Sea Scouts

Once each year, ten distinguished Sea Scouts from around the United States are invited by the US Coast Guard to spend a week sailing aboard the USCGC EAGLE.  The EAGLE is a 295ft long fully rigged sailing barque.  She was taken as a war prize from the Nazi Navy in 1945 and has been mostly stripped of her Nazi past and converted into a symbol of American freedom and help.  (As any boat owner knows, some parts are impossible to replace. So despite much grinding and polish a watchful eye can still spot hints of the ship’s darker past.)

Sea Scouts climbed the rope ladders up the masts and helped raise and lower the 23 sails with over 22,000 square feet of sail area.  They worked in the galley under a culinary-trained galleymaster (Coast Guard food is know to be very good), and assisted with the day to day operations of the boat.

While the EAGLE does not engage in critical Coast Guard missions such as drug interdiction, fisheries enforcement or search-and-rescue (except under very specific circumstances), the Scouts were briefed on the exciting career of a Coast Guard sailor or officer. 

The week paid off with at least one NCAC Sea Scout sending forward an application to the very prestigious and selective US Coast Guard Academy.

After a week of fretfully watching Hurricane Florence dance around the eastern seaboard of the United States, 100 Sea Scouts and their Coast Guard mentors gathered at the Coast Guard base in Curtis bay for training and tours.  The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary provided training in Man-Overboard Drills, Mustang Survival Suit use, Aerial Flares, Disaster Recovery (what happens when your ship hits an iceberg?), maritime radio use and tours of the USCGC Rankin and Chock – who patrol the Chesapeake bay and maintain safe shipping lanes.

On the water, Scouts were able to take tours of the Coast Guard Yard aboard the new mini-tugboat brought by Ship 37 Dreadnought from Frederick, Maryland.  They were able to get up close and personal as they motored past the various Coast Guard cutters – and one particularly notable ship, the USCGC EAGLE.

On shore, Scouts were shooting off bright red emergency flares under the watchful eye of the United States Coast Guard.  Hand-held flares were ignited and Scouts learned careful techniques to avoid setting themselves on fire, or worse – flares drip sparks that can mix violently with a fuel tank! Despite encouragement from devious adult leaders, Scouts learning to aim and focus a marine fire hose did NOT actually resort to spraying down each other in the warm summer sun.

Summer 2019 brought high adventure on the high seas for a number of Sea Scouts and their Scouts BSA brothers who came along for the fun.

First out of the harbor were Ships 100, 125, and 7916, joined by guests from Troop 884 in NCAC and Troop 75 from Piedmont Council in North Carolina.  They traveled to the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands to conduct a week of extreme sailing in the best sailing waters of the world, explore the reefs, and conduct a research project on an invasive reef grass species known as halophila stipulacea.

Departing in the afternoon of Day 1, they launched a 43ft 2017 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey, a 45ft 2016 Beneteau Oceanis, and a 48ft 2018 Beneteau Oceanis.  The experience of the boats alone was enough to make the trip, as these were some of the nicest boats available – with folding swim platforms that raised and lowered for easy access off the back of the boat, in-port airconditioning, and bright, clean bathrooms – or “heads” as they’re known. 

The week took them from Tortola, to Norman Island where the story “Treasure Island” was supposedly based and where Blackbeard hid his treasure over two centuries ago.  Much to the scouts’ dismay, locals long since found (and distributed) the remains of all Pirate Treasure.  The next morning they explored by swimming in the shallow caves at the southern tip of the island.  Thankfully for the adults, the caves were not so deep as to risk anyone getting lost.  From Norman Island, they circled around Peter Island, carefully crossing 8ft waves with reefed sails and 25kt winds. 

By day three they had arrived at “The Baths” a natural rock formation off the southern tip of Virgin Gorda which makes for amazing hikes and swimming.  They anchored off the cost of Prickly Pear Island and watched the sun set over the western Caribbean.  From Virgin Gorda, they turned west toward Great Caminoe Island and the famous Marina Cay.  Here they discovered the best snorkeling of the week at Diamond Cay.  Despite the immense damage done to the reefs from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, this secluded reef was still very much vibrant with tangs, wrasses, damsels, gobys, angels and other fish.  The fan corals had recovered and there were signs of growth amongst the brain coral.  They celebrated mid week with a dinner at Pussers Marina Cay.

Day 4 brought the Dominion Regatta where all 3 boats were to sail from Great Camanoe to Jost Van Dyke.  Separated by PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Formulas) the sail was a test of teamwork with three different yachts under the command of three different youth captains.  (But carefully supervised by the prescribed adults.  These are $300,000 boats after all!)

After a tiring week, they pulled into home port, turned over the helm to their fleet and headed back to U.S. waters.

But the adventure was not over!  As these scouts arrived back safely on US ground, the next group departed for a week around the Chesapeake Bay.  Ships 1927, 548, 100, as well as Troops 1188 and 1182 cast off the bowlines at Maryland Yacht Club.  Sailing the Sea Scout flagship SSTV der Pelikan, a 46ft Morgan Ketch, they headed to Baltimore Inner Harbor where the scouts explored the historic port, home to the USS Constellation – a fully rigged 18th Century sailing barque.  From there they turned southward to Annapolis, picking up a mooring ball for the night and going in to experience the night sounds and experiences in one of America’s premier sailing towns, as well as home to the US Naval Academy.  Despite torrential rains, they turned west and headed to St. Michaels and the Eastern Shore.  By the end of a tiring week, 8 wobbly scouts returned to Pasadena, Maryland to find their land legs again.  Each scout had completed their “Boaters License” as it is colloquially named – the Boater Training Certificate from the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, which allows them to legally operate a boat in the United States.

Long Cruise is a 7-14 day maritime experience, and serves as “summer camp” for Sea Scouts.  It is an important part of the Sea Scout program and provides leadership and maritime skills which last a lifetime.

For more information on Sea Scouting in the NCAC, email ncac@seascout.org.