Beautiful "Blub, Blub, Blub"!

Another run up to Herrington Harbour, this time to check out two boats in addition to another attempt to start Amanda Grace. After crawling through Sunday evening traffic snarled by an accident on the Wilson Bridge, my first stop was Quandary, a friend's Catalina 30. I'm trying to work out an owner-retained deal with her, so she can keep and use her boat, and we can have access to it on a regular basis. Oh, Quandary is nice! Standing on the carpeted deck below, my eyes roaming the cabin, I noted the accommodations and thought, "I could live on this boat!"

Next, a quick look at South 40, a Catalina 27 that is up for adoption. Friends of Sea Scouts of Maryland is taking her, but I wanted to have a peek, anyway. Not bad.

I met Steve Alexander aboard Amanda Grace at about 6:30 PM. The first order of business was to open the fore hatch, flip the "receptacle" switch and turn on the blower. Steve and I chatted in the cockpit for a few minutes while the fan dispersed the diesel fumes, and then he went to work. He showed me the fuel injector that he had had reconditioned for only $45. This is a great deal, considering that a new one runs about $300. Steve said he asked Arundel Diesel to go ahead and rebuild the other injector--which will cost $75--because we need a spare and that was a good deal, too.

Mr. Alexander crawled into the space next to the engine compartment and I stood by, handing him sockets, Vise Grips, a "great hammer" (say that with a Scottish accent), screwdrivers and such on request. Between tool fetching, I applied copious amounts of lemon oil to the teak in the cabin and around the companion way. The wood is still thirsty, but it is looking very nice.

When Steve had the injector in place, I went above to the cockpit to start the engine. Pull out the "cold start" handle, adjust the throttle to about half, make sure the transmission is in neutral, turn the key to position I for the oil pressure alarm, turn the key to II for start. "Give me about 5 seconds," Steve instructed. Amanda Grace said, "Chuh...chuh...chuh..." but no start. It took several rounds of 5- and 10-second attempted starts to clear the air out of the system.

"Okay, I'm going to give her a squirt of WD-40," Steve announced. We knew Amanda Grace likes it, as she had previously run on it for a few seconds. "Give her about 10 seconds." Amanda Grace said, "Chuh...chuh...bluh, bluh, bluh, bluh..." She ran for a few seconds, then sputtered out. "Was that the WD-40?" I asked. Steve acknowledged. She must be a high-test girl. Another attempt or two, then Amanda Grace said, "Chuh...chuh...bluh, bluh, bluh, bluh...blub, blub, blub, blub, blub, blub, blub, blub, blub, blub!" A single-piston diesel is noisy and coarse, but to us, it was the most beautiful "blub, blub, blub"! Steve said, "YAY!" and I yelled, "WOOHOO!" For the first time in about 6 years, Amanda Grace was running!

From his horizontal spot next to the engine compartment, Mr. Alexander told me to check for water coming out of the exhaust. Amanda Grace's 8 hp Volvo Penta single-cylander engine is water cooled. Sea water is brought in by a pump, run through the transmission and engine where it picks up heat, and expelled by the same through hull as the exhaust. Looking overboard on the starboard aft side, I could see the exhaust, but no water. This was not good. The engine cannot be run long without cooling or it will overheat and be ruined. I shut her down and Steve began to troubleshoot. He took the cover off the impeller--the part of the water pump that does the work--and said it looks good. I wanted to know what it looks like, so he moved out of the way and let me crawl back in there where I could see the rubbery blades that push the water through. Cool.

Next, Steve took the hose off the sea cock and turned it to "open" position, to test whether water is coming in there. It was, so he put the hose back on. By then, it was closing in on 9:00PM, and we had both had enough, so we turned off the "receptacle" switch, closed up the boat, and headed to the Skipper's Pier for a bite and a celebratory beer. The food and drink was pricey for my budget, but very good. Best crab soup ever! And, oh, the A/C felt really nice, too.

Fighting Discouragement

Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there. -Josh Billings

Another Amanda Grace work day--2-hour round trip, plus 3 hours on site--and still the engine only runs on straight WD-40. With a wet slip charge of $150/week, the engine's idleness is racking up considerable expenses.

