Now's the time to invite your friends to join the fun! Do you have a new friend at school whom you'd want to invite to join your Ship? Talk to your Skipper and pick a meeting or activity that can help showcase what you do. Then invite your friends to come. Pick a meeting and make it a time for everyone to bring a friend. Plan an activity that will be coming up shortly afterwards to give people a reason to decide to join now. "Hey, I hope you had fun tonight. Now if you join we have this great event coming up in a few weeks that you can do as well if you join now." Maybe it's a late-season overnight sail, or whitewater or paddle craft trip with some overnight camping. Whatever it is, make sure it's fun and of interest to the scouts. Remember, youth can help remind anyone turning 18 that they have to submit a new membership application as a Scout Adult. Help everyone in your ship to remember to pay their dues, do their paperwork and complete the required training well in advance of when the ship has to recharter. Let's do our part to help make it easier for the volunteer doing the recharter process to keep our Ship registered.

​Safety @ Sea started in the spirit of the Sea Promise to Guard Against Water Accidents.

Ring Buoy
Purpose: Instruct youth on how to throw a ring buoy. Can be done in a pool or off a dock. Deploy target area 30 feet out from where Sea Scouts are standing. 

How to Coil Line and Throw Ring Buoy:
1. The line must be considerably longer than the distance it is to be thrown or it will probably fall short of the target.
2. The line must be coiled carefully and evenly with the draw of the loops toward the free end; the loops should be smaller than those made for other purposes.
3. Hold the shipboard end of the line in one hand and the coil to be thrown in the other.
4. The coil must be thrown properly—in an underhand motion with a strong, swinging motion. 
5. Release it when the arm is well above the shoulders and at not too great a distance.
6. Always aim past the head and shoulders of the person in the water, so the ring buoy can be recovered by them as it is being pulled in.

Cold Water Survival
​The effects of hypothermia can be demonstrated with a bucket filled with ice and water.
Use any of the following to see how cold water impacts physical activity:

• Use a piece of line to tie a square knot, bowline, and figure of eight submerged in water;
• Sea Scouts assemble galvanized steel nipple, elbows, and plugs in the water; 
• Sea Scouts retrieve as many pennies as possible in 60 seconds from the ice water.

Survival Suit Training
Purpose: Teach youth cold water survival and importance of survival gear.
Instruction:
Youth begin by tying knots with the line and their hands submerged in a bucket of ice water.  The knots should be the Square Knot, the Bowline and Figure of Eight. 
Youth put on Survival Suits.  Youth enter the water.  
Youth swim over to the life raft, right it and climb in. Youth exit back into the water.
Youth are hosted out of the water by Life Sling.

Equipment Checklist
Survival Suits
Ice 
Bucket
Line for Knots
Life Raft
Line to Secure Life Raft

Fire Extinguisher Training
The first time using a fire extinguisher should not be during an actual emergency. Contact the local fire department to see if they have a flash pan trainer for fire extinguishers. There are digital trainers as well that simulate using a fire extinguisher, which avoids clean-up. 
Strongly recommend using water mist extinguishers and a portable trainer, such as Dräger Fire Extinguisher Trainer or Lion’s Prop Enabled Extinguisher Training for examples.
FlaresCheck with city and county requirements if any permits are required. 
Purpose: Teach youth on proper handling of flares.
Instruction: 
Ask youth when they think they would need to use a flare.  Discuss flare usage. 
Youth are to each ignite on handheld flare.  Remind youth not to stare into the burning flare.  Go over basics of how to hold a flare.  Show proper disposal in a bucket full of water.
Equipment Checklist:
Flares
Bucket of Water
Gloves
Safety Goggles

Man Overboard RecoveryConduct man overboard recovery drills using a small boat, such as Boston Whaler, to recover an “Oscar” MOB dummy by performing a Williamson Turn.

Damage ControlDamage Control includes all efforts to prevent damage to a ship, as well as all action taken to reduce harmful effects of damage after it happens. 
The Coast Guardman’s Manual, 9th Edition, page 443.

Purpose: Instruct youth on emergency equipment in a flooding situation.  Instruct youth on damage control. 
Instruction:
Youth are to form a bucket brigade between the P6 barrels to empty water from one barrel to the other.
Instruction: 
Step 1: Let youth enter the trainer and start flooding.  Watch how they react and perform DC.
Step 2: Discuss with youth proper DC, such as use of wedges, marlin and even drilling the end of cracks to stop them from spreading.  Highlight effective DC might be only reducing the flooding by 50%.  
Step 3: Let youth run the flooding situation again.
Instructors should cover the 3 main objectives of DC:

• Take necessary action before damage occurs.
• Reduce damage by controlling flooding
• Providing emergency repairs or restoring services after damage occur.

