 Adventurers Experience A Summer At Sea—By Tracy Watson Published: June, 2007  The Three-Day Women's Sailing Challenge, which sailed this past April, teaches women the ropes of being a sailor. Last April, 10 women, ranging in age from 25 to 45, took the Three-Day Women's Sailing Challenge, an event benefiting the Tall Ship Semester for Girls (TSSG) program. On a schooner named Seaward, these novice seawomen, sailed around the San Francisco Bay and the Northern California Coast on a three-day adventure they'd never forget. Ever since my seventh-grade English teacher waxed romantically of Ernest Hemingway's days as a ship hand, I watched with awe and admiration as ships came into the Port of San Francisco. When "The Voyage of The Mimi" aired on PBS, I dreamt of the day when I could learn to crew a tall ship and sail to foreign lands. So when I learned of the chance to participate in the Three-Day Women's Sailing Challenge, I leapt at it! I thought of what it meant to me to sail a tall ship as I boarded that familiar yet foreign creature. I was truly awestruck by the majesty of spirit that had led those ancient mariners to create the means to walk on water. The weather was gray, but I was surrounded by a solar system of radiant kindred spirits that burned away the clouds. We were bound together by a collective desire to experience something many of us had never dreamed we would to be initiated into that greater community of adventurers, seafarers, and pirates! The first day we were oriented to the various elements of the ship: starboard, stern, cockpit, galley, salon, head, and so on. I felt like I was on the best field trip ever, one in which you were allowed, nay, expected, to "touch" things. With the help of our crew instructors, we set sail around the Bay, watching (and helping) as they tacked or struck sails, "made fast" lines, tied knots and dropped anchor. We also learned to assume the position the sumo wrestler position, that is so as not to fall down. After dinner, we took turns telling a bit about ourselves and what we hoped to gain from this experience. Almost everyone saw the experience as an opportunity to expand their sense of what they could do. We were scientists, executives, teachers, a recently released convict, a Ph.D. candidate, and a writer. Two graduates of the academy high school seniors were there as well, and told of their past sailing experiences in the Tall Ship Semester for Girls. To quote one: "I don't know what I'd be doing if I didn't have this experience it made me want to do something with my life." Day two we awoke at 6:45am to a breakfast of oatmeal and fresh berries, and then we were put to work! My team was on deck cleaning, raising anchor, and tacking sails. We set out for a point just off Tiburon where we ate lunch on deck before we headed out to the Pacific. By then, I was really getting into the spirit of it all. That second night we started to serve an anchor watch. We were briefed on how to take bearings from the ship's compass and were entrusted with the safety of the ship. Even though we weren't out to sea, I was elated! As I walked the deck and checked my bearings, I imagined we were on the high seas, nautical miles from any land, my crew below now ancient Phoenicians and it was up to me to watch the stars and keep us on course. Day three was rough and I mean rough. The storm that had been threatening us hit, and it rained nearly all day long. We set out early for Drake's Bay, and by noon I was in bad shape. My Seabandτ had apparently expired and I, sad to say, spent the day green as an olive and desperate to get on land. But true to form, everyone made me feel like the luckiest seasick person ever. The kindness and care that they showed me was truly heartwarming. Our last day together was the "challenge." The night before we had carefully planned our course for the return trip. Today, we were to perform all of the functions needed to sail that course. We would set and strike sails, tack and jibe the boat, raise anchor and ease or trim the sheets, all on our own. Our crew instructors would be totally hands-off, and only available to advise us if we really needed it. I was nervous so many of the concepts were still swimming around in my head which was still a bit wobbly from the day before. But I knew that my crewmates and I were up to the challenge, and surely we would arrive into port without a hitch. As we made our way back to San Francisco, the sun kissing our proud faces, I felt a glorious calm settle over me. Being at sea and learning to read the water and the wind, and having trusty companions to help guide you to your destination, is one of the most humbling and exhilarating experiences one can have. The camaraderie among us was immediate, and throughout our duties as strenuous as they were you could count on hearty laughter and plenty of good stories. Tracy Watson is a Women's Initiative graduate and the founder of Our World Books | ||
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