January 24, 2001
All hands on deck for ship school
Participants learn the ropes about life on the Madeline
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Wanted: crew for the schooner Madeline, no previous sailing experience necessary.
Must have a desire to learn all basics of sailing and a willingness to paint, scrape and lend a hand wherever and whenever necessary. Cool trips around the Great Lakes and the chance to educate the public about the history of tall ships available.
With this kind of opportunity, the Maritime Heritage Alliance had no trouble attracting 20 prospective deckhands for the first session of their basic training course. Held Thursday evening at the Heritage Center, future crew learned about the history of the schooner and delved into the basics of line tying and handling.
Despite the snow and cold outside, these future sailors already had visions of sun and waves dancing in their eyes.
"I am excited to get onto the Bay and sail," said Christina Schoenow of Traverse City. "I have sailed a little bit before and wanted to learn more."
Sometimes the romance of the tall ship provided the draw.
"We had friends who had taken this course and we are also really intrigued by the big ship," said Barbara Evans, who attended the class with her husband, Jerry. "I love seeing them out on the Bay and I always wanted to sail on one."
"It's almost unbelievable that they are letting people come in off the street and teaching them to sail it."
As students twisted the thick lines into clove hitches and schooner coils, they began absorbing the culture of the Madeline crews before them. A core of dedicated volunteers built the 92-foot schooner from 1985-1990 and hundreds of other volunteers have been lovingly sailing and caring for her ever since.
Part of the schooner's mission is to educate about tall ship history and use. Crews take Madeline around the Great Lake to boat shows and tall ships, previously docking in Chicago, Sarnia, Toronto and in Wisconsin. Part of the crew training is learning to give guided tours to the public and talk about schooners and the Madeline.
"Everybody on the Madeline is a learner and a teacher," said Laura Quackenbush, one of the founders of the Maritime Heritage Alliance. "Working on the Madeline is a unique, wonderful opportunity, it is a wonder we don't have 100 people here tonight."
The crew training includes six indoor sessions followed by five on the bay excursions, including one 24-hour sail. By the end of crew training, students will know the basics of sailing, navigation and boat operations. They will also know how to stand watch, read charts and all the necessary safety practices.
An integral part of the crew training is learning to do things the Madeline way. With more than 65 volunteers serving as crew, tying a line in the same place or way every time is crucial.
"We have specific ways of doing things and crew must learn them," said Joe Neihardt, a senior crewmember. "Each line is intended for a purpose. We have 60 to 70 of us and if one of us goes back to handle a line and it is different, it is very confusing."
Getting the hang of being a crewmember really takes a summer of sailing on the Madeline. While this winter's classroom sessions are important, the real training begins the day the novice crewmembers set foot aboard the boat this April. A series of short sails will let them put into practice what they learned in class.
"We just want to get them use to the idea of what lines there are and what we do with them," said Tom Gibson, a senior crewmember. "You can't really teach until your on the Bay."