Once a month for the past six months, members of the Dana Point Sea Scouts have joined the San Pedro Sea Scout unit for training aboard the tall ships Exy and Irving Johnson.
On the square-rigged tall ships, trainees prepared to join the volunteer crew in San Pedro for future Los Angeles Maritime Institute sails and cruises. Aboard the tall ships, Sea Scouts learned to go aloft to set and furl the square sails.
The new tall ships program is a result of a collaboration between the Los Angeles Maritime Institute and the South Coast Sailing Team in Dana Point. Jim Wehan, founder of the Dana Point Sea Scout Unit and skipper of the Spirit of Dana Point, started the square rigging program in January 2020 but stopped the program because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wehan started the Dana Point Sea Scouts program more than 30 years ago as a coed boating program for youth aged 14-18. The program aims to develop the Mariner Sea Scouts’ knowledge in boating so that they can be confident when handling sailboats of all sizes.
“My experience with tall ships goes back 40 years, and I felt that it would be a real fun experience for the youth to learn these skills,” said Wehan, president of the South Coast Sailing Team.
The tall ships program is open to all Sea Scouts. For more information on Mariner Sea Scouts and its programs, visit mariners936.com.