Sailing Gives Hope To Troubled Aussie Teens

[PommyDave]

I just read this story on the Australian ABC News site. Teens who've been in trouble with the law in the Northern Territory are being "turned around" through learning how to sail.

Darwin sailing program gives purpose to young people in contact with courts, juvenile detention - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase: "I'd rather be sailing."

[boatman61]

Scandanavian countries have been doing this for quite a while.. troubled teens first brush with law, drug problems etc are placed on large old style sailing boats as crew for a few months.
Gets them away from the 'bad influences' and shows them a completely new lifestyle and different countries.. used to regularly come across a few boats doing this around the Balearic Islands and the mainland of Spain.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Scandanavian countries have been doing this for quite a while.. troubled teens first brush with law, drug problems etc are placed on large old style sailing boats as crew for a few months.
Gets them away from the 'bad influences' and shows them a completely new lifestyle and different countries.. used to regularly come across a few boats doing this around the Balearic Islands and the mainland of Spain.

Sounds like a good program, Phil, and likely less expensive per head than incarceration, as practiced in the US. And it provides jobs for otherwise unemployable sailors!

JIm

[meatservo]

What a nice program! We do some similar programs here in Texas for our Disabled Vets at Grapevine sailing club.






meatservo

[jasonleeau]

My best mate in Oz (God rest his soul) Stephen Burnham was doing this in Scandinavia for years. Said most of them went on to nautical trades and never looked back. They used to repair lighthouses so would learn both nautical and building trades. He couldn't speak highly enough of it.

[PommyDave]

Hong Kong, when run by the Brits

[PommyDave]

It used to run a Sea School to teach young men how to be competent and disciplined seamen. But it didn't take trouble makers, as far as I know. The graduates were well thought of.

[Don C L]

Having taken quite a few kids out I can say it can be life-changing for them. The groups I had were not the kids in trouble with the law, but they were the misfits and the "losers" (they branded themselves,) in the school where I taught as an aide and leader of a "water sports program" aka "sailing to the islands for the weekend." These were coastal island trips so it included lots of time in the water, snorkeling, kayaking, exploring and then hiking too. For the kids you could just see they were so appreciative of the experience, the adventure really, and to be out of the house and their crazy family dynamics. And it gave them something to be proud of. I did those trips, 22 of them, over one school year and summer, 1986 and 87. One of those kids remains one of my best friends and has his boat now in a slip next to mine. He and 2 of the other cohorts from those days, and I, went out on his boat a couple weeks ago... and I'm still calling them kids?
It really works.
We need more programs like that desperately.. the kids do. It's not easy to get the kids, the boats, the legal requirements and the chemistry all right and lined up though... It was feasible for me at the time being young, single and living in the harbor too.. with all the connections that afforded me...
But when I see so many great boats going to waste, just sitting left to rot, and I think about what kinds of experiences and adventures kids are missing out on, it just seems crazy we can't put the kids, the boats and some experienced skippers together to make it happen... while still being able to jump through all the legal hoops without going broke.... there's got to be a way.
But most folks don't want to touch "troubled kids" with a 10 foot pole, let alone think of taking them sailing for a weekend. I can tell you though, the kids will love you for it. I never had behavior problems, the kids were scared for their lives! They needed me to be sure they made it back!
Back then the stress of bringing them all back safe and sound was a bit hard for me, but thank God, they all came home fine... I was the one who usually suffered some injury!
So, thanks for posting this.. let's see a lot more of them!

[Jim Cate]

I never had behavior problems, the kids were scared for their lives! They needed me to be sure they made it back

this sort of thinking is why ordinary seamen were never allowed to learn navigation in the old days... worked then, works now!

Good onya, Don... a job well envisioned and well done.

Jim

[Tayana42]

I used to volunteer with the Los Angeles Maritime Institute. It was created by famed sailors Irving and Exy Johnson. It's TopSail program reaches lots of kids, troubled or underprivileged. Almost magically effective at reaching hard to reach kids.

http://www.lamitopsail.org/come-aboa...r-brigantines/

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

I used to volunteer with the Los Angeles Maritime Institute. It was created by famed sailors Irving and Exy Johnson. It's TopSail program reaches lots of kids, troubled or underprivileged. Almost magically effective at reaching hard to reach kids.

Book Our Brigantines - Los Angeles Maritime InstituteLos Angeles Maritime Institute

I have a shot of the "Exy Johnson" out at Prisoner's Harbor this last summer in my images under the avatar here. They are doing what I dreamed of doing many moons ago but didn't have the guts or funding to dive deeper into it. When I retire I hope I can get a job swabbing the deck or something with them!

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

this sort of thinking is why ordinary seamen were never allowed to learn navigation in the old days... worked then, works now!

Good onya, Don... a job well envisioned and well done.

Jim

Thanks Jim!
Actually I tried pretty hard to teach those guys costal nav. and ded. reckoning! I wanted to be sure they could bring ME home if I started feeling poorly!

[Tayana42]

Don C L, you are a good man for giving all those kids the experience of sailing. It is not always easy to make time in our lives for others. You did it in spades.

[Delafontaine]

ref. No 8 "Having taken quite a few kids out I can say it can be life-changing for them, AND ME ! Having been first mate in the UK on the Ocean Youth Trust sailing vessels for many years, this was a life experience.
Ocean Youth Trust: portal site and with the tall ships OYT North | News | North Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016

[Delafontaine]

in the seventies, I sailed as Youth leader on the TS (Training Ship) Sir Winston Churchill and TS Malcolm Miller from the STA (Sail Training Association) now called the Tall Ships Youth Trust.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_Ships_Youth_Trust

with an extensive sailing program Sail With Us

their leading ship is the Stavros S Niarchos
http://tallships.org/wp-content/uplo...chure-2015.pdf