Shelter Island students embark on schooner sail
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale
— a tale of a fateful trip,
that started from a Massachusetts port,
aboard this schooner ship.
Ms. Mahoney was a mighty sailin’ gal,
Mr. Theinert brave and sure,
SI’s 7th and 8th grade set sail that day,
for a four day tour,
a four day tour.
Thanks to the generosity of the Shelter Island Educational Foundation, students once again became sailors aboard the 99-year-old schooner, the Alabama.
Taking three ferries in one day, students arrived on Martha’s Vineyard on a steamy Tuesday afternoon. Once settled below deck in their bunks with devices powered off for the duration, junior sailors were called up on deck to hoist the first of many sails on the voyage. Long coils and Flemish coils were mastered, and many knots were tied.
Their first night at sea was fueled by a fine dinner provided by Cook Dog, and jokes told during dish duty on deck by the Crew Dogs. With nary a breeze on the hook at our Elizabeth Island cove, the steamy night quickly turned into morning. Deck wash was soon underway, followed by breakfast and a swim.
Jump off the gunwale? Absolutely. Play watermelon polo? Sure! Swimming and skiff rides filled our day; journaling and stargazing filled our night.
With a turn in the winds and a drop in temperature, we once again hauled anchor and set sail in the morning. Captain Jamie handed off the wheel to our competent junior sailors, who confidently read the compass and helped to stay the course by reading buoys.
A little rain did not deter this hearty group. At night we gathered below for games of Uno, LCR and harmonica songs. Filling the main salon with a rousing chorus of “Country Roads,” accompanied by Cook Dog’s guitar, is a lasting memory.
The Shelter Island Educational Foundation’s annual fundraiser Garden Party will be at the Rams Head Inn on Sunday, July 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. There will be a silent auction, a cash 50/50 raffle, live music, a wine bar and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are available for purchase at shelterislandedfoundation.org
SIEF supports educational opportunities such as the schooner trip that enhance, inspire, and broaden the horizons of Shelter Island’s students and community.