Steve Alexander came to remove the fuel injector, intending to replace it with one that had supposedly been reconditioned. However, examination showed that the alternate fuel injector was rusty and in worse shape than the original. Mr. Alexander promised to take both to a diesel shop for cleaning and testing. Then he will have to make yet another trip to Herrington Harbour.

At least the cushions and life jackets are no longer filling my living room. I hauled them up in a borrowed truck and Daniel and I stowed them on board, cramming as many as possible into the v-berth, hoping they will stay dry. We also washed the halyards and continued cleaning up below deck.

This photo was taken on my first visit to Amanda Grace, back in September of last year.
It shows the clutter in the belowdecks, but not the dirt and mildew, both of which were considerable. Application of large quantities of elbow grease has made a difference. The boat is starting to look good. When I board her now, I think, "there is hope." Several scouts and adults have put numerous hours into cleaning, organizing, and treating the wood.

The lag in engine operation is disheartening, but we will not give up.

Our First Advancement Ceremony

Seven of our scouts advanced to Apprentice rank during a ceremony they organized. Our ship's flag happened to arrive the day before, just in time to be included.

Our teens learned and accomplished a lot in preparing to be Sea Scout Ship 7916's first Apprentice scouts. I reminded them that they are young, capable, intelligent people who are not in school right now, and appointed the lot of them to the ad hoc committee for advancement. They were allowed to create whatever they wanted, so long as it is within BSA and Sea Scout guidelines.

Mark created beautiful certificates; Aaron selected music to play on his iPod and his family provided a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing; Sarah brought cups and drinks; and David came up with a landship ceremony.

Given the level of advance communication (it was sketchy), I was pleasantly surprised by how well the scouts pulled together our premiere advancement ceremony. By the time I arrived, they had the chairs, table, and landship set up, and my heart did a little happy dance when I saw them rehearsing from across the room. The scouts' individual contributions and collective creation showed that they took the event with due seriousness. As I have said, they have done me proud before, and they did so again tonight. They showed me that I am not crazy for doing this thing that has taken over my life, reminded me that they are the reason. I am looking forward to seeing how they will use this experience to make things happen even better in future.

Launching Amanda Grace

by Caitlín

In the early afternoon of Wednesday, June 25th, 2008, the Amanda Grace felt the caress of water on her hull for the first time in five years.
It was a monumental moment. Putting all that work in to make her ready for sailing (painting the hull, cleaning and waxing above the waterline, pumping out the bilge numerous times, etc.) really made it seem special; she's our boat and we earned her.
Unfortunately, although Daniel and his dad came earlier to charge the batteries and install the new bilge pump, only Gus, the Skipper, Mr. Finn, and I were able to be present for the launch.

The boat hauler backs beneath Amanda Grace.

With Amanda Grace fully supported on its arms, the hauler starts off for the launching ramp.

The boat crane (don't you love all these "technical" terms I'm using?) backs over Amanda Grace...

so that she could be lifted from her cradle...

and lowered into the water.

Then she was towed to row O, where she'll remain until Independence Day weekend for the sail down to Woodbridge.

Once we stowed everything away, closed up the hatch, and hooked up a power source for the bilge pump, we took turns blessing her and then had a toast.
(That's sparkling apple cider we're drinking.)
(See more photos.)

Flag Day Flotilla Sail

by Caitlín
The three boats pictured above (the Seeking Peace, an on-loan and unnamed O'Day 25, and the Takin' it Breezy) made up our "flotilla" this past Saturday (Flag Day), our unit's first multi-boat sailing event. The Flag Day Flotilla Sail included a visit from a reporter and a photographer for the Potomac News.

Although it didn't look like there was much wind inland, there was a pleasant breeze on the water. We met at Leesylvania Park and held a muster, and the Skipper conducted a uniform inspection (left).
Several people failed because they weren't wearing blue jeans, didn't have a hat, or didn't pack lunch. But they weren't punished too hard. ;-)

We received a surprise visit from Tim Rupert, the District Executive for Occoquan District. He brought us samples of the new Venturing-specific fundraising item, On-the-Trail Mix to get us excited about selling it sometime in the near future. We all taste-tested both the "Classic Mix" and the "Power Mix," and the general consensus was that the Power Mix (with honey-roasted nuts and peanut butter chips) was the better of the two, although both were pretty good.

