Volunteers, Futtocks and Gift Memberships!

By Zach Simonson-Bond

There has been a lot going on in the office and on the boat since Joshua's last update. We've picked up some new volunteers, the starboard bow project is roaring along, the Counter Stern Restoration is well underway, our usual maintenance projects are getting checked off and we're now offering Holiday Gift Memberships!

New Volunteers

We're honored to have three more volunteers for this winter's restoration. Jane Burleigh is back with us! A familiar face aboard Adventuress, Jane has sailed aboard our ship for three seasons and is contracted for Spring 2011.

We've also picked up Levi J., a superb addition to the team. Levi comes to us from Chicago bringing with him a great attitude and a lot of tall ship experience. He sailed aboard the schooner Windy before coming to Adventuress and he's excited to learn more from the Haven Boatworks shipwrights.

Last but certainly not least, Nate Seward has returned to us from the sloop Clearwater in New York. Bo's'n, sailmaker, rigger and sailor extraordinaire, we're lucky to have Nate back for Phases II and III of Adventuress' Centennial Restoration, and as crew in Spring 2011.

Phase II Update: Starboard Bow Progression
By the end of November, the shipwrights of Haven Boatworks had replaced 18 futtocks (futtocks make up a frame). Since then, they have put in another 32 bring the total to 50 futtocks replaced. These guys are good!

"All of the new futtocks will be in by Christmas" said Haven shipwright Brad Seamans, who is leading up the starboard bow reframing.

Brad Seamans installing futtocks

Brad believes the frames will be faired off (smoothed) and lined off (lines drawn to indicate where planking goes) so that planking can begin begin shortly after the new year!

Phase III Update: Counter Stern Restoration
Shipwright Blaise Holly has been working diligently on the Counter Stern restoration. In November, the project began by removing the original horn timber, which is essentially the backbone of Adventuress' stern. It will be replaced with a single 25 foot long piece of wood! Blaise has been laying out the pattern for the new horn timber while we wait for the log to arrive.

The work on the horn timber necessitated the removal of the ship's rudder. This presented an excellent opportunity to rebuild the rudder while it's off, so we'll be doing that too.

Refinishing fo'c's'le sole boards

Maintenance
While Phases II and III are underway, we are simultaneously pursuing our regular maintenance projects. Our Winter Mate, Ryan Short, has been leading those projects with great success.

"Things have been going well now that we have a couple new folks on board," said Ryan. "More work is getting done!"

Aided by the occasional drop-in volunteers, the winter crew has completed an impressive list so far including: repairing the fo'c's'le hatch, servicing Adventuress' many blocks, constructing a cover for the mainmast, and refurbishing the fo'c's'le sole boards.

Holiday Gift Memberships!

I would be amiss if I didn't mention our new Holiday Gift Memberships! Give the gift of sailing aboard Adventuress in 2011. You can purchase an Individual Gift membership for your special someone, or a Household Gift Membership for a whole family.

Click here to purchase a $50.00 Individual Gift Membership

Click here to purchase an $85.00 Family/Household Gift Membership

Shipwright Blaise Holly and volunteer Jen G. remove fasteners from inside the lazarette

ASTA Auctions Tall Ships Adventure

Our friends at the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) are doing a eBay auction to support sail training programs all over the states. Spaces aboard tall ships across the country are up for bid, including a spot our historic vessel. Give a kid the gift of a Tall Ships Adventure aboard the aptly named schooner Adventuress!

Click the image below to visit their eBay auction site:

Here's their press release:

Just in time for the Holidays! ASTA offers Tall Ships® Adventures Auction on eBay

More than a dozen ASTA member tall ships, including the USS Constellation, Pride of Baltimore II, Appledore IV, Lady Washington, Hawaiian Chieftain and A. J. Meerwald are holding an eBay auction of life changing experiences this month as a holiday gift alternative. Vessels which specialize in training young people about life through work aboard ocean-going sailing ships, are auctioning single-day and multi-day excursions aboard their vessels.

The Tall Ships® Adventure auction will raise money for expansion of national sail training programs overseen by the American Sail Training Association (ASTA). Funds will also support ASTA's popular TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® series of events, which bring world-class traditional sailing vessels to ports across the country for public tours and trips.

The auction will run through the end of December, 2010.To bid on a Tall Ships® Adventure excursion or voyage, visit www.sailtraining.org and click on the "Give the Gift of Tall Ships® Adventure" link.

