The Ship's Wheel: August 2018

Thirteen island youth participated in the 2018 Student Mariner sails: eight aboard Tall Ship Lynx and five aboard Tall Ship Fritha. 2018 Lynx Student Mariner Garner reflected on his experience, “I had so much fun and learned so much on the amazing Lynx Journey to Martha’s Vineyard. I loved the activities we did during the voyage. I also loved the crews’ eagerness to help us learn how to sail. My favorite part of the trip was working hands-on during our voyage. I liked working night shift and making bracelets, as well as setting the sails and playing on the rope swing. I personally gained so much knowledge and had a great experience on the Lynx.”

In addition to the hands-on educational component, these sails have also proven to be unique community building exercises. Egan Maritime’s Manager of Maritime Education Evan Schwanfelder noted, “The students begin their journey as outsiders and really begin to integrate while under sail. Through the process you see growth. They begin to adapt, to expand their comfort levels, and they become integral members of the crew and each other’s experience. Student Mariners leave with not only new friends, but a new network of support from Egan Maritime’s staff and the ships’ crew they sailed with.” 2018 Fritha Student Mariner Tadhg shared his perspective, “I think that at the beginning of this sail we didn’t know enough about each other to build the trust needed to work well as a crew on a tall ship. But working with each other through the wet and the fog the first days brought us closer together and helped us understand each other more and started building trust in the people around us.”

“We at Egan Maritime derive great satisfaction from the fact that many of our Student Mariners have chosen to pursue higher education in the marine field,” remarked Egan Maritime’s Executive Director, Pauline Proch. By the fall of 2018, there will be eight Egan Maritime Student Mariners who have graduated from Nantucket High School and are enrolled at maritime academies and educational institutions. Three of those eight were on the first Student Mariner sail in 2014. “If you had told us this outcome when we launched in 2014, I might not have believed you,” said Proch. “Making mariners was never our intention. We wanted to give local students an experience that would foster growth while also applying the science and knowledge they learned in our Sea of Opportunities classrooms to real-life experiences.”

There is no question that Egan Maritime’s Student Mariners go through a sea change when away from the safe harbor of Nantucket. Schwanfelder noted, “The sails open up a world of opportunity that most of these students had no idea existed. They see teamwork in action. They see how what they do affects the next. They see practical application of what they study in the classroom on the water and in the world. They realize there is a whole path to growth and success that is accessible and ready for them.” Said Proch, “It is remarkable to have a new generation of mariners from Nantucket out in the world that includes young women as well as young men.”

For a complete list of Egan Maritime's Student Mariners, click here.