Today was another maintenance day for the longboat Townshend. Bravo team spends several weeks each winter working on the care of this boat that is our floating classroom.
We started the day with a silly dance move name game. It was fun, we laughed, and some of us were a bit out of our comfort zones. Then we talked about other situations in Bravo Team when we might be out of our comfort zones- trying a new skill in the boat shop, tying a knot on board, or taking a turn at the tiller.
Down in the shop we got to work! The thwarts were cleaned, taped, rolled and tipped with beige paint. The green sole boards were cleaned and painted. The oars were oiled and the hard work of punching holes and sewing on new leathers was tackled. The masts and yards were sanded, cleaned and varnished. Drips were chased. Holidays were re-coated. Oars were carefully moved and stacked.
After the frenzy of work was completed, we had a snack in the Bosun’s locker and a short moment of silence. Our journalist ended the moment with a quote from Mother Teresa, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Many of us identified with that quote, feeling that we accomplished a lot as a team.
We ended the day with appreciations- we appreciated our teamwork, having fun with each other, welcoming each other, trying new things, and having patience with each other.
Big thanks to Emiliano Marino of the Artful Sailor and our amazing boatshop manager Riley for keeping the students moving along.