Give the gift of adventure this holiday season!

The American Sail Training Association is the recognized hub for tall ship activity, information and expertise in North America. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on youth education, leadership development and the preservation of the maritime heritage of North America, ASTA organizes the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series, manages scholarship programs to make sail training experiences more affordable for young people, grant programs to assist crew of ASTA member vessels with the costs of professional development courses and licensing requirements and publishes SAIL TALL SHIPS! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea.www.sailtraining.org

Holiday Jingle #1

Purchase an Individual Gift Membership for that special someone, or a Household Gift Membership for the whole family!

Click Here to Learn More about Gift Memberships

Shipyard Update!

By Capt. Joshua Berger

Since hauling the ship out of the water on November 3, Adventuress crew, volunteers and the shipwrights at Haven Boatworks have been hard at work. We are fully engaged in arguably the most extensive shipyard period that Adventuress has ever seen.

We have embarked upon Phases II and III of the Centennial Restoration, as well as extensive winter maintenance projects. Here is a an update:

Phase II: Starboard Bow Restoration
As the scaffolding was erected, Haven Shipwrights, assisted by Adventuress crew and volunteers, began tearing windows into the starboard bow. In order to map out a strategy, planks were taken off in order to assess the frame condition beneath. Everything seemed as we had expected from our work last year on the port side and we quickly engaged in a plan. To date, we have removed all the planking we will need, already replaced 18 futtock sections, and have removed the old chain plate.

Phase III: Counter Stern Restoration
With careful planning and direction from Haven, we now have a good scope of work for the Counter Stern portion of the Centennial Restoration that includes the replacement of almost 25 feet of Adventuress' horn timber. This is a tremendous project that will undoubtedly bring life to the ship for many generations to come. This repair necessitated the removal of the rudder and will give us a great opportunity to refresh its associated metal work and bearings.

Rigging:

In addition to the extensive effort to prepare Adventuress for the next century of her life, Sound Experience has embarked upon an exceptional and rigorous full inspection of the rigging and spars. In collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, we have proactively engaged in an expanded inspection and inventory process, including the full cataloging of each component of the ship's standing rigging, running rigging and the spars.

As part of this thorough assessment, we decided to pull Adventuress’ mainmast in order to inspect the iron and wood condition aloft. On Monday, November 8, led by several hitches and a supportive crew, the mast came out without a glitch. We are happy with what we have found thus far. We will continue to develop a strategy for this winter's, and future, rig-repair and replacement.

Winter Work Weekends:
On the weekend of November 21 - 22, we had 25 generous and hard-working volunteers come help finish building the winter cover. They also began to breakdown and clean of all the running rigging blocks. The cover was pulled over the ship just in time as almost six inches of snow fell the next morning! Thank you to all those that came and we look forward to seeing you all again next weekend, December 4 - 5. Please join us!

All and all, it has been a fantastic and exciting start to a winter full of hard work during true winter conditions (thank you El Nino). Praises to our Winter Mate, Ryan Short; Winter Engineer, Jessup Coffin and dedicated Crew, Jen Grod. It’s not easy work and the conditions are difficult, but these folks are devoted and passionate. What a community we continue to build!

More updates later…

Capt. Joshua Berger
Schooner ADVENTURESS

Shipwright Blaise Holly removes the horn timber

Hoisting out the mainmast!

Once, there was a mast here!

The AMAZING winter volunteers

Adventuress Haul Out

By Zach Simonson-Bond

Yesterday, started out with bright stars and a crescent moon as I rode my bicycle to the Boat Haven shipyard.  I was excited to see Adventuress hauled-out again so I rode fast.  As I arrived, I was wished good-morning by a smiling crew; it was obvious their excitement matched my own.  Adventuress was scheduled to haul out at 8:00 a.m. and there was plenty of prep work to do.

We quickly finished the pre-haul out chores: warm up Jefe (our small boat), get rid of extra docklines, do the engine checks, and so on.  The heavy haul-out lift--a beast and beauty of mechanical prowess--honked across the harbor signaling they were ready.  The sun had just come from behind the mountains as Captain Korie backed Adventuress into the lift.

