We had a very good first day, although some things are still not TOTALLY READY we made a lot of good progress ... ... ... and some of the cadets got to actually got sailing. Two of the advanced skippers had the chance to pick a crew and when their boats were rigged, got underway! First there was WORK to do! For example, the Flying Juniors (FJs) have not been moved for the lawn mowers in several months. Fortunately, the boats were not damaged nor were they inhabited by wildlife. Here we see our sailing cades moving an FJ from it's nest of grass over to a clear area where it can be cleaned & rigged.
Let's review some of the basics of the sailing program- you have to get a consent form, you have to get on the roster, you have to give the on-water coaches a valid emergency contact phone number, you have to wear shoes that will both protect your feet and not damage the boats (ie no flip-flops, no hiking boots or cleats), you have to show up. Everybody works as a team and that part has gone very smoothly for a first outing.
This 2nd photo shows what looks like mayhem, cadets in life jackets running around among the boats. However there is actually a plan and there is both teamwork and leadership. The boats are getting moved (and no backs are getting injured in the lifting/carrying) and we will se the progress being made.
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Is this what we call progress? Actually it is very good, you can see that the masts are being put up but you can't really photograph KNOWLEDGE. This is also happening here, the cadets are learning the basicparts of the boat. Of course, the advanced sailors who are helping to direct the operation already know the terminology (well, mostof it) and are teaching & reviewing with the newbie sailors.
We need to know the DIRECTIONS (port/starboard, forward/aft, windward/leeward) and we need to know the basic parts of the boat (mast & boom, bow & stern, halyards & sheets) and the quicker we learn them, the quicker we can get down to business. We will also need to learn the knots... you can practice these in Top's classroom!
Even the Javelins have to be rigged. These boats are only slightly bigger in length but they are much bigger in overall size. They weigh more than twice what an FJ does, and we keep them in the water at dockside. Remember, these boats have special paint on the bottoms of the hulls so that they don't grow barnacles. What else did we learn about barnacles?
This might look like a bunch of kids just having fun, but actually class is in session! We've learned some terminology, we've practiced some teamwork, and we have also learned some important safety rules.
Lift the FJ with 5 or more people... watch out for hazardous items -before- stepping on them or tripping over them... wear a lifejacket when on the water (this includes the dock)... a whistle is an important piece of safety equipment... don't let the boats crash, but also don't ever get your hand or arm caught between 2 boats or between the boat & the dock... and something about barnacles!
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Today we launched all 3 Javelins and we hoisted our BRAND NEW SAILS for the 1st time.
Now, who is looking forward to more sailing??
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