The instructor should cover the following topics prior to the DC exercise:

• Damage-control kits;
• Plugging and patching holes; 
• Shoring; and
• Watertight integrity.  

Equipment Checklist
DC Trainer
DC Equipment
Rags
Wedges
DC Kit 
Plugging Kits
Pipe-Patching
Shoring Kits
Electrical Repair Kits

Fire Hose Handling
Purpose: Instruct youth on basics of fire hose handling.
Instruction: 
A pulley system is set with a fender hanging off a pulley.  Sea Scouts aim a fire hose and push the fender to the opposite side. 

In honor of the 90th anniversary of Sea Scouts in 2002, BoatUS, the nation’s largest recreational boating organization, instituted the annual Sea Scout National Flagship Award.The BoatUS National Flagship Application is available in October and is due March 31. The application follows the BSA Journey to Excellence Scorecard and is designed to recognize Sea Scout Ships excelling in all areas of Sea Scouting.
Some areas of focus include:

• Special Celebrations and Activities
• Sea Scout Advancement and Training
• Sea Scout Recognition
• On Water Activities
• Sea Scout Activities
• Color Guard Activities
• Community Service
• Recruiting Activities
• Sea Scout Leader Professional Development

Sea Scout Ships with outstanding programs who are not selected to be the BoatUS National Flagship may be selected as a member of the National Flagship Fleet so all ships are encouraged to apply for the National Flagship.
The National Flagship is recognized with a special ship flag with 4 stars affixed. In addition, the Flagship is presented a trophy, as well as individual mementos of the achievement for each Sea Scout member of the Ship. Additionally, the Ship name is added to a perpetual Sea Scout Flagship plaque to be kept on display at BSA National Headquarters in Irving, Texas.
A ship must meet the minimal national standards in all areas for a calendar year starting January 1 and ending December 31. The application is due by March 31, for consideration in being selected for the National Flagship Award.  You must use the online application process described below – do not send your application via email or postal mail, applications received by email or postal mail will not be considered.
For the 2021 National Flagship, we have moved to an online application process which should simplify the application handling and assessment process. The online application is here – but before you submit you’ll need to prepare a few things, including a signed copy of your JTE form for 2020, a good quality photograph of your ship in The Official Sea Scout Uniform (formerly called the New Century Universal Uniform), and a signed authorization from your Council’s Scout Executive.  You’ll find more detailed instructions and the Scout Executive authorization in the flagship instructions and council approval form linked below. You may also find this sample registration helpful – it will show you all the questions you’ll be asked during the online application process so that you can prepare your answers in advance. 

The following eMail was written by Max Rothschild, the Northeast Region Area 5 Boatswain and sent to PR@Scouting.org, where he express his concerns over the proposed changes to Sea Scouting and Venturing.

