Sail Training Aboard the Bill of Rights by Muriel Curtis
For centuries, men have known that the sea can mature and strengthen a young person as no other environment on earth. The oceans can be nurturing and calming or a fury to be reckoned with. Th e young person who learns to cope with this most powe1ful of nature's forces also learns to cope with the forces and furies within. (VisionQuest, 1988) I met VisionQuest in 1985 in an AST A race a year after they had taken over the Western Union (now New Way). The year before, I'd left the Western Union in Key West badly in need of repair. This day, I admired her openly. She was in fine shape with varnish and brass as bright as a new penny. The crew, who I was told were juvenile delinquents, greeted me warmly and openly. They gave me the Cooke 's tour in a big way and spoke warmly of their ship and of VisionQuest. They were proud, as well they should have been , and their spirit was contagious. Their mate, an old friend and shipmate, offered some insight. He said the program 's function was to re-parent the kids , and spoke glowingly of success stories. Most of these kids had been in an average of seven different lock - ups, detention centers and foster homes of various sorts. Most had been abused . That charming little girl who had brought me aft had been a prostitute since the age of eleven. Now she was fourteen and learning to rebuild her life. VisionQuest made a major point of that. You need to take charge of your own life. OK, the first fifteen years of your life have been hell and I'm sorry. But it's up to you to make something of the next fifteen years. We can help you. We can give you the tools. But it 's your life and your job to direct it.
* *image * * in* mind that I It was with this joined VQ three years later. The sea had certainly turned my life around. Maybe I could help others change their lives. I was hired on as crew on Bill of Rights before anyone realized the extent of the repairs she would need to undergo. At my request I was put in a holding pattern in a wilderness camp until there was an opening on the boat. The following six months were spent in wilderness camp, the first stage of VisionQuest. Kids come straight from the courts and the streets into impact camps where they learn the word " No. " Life is a steady routine there, although living practically outdoors with twelve youngsters in a tipi is never routine. Kids are required to face their anger and 32
identify its source. They are led to see can't drive the boat, throw the lines and the issues in their lives which provoke check all your knots. You've got to start their misbehavior and deal with them in taking responsibility for each other. We a positive manner. They must be super- were lucky when that line sl ipped. vised at all times. They don 't as much as Someone could have been hurt." walk to the porch for a drink of water "Captai111, can I say something?" a without staff coverage. young lad seated at the table spoke up Arriving at the boat was like waking gingerly. "I g uess you're all gonna find up after a long winter and finding spring. out so I may as well tell you. That was The Bill ofRights wasjustoutofthe yard my dock line. I tied the bowline that after a major refit, still bald-headed with slipped out." no sai ls. We all worked very hard fitting The few seconds that followed were her out and were eager to stretch her sails the sort where you could hear every and see what she could do. We were ripple of water against the hull and every most fortunate on the first several shake- breath of wind in the rig. The captain put down sails in thatthe wind seemed gradu- his hand on the boy's shou lder. His ally to increase in direct proportion to voice softened just a bit. "That doesn't our skill level , at least for a while. There matter. That's not the point. That was a was a lot of joy in those times . The very brave thing to say, but what matters captain was as happy as a man truly in is looking out for each other. Anyone his element could be. The mate drove can make a mistake. Someone else should the kids hard . Tacks had to be spot on, no have caught it. We've got to work toexcuses, and watch out for your ship- gether here or this boat isn't going anymates. "We ' re acrew,"he repeated time where." and again. "We cover each other's tails I wish I could give you a wondrous around here. I don ' t need to hear whose magic moment when the crew suddenly fault it was. We ' re a team and you're all jelled, unity and solidarity were estabgoing to be men someday so you might lished and we sailed happily ever after. Alas, all of life isn't an ABC Afternoon as well start practicing now." It was a real struggle getting these Special. Yet we became a crew somekids, each of whom had overcome a how. I'd look up from my work and tremendous amount on his own , to think notice some kid just up from school and work as a crew. They resented each throw a bucket of water on the deck to other's help. Each was out to prove his wash off the sand even though he hadn't own mettle and would not tolerate an- been told to and it wasn't his mess. Kids other kid checking up on him. Even would happen by a bad! y coiled or fallen putting away a paint can that someone line and take the time to fix it. Sometimes I'd come down from aloft and else had used became an issue. The " unity" struggle came to a head notice the bits of rope yam that I'd the day of a most difficult docking. We dropped had already been picked up. It needed to back into a finger slip with a was slow, but they were getting the idea. stiff wind on our beam. I was in the Personal victories are manifold on a dingy with another staff member push- boat, but they usually manifest theming in the bow. True to form , if bad luck selves in the most quiet ways, often unhappens in threes, there came a particu- noticed . One day in a good stiff chop I larly strong gust of wind, the outboard called a lad to help me tend the fore stalled, and the dock line on which the sheet. We had to move quickly to catch captain was springing let go. The next the luff and I just didn't notice him at all few moments live in my mind as a blur. until the line was belayed and secure and I remember a huge white hull bearing he buried his head over the lee rail. The down on me, threatening to crush me mate looked askance at me and I told against the pilings on the lee side before him honestly, "I needed a hand and he my companion deftly maneuvered us never even mentioned he was sick." The with an oar to the other side of the mate smiled and shook the boy's hand, "Congratulations, man. You 're all right." pilings. The docking was completed safely, The kid beamed. He ' d just won one of course. Nothing in this world or the small personal victory. Courage is a funny thing, and nonext could make me doubt the captain's skill. That wasn't an issue. Neither was where is that more apparent than at sea. the series of unfortunate accidents which Courage isn ' t the absence of fear, for made the docking difficult. The issue only a fool isn't afraid when there is was attitude, and the captain and mate something to be afraid of. Courage is lost no time in say ing so. "I' m tired of overcoming your fear, and it 's a very the I, me, my personal pronouns. We're individual thing. in this together-we. I can 't do it al l. I I saw a lot of courage on board the SEA HISTORY, SUMMER 1989