above: The crew of Celebration: Kelsey McClung, RJ Fields, Tyler Beery, Colleen Murphy, Madelyn Kinsley and skipper Kai Horan.
Photography by Venera Alexandrova
Since its inception in 1954, Ship 6 has been providing opportunities for local teens to learn the ins and outs of sailing and life on the water. Ship 6’s main cruising/racing vessel, a 37-foot sailboat named the Celebration II, has called Norwalk’s Cove Marina home for more than 30 years. This unique program provides an opportunity like no other for young people to experience all that is entailed in maintaining and operating a boat.
“It’s not like cleaning a bedroom, it’s a very different level of learning responsibility. It’s about understanding what’s important and getting it done all while prioritizing safety, problem solving and being adaptable,” says skipper Kai Horan who has been volunteering with the program for nearly two decades.
ON THE WATER
While many of the Ship 6 team members have some prior sailing experience, it’s not required. Anyone over the age of 14 is welcome to participate. The teens, led by mentor volunteer crew members, are taught how to work on the boat and be responsible for everything from engine maintenance, mending sails, oil changes and painting the boat’s hull. “Ship 6 has allowed me to learn many nautical and leadership skills like navigating using paper charts, a skill that many boaters today do not learn and it’s an extremely beneficial skill to learn as it allows for a greater understanding of our local waters,” says RJ Fields, a Ship 6 member from Wilton.
The program has an impressive racing resume, and has racked up a lengthy list of awards, including placing first in their division on the Long Island Sound last summer—all while being one of the only teen-led competitive sailboat racing against adult crews. As a SeaScouts program, Ship 6 also has a focus on community service and concentrates its efforts on environmental projects like helping to clean up the Long Island Sound. The crew has done everything from building life jacket stands for Calf Pasture Beach to pulling balloons out of the sound and volunteering at a boat camp for underserved children.
OFF THE WATER
The experiences learned as a crew member can often be helpful in everyday adult life. Confidence, clear thinking and solid decision making are all integral on and off the water. Learning boat safety skills like fire preparedness and practicing man overboard drills help build a strong base of life skills. “The program boosted my confidence in a way that would’ve taken much longer otherwise,” says Kelsey McClung, Ship 6 member and Norwalk resident. “At the beginning of high school, I was self-conscious, and my experience on Ship 6 helped me realize my own capabilities in handling situations—even when something unexpected happens and you have to think on your feet to solve the problem.”
Planning and crew communication are also key to boat synchronicity as well as everyday life. There are a number of leadership positions that Ship 6 crew members are elected to—like boatswain, purser, yeoman and mate. Fields says his experience as boatswain helped him grow my leadership capabilities. “This role is in charge of planning and assigning tasks, as well as running weekly meetings,” Fields explains. “I learned how to delegate tasks effectively and how to organize and facilitate communications between crew members. I have also used the same scheduling/time management strategies developed while in Ship 6 to help organize tasks in my personal life.”
THE VALUE OF TEAMWORK
Being a positive team player, encouraging other crew members and staying true to the course even amid challenges are all key to achieving goals, and nobody understands that more than the Ship 6 crew. McClung credits Ship 6 with not only improving her leadership skills, but also teaching her the importance of teamwork. “Our skipper always says that sailing is a team sport, and that’s 100-percent true,” she explains. “Every change someone makes affects the rest of the boat. It’s so important to communicate.”
GETTING GRITTY
The Ship 6 crew logged 900+ miles last summer and that time on the water has helped the teens develop skills to overcome adversity, both physically and mentally. Crew members need to remain focused and alert at all times, which can be taxing during the longer sails. McClung says the biggest challenge she has faced while in Ship 6 is maintaining concentration, specifically during races where being alert is key. When she first started in the program, she could barely sail three hours without being exhausted. Now she has no problem managing a 12-hour sail.
“Learning how to persevere and helping my teammates to do the same has been such a good experience,” she says. Fields agrees that focus and attention to detail are critically important on the water. “When sailing, the conditions are ever-changing. This means that doing any job on the boat, from trimming sails to keeping a lookout, requires the utmost attention,” he explains. “An improperly trimmed sail could make a huge difference when in a racing environment, yet it is hard to keep the same level of focus for multiple hours.” Fields explains that the crew works together to overcome this challenge by rotating people through positions and taking shifts on longer overnight races.
Ship 6 crew members aren’t just taking away a lifelong passion for being on the water, but also a shared experience of growth and leadership that would be hard to match anywhere else. “Ship 6 is a very special and unique opportunity that is not available anywhere else,” says Horan. “Witnessing that moment when everything starts to click, the team accomplishes their goal, a new perspective is learned, or a teen realizes what they are really capable of is what makes it all worthwhile.”
Ship 6’s sailing season runs from April to November. In the winter, indoor meetings are held every Tuesday evening at Rex Marine in Norwalk. Ship 6’s agenda includes improving sailing skills, planning for the coming season, team building, recruiting and fundraising. This self-funded program relies on both individual and industry support and is able to successfully operate thanks to generous donors like Cove Marina and Rex Marine.
For more information on Ship 6 and ways to get involved visit norwalkship6.org.