Once the press arrived, everyone went to their assigned boat and the captains held briefings. (Captain Ashton briefing the crew of Seeking Peace, right.)
The boat I was aboard, Breezy, was the last one out because Captain Ross had us rig the sails before going out. Once we turned off the engine and put up the sails, it became obvious that what is a pleasant breeze ashore isn't much of a sailing wind; there was definitely not going to be any rails buried under the water. Or even any heeling. :-(


Ah well, at least there was enough wind that we were actually moving, unlike the last Petty Officer sail I went on. But once, while we were on the same tack as the O'Day, and I was at the helm, we our boat overtook theirs. The captain of the O'Day was Tom Finn, who races his Hobie Cat, so we were pretty happy.
But I think they might have been explaining something about sailing and not trying to go fast at the time.
Left: Our view from the Breezy of the O'Day as we passed her.


No matter which tack we were on we didn't get much speed that day, but it was enough that it wasn't entirely boring and we could still practice our sailing skills. There was less pressure to adjust the jib so quickly or take in the sails as fast as possible than if there had been a lot of wind, and it was actually kind of nice. (Gus pulling the jib over to port side during a tack, right.)

Once we decided that there was probably not going to be any wind, and it was nearing 2:00, we started up the motor and headed for the Carefree Boat Club, Breezy's home while Gus and I furled and stowed the sails.

I had brought my own car to the Carefree Boat Club, and did not return to Leesylvania, so did not get to see how the other Scouts had enjoyed their sail. I hope Sarah had fun, since it was her first time out.

And another group shot, courtesy of John Boal, taken before we went out:

The article appeared in the "Life & Leisure" section of the Potomac News on June 29th, 2008.

Click the top photo to view more pictures from the Flag Day Flotilla Sail, or visit our photo gallery to see pictures of past events.

The Spirit of Enterprize

by Caitlín

Some day (hopefully soon) Washington D.C. will get its own tall ship! The Spirit of Enterprize will be a replica of the War of 1812-famous schooner, the Enterprize, and will be a floating classroom and education center. Cool!

Piloting Course

Two Scouts from our unit, David and Aaron, were aboard der PeLiKan this weekend for the piloting/navigation underway course taught by Douglass Yeckley (Skipper of Ship 548 (S.S.S. Sea Eagle), and Steve Alexander, the chair of the Chesapeake Flotilla.
Neither Aaron nor David are interested in blogging about their experience (although it sounded like they had fun), but Rob Marks of Ship 306, also attended and posted photos on his website.

Petty Officer Sail

by Caitlín

Yesterday evening marked the first training sail for Petty Officers (the youth leaders are called Petty Officers, and they make up the Quarterdeck). From 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. members of the Quarterdeck got extra sailing experience so they will be better prepared to take leadership positions when more of the unit goes out.

The weather forecast told us to expect thunderstorms, but as it hadn't rained more than a couple drops all day, and the front was supposed to bring wind, we went anyway. Skipper Shay started up the motor and we putted out between the docks and underneath the train bridge.

Once past the channel markers we stopped and raised the sails. (Skipper Shay and Aaron raising the mainsail, left.) Just as we did, what little wind there had been died. Daniel was first up at the tiller, but there wasn't much point because we were going so slowly. Soon the wind picked up just enough to tease us into thinking we might actually sail. But we only went a tiny bit faster.

The boat hadn't moved much a while later when we realized it was a little after 7:00 and that after we furled the sails, it would be time to head back to the dock. So that's what we did.

Adam knew exactly what to do with the motor, and had a great time steering us back towards port while the rest of us took down the sails.

Then my mom and I remembered the chocolate cupcakes my sister had baked the day before and sent along with us. Aaron and Adam seemed to think they were pretty good, but that was before they knew what the secret ingredient was. We didn't reveal that until almost back at the dock. Can you guess what it might be? It was sauerkraut! Adam didn't seem to care, but Aaron told me I should never let my sister cook again, so it must have grossed him out.

Just as we got to the trestle bridge, we sighted another boat waiting to get through the gap. At first it was very hard to tell whether it was moving or not, and if it was coming towards us or going away. Eventually we agreed that it was staying still and waiting until we came through. It turns out it was a fireboat from Prince George's County, the Lawrence Woltz. We were all wondering what they were doing way over here.

