48-day voyage on a small ship opens up a big world
48-day voyage on a small ship opens up a big world
By Jennifer McLarty
Victoria News
VICTORIA * When Chenoa Marshall first climbed aboard the Pacific Grace, she was acutely aware of its size.
While the wooden schooner is an impressive 140 feet long and 22 feet wide, it can suddenly feel very small when bounding through the Pacific Ocean - no land in sight.
Add a six-person professional crew and 22 sailing trainees to the hobbit-sized bunks below deck, and you've got what most people would call a floating nightmare.
But for Marshall, who completed a 48-day voyage from Hawaii last weekend, one "small" boat has opened up a very big world.
"In the beginning I was claustrophobic, and I was concerned about how I was going to deal with that. But then the boat grew, just like the people grew. It became my world and it didn't feel small anymore. It felt safe and filled with an amazing sense of community," said Marshall, a 24-year-old university student from Ontario.
"You have all these different people, who at home wouldn't have hung out together, all of a sudden living in close quarters and getting along. The experience has reinforced my confidence in myself - in how I see myself - and how I deal with other people.
"It's something I'll treasure forever."
Creating an environment for personal growth is exactly the point of SALTS, the Sail and Life Training Society, which runs programs in both Canada the United States.
The non-profit Christian organization brings approximately 2,000 young people aboard its two tall ships every year - the Pacific Swift and the Pacific Grace, a replica of the Grand Banks fishing schooner The Robertson II.
Trainees get a chance to see the world, while experiencing all aspects of sailing from helmsmanship and navigation to maintenance and galley chores. The microcosm of shipboard life, and the cooperation it demands, also forces participants to put aside their differences and learn from each other in a makeshift society afloat on the sea.
"The greatest thing they'll take away from here is the community they've built. The boat becomes a safe place for people that they've had a hand in creating," said Pacific Grace skipper Tony Anderson, as he guided the ship into Victoria's Inner Harbour Sunday afternoon.
The schooner's arrival marked the end of her nine-month inaugural offshore voyage that stretched nearly 17,000 nautical miles across four stages - Victoria to Mexico, Mexico to Costa Rica, Costa Rica to Hawaii, and Hawaii back home.
"The highlight is seeing a kid come off here and realizing in their own life, 'I'm on a different tack here.' They have a chance to discover the person they can be."
Anderson came to the program himself by taking a road less travelled.
Twenty-three years ago, while working on a biology degree at the University of Victoria, he volunteered to help refit some of the boats being used in SALTS' programs.
He's been involved ever since, putting aside his studies for a life of helping young people realize their potential.
"It's my passion," said Anderson, who was joined by his six children and wife Bonice during select stages of the nine-month trip.
By Jennifer McLarty
Victoria News
VICTORIA * When Chenoa Marshall first climbed aboard the Pacific Grace, she was acutely aware of its size.
While the wooden schooner is an impressive 140 feet long and 22 feet wide, it can suddenly feel very small when bounding through the Pacific Ocean - no land in sight.
Add a six-person professional crew and 22 sailing trainees to the hobbit-sized bunks below deck, and you've got what most people would call a floating nightmare.
But for Marshall, who completed a 48-day voyage from Hawaii last weekend, one "small" boat has opened up a very big world.
"In the beginning I was claustrophobic, and I was concerned about how I was going to deal with that. But then the boat grew, just like the people grew. It became my world and it didn't feel small anymore. It felt safe and filled with an amazing sense of community," said Marshall, a 24-year-old university student from Ontario.
"You have all these different people, who at home wouldn't have hung out together, all of a sudden living in close quarters and getting along. The experience has reinforced my confidence in myself - in how I see myself - and how I deal with other people.
"It's something I'll treasure forever."
Creating an environment for personal growth is exactly the point of SALTS, the Sail and Life Training Society, which runs programs in both Canada the United States.
The non-profit Christian organization brings approximately 2,000 young people aboard its two tall ships every year - the Pacific Swift and the Pacific Grace, a replica of the Grand Banks fishing schooner The Robertson II.
Trainees get a chance to see the world, while experiencing all aspects of sailing from helmsmanship and navigation to maintenance and galley chores. The microcosm of shipboard life, and the cooperation it demands, also forces participants to put aside their differences and learn from each other in a makeshift society afloat on the sea.
"The greatest thing they'll take away from here is the community they've built. The boat becomes a safe place for people that they've had a hand in creating," said Pacific Grace skipper Tony Anderson, as he guided the ship into Victoria's Inner Harbour Sunday afternoon.
The schooner's arrival marked the end of her nine-month inaugural offshore voyage that stretched nearly 17,000 nautical miles across four stages - Victoria to Mexico, Mexico to Costa Rica, Costa Rica to Hawaii, and Hawaii back home.
"The highlight is seeing a kid come off here and realizing in their own life, 'I'm on a different tack here.' They have a chance to discover the person they can be."
Anderson came to the program himself by taking a road less travelled.
Twenty-three years ago, while working on a biology degree at the University of Victoria, he volunteered to help refit some of the boats being used in SALTS' programs.
He's been involved ever since, putting aside his studies for a life of helping young people realize their potential.
"It's my passion," said Anderson, who was joined by his six children and wife Bonice during select stages of the nine-month trip.
posted by DP at 2:20 PM
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