Student Sailors Raising Money For Trip To Finland

by Alan Pollock

            CHATHAM — There might be a reason that Bantry Bay gigs have been all but relegated to the pages of maritime history.  Low to the water, cumbersome to turn and difficult to sail into the weather, the open boats posed all kinds of special challenges to the 18^th Century crews that sailed them.  And that’s what makes them the perfect classroom for a small group of local high school students who take part in the Cape Challenge program.

            During much of the year, the dozen or so students spend long hours on the water, learning the unique combination of sailing and rowing skills necessary to run the spindly 38-foot gigs.  During the coldest months, they spend hours inside a North Harwich warehouse bay, working on their handmade wooden gig, Loyauté.  Most recently, they’ve been hand-carving a new set of oars.  The students are all registered Sea Scouts.

            On odd years, students from Cape Challenge join other local groups of Atlantic Challenge International in Maine, where they hone their skills in various races and competitions.  On even years, the group holds its International Competition of Seamanship, which will be taking place in Jakobstad, Finland this summer.  Previous competitions have taken place in Italy, Wales and other countries around the world with Atlantic Challenge programs. 

            When the teens from Cape Cod arrive in Finland in July, they’ll be off on an adventure that is as much about cultural diversity as it is about boat-handling, parent Karen Bennett of South Chatham said.

            “There are teams from 11 other countries that are there as well,” she said.  The team members have a chance to learn from the other participants, and to make special bonds.

            “They become lifelong friends with some of the other kids they meet,” Bennett said.  “It builds character and strength and independence.”

            It’s a valuable learning experience and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the local teens, she said.  But with overseas airfare, food and lodging, and the expense of packing up the Loyauté and shipping it across the Atlantic, the opportunity comes at a high price.  The trip to Wales in 2004 cost each student around $1,500, and the Italy trip two years later cost around $2,000.  This year, rising fuel costs have translated into higher air and sea transport expenses, and participating families are looking at a $3,000 bill, she said.

            To raise money for the trip, Bennett and other parents are organizing an all-you-can-eat Italian buffet at Laurino’s restaurant, Route 6A, Brewster, on March 4 from 4:30 to 8 p.m.  Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children under 12, and raffle tickets and desserts will also be sold.  Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling 508-430-1730. To contribute without attending the dinner, send checks payable to Cape Challenge, c/o Karen Bennett, 163 Holly Dr., South Chatham, MA 02659.

            Cape Challenge was first organized by Lee Scarbrough of Harwich Port, who used a borrowed gig to pull together the first group of students.  In 1999, following two-and-a-half years of volunteer and student labor, the Loyauté was launched from Pease Boat Works with much fanfare.  Since then, the program has turned out a steady stream of graduates who have solid sailing experience, a newfound appreciation for teamwork, and a keen sense of adventure.

            For Karen Bennett’s son, Jared, this year’s trip to Finland will be his first international competition with Atlantic Challenge.  It’s an experience he’s looking forward to.

            “I love boats, and I love being out on the water,” Jared Bennett said.  But rowing a Bantry Bay gig, and then learning how to haul in the oars and stow them in perfect synchrony, then raising two masts and switching to sail power, that’s a real team-building exercise, he said.  It has a lot to do with the design of the boat, which was originally used as an admiral’s barge by the French navy.

            “It’s really old and it’s really hard to maneuver,” Bennett said.  “It’s an extremely big boat.  It’s almost 40 feet long.”  Making good headway in open water is challenge enough, but navigating in small harbors is particularly tricky.  “Everything like that just brings us closer,” he said.  Whether on a quick jaunt, a weekend expedition or a competition with the best student sailors in the world, it’s always exhilarating, he said.

2/28/08