schoonerwomen

Inearly dropped my Anchor (Steam Beer, that is) when 1 heard visiting Port Townsend sailmaker, Carol Hasse, casually mention that she would be crewing aboard a women’s sail training ship in Puget Sound.

Women power at the rigging!

Ten days later in Seattle, I boarded the schooner Adventuress and stowed my sea bags for the eight-day trip.

The 101-ft (LOD) Adventuress is a gaffrigged wooden schooner, built in 1913 atthe Rice Brothers Yard in East Boothbay, Maine. Original owner and Yellow Taxi heir, John Borden had her sent around the Horn to San Francisco and took her to Alaska to collect specimens for the Museum of Natural History. In 1915 he sold her to the San Fran¬ cisco Bar Pilots Association where she served as pilotship until the 1950’s.

Youth Adventures, Inc. acquired the Ad¬ venturess in the 1960’s for use as a sail train¬ ing vessel, used primarily by the Boy Scouts. Girl Scout leader, Ernistine Bennett, brought a group of girls aboard during the ’60’s and has been involved with the ship since that time.

In 1974 Mrs. Bennett became the presi¬ dent of Youth Adventures, Inc. and primary

ALL PHOTOS BY SHELLEY STEVENS

owner of the Adventuress. She is also on the X Board of Directors of the American Sail Training Association. A remarkably active woman and terrific role model, the senior “Mrs. B” runs the training ship along with skipper Karl Mehrer, who has been with the schooner since the 1960’s, chief mate and engineer Kinny Kimlinger, who first sailed aboard the Adventuress as a Qirl Scout at age 14, and a crew of volunteer mates.

Although the schooner is used primarily during the summer to train youths between the ages of 14 and 20, there i| time after school lets out and before school begins, that sail training trips for “youth of all ages are of¬ fered. Volunteer Tia Wulf successfully or¬ ganized the first women’s sail training pro¬ gram last year and again this year.

I I aving a fair amount of sailing exper¬ ience, I couldn’t help anxiously perusing the crew of 30 trainees the first day we mustered on deck. I wondered how the women — some of them sailors, some with no sailing experience at all — would handle the big schooner. Later that afternoon a light breeze came up and sailing stations were called. At sunset the sails were lowered as we motored into and dropped anchor at Port Ludlow, on the Olympic Peninsula. Looking the ship over, I found sails properly furled, lines pro¬ perly coiled, and everything generally ship¬ shape. I felt a bit relieved and considerably impressed.

That evening we received our orientation from the extremely warm and patient Mrs. Bennett. We were assigned into four crews, with one of the mates as crew leader. Each crew rotated duties which included: ship’s maintenance, standing watch and galley duties.

The group of trainees was pretty diverse. TJiere were two mother-daughter combina¬ tions, and women with a wide variety of oc¬ cupations including: teachers, nurses, office

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Above and below, 'Adventuress' in a blow. workers, homemakers, a construction work¬ er, a newspaper editor, a masseuse, a retired vice-president of a software company, a printer, a meteorologist, an antiques proprieter and a few women who work in ma¬ rine-related fields. The age span started at 25 and ended at — who knows? (One woman told me she was the senior aboard but wouldn’t divulge her age.) The majority were in their 30’s and 40’s, with a few in their 20’s and 50’s.

The immediate camaraderie which devel¬ oped among the group was astounding. As each individual personality unfolded, there was an overwhelming feeling of acceptance and appreciation, and everyone’s sense of humor was in high form.

we left Port Ludlow, the second day, on light airs and eventually had to motorsail to Port Angeles where we anchored over¬ night. cleared customs and left the next day for Victoria, B.C. During shore leave at Vic¬ toria, hot showers, libations, and visits to the wonderful Provincial Museum became our

Maureen Buoy, all decked out on deck.

priorities.

The fourth day found us motpring out of

Victoria into the fog, headed for Roche Har¬ bor, San Juan Islarid, to re-enter the U.S.

While having no wind was disappointing, it ’ left time for classes in seamanship (seapersonship?). The basics were covered, such as: knot tying; anchoring procedure; the points of sail; points of relative bearing; tides and currents; chart reading and navigation; rules of the road; the history and development of the sail and so on.

The day we left Roche Harbor and head¬ ed around the Stuart Island, we finally got some good wind, and the schooner and crew came to life. We were sailing closehauled, and1 as the ship began to heel more I sat on the deck to work the main sheet, brac* ing my feet against the bulwarks. Suddenly the scuppers came awash and sea water swirled around my feet and legs. By god, we had the “A” over on her ear, and 1 let go with a whoop of sheer joy. We were sailing in a 50-knot gale, the foredeck crew was get¬ ting soaked each time the ship pounded into a wave and everyone was having the time of their lives. When the wind began to gust over 55, the skipper announced it was time to drop sail.

Standing on the taffrail to pull the leach of the mainsail aft as it was being lowered, was

pretty exciting. As it luffed with incredible in¬ tensity, 1 had a vision of myself gripping the leach and being fluttered about like the flag

T1 he next two days after the gale were calm with flat seas. For excitement, we got out the ship’s cannon and fired it at the all¬ women sail loft of Hasse and Petrich when we passed Port Townsend. We spent a night anchored in Mackaye Harbor at Lopez Island. Sailing to Port Ludlow the next day, we were treated to some sunshine and whale watching, as an orca swam in otir vicinity.

Our last night aboard, the crews put on some pretty clever skits for each other and gathered to share individual comments

Islands in the Sound.

Learning about all aspects of sailing was part of the good times.

that flies from the leach of the main.

Everyone was cold, wet and very elated at the end of the day’s activities. The hot tubs at Friday Harbor never felt so good. 1 thought back on one rather intense moment during the gale when I stopped momentarily — out of surprise — as one of the mates gave me an order with the word “please” at the end of it. Even at the most trying moments, the crew remained calm, patient and supportive,

Sailmaker Carol Hasse (right) and one of the many friends she made on the yoyage.

allowing the trainees to handle the ship safe¬ ly and efficiently.

about the trip. Most wished the trip could last another week, if not indefinitely, although one woman was anxious to get back to the comforts of home. For some it was the first time they had participated in an all-women event, and they marvelled at the harmony and cooperation. Several women said it was the first time they had sailed without so¬ meone grabbing a line out of their hand or calling them a dummy. An advanced women’s sail training was suggested, and everyone said they would be back onboard next year. Later 36 women sailors invaded the bar and dance floor at the harbor, much to the surprise and delight of the few guys patronizing the place.

11 was raining steady the morning of our last day aboard the Adventuress and blowing 20 knots in the harbor, with reports of 60 knot gusts outside. Upon hearing that, a fellow on the dock asked what we were go¬ ing to do, and the reply was “Sail!’ “You’re crazy,” he said as he walked away.

We had 35 to 40 knots of consistent wind the entire day’s trip back to Shillshole Bay

Young and less young, all the women took a trick at the wheel — and (at left) dousing sail.

Marina in Seattle. Everyone got a good turn at the helm under sail that day and-no one left the ship dissatisfied.

We gathered at the nearest bar ashore for one last celebration, toasting everyone, especially that lucky dog, skipper Karl Mehrer, who had been the only man

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Nails on the sails?

aboard. He said the women’s trips were his favorites for all the obvious reasons, but also because the women crews have been the most safe and responsible of the adult trips.

Good work, mates! — shelly stevens