Story last updated at
Local
sailor leaves for 17-week journey
While
traveling from the Caribbean to the coast of New England, he will learn a wealth
of nautical knowledge. Onboard, he and 22 other students will take classes such
as marine science, maritime literature, maritime history, navigation/applied
mathematics and seamanship.
They also
will stop in ports along the way, including Grenada, Guadeloupe, San Juan,
Haiti, Georgia's Cumberland Island and Charleston, before heading toward
Chesapeake Bay and ending the trip in Boston. T.J. is "pretty stoked"
about the trip since sailing is a major part of his life.
He fell in
love with the sport four years ago at Boy Scout camp. Since then, he has earned
badges in kayaking, small boat sailing, lifesaving, motor-boating, canoeing and
swimming.
He is an
Eagle Scout with two Eagle Palms (working on his third), and he is a member of
the Order of the Arrow, a service branch of the Boy Scouts. T.J. also is a
member of the First Baptist Church School Sailing Team. "When I first met
T.J. over three years ago, he didn't know much about sailing, but through his
great determination, he has become one of the best sailors on the team,"
says his coach, John Gervais.In the fall season, the team finished first in the
final two regattas of the season, and T.J. was voted MVP.
T.J. already
has traveled out of the country, going to Campulung-Muscel, Romania, where his
church group and his family have worked with abused and homeless children at an
orphanage.
He was
selected from among more than 100 local students who applied for an Ocean
Classroom scholarship, sponsored by The Post and Courier Foundation. For the
past four years, the foundation has sponsored several students to go on Ocean
Classroom voyages, but this is the longest trip anyone has taken through the
foundation so far.
T.J. is
aboard a 125-foot staysail schooner built in 1960. It has no TV or electronics.
The SSV Westward was scheduled to leave St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands on
Monday and will be gone for 17 weeks.
T.J. doubts
he'll get bored. There'll be plenty to keep him occupied between classes, such
as helping sail the ship, but just in case, "there's always cards."
He was
looking forward to meeting all the new people, especially since he is the only
crew member from South Carolina, but he was worried about becoming seasick. It
has never happened to him before, but the longest he's been at sea, so far, is
one day. Also, the bunks don't sound too appealing. He estimated that
"coffins are bigger."
Of all the
places the ship will stop, he is most looking forward to Tobago because he
should be there on his birthday. He can't wait to see the exotic island of
Dominica because "my friends have said lots of good things" about it.
T.J. is packing light, bringing only the essentials (a few pairs of pants and
shirts, swim trunks, etc.). One of the strangest things he was asked to pack
was a knife for repairs and handiwork around the ship. He remarked, "This
is the first time I've brought a knife to school."
T.J. will
earn five high school credits over the course of this semester, but this is no
ordinary school experience. There will be many hands-on lessons in seamanship
and ocean ecology. According to the Ocean Classroom mission statement,
"Boredom is banished as an obstacle to learning. Instead, students are
challenged and engaged in their own education."