get stung(the captain will explain where to pet them and not get stung) On top of that we saw numerous fish, and reef. While snorkeling we saw many different objects on the ground. There were conch shells, sand dollars, sea biscuits, and cool looking shells. Sailing was in my opinion the best part of the trip. Before you come, make sure you know your bowline,clove hitch, and taut line knots. Be prepared to learn how to tie the knots in a different way, which is probably better that what you know. Those knots help you sail, and have a good trip. After you sail, you then come islands, that you swim to. One island, on the south side, 5 members of our troop, came upon a huge blue rope. Our Crew Chief, one of the five, rallied us up, and carried it out to the boat. Overall our trip was amazing, and worth our time. Thanks captain Thomas and Admiral Linda! Posted by: Shawn Gregory-Eagle Bound (Troop 506) at 8:51:10 AM Hello Captain Tom and Admiral Linda, The trip was out of this world. Jam packed with snorkeling, exploring, and sailing- so much to do in so little time – as we dodged and out sailed those thunderstorms. This trip will be forever etched in to the minds of our scouts as was the sailing trip I took while I was in high school; it brought back those fond memories. Captain Tom should change his name to Captain Fantastic for the fantastic job he did to get in as much as we did. He made sure none of us sunburned, and made it so easy for the weakest swimmers to enjoy snorkeling with those drift dives. Admiral Linda mane should be changed to Admiral Wonder Woman as she scheduled out the best cuisine any boat in the Abacos could serve – pot roast, baked chicken, NY strip steaks, steak fries, plain cakes,dumpcakes, pancakes, brownies, french toast –makes your mouth water thinking about it. If you wonder where Linda is she’s in the galley setting up for the next fantastic meal for you to prepare as you snorkel on those beautiful reefs. PS: Do not bring your snorkeling gear the Ciganka has the best mask, snorkels, and fins bar none. Same goes for fishing gear! Jim Kusel, Troop 840 Posted by: JIM KUSEL, TROOP 840, STUART, FLORIDA at 10:46:58 AM Posted by: Kevyn Wiskirchen-Troop 401, Kirksville, MO at 12:53:39 PM Posted by: Tim Pilewski (Spanker Crew) at 11:01:05 PM The Captain and the Admiral—what a great team! Our high adventure week far exceeded my expectations. On the first day, Captain Thomas told us he would match our every ounce of energy by the pound, and he delivered. Admiral Linda was a master coordinator. She insured that we were always ready to move swiftly to the next adventure. The food was excellent; the fresh conch we acquired on one of our adventures was top notch! I am not sure which was the best: conching to find them, the Captain Thomas conch cleaning lesson with sex determination competency included, or eating the fresh conch fritters hot off the galley stove. Steak night was fantastic and included a fresh butter baked mutton snapper caught on Ciganka the same day. We snorkeled and combed the beach every day on various types of wreaths and beaches both inhabited and uninhabited. The sailing was also great. Numerous times the theme music of "Pirates of the Caribbean" rang in my ears, especially when standing up in the bow sprit while powering through the water under sail. More than all of the above, the trip exposed our troop to two amazing individuals who have such a passion for life. They shared this passion as well as the amazing world of the Abacos by sail with us. The story of how Cianka came to be is an amazing testament to the power of dreams, passion, and hard work culminated by Thomas and Linda's work and life together. Thank you Thomas and Linda for sharing Cianka and the amazing Abacos with us! Michael Dieker Lee's Summit, Missouri. Posted by: Michael Dieker at 7:29:01 PM Posted by: Alan Sherman at 5:47:48 PM Posted by: Nick Ruding at 7:50:47 PM Hey Guys! Yes our trip home was fine. A few weather delays but we made it back to NJ around 10:30. Long day. You know, thru our life times we meet so many people and experience so many things. This last week for myself and I know I speak for my son Chris and the rest of Troop 82 is a week that we will never forget. The sailing, fishing, cooking and team work were life lessons we will carry with us for a long time. The dedication you two have to the scouts is exceptional. Keep on “Doin watchya Doin!” Thanks again. Frank Calabrese