Sea Scouts Parade "Rolling Tide" in Bay Village Bicentennial.

Sea Scout Ship 41's float, the award winning, "Rolling Tide", and the scouts in their dress whites were a tremendous hit at the Bay Village Bicentennial Parade this past Sunday.

They say every girl loves a sailor and the Sea Scouts of Ship 41 proved that to be true.  Who knows we may even get some recruits.

Related articles

• Boy Scouts of America (socyberty.com)

Sea Scouts to Submit "Rolling Tide" to Guinness World Records

At the suggestion of an ardent fan of Sea Scout Ship 41, "Rolling Tide" is going to be submitted to the Guinness World Records organization.  We are going to research which category it might fall under and submit an application.

Above is a picture of  "Rolling Tide" heading home after the Great Lake Erie Boat Float competition in which it won Most Artistic Design Award.  Stay tuned for the next appearance of this unique Sea Scout vessel, the Bay Village Bicentennial Parade on October 10, 2010.

Sea Scouts Winners at Plastic Recycling Awareness Event

Congratulations Sea Scout Ship 41, winner of the Best Artistic (read Creative) Design Award at the Great Lake Erie Boat Float.  The event was sponsored by the Metro Parks and the Cleveland Natural History Museum to high light responsible disposal of plastic waste.

The photo above shows part of the crew moving "Rolling Tide", made from over 500 Tide bottles, across the beach to the start line at the waters edge. (Be sure to watch the video below.)

Final float (race) instructions were given by Captain Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation as "Rolling Tide" patiently sits at the waters edge.

And they were off, as you see from the above video "Rolling Tide" was out of the starting gate very quickly and was easily in the lead with 2/3 of the course still to do.

Then at the halfway mark the wind picked up and it was very difficult to keep "Rolling Tide" on course. Our driver, Nate, did a valiant job but eventually handed over to Gabe who brought the vessel back to the beach at the back of the pack in time for the awards ceremony. 

 .

The crew, with Nate holding the trophy for the Most Artistic (read Creative) Design. Well done Sea Scouts.

 Interested in learning more about joining Sea Scouts? Just give us a free call using Google Voice, looking forward to hearing from you.

Rolling Tide Sea Trials a Big Success for Sea Scouts.

Image via Wikipedia

Labor Day saw the scouts busy putting the final touches to Rolling Tide. As you see below 25 feet lengths of Tide bottles were laid out and the vessel rolled over them as they were secured to the frame.

The launch of Rolling Tide occurred in front of a crowd of curious onlookers. Being Labor Day we had a large number of members atBay Boat Club all asking us what we were up to.  Everyone was most enthusiastic and wished us all the best. Good promotion opportunity for Sea Scouts.

Once in the water Rolling Tide performed above and beyond all expectations.  It floated well and could even be turned in the water by the operators.

We did find however that with only one operator, Rolling Tide went a lot faster,obviously the formula: buoyancy x rotational speed is inversely proportional to weight is in play here. Watch the video below to see a demonstration of just how fast the vessel can move.

 To learn more about Sea Scout Ship 41 email or just use Google Voice up above.

Sea Scouts Ready to hit the Waves.

 This is the last load of Tide bottles delivered to our float boat building site.  Our many thanks to the DCO Department Leader at the P&G Lima plant. for assisting us in obtaining these these Tide bottles.

Now literally, "Rolling Tide" is ready for sea trials and then on to the competition. Sea Scout Ship 41 plans on  launching the vessel off the beach at Bay Boat Club on Labor Day afternoon. You can watch our activity on the club web cam. Since this is likely to be a very busy time with plenty of boating activity our launch will draw stares and questions from the curious. As Mr. Gash said, (this will be)"A good opportunity to highlight our program".

Sea Scouts Make Splash in Local Paper

Skipper Gash had a news release published in the local Westlake/Bay Village Observer regarding the "Rolling Tide" boat we are building for the Great Lake Erie Boat Float. Skipper is thinking we'll be inundated with kids who see what we are up to and want to join Sea Scouts.

With a stiff NE wind blowing and 4+ waves at our meeting we concentrated on building "Rolling Tide". Our boat float build is progressing slowly.  We have alternated the larger Tide bottles keeping them in a horizontal alignment so that the boat will roll in a straight line. At this point Mr. Gash said this is his major concern.

Between the aluminum rings we will use orange safety fencing and wrap strings of Tide bottles to give added flotation. Hopefully we can begin sea trials next week.

Sea Scouts Start Construction of "Rolling Tide"

A well thought out construction plan helped to rapidly build the skeleton of "Rolling Tide", a vessel that is to be the Sea Scout Ship's entry in the Great Lake Erie Boat Float II highlighting the use of recycled plastics.  

Above Gabriel is seen threading the Tide bottles on the skeleton up to a point 45 degrees from the first cross 2x4 member.  The cross members  were bolted on using 1/4 x 3 1/2" carriage bolts. 

Darkness descended before the skeleton was completed but a great start had been made.  Skipper Gash complemented the crew and said, "This sure looks like a winner, maybe not the fastest craft but certainly the most unique".