From: Area 5 boatswain
To: PR@scouting.org
Subject: My hopes for the future of scouting
​
Dear Scout Leaders and Executives:
My name is Maxwell Rothschild and I am writing to you today to tell you why the Sea Scout and Venturing programs are a vital part of Scouting and how it has meaningfully impacted my life.
When I was 11 I was looking for an after school activity so Scouting was suggested to me. After attending a few meetings I found myself really enjoying the activities so I asked my parents to sign me up. I spent three years in that troop before it got a bit monotonous for me. I felt as if I had done everything there was to be done in Scouting except earn merit badges. I had been camping more days than I could count and attended the same activities which became repetitive.
By accident, I found the Sea Scouts. So, I emailed them but no one got back to me. It took me eight attempts and lots of time waiting on the phone to find a ship to join. If anything, the reason other forms of Scouting could and would be doing better is the lack of marketing and follow-up by BSA. As soon as I went to that first Sea Scout meeting my passion for Scouting was buoyed. That was all due to the diverse opportunities provided by Sea Scouts; if it weren't for the Sea Scouts I would not be in Scouting any longer.
I have remained with Scouts BSA where I have enhanced my leadership skills. In Scouting I worked my way up to becoming the ASPL. I learned how to lead, improve my communication skills, and how to mentor. I attended NYLT to take those skills to the next level. My troop then nominated me to become a member of the OA which I am proud to be a member of today.
Sea Scouting though took me beyond anything I could have learned in other programs inside or outside of Scouting. I learned how to work with my peers on a boat. We learned how to maintain a boat from hull, to engine, to bilge pump. The Sea Scouts have offered me hands-on learning and life skills while surrounded by people from all walks of life in a way that traditional scouting had not. I qualified for SEAL and learned how to work with a high power team along with piloting and navigation. My love for Sea Scouts made me want to become the Council Boatswain. I am now proud to be the Northeast Area 5 Boatswain which has taught me responsibility and how to communicate with adults and youth alike. I feel that Sea Scouts represents the ideals Lord Robert Baden-Powell initially envisioned for Scouting and which must continue.
Sea Scouting led me to join Venturing where I am currently the Vice President of a Crew that devotes their time to volunteering. Yes, we spend some time on high adventure activities but that is not our main focus. We are a driven group of young adults eager to help out, learn, and lead by example.
By removing Sea Scouts and Venturing from the regular program we are going to remove a crucial aspect of development in the youth. The youth will only learn the skills but not the vital personal development. The men and women that are the adult leaders in Sea Scouting and Venturing return year after year and decade after decade. They serve and lead, giving of their time freely, because the values and skills that are taught and earned in the Sea Scout and Venturing programs are truly life changing in more facets than the amazing traditional Scout program.
My vision for Scouting would be that the BSA goes in a different direction. The adult leadership should engage in cooperatives and cross training at council and district meetings so that Scouts can enter a cooperation of a troop, ship, and crew as the youth demand creates. This way everyone has the area they care about but they are learning the essentials of being a good scout - the oath and law. My current ship is an example of this as we work on skills and encourage our youth to benefit from all aspects of Scouting. Each division of the BSA should be kept intact and Scouts and their leaders should be able to use each model to meet the needs of the particular unit.
With respect to the cutoff of age of 18, I believe that Sea Scouts and Venture Scouts should continue to 21. When I was at the World Jamboree I got to spend time with Scouts from many different countries. They had excellent leadership and camaraderie because they had more mature scouts to work with the younger ones. If anything we are missing out on something the rest of the world sees as an advantage, so we should learn from them.
In conclusion, making a difference in the life of youth and young adults is the goal of the Scouting movement and by taking away these programs you take away a core value in Scouting. Please remember that if it weren't for Sea Scouts as it is now, you would have lost me as a Scout of any sort. While I'm only one Scout I am certain I represent many Scouts you have the potential to lose. I have to believe that the national leadership wants to encourage Scouts so they will take my message to heart.
Yours in Sea Scouting,
Maxwell H. Rothschild
Northeast Region Area 5 Boatswain

From the Skipper:

We say goodbye to an historic Portland landmark.  The Sea Scout Base located at 7005 NE Marine Drive has reverted  back to the Port of Portland affective May 1, 2020.   At that time all Sea Scouts were gone, along with any boats and boat houses, that are not owned by the Boy Scouts.   By the end of the year, all remaining docks, boathouses, pilings and structures on land (with the exception of the house) will be removed and the site will be returned to its original natural state.
   
The Sea Scout base was established in 1966 from a lease arrangement between the Cascade Pacific council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Port of Portland.  Prior to that arrangement, the site was the main operation of Fred Devine marine salvage.   

The arrangement between the Cascade Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts and the Port of Portland for the property started with only a $1.00 annual payment, but as years went on the lease agreement changed and cost were added.  For the current lease which expired April 1 of this year, lease payments were made by service hours on Government Island.  A minimum of 500 hours of labor was exchanged for the lease.  The other costs for operating the Sea Scout Base and program were all made with proceeds of the gift boat program and sweat equity of individual units.  Half the proceeds of the boat sale program went to support the Sea Scouts with the remaining income going to the local Scout Council.  An average of $65000 per year was generated split between the council and the Sea Scouts. 

Over the 53 Years at the location, the scouts made many major improvements to the base including new docks, officers’ quarters building, ramps and gangways.   During those years many Sea Scouts have passed through the base on their way to becoming adults.    This would include Governor Victor Atiyeh and Senator Mark Hatfield.   

What brought this all about was because the Cascade pacific Council of the Boy Scouts of America decided that the leasing the Sea Scout base along with owning the boats and associated equipment was too much of a liability for the Boy Scouts.  The Sea Scouts asked to look at the risk management report and numbers the Boy Scouts used in their determination, but the Cascade Pacific Council would not release that information.  

There was an offer from a Non-profit group to the Boy Scouts to take over the lease from the Port of Portland, the base and all the structures, but that offer was rejected by the CEO of the Cascade Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts, Matt Devore, and had the blessing of the Chairman of the board of Directors, Mark Ganz.     
 
