Shavings Volume 16 Number 6 (December 1994)

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Volume X V I Number 6 December. 1994

Published for members of the Center for W o o d e n Boats

FINDING O N E ' S W A Y C W B hosted a 2 day conference in A p r i l on programs i n v o l v i n g maritime heritage s k i l l s and disadvantaged youths. T h i s was the second conference on this topic that we have hosted.

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ticipants i n the conference, "Finding One's W a y " were maritime s k i l l s , maritime history, human resources and educational professionals. T h e proceedings w i l l be published in early 1995 and w i l l include the roster of participants, a narrative of the w o r k sessions and papers the participants thought especially relevant to (he purpose of the conference, w h i c h was for youths to develop positive life s k i l l s through maritime heritage s k i l l s . The f o l l o w i n g is an excerpt from one of the papers. C o p i e s of the proceedings of Finding One's W a y may be purchased for $10 + S h i p ping.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SAIL TRAINING

By: Capt. Kenneth B. Greff, M. Ed Nationally Certified School Psychologist Reality - Responsibility: H o w m u c h o f 20th century life and culture is based on c o m fort? H o w many life decisions based on convenience, or desire to keep things easy? C o n v e nience does not b u i l d character, nor does it b u i l d values and responsible communities or citizens. On a ship a c o m m u n i t y must not o n l y exist, it must function. T h i s reality is clearly evident in every w o r k i n g of the vessel day and night and each person's contribution to that overall effort of v o y a g i n g is of obvious value. S k i l l , careful and competent c o m p l e t i o n of tasks and duties, respect for the sea. your ship, y o u r shipmates and y o u r s e l f arc a l l d a i l y realities in the functioning of the vessel. If y o u don't pull y o u r share on the peak halyard the sail doesn't go up. If y o u aren't careful in taking y o u r bearings y o u r watchmate is unable to get an accurate fix in time for the position update to the skipper. If y o u don't tie a proper topsail sheet bend the sheet w i l l come loose and leave 4 0 0 square feet of sail flapping w i l d l y in the w i n d at the masthead. These are just a few examples o f how the Realities o f ship-

board Responsibilities go hand in hand and c o m prise one of the strongest elements of experiential education at sea. Strong and regular emphasis on these elements is one of the most powerful tools we have to "reach" y o u n g people with the lessons of the sea. T h e program must be carefully designed to enhance these realities and not to avoid or over engineer in the name of comfort or convenience.

lack

If he's right we w i l l stay o f f the rocks.

and w i l l weather the point on the new leg." I then turned on my heel and strode aft to the taffrail and out of the way leaving 100 tons of N a t i o n a l H i s t o r i c L a n d m a r k c h a r g i n g along under full press of 4500 square feet of sail with a 14 year old in charge!

I w o n ' t soon forget the look in

Pete's eyes as I handed h i m that pipe, and gave A touching example of this process at w o r k comes to m i n d from a session aboard the schooner Adventuress several summers back, with a group of y o u n g teens. We were on our return leg of a 7 day voyage, tacking up a narrow channel in the San Juan Islands in a fresh breeze with lots of traffic and islands on both sides. We were m o v i n g easily at near hull speed, over 10 knots, and tacking every 60-90 seconds. I had been noticing that one of the younger sailors had been rather quiet and shy for the whole trip, yet carefully and competently going about his duties with little recognition from his shipmates. As we hardened up after a tack I took the boson's pipe and placed the lanyard around his neck, then announced to a l l hands. "Pete w i l l call the next

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that order. He froze for o n l y a few seconds, then q u i c k l y leapt to the quarterdeck took two rapid bearings, and checked the depth, then from a sailor who had said little short of a mumble the whole trip came a proper call on the pipe and the clear c o m m a n d , " R e a d y A l l . . . H e l m ' s alee." H i s shipmates at their sailing stations tacked the ship on a dime, and a spontaneous cheer went up from all hands as the ship flew past the point into the bay with a bone in her teeth. I think Pete stopped grinning some time the next day when his friends stopped slapping h i m on the back. I wonder what he told his parents when he got home.


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