Atlantic Challenge Community Expedition
Sunday AUGUST 18 – Saturday AUGUST 24, 2024
Camp on Greens island, next to Vinalhaven Island, 13 miles east of Rockland, Maine, and explore the surrounding islands and waters by way of an 18th-century Bantry Bay gig! This is an all-ages expedition designed for those who wish to be part of a community in learning, and honing rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere! There will also many moments to explore music (songs, and instruments) on and off the water with guidance by seasoned song collectors and leaders. We may also passage to and camp on another island beyond Greens Island in Penobscot Bay.
The boats require careful orchestration, communication, leadership, and teamwork to maneuver well. Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors, participants will rotate and be invited to participate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, create the day's passage plan to our next anchorage, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
In addition to teaching songs to row by, we will teach skills relevant to the weather and passages presented each day. Many of the skills likely to be covered, include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail within a team
Steering Forces
Weather
Typical Daily Schedule:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row (with songs)
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores (usually take no more than 15-20 minutes and include either group dish washing, refilling water jugs, getting the weather report, preparing food for lunch, etc), and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail (and sing!)
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail (and sing!)
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, or songs and tunes.
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
No prior experience necessary. All ages 14 years old and up. This program starts and ends in Rockland, Maine. Although the boats we use are uncommon, many of the seamanship skills learned through these boats are transferable to other boating environments.
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Two boats. Maximum group size 24 people. All ages, 14 and up.
Sunday AUGUST 18 – Saturday AUGUST 24, 2024
Camp on Greens island, next to Vinalhaven Island, 13 miles east of Rockland, Maine, and explore the surrounding islands and waters by way of an 18th-century Bantry Bay gig! This is an all-ages expedition designed for those who wish to be part of a community in learning, and honing rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere! There will also many moments to explore music (songs, and instruments) on and off the water with guidance by seasoned song collectors and leaders. We may also passage to and camp on another island beyond Greens Island in Penobscot Bay.
The boats require careful orchestration, communication, leadership, and teamwork to maneuver well. Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors, participants will rotate and be invited to participate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, create the day's passage plan to our next anchorage, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
In addition to teaching songs to row by, we will teach skills relevant to the weather and passages presented each day. Many of the skills likely to be covered, include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail within a team
Steering Forces
Weather
Typical Daily Schedule:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row (with songs)
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores (usually take no more than 15-20 minutes and include either group dish washing, refilling water jugs, getting the weather report, preparing food for lunch, etc), and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail (and sing!)
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail (and sing!)
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, or songs and tunes.
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
No prior experience necessary. All ages 14 years old and up. This program starts and ends in Rockland, Maine. Although the boats we use are uncommon, many of the seamanship skills learned through these boats are transferable to other boating environments.
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Two boats. Maximum group size 24 people. All ages, 14 and up.
Photos by Dylan Ladds