With no place to go and the possibility of the Sea Scout program demising into oblivion, each sea scout unit  had no other choice but to put what little equipment they had in storage and to operate their program from their  homes.   Some of the vessels, which were owned by the Boy Scouts, were sold to individual Sea Scout.  What was not taken by individual volunteers’ was sold at fire sale prices to the public.   That also included engines, parts, and a whole storage area of marine equipment that the Sea Scouts had acquired over the years.  What couldn’t be sold by the Boy Scouts was sent to scrap.   All the proceeds were to offset the cost of dismantling and closing the base.   It has been estimated that the cost could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars although the exact figure may never be known.
 
But there is still hope for the Sea Scout program

 A group of Sea Scout volunteers started a Not For Profit originzation, Portland Sea Base Inc., specifically designed to offer training for youth in the maritime arena.  But it will not only be for Sea Scouts but for other youth direct groups.  This can be anything from rowing clubs to youth sailing. 
 
In addition to Portland Sea Base Inc., there were a few marina’s that made a very generous offer of allowing some of the ex-Sea Scout vessels to moor at their facility.   One marina took in 2 boat houses in addition to 6 vessels.   It seemed that when the word got out that the Sea Scouts were being kicked out of their home, the local yachting community helped as much as they could.    The Sea Scouts and Portland Sea Base Inc. are extremely grateful for all their help.  

Portland Sea Base Inc., with the input of the local Sea Scouts are now looking at acquiring a permanent moorage or marina.  They are also looking for donations from private donors along with boat donations to help fund their operation.   Portland Sea Base Inc. will be using the proceeds to invest back into their program.   There are no salaries or overhead, at the moment so it all can go into building a program for both youth and adults.   
To support the Portland Sea Base Inc. and local Sea Scout units please contact Roy Englund at 503-662-8862, ship643.beaver@gmail.com,  or Jim Larsen at 360-921-8894, dolphintoo@comcast.net

​https://www.boatus.org/courses/
Free Online Training Available Now

The BoatUS Foundation and its partners, the Offshore Sailing School and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, are teaming up to offer two of their most popular online courses, Learn to Sail and Modern Marine Navigation, completely free of charge for the month of April. Sign up today with coupon code FREEBIES.

Can a Sea Scout earn the Eagle Scout award?

Yes.

Any youth (boy or girl) who earns First Class rank in Scouts BSA may transfer primary membership to Sea Scouts and continue to work on Eagle Scout requirements.
From the upcoming 2019 Guide to Advancement (4.3.1.4):
​
Sea Scouts who earned First Class when registered in Scouts BSA are qualified until their 18th birthday to continue with Scouts BSA advancement. If desired, they may maintain multiple (dual) registration in a troop and crew, and work on ranks in either unit.
Wherever the youth member is registered, the Scoutmaster and crew Advisor decide, with the youth, who will oversee the Scouts BSA advancement. If the Advisor does so but is unfamiliar with Scouts BSA, the district advancement committee should identify an experienced Scouter to assist. It is important for Sea Scout leaders to understand that Scouts BSA advancement procedures must be followed.
With the exception of the Eagle rank service project, any work done while a Sea Scout can count toward both Scouts BSA and Sea Scout advancement at the same time. The Eagle rank and Quartermaster Award service projects must be separate and distinct from each other. Position of responsibility requirements for Scouts BSA ranks may be met by the Sea Scouts serving in crew positions as outlined in the Scouts BSA Requirements book.
If the crew Advisor is overseeing the Scout’s advancement, then the crew committee conducts Star and Life boards of review. Otherwise the troop committee conducts those boards of review. Eagle Scout boards follow the local council’s established procedure.

Announcing the 2019-2020 National Boatswainby Sea Scouts, BSA | Mar 4, 2019
Congratulations to Hannah Carter, the incoming 2019-2020 National Boatswain. Hannah is a member of Mariners 936 of Dana Point, California in the Orange County Council. She the current Western Region Boatswain and an Able Sea Scout working towards Quartermaster. She has served as the Western Region Area 4 Boatswain’s Mate and in multiple Ship leadership positions. She has cruised aboard the USCG Barque Eagle, graduated from the SEAL program, and competed in the Koch Cup two times.


Outside of Scouting, Hannah has attends various sailing clinics, works as a US Sailing Level 1 & 2 Instructor, and is an active Girl Scout working on her Gold Award. She is a member of her high school choir, Key Club, and sailing team.
Hannah’s vision for Sea Scouts includes enhancing recruitment, improving mentor ship relationships, increasing social media engagement, and developing regular communications among youth. Hannah has taken personal ownership of similar goals in the past. She has personally recruited five new members and developed a comprehensive communications plan as the Western Region Boatswain. We look forward to seeing where Hannah takes the program in the coming year!