Community Service On A Ship

Picture of the ship our class helped cleaned

Today was not what I was expecting it to be. I thought we were going to be painting something but instead we were asked to clean someone's boat. I'm sorry, but I was not going to get on that boat and that's that. I really hate being out on the sea, even if the boat is docked. When they told us to come onto the boat my heart started to pound really fast. Yes, I've been on boats before, but not because I wanted to. I never want to go on a boat ever. Each time I have to get on one, it is a terrifying experience for me. While everyone else is enjoying their time, I'm way in the back scared out of my mind about the boat sinking or me getting really sick or some kind of sea creature might come out from beneath and attack us.
........Anyways, I did not help out much today because I did not want to get on the boat. So, I just sat down and occasionally asked Greta (Is that her name?) if she needed help with anything. But I will say, the ship was absolutely beautiful and we learned a lot about its history. It is originally a replica of the ships the Dutch used to build centuries ago. It was made from 400 year old oak-wood and every angle of the wood had to be burned in fire to able to conform with the shape of the ship at various angles. Oak is used because it is soft and flexible after being subjected to fire, and it is excellent at water resistance. It acts as a dam to keep water out when the ship is on sea; so the ship will not sink. Original Dutch styles of building ships was popular as early as the 1600's in Manhattan. The Dutch were able to build the best ships because of the quality of material and expertise they had. So they were able to conquer exclusive trade on oceans around countries.
The owner of the boat needed help to maintain and clean it since he wanted to take adults and children on the ship and teach them about the history of these ships and the Dutch. Some people helped varnish the floorboards and the wood on the ship while others helped organize the storage area below deck. It was really windy and chilly out today. After everyone was done, Greta offered us some pastry waffles she bought at a farmer's market as a way to thank us for helping her. The waffles were good.....didn't even taste like a waffle, more like a pastry. This blog is going to be a little short since we did not do much today. But I must say, it feels awesome being able to go back to RSC earlier than we used to. No more walking around for like 12 hours every single day.

Painting showing an example the style of ships the Dutch built for centuries