SAIL TRAINING
the sea. It was generally agreed that a yachting museum would be a natural development for Newport, and that this would fill a gap in the existing roster of maritime museums. Captain Albert Swanson, representing the National Society in Boston, reported on the great success there of Operation Sail, and people's desire to capitalize on this in advancing the proposed Historical Museum of Boston, a museum proposed to ''present the overall story of how the area developed." He paid tribute also to the small Constitution Museum, now established in a warehouse described as the "support building" for Drydock No. 1. The harbor islands, Swanson reported, are being developed as historic parks, in a program run by the State, which he works in. Until recently the Westward of SEA was run out of Boston; now the square rigger Regina Maris is based there.
"It taught me to lean forward into life. " Reviewing these somewhat scattered programs in both Newport and Boston, it was agreed that a central museum focus would be desirable, and that if a principal agreed center could be created, that sail training ships associated with that center would probably garner increased support and bring both support and lively program to the museum center. The use of stationary ships, like the Peking in South Street, as training ships in situ was raised by Zelda Mueller. The Conrad at Mystic was so used, and a great deal of learning and reward result. It was agreed that sail training ships need not be owned in every case by the museum. The great thing was to have such ships based on the museum, and so enriching its program. Peter Stanford pointed also to the experience of the Hudson River Sloop Association's Clearwater. By making regular cruises on the river, and building up local chapters at principal ports of call, the Clearwater had created an institution around herself boasting over 5,000 members, fine publications, and very strong, deep-rooted community support and interest. The question was posed: would this work for example for the Bath Museum, which has a high goal of increasing its 1,500 members to 5,000? The organizing principle would be that wherever the ship calls, local historical societies, art,
music and ecology groups share in her program. The museum thereby gains significant outreach into communities at some distance from the museum center, and its fundamental messages get translated into on-the-scene community events. Captain Swanson noted that sail training bred up people who knew how to care for historic vessels, and suggested that those living skills which are required flourish best when they are learned and practiced at sea. To this, Zelda Mueller added: "If you lose the seaman and his arts, you've lost the living link you have with your history." This was strongly agreed with by all hands. The question of historic preservation values obstructing activist sailing on some historic waterfronts was brought up. Snow gave a spirited rebuttal to this, saying that the National Register of Historic Places was governed under a philosophy that recognized the importance of active program, which brings life to old buildings and neighborhoods. Finally, there was discussion on whether it was a good idea for a museum dedicated to being a lively center of experiential things to call itself a museum: didn't the word itself suggest something dead? It was pretty well agreed that you could get recognition as an active center under the name "museum," however, and that the principles of learning from real things were guarded by the museum concept. A museum after all is neither an amusement park nor a learned society. P.S. DIFFERENT SHIPS, DIFFERENT LONG SPLICES
By Corwith Cramer, Jr. Executive Director, SEA PO Box 6, Woods Hole, MA 02543 NOTE: The Sea Education Association sails the schooner Westward as a research vessel, based at Woods Hole. "Its principal purpose," says their newsletter Following Sea, "is to teach college-level students about the oceans through a combination of classroom studies ashore and practical laboratory work at sea. " Six weeks ashore are followed by six weeks aboard the 125-foot Westward. Her schedule shows her calling in at Bermuda, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in November, in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas in December, in Florida in January. Here the Executive Director reflects upon an-
other program, run in other ships to different purposes. -ED. To me, the fascination of Op Sail was the tremendous variety of training programs represented. I was fortunate to get a close look at one of these efforts when the director of the (British) Sail Training Association, Brian Stewart, invited me to spend some days at sea aboard the Sir Winston Churchill. Like her sister ship, the Malcolm Miller, she was built of steel in England in 1967. Rigged as a three masted topsail schooner, she is 125 feet on deck, 25 feet wide, and draws 16 feet. Designed by Camper and Nicholson, her hull is similar to the large sailing yachts which that English firm produced in quantity between 1900 and 1925. She has a large house which takes up most of her deck space amidships, and her rig, with running backstays on all three aluminum masts, requires a lot of manpower. In comparison with Westward she is faster, less forgiving, and a good deal larger. The program she serves is designed to build character by giving young people in the British Isles a taste of life before the mast. Every two weeks a new group of 39 trainees, ages 16 to 21, arrive on board from factories, schools and businesses throughout Britain, sent by sponsors who feel the experience will do them good. They are divided into three watches, each supervised by a watch leader (former trainees) and a watch officer (volunteer yachtsmen). For the next fortnight they provide the power to move the vessel an average of 800 miles. In some respects the program is similar to ours. The discipline of sailing ships at sea is pretty universal. But in other ways the scene aboard is in striking contrast to Westward. The professionals who make the decisions (captain, chief officer, bosun, engineer, cook) seldom deal with the trainees. There is little attempt at explaining why-or how-and the European class structure is omnipresent. The entire ship is divided into four classes-afterguard, petty officers, cooks, and traineeseach of which lives and eats separately. The STA schooners operate 42 weeks of the year in very rough and cold waters. They are rugged ships, and they provide their trainees with rugged experience. I'm certain that the two weeks which now form a common experience for their thousands of alumni are unforgettable. The time I spent aboard gave me a valuable perspective on our own operations. .:ti
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