February 15, 2006
Crew hands learn the ropes
Aspiring sailors start training to crew on tall ship Madeline
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Last Thursday evening, 28 students began the ongoing process of mastering the lines, rigging, history, handling and navigation of the 92-foot schooner Madeline.
For the next three Thursdays, these aspiring sailors will prepare for future slots as a deck hand on the Maritime Heritage Alliance's ship, which has a full summer of appearances scheduled. Achieving this first rating - next is mate and then captain - is a necessary step to being part of the quest to preserve maritime history and educate the public about these classic tall ships.
Not to mention the pure joy of sailing on them, not only on the Grand Traverse Bay but also throughout the Great Lakes.
"I've sailed on a schooner before, in Maine and also out of Puget Sound," said Nancy Thorton of Kingsley. "I remember coming here in the 80s and seeing them build [the Madeline.]"
Thorton is eager to be part of the Madeline's volunteer crew, deeming it a great way to be out on the water.
"Wooden boats are just different: they feel different and they look different," she noted. "There's something special about the traditions, too, like the hand-over-hand block and tackle."
Ted and Dottie Meier of Frankfort signed up for the Basic Crew Training course, eager to get out on the water with the historic schooner.
"I had a boat for a long time and now I have a boat again," said Ted Meier, who has already logged 12 hours varnishing on the ship this winter.
Approximately 90 people are trained as crew for the Madeline, which Maritime Heritage Alliance volunteers built from scratch from 1985-1990. The boat can hold a maximum of 10-12 people at a time and, during the busy summer season when the schooner visits numerous shows, crews rotate weekly.
"One thing that we want to do is have everyone do something the same way," said Laura Quackenbush, a founder of the Maritime Heritage Alliance. "If you already learned to tie off on your boat or another boat, you have to learn to do it our way."
Thursday's session included a lecture on crew duties and responsibilities, a video of the Madeline's creation, and an introduction to the basic operation skills needed to sail the schooner. Attendees divided into groups to practice tying different knots, learn how the sails were rigged, coil rope and handle lines.
"These are old, old traditions and the Great Lakes has their own versions of them," said Quackenbush. "You have to be able to do these things the same way, on the deck and in a storm."
Behind the sailing lies countless hours of maintenance, a year-round task that keeps volunteers busy even in the depths of winter working. Quackenbush noted that through volunteering, attendees will both learn and help preserve traditional boat building arts. Scraping, painting, varnishing, repairing: the estimated ratio of maintenance to sailing hours is between 2:1 and 3:1.
"You will learn not only how to sail the Madeline, but all the maintenance on the boat," she said. "You will be asked to do more than show up and crew."
Skills learned to sail the Madeline will also apply to the Maritime Heritage Alliance's sloop Welcome.
Even after 14 years navigating the waters, veteran sailors of the Madeline continually upgrade their skills. Advance crew training increases their sailing and navigation skills. In addition, the crew is constantly refining their methods and approaches to handling the boat. In fact, every time the boat leaves the dock, the crew is training.
"Every year, we change things on Madeline to try and make it work better or more consistently," said Rod Jones, a captain.
Crew on the Madeline also serve as historical interpreters at the various festivals the schooner appears at as well as at the home dock at Heritage Harbor in Elmwood Township.
"We have a formula to tell people about our story," said Quackenbush.