Adventuress
     Slowly
          Left
               the Water

It's very difficult to describe how odd it is to have Adventuress suspended in mid air.  Obviously, having 98 tons swaying gently in the lift straps is mind boggling: you can walk beneath her, clearly see her lines, touch her keel, and admire.  For me, having sailed on her so frequently, her transition to land is a little jarring.  It's hard to accept that this lively ocean entity will rest land-locked for 4 months of restoration.

After Adventuress was entirely over land, we paused for cleaning.  We had a bet with the Port that we could wash the grime from Adventuress' hull in a half-hour.  Donned in foul-weather gear, eye protection, and fueled by the challenge, the crew sprang to the pressure washers and methodically blasted the hull clean.  Thirty minutes later, Adventuress was clean but the crew was FILTHY!

The heavy-haul out slowly wheeled Adventuress to her place "on the hard," just beside Haven Boatworks.  It's been great to see familiar faces again: Blaise, Leland, Brad, Joe, Antonio and all the other shipwrights.  I admire these folks for the quality of their craftsmanship, but also the quality of their character.

The rest of the day we took care of necessary things:

• We deflated Jefe and stowed it for the winter
• Emptied the grey-water
• Set up the winter grey-water system
• Dried docklines
• And little things here and there

The shipwrights began setting up the scaffolding for the major projects that lie ahead: the starboard bow restoration and the counter stern restoration.  I'll explain that more later, but if you absolutely need details, you can visit our website: http://www.soundexp.org/index.php?page=centennial-restoration-project

Today begins Adventuress' biggest winter project while under Sound Experience's care.

Haven Boatworks Chosen for Restoration Work

Through competitive bid process, we’re excited to announce that Port Townsend-based Haven Boatworks will be tackling Phases II & III of Adventuress' Centennial Restoration project this winter. We look forward to sharing with you all the exciting details from November through March.

Phase I was completed last winter by Haven Boatworks and involved a small army of dedicated Adventuress volunteers! To see pictures from Phase I of Adventuress' Centennial Restoration, click here.

Click here for more info about volunteer opportunities

Click here for details about the Centennial Restoration project

Nautical Book Exchange!

Winter is coming. Do you have the nautical books you'll need to make it through the cold, soggy months that lie ahead? Here's your chance to get the maritime books you'll need, and share the ones you don't!

Our friends at Three Sheets Northwest, the online boating magazine, have teamed up with the Armchair Sailor to offer their first ever nautical book exchange! Come to the Center for Wooden Boats (map) in Seattle on Friday, November 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. with books to swap. All nautical books are welcome.

The proceeds from this event will support the Center for Wooden Boats (suggested donation: $10 or more). Snacks, beer and wine provided.

Space is limited, so RSVP by clicking here.

*As an authors note, I just want to say that it doesn't get much better than this. Three Sheets + Armchair Sailor + CWB + Nautical Books = Love.

YOU DID IT! Our Exceptional Community Came Through Again!

By Zach Simonson-Bond

IT JUST HAPPENED. Thanks to our exceptional community, we have officially reached our 29 Dollars, 29 Days: Getting Kids on the Boat campaign goal!!! That's $58,000 raised to support our work to educate, inspire and empower young people through powerful on-the-water education programs aboard Adventuress.

We are floored by the tremendous support from our community. Gifts and pledges came in from old and new friends, families, past participants, Board members, staff, crew, and many more! People contributed from all over the United States and even some from Canada. ;)

So, What Now?

Well... watch our movie again because all WILL be well! :D

Also, Adventuress will soon be undergoing Phases II & III of her Centennial Restoration project. I'll do a blog post soon, but to curb your curiosity visit our website: Centennial Restoration webpage.

Last, if you still want to make a tax-deductible gift to support our 29 Dollars, 29 Days: Getting Kids on the Boat campaign, we are still accepting gifts and pledges (but not talking your ear off about it anymore). www.29dollars.org

I can't wait to bring you more updates about the exciting restoration work this winter. With lots of pictures! Oh and some videos too!

Still beaming because of our amazing community,

Zach

Thank You Cards From Participants!

Hey Everyone,

This is so great! Recently, a group from Quilcene School District wrote thank you letters to our Crew for their time aboard Adventuress.

It is gestures like these that make everyone at Sound Experience beam with pride for our mission, our programs and our ship.

