Tall Ship

Mason went on a once in a lifetime field trip for school this past week...and Shane and I were lucky enough to get to tag along! His fourth grade class traveled to Dana Point to the Ocean Institute for their Before the Mast Overnight Program. It takes place in 1834 on a tall ship. The crew is in character for the entire field trip experience...from 2:30 p.m. when the kids are recruited to work as crew members on the ship, until 9 a.m. the next morning when they disembark. All of the kids were divided into groups before they got to the ship, with one student as the mate of each crew of kids. Mason was the mate of the Hidegathers. Shane and I were Safety Officers. There was one Safety Officer assigned to each crew. Our main job was to make sure the kids were safe at all times, but not to help them, unless a member of the crew asked us to. Shane was assigned to the Boatswains. They were responsible for the ship's maintenance. I was assigned to the Galley. We were responsible for the preparation of meals and running the galley.

The class getting ready to board the bus!
Mason and his buddy Connelly
On our way to the Ocean Institute, we stopped at the San Juan Capistrano Mission.
It was so beautiful!

Here we are in front of the Pilgrim in Dana Point This is the boat we were on...the Spirit
This is Mr. Alexander, the first mate. He was rounding up a crew and assigning crew mates...this is when he "recruited" Mason!
Mason getting ready to board the ship!
This is "Dr. Chaos". He was the cook and the ship's doctor. He was called the doctor not because he had any medical training, but because he was the one with the knives! He was very superstitious and very funny! I got to spend quite a bit of time with him since he was over the galley.
Here is Mason with the other Hidegathers and Mr. Hudson (the second mate) going out to get some bullock hides.
He also learned to coil the lines. He was very quick to jump in when there was something on board that needed to be done!
Here's Mason reporting to the Captain. He was explaining why they only returned with 2 hides.

The kids had a great night on board. Each crew (except for the galley) had to do a two hour night watch. Mason had watch from 10-12, and Shane had watch from 12-2! It was amazing how these kids just got up and did what needed to be done! As for me and the galley crew, we didn't have to do watch, because we were up at 4:45 to make breakfast! We even got in some rowing in order to go around to the other side of the boat to wake up the captain!

Once the decks were scrubbed and the boat was clean, it was time to go sailing! They even gave Susan and I a job! (Susan was one of the other Safety Officers on board!)

It was a beautiful day for sailing!!! The kids even learned how to steer the boat!

This was such a great opportunity...we had a great time! Mason wants to do it again!!!