Longboats are like time machines- they take us back 200 years to a technology that isn’t sleek, fast, or always efficient, but it’s pretty fun!
Today was week two of Bravo Team and we had a chance to hit the water and set our sails. Before that could happen, we had to pump the water from Townshend’s bilge. Then our coxswain Connor took us off the dock and we headed out into the bay.
-
- Connor takes us off the dock
-
- Mr. Scraggles our Bravo Team mascot
-
- Bailing the boat
It took a bit of shuffling to learn (or remember for some of us) how to bend on the sails and move around the boat safely so we were were ready to raise the sails.
Snack time came and went too quickly with a moment of silence in there too. Gabriel ended our moment of silence with a quote, “It’s not the breath in your moments, but the moments that take your breath away.” We each shared a breath taking moment we remembered. They included: moon rises, northern lights, planing a laser sail boat, seeing a bobcat, and swimming in cold mountain lakes.
-
- Sailing!
-
- Luca and Chance are setting the stroke- true team mates!
Too soon it was time to return to Point Hudson. The current was setting us past the point and we jibed twice to keep our course. This is a complicated process with our dipping lug sails- we lower the halyard, unfasten the tack, pass the yard and halyard around the mast, fasten the tack and raise the halyard- phew!
Back at the dock we furled the sails and unpacked our gear.
-
- Making the halyard fast
-
- Anna coiling and hanging the halyard
-
- Gabe and Anna remembering how to furl the sails
-
- Furling the mainsail
In the classroom Chance shared his report on a Salish Sea issue- polluted swimming beaches. He told us that some beaches in our area can be contaminated for swimming from bacteria left by human or animal feces. We discussed ways that waste might get in our water and also places we like to swim. Every week a student will bring an issue and eventually we will use these issues to decide on our environmental project.
Our reflection was a High Tide/Rip Tide- a favorite part of the day and challenge that we overcame. High Tides were: rowing in rhythm with each other, sailing, being in a leadership role, getting back to Bravo Team, having a great crew. Rip Tides were: jibing the boat, slowing down to longboat speed, wanting more time on the water, and taking the boat off the dock.