You can help us continue to reach out to schools and youth groups throughout Puget Sound. $29.00 is the cost to put one student aboard Adventuress for a 3-hour educational sail. Please donate at to http://www.29dollars.org

Zach Explains 29 Dollars, 29 Days

29 Dollars, 29 Days: Getting Kids on the Boat

Hey everyone!

We are in the midst of our 29 Dollars, 29 Days: Getting Kids on the Boat fundraising campaign! It has been so exciting!

We're off to a ROARING start thanks to everyone who attended the Party for Adventuress or gave online. After the party, we calculated that we had raised $38,525!!!!! We have such an AMAZING community. We love you!

However! It's not over yet! Our goal for this campaign is $58,000. There are many ways you can help:

1. If you haven't donated, go to www.29dollars.org and donate $29.00!
2. Tell your friends! - Let your friends, neighbors and colleagues know about 29 Dollars, 29 Days! Direct them to www.29dollars.org.
3. Send an email - Encourage your friends to donate with an email
4. Use Social Media - Spread the word on Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter:
5. Change your Facebook profile picture - Use our 29 Dollars, 29 Days graphic as your Facebook profile picture. You can download it by right clicking on the icon above.

Thank you everyone for your support so far! We have 23 days left. Please help us spread the word. With your enthusiasm, we were able to win the Partners in Preservation competition. Now, with your help we will raise the funds needed to continue to deliver inspirational programs to youth throughout Puget Sound!

Fair winds,

The Crew & Staff of Sound Experience and the schooner Adventuress

Video-invite from the Crew of Adventuress

Join us at the Party for Adventuress: A Benefit with Live Music! The Crew would love to see you there. :D

Oh, how she schoons!

This is a great video of Adventuress sailing during the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. It was taken by Three Sheets Northwest, a website that provides news, community and resources for Northwest boaters.



You can also read more about the Festival and see pictures at www.threesheetsnw.com.

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick note, the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival is this weekend and we'd love to see you there!

Adventuress is having sails every day of the festival. Visit our Booth in the Education Tent to register for a sail, just left of the Festival gate as you enter. You can also call the office, but you'll likely get our voicemail. We'll be checking messages every hour and will do our best to get you on board!

Again, it would be great to see you. Plus, there are some AMAZING boats in the marina. I've never seen it so packed. It's a beautiful sea of masts and rigging.

Fair winds,

Zach

The Power of Citizen Science

By Monica, Program Coordinator

A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Port Townsend Marine Science Center Plastics Summit. The Center is conducting a study to assess the amount plastics in Puget Sound and to determine its potential sources. The data for this study (plastics found on Puget Sound shorelines of every size and type) is being collected by volunteers. The purpose of the Summit was to share the results of the analysis of this data to date with those volunteers. The approximately 100 people in attendance had sifted through sand and other natural shoreline substances to extract the tiniest pieces of plastic (called micro-plastics), sorted it all by type and size, weighed and counted the pieces – an excruciating task it seemed to me.

The results of the data collection and analysis were interesting and eye-opening to say the least. Plastic never decomposes – it is forever – but it does break down into smaller and smaller pieces over time making it even easier to enter the food web and more difficult to eradicate. But this summit highlighted something even more significant: the power of citizen science. The attendees (the volunteers who had seen it first-hand, put their hands on those tiny pieces of plastic, counted and weighed it) were so engaged and passionate about turning the tide on our human impacts to the environment. They totally “get it”. They were looking for ways to change their own behavior and advocating for others to do the same.

We, too, are trying to create this same level of engagement with all participants who sail aboard the Adventuress. We do not want it to be a one-time event where awareness peaks while on board then wanes after participants return to their homes and busy lifestyles. Connecting them to citizen science efforts may just be the ticket to keep that level of engagement long after they leave the ship. While on shore excursions, we now take time to explore the high tide line of the beach looking for micro plastics. We find them everywhere.

We also take water samples and submit them to Sound Citizens to be analyzed for a multitude of “contaminants” including cinnamon, thyme, vanilla and other spices. The mission of Sound Citizens is to demonstrate how we impact the quality of water without alienating people. Seeing spikes of thyme and cinnamon during the Holiday season and vanilla during the summer (while folks are eating a lot of ice cream) demonstrates the point without turning people off. Similar efforts that focus on toxic chemicals such as mercury, PCB’s, etc. can turn people off. It is easy to relate to spices and see how what we consume ends up in the water. Sound Citizens shares their sample analysis on their website so that everyone can follow the unfolding story from their work.