Sea Scouts Vessel "Rolling Tide"

The Sea Scout of Ship 41 moved the design of "Rolling Tide" from the drawing board to prototype.

The hamster wheel design for the Lake Erie Boat Float Competition was put to the test.  A rough mock up was fabricated out of discarded aluminum hoops and Tide bottles. As you see from the picture below it floated.

Not only did it float, it also had forward momentum as Nate, shown inside the wheel, acted as operator. Now it is on to building the boat with additional hoops and bottles. We anticipate having the need for three operators - training will start next week.

"Rolling Tide" as it is now known, will be the Sea Scouts main entrance in the Lake Erie Boat Float competition at Edgewater Park on September 11, 2010.  The event is to highlight the use of recyclable plastics.   

The Sea Scout entry will be made from Tide bottles which are made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and have a recycling number of 2.  

This material is readily accepted by recycling companies and all the bottles used in "Rolling Tide" will be recycled.

Perspectives on Youth Sailing

A really interesting discussion has recently taken place on a forum called Sailing Scuttlebutt about youth sailing as it pertains to club racing.  It seems that 90% of the youth are ignored in favor of the top racers. Eventually the 90% lose interest and drop out of boating altogether.

Alexander Kovell believes he has the answer.

 " learned to love boats and sailing through Sea Scouts. We didn't race much, maybe five races in six years (including a phenomenal run in Swiftsure!). But we sailed one to three nights a week, we broke things, we learned to fix things and diagnose problems. We learned leadership, seamanship, and how to work in a team. We learned life skills, not sailing skills."


The points raised in the forum is a must read for us particularly as we are seeking a large influx of new Sea Scouts.

Recruiting Sea Scouts 24/7

Yes,our Skipper, Richard Gash says, "recruiting is a 24/7 task and the most effective tool is a good, exciting program and word of mouth."

 Friends inviting friends.

 So to that end we are going to use a web site called "hunch" . We'll have everyone email a link to their friends and their friends friends inviting them to complete the puzzle.  Try it out for yourself, who knows you may want to become a Sea Scout.

Hunch personalizes the internet!

Too hot to go sailing and bake! With temperatures in the 90's and air that doesn't even flap the sails it is just too hot to to take our 36' ketch out of it's berth.

But it has been fun to just putter about on the Lasers as the Sea Scouts did last Tuesday.

Sea Scouts enter Great Lakes Boat Float 2010

During these summer evenings when a passing thunderstorm makes boating imprudent the Sea Scouts have been busy designing their entry in the 2010 Great Lakes Boat Float .  Last year we won "Best use of Recycled Materials" Award and this year we are going for speed.

The initial thought was to incorporate a paddle wheel into the design.

The question arose how would we power the wheels? Then the bright idea!

Mr. Gash suggested, why not design it like a hamster wheel but powered by Sea Scouts.

Speed!

Well, what do you think?  What diameter should it be and how wide should it be for stability?  How many Tide bottles do we need to collect? 

Any thoughts? 

Stay tuned as the Sea Scouts from Ship 41 solve these issues 

For Sea Scouts it is Not All Work and No Play.

Well, it did require some work.  Richard Gash, the Skipper, said the Sea Scouts spent 30 minutes cleaning up the corner of Sptizer Lakeside Marina that always collects the detritus that washes into the marina but then it was off tubing. With the temperature in the 90's and little wind what else are you going to do?

The 300 H.P. behind our 27' Trophy, "Irish Wake", had no problem pulling the boys.

Sea Scouts assist in sailing Tall Ships

Bryan, a member of Sea Scout Ship 41, is presently sailing on the Grand Banks schooner, the Roseway from Cleveland to Bay City, Michigan as part of the Cleveland Rotary, YESS program . Bryon stated that his trip aboard the USS Brig Niagara was a thrill so he is really looking forward to the Roseway.

The 28 youth that participated in the YESS adventure all signed on as Sea Scouts, members of the newly formed Ship 247, chartered to the Cleveland Rotary.  The new scouts have had such a great experience with the Tall Ships they are already planning further adventures in co-operation with the Greater Cleveland Sea Scout Squadron.

Ohio Marinas Request Sea Scout Flotsam Scoop

The flotsam scoop, designed by Sea Scout Ship 41, is again in demand as  the boating season in Ohio heats up. The Ohio Sea Grant has ordered 20 scoops to be handed out as part of the Ohio Clean Marina program.  Over 50 flotsam scoops are in operation cleaning up Ohio's waterways.

Gabriel cleans up debris floating at Lorain Sailing & Yacht
Club as part of the Sea Scout service project.

Sea Scouts find reason to believe expiration dates on safety devices.

Sea Scout Ship 41 along with members of Bay Boat Club set off pyrotechnic visual safety devices at the beach. This exercise was conducted with the permission of Chief of Police, Mr. David Wright, to have done so without permission in a non emergency would have been breaking the law. Safety glasses and gloves were used in all demonstrations.

The goal was two fold, firstly, to give the scouts practice is using the visual safety devices and secondly, to determine the validity of and need for an expiration date.

Dalton had no trouble igniting the orange flare. We all found it very effective and highly visible in the daylight. 