To allow for ample passage between the two boats, we steered far to the right of the channel...and promptly ran aground. Which Daniel and Adam found pretty funny (left).
Mr. Finn steered the Breezy back into her berth, and we all pitched in to get her ready for the next person to sail her.

So that was basically our entire trip. If only there'd been wind!

Nygard Regatta

by Caitlín

Today two Scouts from Ship 7916 attended the annual Henry I. Nygard Regatta for the first time to see what it was like and report back to the rest of the Scouts so we can determine whether it is something we want to do next year.
Right photo: Hauling a up the Boatswain's Chairlift.

Skipper Shay, David, and I set our alarms for the dreadful hour of 4:45 a.m. and had to leave the commuter lot by 6:00 in order to arrive at Camp Brown by the time the event began. It was beautiful out, but driving for a little over two hours straight still wasn't fun--especially that early when we were all wishing we could be back in bed.

Once we had found the camp and stretched, we went into the mess hall to get oriented, find out which competitions were being held today, and use the head. We found out from Mr. David of Ship 1176 that no competitive events were scheduled until 1:00 p.m., so we had a lot of waiting to do. We should have looked at the boarding manual more carefully!
Below: A crew from Ship 1942 practices their rowing.

On the deck outside the mess hall we stood overlooking the Chesapeake and watching the boats go by. There were several sailboats out, as well as a lot of powerboats, and we were wishing we could be sailing. Ship 1942 (S.S.S. Dragonlady) has one of their boats only 30 minutes from Camp Brown, and a few members half-seriously said they should go jump aboard.

Various Skippers came up to say hello, and urged David and I to go mingle with the other youth, but neither of us felt up to it. Instead the two of us sat outside and talked about nothing of importance. Eventually my mom came over and made us get up and take pictures of things that were going on.

But since there wasn't anything besides a church service, the three of us ended up standing by the car and talking instead. I think my mom managed to thoroughly weird David out during that time. By 10:00 David had convinced us that we should go back into town and try and find a movie theater to watch either Indiana Jones or Prince Caspian just for something to do.
Right photo: Scouts practice their Scuttlebutt skills, raising a fifty-five gallon drum. Only the Coxswain is allowed to speak.

So we drove quite a ways down Route 5 before realizing that Scotland and the surrounding towns were too small to have any theaters. Instead of going to the movies, we stopped at a local grocery store and bought some snacks and a couple soft drinks to go with our lunch. More time to kill back at camp, and then lunch. David and I sat at a picnic table and watched the boats sail by just out of reach.

The competitions finally began at 1:00, so I took pictures of the knot-tying contest (which David, being David, was sure he could win easily) and the boatswain's chairlift. No one was participating in the scuttlebutt at that time, but I'd gotten a couple shots of one team practicing earlier in the day. After that we were all ready to go home, so we left.
Left: A team of knot-tiers leap into action. This activity is judged on speed and accuracy.

I think that the Regatta might be something fun to go to next year if our Ship is good enough to compete in at least a couple things, but I don't know if I would want to spend the entire weekend there. I'm sure the event would be a lot more fun if me and the other Scouts actually socialized with people, but David and I were both feeling shy this time.
At right: Ship 548 (S.S.S. Sea Eagle) had its own Advanced Life Support vehicle decorated with team spirit!

First Weekend Cruise!

by Caitlín

Early Saturday morning five Scouts, the Skipper and a Mate, met at our usual commuter lot to carpool up to Baltimore for our first full weekend cruise aboard der PeLiKan!
Although the morning promised a beautiful day before we left, it got more and more cloudy during the ride into Maryland. In the approximate 1 1/2 hours it takes to get to der PeLiKan's home berth at Henderson's Wharf, the weather had become gray, chill, and foggy.
Upon arrival we stowed our gear, put the food in the icebox, and Captain Steve Nichols held a briefing on our plans for the weekend, the boat, and how to use the head (toilet, if you don't know).

We put on our PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices), cast off, and were on our way! As we motored through the channel and out to the open bay, the historic schooner replica Pride of Baltimore II was heading in the same direction as us, so we got a good look at her. We also passed Fort McHenry, the USNS Comfort, the SS John W. Brown, and lots of cargo ships.