Posted by: Frank "Gotta Make the Coffee" Calabrese at 1:18:13 PM I LOVED this trip. Anyone would have loved it, ANYONE!!!!!!! My troop and I 'accidentally' broke the boom and we had to carry it on land at the end of the week; talk about a workout! That thing is SOOOOOOO heavy!!!!! We also hosted a campfireless campfire for our beloved Captain and Admiral, at the End of which I said a poem that was inspired by our final sunset on Ciganka. I was asked by the Admiral to post it on the blog. (I really don't think anyone reads them anyway!!!) So, this is for you Admiral: Ciganka A poem by Barrett Ziegler As the sun rises on Ciganka, The wild jipsy girl, The crew is roused awake and fed As her sails slowly unfurl The deck is soon cleared of bothersome bedding And as the sun reaches its point; The crew starts its labourous sweating And they rouse rust from their joints For this wandering jipsy, a pure nomad by name, May rest one night in one place And never return again Her crew must keep her moving; Her sails demand the wind, Her Captian demands the waters, And her Admiral demands the sand The fish pursue her spacious hull, And she pursues the tides For they are the only ones that block the horizon, Which witholds the sands of time. Tommorrow is a mystery; What's in it? No one knows! But, Ciganka cases it nonetheless With fish skimming her hulls It's better when I say it (to be modest) Simply because of my pronunciations and timing. Like, "sand' (in line 15) rymes with "wind" when said correctly and will still sound like 'sand'. And the final part (Tomorrow.....hulls) is a much softer verse and requiers and decent pause after the rest of the poem. I've attached a sunset in Marsh Harbor that is as close as I could find to what I expierienced. (I didn't photograph the sunset; It would've disrupted my thoughts) Posted by: Barrett Z. (from troop 82) at 7:26:43 PM Posted by: Jo Zigs at 5:07:10 PM Wow! We just returned from a week on Ciganka with Captain Thomas and Admiral Linda. We had such a great time that everyone is talking about doing it again. The health and safety of the crew is their first concern. Beyond that, the next priority is have fun and get more out of the adventure than you put in. The Ciganka does all that and more. Assignments are made and instruction is provided to make sure you're doing most of the work (although it never totally feels that way). Everyone participates and teamwork is the only way to get through the week while having the greatest time imaginable. Hidden reefs with lots of sailing and snorkeling made sure everyone was exhausted at each day's end. The comfort of the bunks also made sure everyone got a good night's rest for the next day. Our sincerest thanks to Captain Thomas and Admiral Linda for a truly memorable experience! Posted by: Charlie Larzalere, Troop 422, Woodinville, WA at 12:34:34 PM Posted by: Captain Jim, Crew 4031 Springfield, VA at 4:55:34 PM Troop 17 on 2 big ships sailing the deep blue sea we will go to the island after lunch to play some beach frisby while our skin burns we'll take our turns singing our clean scouts songs better clean the head or you wont get fed "thats what capton said" its hot as hell but all is well cause we got fifty conck shell Posted by: Luke Sweeney at 2:15:44 PM Just wanted to share..we sailed with Ciganka in June 2004 (our photos are on this site) Our Venture Crew had a FABULOUS time - so much so that in a couple of weeks, July 2007, we are returning to Admiral Linda and Captain Thomas. This is a NOT TO MISS adventure and WELL worth the trip. An experience of a lifetime. Make your plans for an adventure in the Abacos Islands Bahamas - It is AWESOME! Have any questions? E-mail us - our contact info is on this site. Posted by: Deb Davis, Assoc Advisor, Venture Crew 2353, Weldon Spring, MO at 6:54:19 AM Posted by: STEVE HEDGPETH - VENTURING CREW 2257 at 2:18:49 PM Posted by: Pete Effertz Troop 89 Janesville MN at 9:08:45 AM Posted by: hanna at 9:23:21 PM FANTASTIC VOYAGE!!! The trip is a must do for any group that wants a high adventure sailing trip. You don't need to know apples about sailing to enjoy it. Our group of 9 scouts and 5 adults learned what was needed to sail the ship in 1 day. The experience, patience and leadership of Captain Thomas and Admiral Linda are priceless. We did something different every day and there was never a dull moment. If you really want to experience the Bahamas, this is the only way to