Nate ignited the red flare with only a couple of strikes on it's head.  The flare burned for at least 3 minutes, we noticed hot drippings from the flare and understood the warning to hold the flare over the side of a boat in distress.

All the flares tested ignited but if the expiration date was well past the due date the brilliance and time of burning was reduced on a number of the flares.

After proper instruction by a Bay Boat Club trustee, the scouts fired 12 gauge distress shells

 

Despite the higher number of failures and poor performers with the expired signal shells Andrew managed to fire on successfully out over the water.

After an hour all flares and shells had be set off.  Our goals were met, the Sea Scouts trained and yes, expiration dated do matter. 

Future Sea Scout Training Vessel Arrives in Cleveland, Ohio

The Navy 44' Luder Yawl transferred to Sea Scout Ship 41 arrived safely in Cleveland over the weekend.

It was unloaded at Riverfront Yacht Services on the banks of the Cuyahoga River where it will be on the hard for a year while it is refurbished. Follow the progress on this blog.

The vision is for the boat to be re-commissioned as the Sea Scout Training Vessel, "Intrepid" and used to inspire future generations with a love of sailing.

Navy 44' Luder Yawl turned over to Sea Scouts.

A group of Sea Scout advisors and consultants, expert sailors, from Cleveland, Ohio, visited the Naval Support Facility, Annapolis to survey the Navy 44" Luder Yawl, "Intrepid". After a close inspection the group adjourned to the Harris Crab House to discuss their findings over dinner of crab cakes and stuffed soft shell crabs.

The group concluded that the yawl was sound and would make a beautiful training vessel for the Sea Scouts.

A restful night was spent in the Navy Lodge, Annapolis, then a filling breakfast at the mess hall and it was back to work preparing the boat for it's trailer ride to Cleveland, Ohio. The photo below shows three generations of "Intrepid", ours is the oldest and closest to the River Severn.

At noon, Tim Beattie of Beattie Marine Transport, Inc. pulled into the yard with his rig and the process of loading started.

Sea Scouts Play an Important Role in Memorial Day Parade

Members of Sea Scout Ship 41 played an important part in the community Memorial Day remembrances. Our youth assisted in running the sound system at the Lakeside Cemetery, marched with the Bay High School Marching Band  and as members of the Honor Guard carrying the flags. The service and parade was a great show of community spirit for our military past and present.

 YESS Leadership Boot Camp, Sunday, May 23 was a high-energy kick-off event for our YESS program. The boot camp curriculum is being designed by the Institute for Creative Leadership, a local organization focused on creating unique leadership and team-building programs for youth and corporations for over 30 years. Through a series of exercises and games the organizers built a real sense of camaraderie to the 25 Sea Scouts present. The picture below shows the entire YESS group being assigned into crews.

This crew successfully removed the bucket of gold from the acid pond.

How to turn the tarp over without stepping on the concrete.

Local Sea Scouts partner with new Ship.

This year Sea Scout Ship 41 is excited to welcome the  Tall Ships to Cleveland, Ohio July 7-11, 2010.  The event is sponsored by the Cleveland Rotary who are offering 30 scholarships for high school students through a new program called Project YESS. The selected youth will have an opportunity to go on a three day sail aboard a Tall Ship.  The youth will be selected after completing an application which includes an essay on why they would like to go on a sail.

Once selected the 30 youth will be signed on as Sea Scouts, members Ship 247, newly chartered by the Cleveland Rotary. They will complete 6 training sessions which will include team building, Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat taught by Sea Scout leader, Richard Gash. 


Skipper Gash said, "this is a fantastic opportunity for the selected boys and girls, an all expenses paid trip working on a Tall Ship".  Courses in navigation and sailing basics will be taught by Doug Sewell and members of the U.S. Power Squadron at the Lakeside Yacht Club to help prepare the youth for their three day trip. 

Richard Gash also said that the adults and scouts of Ship 41 will partner with the new Ship to ensure that their scouting experience is a positive one.

Sea Scouts Receive Top BSA, Dover Rockport District Award

The Westshore Award for the top Venturing Unit in the B.S.A. Dover Rockport District was awarded to Sea Scout Ship 41.  Congratulations, Sea Scouts for having a fantastic program. The qualifications and requirements for the award are listed here.

Navy 44 Allocated to Sea Scout Ship 41

The Navy Yawl, NAY 1, "Intrepid" located at the Naval Station, Annapolis just across the Severn River from the U.S. Naval Academy has been allocated to Sea Scout Ship 41. This boat was used to train midshipmen from mid 60's to mid 80's. It will now be used to train Sea Scouts in seamanship, navigation and leadership. The beauty of this yawl is that there is a complete sail training manual available to us and it has berths for 9.  Ideal for a long cruise to the Lake Erie islands.

Sea Scouts Acquisition Navy 44' Yawl "Intrepid"

The vessel we are requisitioning is the one with the sail covers on. This is one of the second generation of navy offshore sail training boats.  The picture in fact shows three generations all named "Intrepid". 

At this point we are reasonably confident the boat will be assigned to Sea Scout Ship 41 but it has not been confirmed yet. Stay tuned ..... as they say.