This summer, we have been taking plankton samples for the University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs where they are studying and establishing a baseline of the diversity of phytoplankton in the waters around the San Juan Islands. We routinely take plankton samples using a 500 micron net and analyze them under a microscope to create awareness and appreciation for some of the smallest living things in the Sound. But taking samples for Friday Harbor labs using a 35 micron net creates a whole new awareness (the volume and diversity of the phytoplankton) and connects participants to “real science” which hopefully will have a more long-lasting impact.

We have a long-standing partnership with People for Puget Sound, an organization that launches and oversees many community-sponsored environmental projects throughout Puget Sound. This is one organization that participants can turn to after they leave the ship to find other ways to continue their personal journey of awareness and improved stewardship of the Sound. We also encourage participants to look for other local organizations within their communities where they can get involved. The synergy derived from local, group efforts allows us to leverage our individual efforts and keeps the momentum building.

We recognize the impact of citizen science on helping people “see” the need for change. We are proud to partner with these organizations and applaud their efforts in reaching out to communities to create greater awareness and involvement.

Links:
Port Townsend Marine Science Center
Sound Citizens
UW Friday Harbor Labs
People For Puget Sound

Nathan's Adventuress Poem Caught on Video

By Zach Simonson-Bond

During the last night of the Fantastic Voyage, anchored in Shoal Bay, Lopez Island, we did an evening program called "Party Piece," a timeless classic aboard Adventuress. People can share anything they'd like whether it's a poem, music, skit, story, joke, and so on. The presentations range from serious to silly.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Nathan during this Fantastic Voyage. He was down to earth, had tremendous determination, and was simply hilarious. Listen to his poem!

Our Adventure on Adventuress

Lesley Reed and her 14-year old son Sage won People For Puget Sound's recent contest to spend a family weekend aboard the schooner Adventuress. Lesley describes each moment of that sail as 'a new adventure' and shares that adventure.

Our adventure of a lifetime began with a benevolent request from a friend of my son’s. For his 14th birthday, he asked that donations be made to an environmental organization. Sage chose People for Puget Sound and with that donation we became members.

Meanwhile, Sage was taking sailing lessons and finding he loved it. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect when we received the email from People For Puget Sound announcing the raffle for two spots on the Adventuress Family Sail. Sage and I eagerly answered each day’s questions and crossed our fingers. What joy when we won!

You can read the rest of their adventure by on People For Puget Sound's website! Thank you Lesley and Sage for coming aboard Adventuress and writing this article.

Some of the most unique and special moments that happen aboard Adventuress occur during the hour up on deck in the middle of the night. Whether stormy or clear, alone or with one or two others, the opportunity to experience the night in a whole new way can be magical. Not only that, but creative energy at 3AM can be quite spectacular! The following story was written during anchor watch by crew and participants on our Boy Scout trip last week...

On their 2^nd night of anchor watch, while reflecting on all of the activities of the day, the Adventuress sailors were startled by...a sea serpent as long as their boat who smelled peanut sauce from the Upright Channel, 6nanometers away. Suddenly...the horny head of the serpent thrust out of the quiet waters of Shoal Bay, sending a scintillating spray of phosphorescent dinoflagellates across the dewy deck of the ship in a living reflection of the night sky.

The monster’s head arched over the starboard lifelines. The night watch had fallen asleep in the deckhouse and was oblivious to the threat looming over them. Suddenly, there was a thunderous snore from the Captain’s Cabin! The monster was taken aback for the moment, not sure whether this snoring ship was a worthy opponent, or a creature to be romanced and seduced.

The ship tried to flee. For the lack of wind it used the motor and powered out of the bay. In hopes of losing the monster the crew sailed her into high water. Clear of the San Juan Islands the wind picked up and the ship sailed on.

The watch now applied as much sail as two deckhands could raise and sighting the sea serpent ahead – gave chase! The helmsman shouted “we are heading for the arctic” as Adventuress started back on the path of her original journey North. The wind rose and the ship thundered on – unbeknownst to the unsuspecting sleeping occupants below. What would happen about Breakfast?

As the crew and occupants began to rise for morning, they realized they were soaked from sweat! What was going on? Everyone gathered on deck and looked out to a beautiful island called Hawaii. The crew on deck were shocked, for they had been trying to navigate from the stars and thought for sure they were headed back to San Juan Island.

