Oh, and George Collazo, thanks for sharing your story. When I was in high school, it presented students with the opportunity of trade schools. In fact, during our last semester, seniors could go to one of the local trade schools instead of the high school. In the past several decades, it's not even mentioned as a possibility and most students don't know about it.
What an awesome program! Too bad the little softie non-sailors in the rest of the world can't experience it. I bet we'd have a lot more creativity and less violence as a result. Seems like the kids who go thru that training must grow up pretty darn fast. I loved this story!
Thanks for your kind words. Coastal Transportation's Summer Mariner Program (SMP) is open to students enrolled in the nation's merchant marine academies (4-year colleges), and merchant marine schools (18-24 month long programs such as Seattle Maritime Academy and North East Maritime Institute). The SMP is run each summer beginning in May. The website for applying is https://www.coastaltransportation.com/crew/how-to-apply/summer-mariner. For those interested in our company and the SMP you can view a short, lively video here: https://youtu.be/oAsB46780IE
For decades I’ve been listening to corporations complain that our educational system doesn’t properly prepare a workforce that meets their needs. Your company has taken the bull by the horns and met their responsibility to educate and train young people and turn them into professionals with the required skills to accomplish the rugged tasks or your specific industry. I’m confident that they’ve also gained significantly more. Kudos to all. Great story.
Thank you so much for a wonderful incite into the world of commercial shipping with an enlightening and entertaining article of how you train your sailors in a small boat the same size as my Core Sound 17!
I row past Coastal many days of the year, reminding myself of the names of the ships: Navigator, Nomad, Progress, Standard, and Trader (each is proceeded by “Coastal”). And Puget. They give the impression of a well run company in a challenging industry.
Thank you for this window on the internal workings.
Absolutely outstanding! Hard work & perseverance are rewarded with personal accomplishment & perhaps a bit of wanderlust. With regard to the details... Do the 120 mile passages always include the rapids? With the rowing 2:1 vs sailing, are the passages north to south or south to north. Thanks again for sharing.
Yes, they always include rapids. We use Beazley (AKA Surge) or Hole in the Wall, both of which lead to Okisollo Rapids. I should point out that we do not go through when the rapids are in full spate. The voyages travel between Gorge Harbor in Desolation Sound and Sullivan Bay in the Broughton Islands (or sometimes Sointula on Malcom Island). Which place Oyster starts at depends on the prevailing wind for the coming week. Most years the wind is forecasted from the south and we start in Gorge. This year the expedition began in Sullivan Bay and traveled south. Wherever we start the 2:1 average seems to hold true most years.
Sail and oar voyaging is a great way to learn the combination of humility, caution, skill and self-confidence needed to work not only as a professional mariner but for life in general. Good on ya!
Having learned to beach cruise under way I sure do understand the process and know from experience that the process not only informs but highlights every subsequent voyage.
If only I would have known about this program, I might not have joined the Marines. I love it when practicality, profit, and life changing outdoor adventure are synonymous.
Josh, what a great story. Thanks for publishing it in SCA!
Oh, and George Collazo, thanks for sharing your story. When I was in high school, it presented students with the opportunity of trade schools. In fact, during our last semester, seniors could go to one of the local trade schools instead of the high school. In the past several decades, it's not even mentioned as a possibility and most students don't know about it.
What an awesome program! Too bad the little softie non-sailors in the rest of the world can't experience it. I bet we'd have a lot more creativity and less violence as a result. Seems like the kids who go thru that training must grow up pretty darn fast. I loved this story!
How Cool! Industry inventing and supporting an "Outward Bound" adventure that benefits everyone and makes the Sailors safer in their careers!
This is being shared with several high school level maritime youth programs I am involved with. How can they contact you?
Thanks for your kind words. Coastal Transportation's Summer Mariner Program (SMP) is open to students enrolled in the nation's merchant marine academies (4-year colleges), and merchant marine schools (18-24 month long programs such as Seattle Maritime Academy and North East Maritime Institute). The SMP is run each summer beginning in May. The website for applying is https://www.coastaltransportation.com/crew/how-to-apply/summer-mariner. For those interested in our company and the SMP you can view a short, lively video here: https://youtu.be/oAsB46780IE
For decades I’ve been listening to corporations complain that our educational system doesn’t properly prepare a workforce that meets their needs. Your company has taken the bull by the horns and met their responsibility to educate and train young people and turn them into professionals with the required skills to accomplish the rugged tasks or your specific industry. I’m confident that they’ve also gained significantly more. Kudos to all. Great story.
Thank you so much for a wonderful incite into the world of commercial shipping with an enlightening and entertaining article of how you train your sailors in a small boat the same size as my Core Sound 17!
I row past Coastal many days of the year, reminding myself of the names of the ships: Navigator, Nomad, Progress, Standard, and Trader (each is proceeded by “Coastal”). And Puget. They give the impression of a well run company in a challenging industry.
Thank you for this window on the internal workings.
Absolutely outstanding! Hard work & perseverance are rewarded with personal accomplishment & perhaps a bit of wanderlust. With regard to the details... Do the 120 mile passages always include the rapids? With the rowing 2:1 vs sailing, are the passages north to south or south to north. Thanks again for sharing.
Yes, they always include rapids. We use Beazley (AKA Surge) or Hole in the Wall, both of which lead to Okisollo Rapids. I should point out that we do not go through when the rapids are in full spate. The voyages travel between Gorge Harbor in Desolation Sound and Sullivan Bay in the Broughton Islands (or sometimes Sointula on Malcom Island). Which place Oyster starts at depends on the prevailing wind for the coming week. Most years the wind is forecasted from the south and we start in Gorge. This year the expedition began in Sullivan Bay and traveled south. Wherever we start the 2:1 average seems to hold true most years.
Sail and oar voyaging is a great way to learn the combination of humility, caution, skill and self-confidence needed to work not only as a professional mariner but for life in general. Good on ya!
A good read and heartening.
Having learned to beach cruise under way I sure do understand the process and know from experience that the process not only informs but highlights every subsequent voyage.
Just as you describe so well.
If only I would have known about this program, I might not have joined the Marines. I love it when practicality, profit, and life changing outdoor adventure are synonymous.
This was an excellent story. I love your company's outlook on training and wish them many years of success for their investment into true seamanship