Girls Take the Helm

By Elizabeth Becker

In late July, an enthusiastic group of 16 young women, average age 13, boarded Adventuress in Friday Harbor for 3 days of sailing, learning, and exploring.  Except for one group of five Girl Scouts who had journeyed all the way from central Oregon, the girls didn’t know one another.  But any hesitance quickly evaporated during the opening circle, lunch, and Watch Group orientations.  A sunny afternoon of sailing kept everyone busy hauling on lines, tacking, and taking turns at the helm.  At anchor in McKay Harbor off Lopez Island, preparations began for the evening program, which would include resource reports and game night.

One of the unique aspects of Girls at the Helm is having a group of women mentors aboard to share their passions and expertise with the participants.  On this trip, the five mentors shared their interests in wildlife biology, teamwork, photography, tall ships, and water quality.  The crew, which was mostly female for this trip, added plankton and sail theory to the mix.

Furling the jib in windy weather

On day 2, the ship headed south and east into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, heading up Rosario Strait.  The sun and calm seas of the day before had given way to cooler temperatures, stronger winds, and sizable swells, giving all aboard a taste of saltier sailing.  Heading back through Thatcher Pass brought smoother waters along with a bit of rain. But once at anchor in Blind Bay off Shaw Island, the sun came out and there was plenty of time for climbing aloft, sailing Ayashe, and doing some fancy knotwork.

During dinner, the participants had an opportunity for some one-on-one time with the mentors, with an assignment to ask them questions and then share the answers with the whole group during the evening program. The girls did an awesome job with their presentations, which were followed up with skits by each Watch Group.

The trip ended far too soon. Day 3 brought Adventuress back to Friday Harbor under sunny skies. The girls left with great memories, a better sense of their abilities, and a new window into what’s possible.
“I learned that I’m stronger than I thought.” ---participant

Studying plankton

The Intrepid Mentors

Hauling up the mainsail

Studying the charts

Learning Adventuress' sails

Preparing to go up Adventuress' mainmast!

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

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

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!

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!”