INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Since the first Sea Scouts launched vessels in 1909 England, cadets have faced adversity, so it’s not surprising that the Sebastian-based Sea Scout Ship 501 and its 17 members ages 14 to 19 have been tested in the group’s short, four-year history.
In October 2011, a storm, which seemingly had left the area on a northward trek to Cocoa, whirled back to Sebastian with winds gusting between 75 and 80 mph.
The “no name hurricane” damaged most of the organization’s boats, which were docked at Mulligan’s Beach House and Restaurant.
A 33-foot Columbia sustained major damage to its bow, losing approximately four feet from its nose. The mast has been taken down and put in storage.
Skipper Wayne Newland estimates it will cost about $6,000 to repair the vessel.
“It (the Columbia) just sat there and beat itself up during the storm,” said Newland, a native of Kansas City, Mo. and Washington, D.C., who has lived in Vero Lake Estates for the past seven years. “It just ground the nose of the boat at the dock. We were fortunate that none of our boats sank. Some of the other boats there did.”
The Columbia, which was donated to the group, sleeps six and has a kitchen. It now is docked at Sebastian River Marina & Boatyard.
“We surveyed it at $26,000 when we got it,” Newland said. “It’s not worth that now, but it is worth fixing. It’s a good, solid boat. The diesel runs fine and we’ve checked the battery. We could motor it just like it is, but it would be hard to keep the mast up when the wires holding the mast won’t stay since there’s nothing to attach to. There’s a lot of tension on those wires and a lot of stress.”
Newland admits that he doesn’t have the ability to fix the bow on his own. He described the work as crawling from the inside and building it layer by layer with fiberglass strips.
“I think it was built in 1978 and, in boat terms, that’s not old at all,” Newland said. “It’s considered in the prime of its life. These hulls are very strong. Scraping it down and refinishing it would not be difficult. It’s easy to get the kids excited if they know it will be useable again. This summer, they have been spending one or two days a week working on the boats.”
A 25-foot Erickson sailboat lost its mast during the storm and its stays were broken. Sea Scout Ship 501 has the mast, but it needs help in having it installed. It also needs a trailer.
The group’s 24-foot Bayliner needs a motor and a trailer.
The rest of the quite impressive, yet labor-intensive boat inventory for Sea Scout Ship 501 includes five Sunfish, two in need of minor repairs; a metal rowboat missing a title, a 16-foot sloop in need of painting, a Catalina sailboat that needs the center board replaced and three other sailboats in need of repairs.
The group also has a few catamarans in need of various repairs, plus one 16-foot Hobie Catamaran that’s usable but the cadets need an instructor familiar with catamarans.
Sea Scouts and Boy Scouts share a lot of the same goals and values, but Sea Scouts can participate in the program until they are 21 while Boys Scouts end their tenure at 17 or 18.
“The Sea Scouts program is one of the best-kept secrets in Boy Scouts,” Newland said.
It’s only natural that Sebastian and northern Indian River County would have a thriving Sea Scouts program.
“Sea Scouts basically train youths to be comfortable with boating,” Newland said. “Some Sea Scouts are scuba divers, while others own their own boats and some don’t own boats.
“After World War II, Sea Scouts were able to obtain some castoff naval vessels or surplus boats. We focus on sailing because it’s cheaper than finding money for fuel. We have outboard motors on our bigger sailboats — 22 feet and above — and it doesn’t take much gas to get in and out of the docks.”
Flexibility is important while working with teenagers.
“They’ll let you know what’s going on and if they’re available to join up,” Newland said. “We can’t compete with high school sports or band. If it becomes either/or, you’ll never see them again.”
Sea Scouts share the same oaths as Boys Scouts, but they’re happy to be a co-ed unit.
“There might be some who look at Boys Scouts as being a male thing, but others were smart enough to realize that teenage boys like girls and that might be good for membership,” Newland said. “Some of our best members are girls.”
“We can’t be perhaps as in your face as Boys Scouts. The kids are beginning to develop their own attitude, and we have to be more subtle in our approach,” he said. “Teenagers come and go, and that’s just a fact. If they go to college reasonably close by, they might do something with us during the year. Most kids want to go boating or sailing.”