The Scouts were divided into two-person crews on alternating two-hour watches while, as second-in-command, Aaron took the position of Boatswain. Tim had the first turn at the wheel, while Daniel was posted as lookout. Since we were off-duty, Gus, Aaron, and I hung out at the stern and talked.

When we were finally passed the Key Bridge, it was time to raise the sails. First the main (Mr. Schmoker and Gus raising the mainsail, right), then the Genoa jib. Unlike the weekend training trip in October with Ship 1176, the jib worked perfectly, so we didn't need to send anybody up in the Bo'sun's chair. It was also nice because this time we actually got some real sailing in, instead of half-sailing with the motor running, too.

Aaron, Gus, and I made lunch for everyone around noon. The menu gave the options of either Goober Grape or cold cut sandwiches. Or both, if you were brave; Aaron made and ate his new invention, christened "The Aaron," the ingredients of which included a chocolate-chip bagel with a chocolate-chip cookie, pretzels, roast beef, and cheddar cheese.

The boys' main source of entertainment was climbing in and out (and in...and out...) of the hatches and handing food up through them. I didn't see the attraction, but hey, if they wanted to hand cookies up to me while I was on watch, I wasn't going to complain.
Left: My reaction when Aaron showed me The Aaron. I'm not sure whether I was laughing or gagging right then.

As you can see from the above picture, the weather cleared just after lunch, but the wind was still brisk. I think most of us were actually glad for the PFDs just for the extra warmth, though I don't think we'll be too happy having to wear them during our long cruise in August.

I think the winds were about fifteen knots most of the day, which made for good sailing. Everyone got a turn at the helm, and we even did some knot-tying drills. Captain Nichols said we did very well, especially since none of us actually have a "rank." Apparently there have been Eagle Scouts aboard der PeLiKan who didn't know their knots as well as the Scouts from 7916.

In late afternoon we arrived at the West River, our anchorage for the night. We dropped anchor in Galesville, Maryland, just around the bend from Hartge Yacht Yard and a little upriver from Pirate's Cove.
Unlike in the movies, where anchors go crashing into the water until they stop, the anchor line is measured with a certain length for each foot of water, so in our case, 50' of line. It took two tries before Captain Nichols was satisfied with our distance from the boats moored nearby.

For a while the Scouts goofed around below while the adults talked up on deck, then Skipper Shay came down and made our dinner, which was taco salad. After dinner we got pretty crazy. I think it was because of all the cookies we'd eaten over the day (probably one and a half packages) and because we had all bonded enough to feel comfortable with one another. From left to right: Me (Caitlín), Tim, Gus, Daniel, and Aaron. No, we're not weird at allllll. ;-) Being the only girl among four 14- and 15-year-old boys for an entire day made me feel extremely mature. It was fun, but I'm not sure if I could make it through the long cruise like that. I'm really hoping at least one of the other female Scouts can come along then.

My mom and I slept in the V-berth, which is the farthest forward. The boys got the four middle bunks, and the two adult males slept in the aft berth. Aaron and Tim started out sleeping above deck, but they got rained on and came down. Although I didn't become nauseous like I did in October, the V-berth got very stuffy by about 4:00 a.m. and a stuffy boat smells like the ball pit at McDonald's. That did make me sick, so I went up on deck to get some air. I was very disoriented at first because the wind had shifted over night and the boat was turned 360° from how was when we went to sleep. But the cool air, the softly flapping shadows of the halyards dancing across the deck, and the sounds of the birds on shore singing the sun up helped me feel much better. After awhile my mom came up and we had a whispered conversation until six when we woke everyone else up.

We breakfasted on bagels, cream cheese, orange juice, milk, and fruit, and then it was time to head over to Hartge to fuel-up and exchange crew. I was at the helm and got to dock the boat--with Captain Nichols' instruction, of course. (Left: der PeLiKan taken from the dock.) And by the way, my mom has never had the chance to dock anything larger than a Flying Scot, so I docked a 46' boat before she did!

