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By Morghan Martell
The Daily News Published July 15,
2001
GALVESTON -
After nine days living on a sailboat, five teen-agers say they have
met their goals and learned to work together in new ways.
The
group of Sea Scouts, comprised of members from Houston,
Chicago and Oklahoma, pulled into the island harbor around 4 p.m.
Friday. They sailed in from Freeport.
The scouts are part of
Sea Scout Advanced Leadership, or SEAL, which is training offered
through the Boy Scouts normally in Maryland, Florida, or California.
"This is the first time it's been offered here on the Texas
Gulf Coast," said adult leader Faith Strickland.
The time on
the boat is used for intense leadership training, said Cassie
Johnson, a teacher who traveled with the group on the
30-foot sailboat.
A second sailboat had followed them in case
of emergencies, and to provide separate boats at night to separate
the young men and women, Johnson said.
Enjoying the beauty
of nature also came into play, and each teen had favorite memories.
"We saw dolphins," said 17-year-old Esprit Heestand of The
Woodlands. "It was a lot of fun and a great
experience."
Hailing from Oklahoma, 16-year-old Leonhard
Striz said he enjoyed the dolphins as well.
James Houghton, 15, from Houston, called it a trip of a lifetime, and Rob Pelley,
16, said it was a great experience for someone used to sailing only
around Offatts Bayou.
"I wasn't used to sleeping on a boat before," Pelley said.
Beth Rath, 18, came to make the voyage
from Chicago, and the weather left an impression on her.
"The weather is incredibly hot," Rath said. "But it was a
wonderful experience."
The group planned on touring the
Elissa and the Texas Seaport Museum Friday. It planned to sail to
Kemah today.
Heestand described making friends with all the
team members.
"We didn't really know each other before we
got here," she said. "But now, it's almost like we're a family."
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