Everett Sea Scouts Ship 226

Sailing, more than any other sport, teaches skills that are useful throughout one’s entire life. We are not interested in making yachtsmen or yachtswomen out of our sailors. Rather, we are interested in giving them the experience and self-confidence that comes from simultaneously integrating a number of variables, including wind direction, water hazards, nearby boats, tides, currents, sail trim, rudder trim, boat balance, and weather, in order to reach their destination. Proficient sailing requires the participant to reach beyond previous limits, make decisions quickly, and couple them with proper execution of complex actions. As sailors move from a one-person dinghy to a two-person boat, and on up to a keelboat with a crew of several, they are also required to learn teamwork, command protocol, mechanical systems such as engines, winches, and cunninghams, plus crew overboard recovery, block and tackle systems, radio procedures, and a host of other related skills. Once they start sailing on the sound, and if they go out into the ocean, they experience high adventure, acquiring a sense of humility and respect for the forces of nature by enduring the uncertainty, the power, the hazards, and the grace she offers. As the sailors' proficiency increases, it becomes clear that they have learned, experienced, and accomplished much more than their peers who remain ashore.