The 2008 Youth Sail Training season came to a very successful close with many happy new sailors having visions of renewing friendships next summer. We hope you all stay in touch with each other through the year using Facebook and Myspace. Please continue to post your comments here - we all love to hear from you.
Life on the Schooner Virginia is awesome. This morning was my watch’s turn to clean soles and bowls. This meant that we had to clean the galley floors, soles, and the only two toilets used by the 23 crew and trainees. Today after breakfast we went ashore at Rockland. There we took a tour of an apprentice shop. Once back on the, as some of the trainees preferred it, myself included, we sailed off the anchor like they used to. My watch, C watch, has set the record for galley clean up and polishing the brass, as well getting our sails set with the greatest ease. Right now its 2 o’clock in the morning and we are sailing through the night for the first time. My shift ends in 2 hours. I’ve really enjoyed myself and I’ve made several new friends. I’ve got to go to bow watch now.
Justin L.
The Schooner Virginia is so awesome and cool because u get to learn what to do if an emergency. This morning was the watch I work with witch is the best watch as always. I was woke up super early but I didn’t care because I was about to learn so I loved it. Friday August 22, 2008 the Schooner Virginia went ashore at Rockland. In Rockland we took a tour apprentice shop were they make different wooden boats or you can say ships. The wonderful students and crew members also tacked an average of about six times, sailed off the anchor like sailors did back in the day. O and by the way I meet some funny outstanding friends on the Schooner Virginia ship they just be having me laughing so hard that my head start hurting. Right now I don’t know the time but we are sailing over knight and I’m super tired. But I am not tripping because it’s fun but you just are tired. O my friends Joseph, Josh, Austin are some funny and cool people to hang out with and now I have to go back and finish sailing so let me go do my job. O by the way my jobs in case of an abandoned ship is to launch life raft # three and emergency water, in case of fire my job is the sails witch is some fun, and last but not least in case of something we call m.o.b man over board .And I’m gone………..I will be so glad to come back next year….
Friday August 22, 2008
Cordell
Dayshon says:
Hey dad how has it been home without me I know it isn’t fun without me. But its fun on this boat because we pick up a 500lbs anchor it was heavy as mess. They actually let us steer the boat it was fun. Oh yeah I almost forgot we picked up a little small boat but it didn’t weigh like a little small boat. So to just let you know I am having fun. Hope you are but I highly dought it. OH yeah one more thing tell my mom I love I haven’t seen her in a year and a half ok.
Sean says
As my VA Schooner trip enters its fifth day I look back at all the fun and hard times. The day in arrived on the boat I expected it to be a breeze, but I was wrong. The captain is yelling orders and everybody is hauling line to get the foremast up. Hard work is daily chore on this boat, but its fun. Throughout the rest of the days we learned, worked, and ate. Miss Emily is the best cook ever. I have learned much about sailing and a couple life lessons. Sure its hard at first, I guarantee anyone that they’ll enjoy it.
Oshua, Rockland Maine, says:
August 22, 2008 5:08 am
So far I’ve had a lot of fun. We do all sorts of stuff that takes a lot of practice and work. I’ve learned a lot of knots which are my favorite part because I’m really good at it. The crew is nice and also the food. Right now I’m on watch and we have to do stuff like find wind speed, direction, different spots to find the location of, and have to learn all of the compass points. We are in Rockland Maine in the harbor but we are anchored. Tomorrow we are going to go in Rockland and get some Ice Cream. So far I’ve had a lot of fun and have made a lot of friends.
Blog Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Starting the day off . I was awake to do a boat check and it worked out pretty good . I’m so proud that I really got to learn the emergency drills the way they suppose to be learned . We actually got a chance to lift and bring down the sail and had a emergency drill of course I got a little sea sick but now I’m feeling a little better . I forced myself to eat a meal and came on deck to feel a breeze and feel better . Of course we learned that when they say all hands on deck that means everyone that’s on the ship has to come up on board . I’m so glad that I learned what that means because that’s really important to know what that means . It’s now 10:30 p.m and I’m on board watch having fun doin my job see you guys later….. The end of my summary.
Cordell
We set sail today with a pretty good breeze and began our first day sailing. Partway through the first watch on deck we ran into a line of bad weather and at the cry of ‘all hands on deck’ came tumbling up into rain, wind, and grey skies. The weather stayed this way until halfway into the next watch, when it slowly died, forcing us to turn on the engine for a while to make some headway. After dinner, though the wind returned and we had some good sailing the rest of the evening until anchoring around nine. It was a good first day of sailing and I’m excited for tomorrow!
Josefine
Today, the second day on the Virginia Schooner, was the first day that we set sail. We hit a minor storm that was basically just rain and wind so it wasn’t too bad. When we set sail the wind was good but then we lost it for awhile and then it came back. It was sunny part of the day but it was chilly. It is so beautiful out here on the water. I can’t wait to see what’s planned for tomorrow and the rest of the trip!!
Angela Sale
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