Every once in a while you get lucky enough to realize you are in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing with the right people. The seven day longboat journey that we recently completed with high school students from Seattle skills center was one of those times. That’s not to say the journey was without its challenges- most nights we didn’t get enough sleep, we went through periods of missing home, and we sometimes had to struggle through the realities of group living. We were from six different cultures and had to work to understand each other. But overall, for most of us, the week on the water in our own little time machine bubble was refreshing, eye opening, and in the words of one student “life-changing.”
If you’ve never gone on a journey in a longboat, here are some things you should know:
- The hierarchy of your world needs to change. We learned see our days and tasks through the priority pyramid of Boat-Group-Self. This view stresses the safety of our craft foremost, then the general well being of the group, and finally our self interest. This doesn’t mean that we don’t take care of ourselves or each other, but rather that we need to address other needs first most of the time. For example, no one gets off the boat to go pee or take free time until we are safely at anchor.
- You can pee in a bucket right next to other people. It’s the only way to stay well hydrated and therefore happy and fun to be around. We move to the bow, use the command “eyes away” for visual privacy, and then sing a song to distract ourselves (this week’s favorites were Happy Birthday and Bear Necessities).
- Everything moves slowly. We sail slowly. We row slowly. We pack slowly. We make meals slowly. We set up camp slowly. It’s not really intentional but it just seems to work out that way. Eventually we move through the world more slowly and most of the time that feels pretty good. And occasionally things need to move quickly and we’re ready (it’s kind of like Tai Chi that way).
- Communication is the key, to everything. We learn to work through differences, to interpret language and culture, to understand each other, to use precise terms, and to develop common vocabulary. This is true in boat operation, navigation, camping, cooking, sleeping, and just about everything.
- Seals love long boats. They follow us everywhere and because we are moving slowly we get to see them.
Students received high school credit for this week of adventure. They may not all end up in maritime careers but each of us learned something more about working together for a common goal, facing challenges with kindness, and appreciation for the daily comforts of home.