go!!! Thanks Captain Thomas and Admiral linda for a wonderful trip. Posted by: Brian Andre, Troop 310, Mandeville, Louisiana at 8:49:56 AM Posted by: Kenny Booth at 9:20:14 AM Posted by: Jason Ilowite at 8:17:33 PM Posted by: Sean Wilbur-Venture Crew 264 at 6:02:49 PM Posted by: Jerry Heder at 7:08:26 PM Posted by: James Gallery at 1:02:42 PM Posted by: Jim Gallery Troop 1089 Houston, Texas at 5:00:13 PM Hey Captain and Admiral the summer is ending well here in Maryland. My summer has been great since getting home but i wish i was still there in the Bahamas. So I will give you the rundown on what i've done since getting back. A week after getting back i went to a church camp in West Virginia and had an awesome time working on peoples houses. I have also been to the beach and just got back from a weekend at the Little League Baseball Worldseries. So just checking in because school starts in a week for us. So just saying hello and hope your having a great time and wish i could be down there. Posted by: Zack Hopkins of Troop 264 at 11:01:09 AM Posted by: Jack Chen, Eagle Scout of Troop 380, Plano, Texas at 6:18:20 PM Posted by: Alex Evans of troop 264 at 8:55:28 PM I'm pretty sure I can speak for all of the troop 380 members that went to sea base with Cigaka when I say that we had an awesome time. Sorkeling, Sailing, bodysufing ,the works. It was an amazing week. To anyone thats interested, you should definitely go. You won't regret it. Posted by: Michael (Member of scout Troop 380) at 7:22:44 PM A week aboard Ciganka – an incredible “High Adventure” in the Bahamas that we will never forget! During the trip we learned to sail on the beautiful waters throughout the Abaco islands. Snorkeling in the calm, clear water was one of the favorite experiences that included photographing the plentiful fish at a shipwreck and around some breathtaking coral reefs. We explored the wilds of one of the islands and were able to experience the local culture of a few settlements on the islands. We also enjoyed walking on the beautiful white beaches, searching for shells, wading with the stingrays and nurse sharks, cooking, eating and sleeping aboard the ship and watching the awesome sunsets. Captain Thomas and Admiral Linda have put together an impressive combination of sailing, island adventure and awesome accommodations. Their passion for sailing, knowledge of the islands and teaching abilities were inspiring and their enthusiasm added another dimension to the learning experience. From a design and accommodation standpoint the ship is an engineering marvel. The captain and admiral designed and built the ship themselves with every detail paid to efficiency and comfort. If you can’t tell….Troop 380 (scouts and adults) had a fantastic time. We highly recommend chartering an adventure on Ciganka! Posted by: Don Murray, Troop 380, Arlington Texas at 10:54:42 PM We had a great time with Captain Thomas and Admiral Linda. I particularly enjoyed learning the history of sailing vessels and of words. This trip was not like we were told it would be; it was much better!!! The beaches are more beautiful than any I have ever seen in the States, and the water is much cleaner. The reefs are teeming with spectacular fish of colors I wouldn't have thought possible in nature. The food was wonderful, better than Northern Tier's. If we had asked for a better trip we couldn't have gotten it. This was great! Wow! And, Admiral, the advertisement looks great. ~~Chris, from Troop 241 (expect us back in 2010) Posted by: Chris at 7:45:28 PM I was looking through the photo gallery and I noticed you have a flush toliet (aka the head). Im happy for you, but the pumping was more fun I'd have to say. Especialy because most of my guys had to have 5 or 6 other guys yell directions through the port hole. I wish you all many warm windy days in the beautiful Bahamas. Posted by: John Pre Troop 505 Kenosha, Wisconsin at 5:02:37 PM This is how happy we were to leave. I had an amazing time. Captain Thomas and Admiral, you guys rock! Posted by: Colleen - Venture Crew 14 at 5:20:24 PM Posted by: John Pre Troop 505 Kenosha, Wisconsin at 11:09:25 PM Posted by: Ray Blacklidge at 12:26:00 PM For those of you that have sailed with us, I thought you might like to see Ciganka out of the water. We hauled her out at Bock Marine in Beaufort, NC in September 2005. Posted by: "Admiral" Linda at 7:20:27 AM Post New Blog |
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