‘Alas!’ cried the crew, for the breakfast was a stew. And keeping a sharp eye for the danger of the rocks, the temporary cook had brewed up some soup of Elena’s stinky socks! ‘Arrg!’ cried the mate as the sailors cast their fate. They plotted a new course, while raising the main they shouted ‘Heave’ until their voices grew near hoarse.

Meanwhile, Jane relieved the temporary cook in the galley. The crew had hated their breakfast, but resourceful Jane quickly realized the perfect use for stinky sock stew. When they returned to the islands she could use it to pacify the sea serpent, which was lying in wait for them! The crew of Adventuress sailed up the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington, enjoying sightings of sea lions along the way. When they returned to Shoal Bay, the sea serpent gratefully ate the stew – he’d only been hungry all this time! And Jane cooked a scrumptious celebratory breakfast for all hands. THE END

Girls Leadership Adventure

By Elizabeth Becker

What would you call a group of fourteen young women (ages 13 to 17), five mentors (ages 37 to 70), and a highly energetic and enthusiastic crew aboard a historic schooner in the San Juan Islands? The answer: PHENOMENAL!

Our newest program, focused on girls and leadership, took place the first week of August, under sunny skies, perfect breezes, and starry nights at anchor watch.

While those things were wonderful, they couldn’t hold a candle to the delight of heading south through Cattle Pass (at the southern tip of San Juan Island) to come upon a SUPER POD of Orcas. Breaching, spy hopping, and tail slapping elicited the appropriate “oohs” and “aahs” as the whales amazed us with their beauty and agility.

That morning set the stage for a fun-filled trip. Mentors Jean, Eileen, Kristin, Nancy, and me (Elizabeth) shared our enthusiasm for groundwater, coastal seabirds, effective communication, tall ships, and citizen science. Our crew led the girls in collecting and examining plankton, learning “the ropes” (halyards, actually!), talking about sustainable nutrition, and creating some highly memorable skits.

We all headed home tired and happy, a bit more knowledgeable about the environment, about ourselves, and about our community. In the words of a participant: “I learned a lot and had fun doing it, which is rare sometimes!”

Sound Experience is HIRING!

Public Programs/Member Services Associate
Port Townsend-based nonprofit Sound Experience, which owns and operates the historic schooner Adventuress, seeks to add a half-time administrative position to its “Office Watch.” Exceptional customer service approach, excellent written and verbal communicator, highly technology-literate and a team-player. $12-$14/hr plus benefits.

Cover letter and resume by Aug. 20 to catherine at soundexp dot org. Start date Sept. 7. E.O.E.

Sound Experience on LinkedIn

What! Another social networking website? This one is a little different. LinkedIn is a little less "social" and a little more of a "professional" networking website. It's a great tool to keep track of your contacts, post your job history, and follow organizations, like ours!

Sound Experience is on LinkedIn. You can follow our organization by pressing this button:



If you've previously worked for Sound Experience or aboard Adventuress, make sure you put that in your LinkedIn work history. By doing so, you'll appear as a "Former Employee" of our organization. We want to show how many wonderful people we've had working for us!

A Story Made During Anchor Watch

By the Participants and Crew Aboard Adventuress
July 20 - 21, 2010

During anchor watch, each of our participants and crew stand guard over the sleeping ship. Well, we also like to have fun during anchor watch! Often we write stories or haikus as part of these one-hour rotations, with each watch adding a little bit to the tale! Here is one from our last trip:

While hiking on Sucia Island, the young sailors discovered...

a monol-bismol (a kind of pepto-bismal that does the opposite of pepto-bismal)

Adam thought that it was cranberry lemonade and drank it!

Once their stomachs recovered, they carried on and came upon an old smuggler's secret hiding place. In it they found not people, drugs or alcohol but rather...

purple sea lions singing shanties while turtles kept rhythm on their shells. On a large table were potentially explosive moose cupcakes... were the crew tempted?

They threw a cupcake out into the ocean to see if it would explode, and sure enough, it did. Everyone was pretty glad they hadn't eaten any. The young sailors spent the night on the island and were woken up by purple seals singing a new sea shanty. It went:

"Elijah has blue hair, oh my oh my!

Steve has cool glasses, oh my oh my"

And it went on, similar to that. It was midnight. The sailors were groggy, disoriented by the purple sea lions' song and managed to fall off one of the lovely sandstone bluffs.

