In the Unforgiving Face of the Sea We Are All Crew Learning the Same Lessons as Our Bermudian Forefathers Have for Nearly 400 Years.
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That morning I got up early, the strong smell of coffee and fresh fruit was in the air, and the cool ocean breeze swept down through the lower deck halls. I was still tired from the night watch shift I had just gotten off of a few hours earlier. Captain Blake walked into the galley making sharp noises, doing his best to wake everyone up. It was test day. We had all taken a poll on who we thought would best fill each position to successfully run the ship. Captain Blake advised us about the activity we were about to take on. We were told that all the adult advisors onboard; Colin, Curtis, Mike, and Sarah, were “lost at sea” the night before, and we were now responsible for navigating a course back into harbor and preparing a meal for the rest of the crew in only a few hours. When the position of captain was put on the table, no one raised their hand. I was surprised, expecting it to be the most popular job, but I guess being placed in such a responsible role must have frightened my peers. “Chris!” Suddenly my name shot out of the silence by my friend Kristen. Before I knew it all my peers hands were raised. I was chosen to be captain.
It was a rough day at sea which added to the stress. With a large boat to maneuver, there were many things requiring close attention. I had a helmsman at the stern with me, and four other crew manned the sails. During a strong gust, I ran over to assist with the mizzen sail, which had to be dropped as the wind speed increased. Thats when I heard itone of the worst possible soundsthe scratching and scraping of the scratch board on the hull along what I could only assume to be a coral reef. I needed to act quickly. “Come aft,” I instructed the helmsman. “Man the helm,” he repeated, confirming my command. The water depth was too shallow, and the boat grazed a reef. Once the crew settled, I shouted, “hard-to-port” to regain course. Back on course, we all realized that this wasnt anything we wanted to endure again. No words had to be said. By merely looking at one another, we could see the same frightened look on each others faces. Surviving this event, what started as a group of strangers aboard a ship, had become a crew, focused on working together to achieve the same goal.
Bermuda and sailing has been a part of my family my entire life. Being given the opportunity of the sail training experience with Bermudians has expanded my understanding of Bermudian culture and helped me to better understand myself. Sail training is tangible, physical, and real, leading me to understand that I value experiential learning. The organizational system onboard taught me a variety of responsibilities; working together collaboratively with the crew, fostering self-discovery and the importance of leadership. Spending long periods of time with others my age gave me a perspective on working with people from other nationalities