Aaron and Tim had other plans for Sunday, so we dropped them off at the yacht yard at 8:00 a.m. and picked up Adam and his dad.
We fueled up headed out, but the wind was still coming directly from the direction we needed to go to get back to Baltimore. So there was lots and lots and lots of motoring on Sunday and absolutely no sailing. :-( It was so monotonous that the wakes of passing speedboats were the most exciting thing; depending on how the swells hit us, der PeLiKan would ride up a wave and then crash down through the next, and that was actually fun. But then there were stretches where there weren't any other boats in sight and nothing to see but water and the faint blur of the shore off in the distance. There was a lot of sleeping going on during that trip.
Unfortunately, Adam and his dad never got a chance to be on board while we were under sail power, but they both got turns at the wheel and on bow-watch (above right photo), and had a good time.

We arrived at the marine gas station around 4:00 p.m., and while we were fueling and pumping out the holding tank for the head (eew!), we saw the the Pride of Baltimore again, contrasting with a very ugly and fake-looking "historic pirate ship" tour boat (left). Seeing the two of them together was like watching Beauty and the Beast on sea. Compare this ship to the picture at the top. Which one is prettier?

Mr. Schmoker steered der PeLiKan over from the fueling station back into Henderson's Wharf, we tied her up to the pier and loaded all our stuff into the cars, then set about cleaning her up so she'd be ready for the the next Sea Scout unit. The cushions below needed to be vacuumed off (Gus volunteered), the sails needed to be re-furled (when we'd done it the day before we went for as fast as possible, not neatness), and the deck needed swabbing, which Adam and I worked on. There she is back in her berth, all shipshape and seaworthy, colors flying proudly in the breeze.

Everyone had a great time, but I think when we left we were all tired, sunburned, and ready to go home.
Time slows aboard boats, and it seemed like we'd been out for a week, but when we finally finished cleaning and it was time to leave, it was hard to believe it was over. The Scouts had shared boredom and jokes, work and laughter, food and poking fun at each other. Even though it sounds corny, I think it really solidified the connections between everyone aboard. And it was a really good experience to see if we'll all be able to survive spending that much time together for an entire week!

The entire crew before departure from Hartge Yacht Yard.
More photos can be found in the Ship's album.

Dirigo II

Check out Dirigo II, the 72' wooden Alden Schooner that Steve Alexander from Friends of Sea Scouts of Maryland, Inc. is buying. The Latin word "dirigo" means "I lead." Steve is going out to California in about 6 months and will to sail the vessel through the Panama Canal and on to MD. That is one beautiful boat! Oh, how I'd love to be on that sail. (And I smell a Ship 7916 long cruise in 2009!)

Recognition and Press Event

This afternoon Sea Scout Ship 7916 held a recognition ceremony and press event on the dock at Leesylvania State Park, with the Catalina 22, Takin' it Breezy tied aside. Myra Lindsey, reporter from the Old Bridge Observer attended and took photos to use in her upcoming story on our unit.

Left to right:

Kenneth Benson, Leesylvania Park manager, who made access a reality.
Sarah F., Youth Fund Raising Chair, Sea Scout Ship 7916.
B.J. Richardson, Commander of VFW Post 7916, or Charter Organization. The Post provides us with a meeting place, and gave us generous start up funds to help us obtain the Amanda Grace.
Earnie Porta, Mayor of Occoquan and Sea Scout Committee Chair.
Caitlín K., Yeoman for Ship 7916.
Gregg Reynolds, who, with his wife Jean, donated the MacGregor 23, Seeking Peace.
Delegate Scott Lingamfelter, a lifelong sailor who provided assistance with head of state parks in SSS 7916's obtaining use of the park.
Leo Smith, erstwhile member of the Occoquan Town Council. Mr. Smith is in Membership Sales with Carefree Boat Club, which provides us use of the Catalina 22 Takin' it Breezy, thanks to his request on our behalf.
Mark M., Sea Scout, member of Ship 7916.
Jean Reynolds, co-donor of the cutter-rigged MacGregor 23, Seeking Peace.
Shay Seaborne, Skipper of Sea Scout Ship 7916.
John Ashton, longtime sailor and friend of Gregg Reynolds from crew inception at Woodbridge Senior High School. Mr. Ashton successfully pursued his idea of mooring at Leesylvania State Park, where we have immediate access to the river.
Daniel S., Storekeeper for Ship 7916.

