Six Sea Scouts, Three Adventures, One Ship = SEAL
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” isn’t just an aphorism in Ship 1942 SS Dragonlady. The legacy of Ship 1942 with Skipper Tom Ballew at the helm has a long-standing tradition of sending Sea Scouts to Sea Scout Advanced Leadership Training (SEAL). Sea Scouts across the country in a variety of Sea Scout Ships apply to attend the 9-day intensive leadership on-the-water training held in locations such as New York, Tampa, Colorado, Tennessee, Galveston, San Francisco, and Seattle to name a few. Sea Scouts can apply for this advanced leadership training in a variety of Sea Scout disciplines from white water, paddle craft, sailing to living aboard motorized vessels.
The unique opportunity to have six Sea Scouts attend came to fruition because SEAL applications were opened to Scouts BSA. Any Scout who has reached the rank of First Class and age 14, and any Sea Scout who has reached Ordinary, can apply to attend SEAL. Three Eagle Scouts from Ship 1942 who are dual registered in a Troop took advantage of this opportunity to join their fellow Sea Scouts from Ship 1942.
When the information that SEAL was open to Scouts BSA was released, the Ship 1942 training chair took advantage of this unique opportunity and broadcasted it widely across the National Capital Area Council (NCAC). This led to a total of seven youth to attend four different SEAL Courses. All of the scouts earned their SEAL Certificate and coveted SEAL Pin including the 6 scouts from Ship 1942 and Life Scout Austin Snip from Troop 447. Each SEAL course follows a national curriculum but focuses on different vessels based upon their demographic location.
Eagle Scouts Aiden Maupin, Colin Maupin, and Liam Maupin from Troop 413 and Ship 1942 all selected SEAL Colorado White Water Rafting as their first choice. They were joined by Ship 1942 Boatswain Sebastian Morales-Talero for this 9-day camping and white-water rafting experience. Where the three brothers were placed in different crews by design, Liam Maupin and Boatswain Sebastian had the opportunity to be in the same crew, as SEAL Colorado had three separate crews and the Ship had four participants.
Quartermaster Candidate and Eagle Scout Quinn Laffey did not receive his first choice which was Tampa, Florida. Quinn was placed in SEAL Tennessee, which is a paddle craft course, but Quinn embraced this opportunity like a champion and had an awesome experience! Quinn utilized his prior skills from Northern Tier and relied upon a more recent certification he received while obtaining his USPS Pilot “P” rating to prepare for SEAL Tennessee. Ship 1942 is a sailing ship, but Quinn’s diversified Scouting and Sea Scouting experiences more than prepared him for the challenges of the Tennessee rivers.
William Kennedy, the current National Service Territory 12 (NST12) Boatswain who is also an Eagle Scout and Able Sea Scout joined SEAL Seattle and had the experience he had dreamed of aboard the SSS Propeller located in Seattle, Washington. William thrived in the SEAL intensive environment and hopes to return for more adventures on the SSS Propeller, a 1952 65’ U.S. Army T-Boat. SEAL Seattle participants navigated the San Juan Islands throughout the 10-day course. SEAL Seattle participants had the option to join the SSS Propeller crew for an extended stay to support Seattle’s Seafair Weekend Festival. To prepare for SEAL Seattle, NST12 Boatswain obtained multiple certifications including NASBLA Boaters Safety Education Course, USPS Boat Handling, USPS Marine Navigation, Pilot “P” rating, and a 16-hour hands-on US Power Boating Certification.
Quinn, Aiden, Liam, Colin, and Sebastian all earned the 50-Miler Award for paddling over 50 miles during their adventure. The SEAL Colorado participants also earned the BSA White Water Award. To prepare for SEAL Colorado, the Maupins completed an NASBLA Boaters Safety Course, and Boatswain Sebastian attended an in-person Marine Navigation Course offered through Ship 1942 and had completed Northern Tier. These accomplished Sea Scouts have shared their enthusiasm for the course and look forward to applying the leadership skills gained.
