Today was a wonderfully calm opportunity for Bravo Team to have a chance to row, observe wildlife, and practice teamwork aboard longboat Townshend.  After arriving and gathering gear in the bosun’s locker, we handed over the reins of the longboat to the crew and challenged them to get the boat off the dock with limited help from the adult leadership.  The success was felt as we exited Point Hudson marina and floated along the waterfront to debrief.  Some of the comments about the challenge were:  “We didn’t interrupt each other.”  “We listened.”  When asked what we could do better next time students answered… “Next time we could speak louder” and “We could share ideas even if uncertain.”

We lashed in our oars with hummel bands (using the cleat hitch we practiced earlier in the classroom) and learned proper rowing commands with Emerald Bailey as the coxswain.  After maneuvering we were able to practice a Crew Overboard drill and retrieve “Bob” the fender in a very short time.

Highlights of today included spotting Marbled Murrelets, a California Sea Lion, “Scraggles” our Blue Heron friend, and lots of jellyfish inside the marina.