Sam, four months with Furthur

Sam has now been with Furthur for more than four months, she joins a small group of wonderful crew to do so. Sam came on a “test ride” last New Year’s for a dive trip to the Samilian Islands in Thailand. From day one I knew she was a perfect match for my crew. She rejoined Furthur when we left Thailand in March and headed south to Malaysia and Indonesia. She intends to stay on Furthur for many more adventures, for that i am so grateful.

Sam is a jewel, or as past crew member Troy put it, “Sam is golden”, and that is a lot of words for Troy, hahaha. She has taken a lead role in the boat, I depend on her a great deal and she has earned my trust, not an easy feat. She has taken charge of the provisioning, galley and most important the crew. She has learned and learned fast, she can do almost all of the ships operations. As she learned I piled more on her and she never blinked, always eager to learn and do.

Sam has taken to diving like a natural; she joined me with only a few dives from the Open Water Class and has now filled a log book, 50 dives. We have exactly the same air consumption. But it is not her ability that is a joy, it is her joy. Rarely have I seen anyone relish being underwater like Sam. I so love watching her long hair burst out in a cloud and then swept aside to reveal a Cheser Cat, ear to ear grin as she spots a turtle or Lion Fish.

I have learned that new crew members do much better if they are introduced to the boat by a veteran girl crew member. Sam is takes the new crew on and makes them feel at home while also teaching them what is expected. She is very good at letting them know about the Captain’s little quirks too. Though Sam is often the youngest member of the crew she is the clear leader, she is a perfect blend of friend and leader to the other girls; they depend on her as I do.

I value her leadership and competence but it is her joy of life that I cherish. She is a true “bundle of joy” beaming with optimism and love and fun. Oh and she can be a bit of a prankster, twice I have awoke from a warm afternoon nap to find I had painted toe nails. She can dish it out but she can take it too, a good attribute for survival on Furthur. Once I found her in deep slumber in the pilot house berth, I filled her open hand with shaving cream and tickled her nose with a feather, soon enough she scratched the itch and awoke to all of us roaring in laughter, cameras flashing and a face full of shave cream. 

So as I look back on the last four wonderful months and the blessing of having Sam on board I ponder this younger generation of travelers again. I am constantly impressed with them, their joy of life, eagerness to for adventure and ability to vault across the generation gap. Again I ponder this turn of events, me sharing life with young adventurers, the vast amount I have learned from them and the love we have shared. This was not expected when I planned this voyage, but as I have learned oh so well, the plan is not for me to make, it is for me to live.