Grand Lady the Lake Ontario tall ships rendezvous. The next challenge came when the Western Union and her cadets entered their first racing competition-the American Sail Training Association races between Kingston and Hamilton . Then it was on to Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Claire and Lake Huron . Following this first successful season, Western Union returned to Philadelphia for long-awaited repairs which were undertaken at the Dorchester Shipyards in New Jersey. In December, with a new cadre of cadets, Western Union left the cold northern waters and headed for her old sailing grounds to the south . In Freeport, Grand Bahama, she joined Operation Raleigh, a four-year around-theworld scientific and community-service expedition for youth sponsored by HRH Prince Charles of Great Britian. For six weeks, Operation Raleigh venturers enjoyed sail-training aboard Western Union while OceanQuest cadets helped other venturers build Lucaya National Park on Grand Bahama. And then Western Union sailed "home. " Capt. Steedman was delighted at what he saw entering Key West harbor-a handsome yessel whose beauty and heritage were obviously appreciated and cared for by her crew and cadets . But the stay was short for the new working mother, and she was soon sailing north again, to participate in Norfolk, Virginia's outstanding harborfest, where she was voted the festival's best dressed ship. After visits in Washington, DC, and Alexandria the cable schooner of Key West and her cadets distinguished themselves by winning the ASTA race on Chesapeake Bay . Another honor was the cadets' winning the Joseph Conrad award in the Mystic Seaport Invitational Schooner race . The highlight of this coming season will be sailing in the parade of ships commemorating the Statue of Liberty 's birthday in New York harbor-Operation Sail 1986. When she returns to Key West in the winter of this year, it will be as proud mother indeed: over eighty VisionQuest cadets will have served aboard her. Many of them have gone on to jobs in the marine industry, while others have used their experiences to help them successfully navigate their own lives in other ways. The Western Union has joined VisionQuest's wagon trains as a symbol of the new direction in the treatment of troubled youth. The millions of people who have seen Western Union and her cadets at work have witnessed the success of this new approach. SEA HISTORY, SPRING 1986
EDITORIAL: Controlling Risk at Sea Early in 1983 the sail-training ship Activ was lost with all hands in heavy weather off the coast of Holland. In the years since , there have been other losses, the bark Marques in 1984, and last spring the schooner Pirata, both with lamentable loss of life. Risk-taking is part of navigation. It is part of the discipline which we seek in seafaring, designed to instill desirable attitudes and character traits in trainees. But we must constantly seek to control risk, and avoid catastrophe at sea. In this regard the example of the well defined and ably handled sail-training brig Royalist springs to mind . Under the captaincy of Morin Scott, she was hit by a squall of uncontrollable fury, which came across the land and caught the ship with no time to respond . She was hove down with her yardarms in the water (according to a reliable witness-the people aboard were too busy to notice!) and lost one of the trainees overboard. Things were not pleasant or easy aboard , and not everything worked perfectly, but the ship survived , the trainee was recovered, and tragedy was averted. Captain Scott is not a timid soul. In recent years he has been taking handicapped people to sea under sail , and the Jubilee Trust will soon be sending to sea a bark built specifically for that purpose, aboard which people normally confined to wheelchairs will be able to go aloft. We intend to report more on this enterprise. It serves to make the point that great things can be dared , while controlling the risk inherent in seafaring . Another example of seamanly behavior occurred last summer in Captain George Salley' s decision to break off the voyage of the Elizabethan replica ship Godspeed II at Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, rather than bring her north to Virginia in the hurricane season. The delays that forced the ship to confront the possibilities of hurricanes on the last part of the passage , and the unsuitability of the vessel to conditions of ultimate violence at sea were factors Captain Salley had to weigh carefully . In ouropinion, hereached a correct and brave decision in breaking off the voyage when he did. It is of some interest to note that Hurricanes Bob and Claudette would in fact have hit the ship in the open ocean and then off Cape Hatteras had she continued as scheduled. And, as it happens, when Godspeed ll was brought north under another crew, they had to call the Coast Guard twice to keep them from being driven onto Diamond Shoals and Cape Hatteras during gales.
As increasing numbers of people become active in all kinds of navigation , we must continue to address ourselves to the whole question of risk-taking, which is what the US Coast Guard and the American Sail Training Association addressed in formulating the regulations for the Sail School Vessels Act. Confronting the wild ocean is not a game . The sea plays for keeps . We should look at our work in seafaring always in the light of that governing and immutable fact. As Godspeed ll's former Captain, George Salley, has said: ''A prudent sailor doesn 't count on luck." PETER STANFORD
Trustee, AST A
ASTA News Whether your interest is in marine biology, whale watching, naval architecture, navigation or a combination of the four, ASTA will help individuals or school and scout groups find berths on an appropriate sail-training vessel. Trainees will receive instruction from counsellors who have participated in training seminars organized by the ASTA Sail Training and Education Committee, and they will work with the ASTA syllabus and logbook. Scholarship monies are available for these sail-training cruises. If you happen to be a spectator at Operation Sail 1986/Salute to Liberty in New York Harbor this Fourth of July, be sure to look for the many sail-training vessels flying the ASTA flag in the parade of ships.
Information on all AST A programs and events is readily available by writing or calling: American Sail Training Association Newport Harbor Center 365 Thames Street Newport, RI 02840 401 846-1775 33