Ice Cream Stick Ship

Check out the Thor, a 50-foot replica Viking ship made from 15 million recycled ice-cream sticks!

Painting Amanda Grace

Yesterday morning six Scouts and two adult leaders from of our Ship drove up to Maryland to paint the hull of our donated boat, the Amanda Grace. At our last meeting, several of us Scouts had been debating what color paint we should use, and joking that it should be purple or even pink. But since Daniel's father could black for free as a donation, that's what we went with.
As most of us had helped to paint der PeLiKan, it wasn't as interesting, but we were more experienced and even with fewer rollers and quite a bit of joking around and teasing each other, the job was finished a lot more quickly. (Although it could have also been that the Amanda Grace is only 27' in length as opposed to the 46' of der PeLiKan.)

der PeLiKan Work Day March 15, 2007

Although I had planned on going on the der PeLiKan workday on Saturday, I did not participate because I was run down from six months of burning my candle at both ends. But I did organize the trip by coordinating with the Friends of Sea Scouts, Maryland folks; promoting the opportunity; keeping a list of those who said they were going; composing and sending emails to them with list of things to bring/wear, directions, where to meet, etc.; creating and filing the Tour Permit; and sending out permission slips. The day of, I took a trip-related phone call at 0700, drove my Scout to meet at the parking lot at about 0745; held a brief muster; and happily sent off the crew and 2 qualified adult leaders--all of whom apparently did a great job. This was the first major function for our unit that I did not lead, and I was just the tiniest bit anxious about not being there. According to Joel David, the group "put on lots of bottom paint. We even got some on the boat besides the kids. I think your folks are well qualified to do the Amanda Grace...Everything went well and they appear to be good group of kids." Kewl. But I knew that last thing. I knew it.

Our Special Night

Our unit held a special meeting this evening, in honor of the donors of the Amanda Grace. Scouts lead the meeting and provided refreshments, including homemade carrot cake. The Mayor of Occoquan awarded the boat's donor with a plaque of appreciation. I made a special announcement to the group, that we won the National Capital Area Council's "Wardroom Award" for the best and most active new ship. We're in line for Ship of the Year for 2008!

Training Weekend: USS Barry

Over the weekend about half of our Scouts took the USCGA Boating Safety and Red Cross First Aid courses. The instructor was the C.O. of the local U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps unit. We got to spend the night along with the Sea Cadets aboard the USS Barry, a Vietnam-era destroyer museum ship docked at the Washington Navy Yard.




We had class all day Saturday, taking time off for lunch and dinner at the military mess hall at Andrew's AFB. We boarded the Barry around 2230, had a fire drill at 2345, lights out at 2400, reveille at 0500.









We slept overnight aboard the destroyer, in "racks" 18"x18"x72". I noticed that some sailor had kept count of his nights with hash marks on the bottom of the rack above mine, which was probably his entire tour.

We Made the Washington Post!

Thanks to Ann Cameron Siegal, our unit made the Washington Post in the Kid's Post article:

Ships Ahoy!
These Scouts Are Prepared for the Sea
Wednesday, February 27, 2008; Page C14
by Ann Cameron Siegal

Yes, those are our Scouts (from left: David, Sarah, Caitlín, Rebecca, Daniel) aboard the Amanda Grace in the first shot.

About two-thirds of the youth in our unit are homeschooled.

First Award!

Tonight I attended the NCAC Wardroom annual Sea Scout Dinner at American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax. Being that I was the only representative of Ship 7916, and people were seated by Ship number, I was invited to sit with the folks from 1176, since one of them is on our Ship's committee, and they had invited us for the October der PeLiKan sail. It had been a long week, I was bone tired, the MC was announcing award after award by Ship number, and I was almost nodding off when I heard a voice next to me say, "Congratulations!" Oh! Oh! They said our number, they said "Ship 7916." Just a few months after our chartering, we won the Wardroom Award for our level of activity and accomplishments. Wow!

Winter Training

Jan 5-7
This was our Ship's first time attending Sea Scout Winter Training, an annual event held at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland. Ships from as far away as Georgia come together to heighten their skills and make new acquaintances among other Ships.