With a splash and a splish they plummeted into the cold water! Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, came something they never expected! A line! Thrown in the water by a hooded nudibranch!

Its watermelon-y smell captured the nostrils of (purple) sea lions everywhere, and the young sailors balked at their sudden company. And Kat was pleased to finally meet her sea lion friend. Soon the sea lions were all hauled up on the deck of Adventuress (along with the hooded nudibranch) and a wild bluegrass dance party erupted. Porpoises provided the decorations to Elijah's delight, and Elijah said "porpoise!"

They all stayed up through every anchor watch (checking bilges as the party raged on) and it was the best night they'd ever had. It had swaggerfullisticalness!!!

The End

Adventuress Sailing Video!

This video was shot from the bowsprit of Adventuress during a Public Day Sail out of Everett, WA.

Down to the Sea in Ships: Daniel Evans and Adventuress

July 14, 2010 - KPLU-FM's environment reporter Liam Moriarty interviewed our own Captain Daniel Evans! Captain Evans is a third generation Salish Sea sailor, and the newest Captain of Adventuress

"There’s a harmonious feel to sailing on a wooden boat. That organic feeling to me, and that feeling of something that is wood, that has been living, that has come naturally to this place is, I think, a really important aspect in creating that environment for coming to understand [Puget Sound]."

Click here to listen or read the transcription.

Watch this video that Moriarty took from his time aboard Adventuress!

Glimpses from a Road Scholar Intergenerational Voyage, Part I

By the Crew of the Schooner Adventuress

At the beginning of our trip, we divided into three watches, which is an old maritime tradition. During the day, one watch is on deck sailing the vessel, while the other two watches choose between education stations and/or down time (the sun and sailing can take it out of you!). In the evening, after Adventuress has found a cozy anchorage, rotations continue! One watch cooks dinner & does dishes, one watch takes on the natural history report--which is about what they saw that day, and the remaining watch prepares for the "Resource Report."

The Resource Watch goes throughout the ship finding:

• How much fuel we used
• How much water we drank
• Estimating the amount of compost made from cooking
• Estimating food waste made from uneaten morsels
• Estimating trash produced that day

The resource report has been presented in various ways. Sometimes it comes as a skit, sometimes a discussion, sometimes a game. This time however, the Bodacious BarbaRays Watch (B Watch) presented a Resource "Opereta," which included the following rap!

Yo
This is Big Papa Sailor and
I'm on a boat
yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm on a boat
and it can float
We be rockin' and rockin'
making distance and distance
So let me give you a little somethin' somethin'
We went 10 nautical miles
Wow it's all down in our nautical files
Yeah
I know the number's pretty big
Yeah
I said big just like our nautical rig
Wait, before we run out of time
Let me give you one more rhyme
Yeah
Man, our boat don't cower
We got 2.4 nautical miles per hour
So do me a favor and keep it dope
Cuz get ready, get set,
I'm on a boat!

A Grandmother's Experience Aboard Adventuress

By Ann Collins

Age 74, and Grandmother of 10 and Mother of 5 (including Catherine, our Executive Director)

Road Scholar (formerly Elder Hostel) Trip from Friday Harbor to S. Lake Union

Where do I begin? From the minute you step aboard the deck of Adventuress, the crew and staff are so friendly and helpful; you feel “at home” right away. Within no time at all, you start to feel as if you “belong.” The crew have you working on hauling up the sails, swabbing the decks, and eating their wonderful food (that was one of the best parts in my estimation). The cook, Marilee, was a marvel in her “limited space” galley. I even helped her make orange-cardamom cookies for my daughter’s birthday that day! The beginning and end of the days, you would hear crew members singing or playing a guitar to either wake you up or quietly lull you to sleep. It was so soft and gentle.

What a gift this whole experience was. The group of participants formed a loving and supportive community. There was a lot of sharing and especially a lot of laughter. It was so easy to join right in and become a special part of this group of both crew and participants. What surprised me most was my own willingness to try new things, to put myself out of my comfort zone, like going out on the bowsprit under sail or taking the helm. That part brought back memories of my early sailing days as a young person on the coast of Maine. I think my father, who loved wooden boats and sailing, would have loved to see me enjoying every minute of this trip. I will have wonderful memories to take home to the East Coast to think back on for many years to come.