FORT PIERCE — Looking tired and worn
out Wednesday from a three-day trip from St. Augustine, three
local teens who crewed the Christopher Columbus motorized
replica ship Nina said looks can be deceiving.
The journey through Florida's Intracoastal Waterway aboard
the 96-foot vessel instilled a sense of history and seamanship
in Sea Scouts Rachel Chandler, 16, Robert Taylor, 16, and Alex
Shaffer, 14.
"It really makes you think
what it would be like coming from Europe to here," Chandler
said. "You've got to cook and sleep and do everything on
board. There's no going to McDonald's."
Shaffer, one of the newest members in the Fort Pierce Sea
Scouts chapter, said he was excited to make the voyage. He
knew it would be different from any other boating he'd done.
"Ya feel right from the start that it's going to be a
different kind of sail," Shaffer said.
Greg Frederick, who directed the Sea Scout Ship "Edwin
Binney" No. 404 for the past six years, chose the teens from
19 other scouts because they exemplified the program's ideals.
Frederick joined the crew, too.
It didn't hurt that they don't get sick out in open water,
he quipped.
"These kids just did a great job," Frederick said, stepping
onto the wooden dock at the City Marina. "Any time anyone was
pulling ropes or doing something, they were right there asking
'can I help?'"
The group members all pulled their weight. When they
weren't navigating, they honed their knot skills, swabbed
decks, washed dishes and stained fading deck boards. Other
times, they sat and talked as they drifted along the waterway.
The Nina, a motorized replica of a Columbus-era caravel,
pulled into the marina about 8:15 a.m. after an all-day and
night sail from Daytona Beach. They arrived in the area just
before 4 a.m., but had to wait until high tide to coast the
deep-hulled ship into port.
Although they would have preferred to sail the open ocean,
the scouts said the trek had its exciting moments. The
vessel's tall bow was their favorite place to be — where they
could watch for other ships and groups of darting dolphins.
The short journey wasn't without some drama.
At one point, when one of the scouts was at the helm, the
ship ran aground.
Noting the teen's embarrassment, Frederick said with an
encouraging glance, "Don't feel bad ... remember, the captain
ran aground, too."
Throwing the engine into reverse quickly released the boat
from the channel muck, and they continued.
The Nina will remain at the Fort Pierce marina until March
11. While in port, the ship will be open daily from 9 a.m. to
6 p.m. for self- guided tours. Admission is $4 for adults,
$3.50 for seniors and $3 for students.
- robin.campbell@scripps.com
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