Fifteen-year-old Murray Bishop was by the helm of the 126-foot schooner ‘Virginia’, which he had joined July 9 in New London, Conn., as a participant in the Nova Scotia-based Seastar program.
Virginia later was lashed by a gale in the Gulf of Maine, but the youngster was scheduled to head back to Nova Scotia on Sunday after 17 days aboard the schooner.
Bishop’s hands-on training was an opportunity provided by the non-profit charitable society Seastar, which is committed to helping young people develop of life skills and experience aboard Tall Ships.
Bishop is a member of the Digby Neck and Island Sea Scouts. The scouts’ advisor Dave Rogers says the program “teaches them what ships are, how to operate ships and so on in the water.”
Rogers was contacted by Seastar Society director David Arenburg, who was offering adventure on the Virginia for children aged 16 and up.
Rogers said although Bishop was only 15, he had no trouble meeting the requirements.
“When I first saw Murray he was a shy, set-back little boy,” said Rogers, “and he’s turned into be one hell of a young gentleman.”
Rogers stated Bishop’s strengths are his leadership, his ability to teach younger kids and ability to do a job without asking.
Bishop flew from Halifax to Boston on July 9 with three other youngsters from Nova Scotia who also sailed on the schooner Virginia, a teaching vessel constructed by the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation in 2005.
Virginia is a two-masted wooden hulled schooner 126 feet in length with a sail area of 6,385 square feet. The original Virginia served the Virginia Pilot Association from 1917 to 1926.
The schooner sailed into Halifax on July 16 as part of a fleet of Tall Ships, and was in port for five days before setting sail July 20 for Portland.
Rogers said the Sea Scouts’ Venturer program will take place again next year and he hopes to get more children involved.
“Come take the challenge,” he encouraged.
Registration takes place Sept. 10 for those interested in taking part in Scouts Canada programs.
ldelong@digbycourier.ca
Learning life before the mast
Learning life before the mast
- Published on July 25th, 2009
- Published on January 31st, 2010
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Leanne Delong/Digby
Digby Neck youngster develops life skills aboard a Tall Ship
As thousands of people lined the Halifax and Dartmouth shorelines on Monday to watch the parade of Tall Ships leaving the harbour, a Digby Neck boy had one of the best vantage points.
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