     
|  Sailing: Theory and practical. Sailing a big old wooden boat is a challenge. Knots: Learning knots is an important part of living aboard ship. Pirates: Pirate history abounds in the Abacos and we learn how it was to be a pirate living aboard ship Snorkelling: Fantastic snorkelling. The reefs abound with tropical fish. Navigation: Learn how those old time sailors navigated before the days of GPS Comunication: How did those old time sailors communicate before the days of Radio ? Fishing: We eat what we catch. 
As the area of the Abacos is so rich in pirate history we emphasize the pirate theme with lectures on local pirate history and a pirate competition, with a prize for the best pirate, plus everything else that goes with sailing a big old wooden ship, Navigation, sailing theory, communication at sea, knots. We also have a Bowline competition to see who can tie a bowline the fastest. The final for the bowline competition becomes very intense when the times are down to less than two seconds.
Life aboard is very basic. Most of the time sleeping on deck is the norm. Your troop will be the crew, which means if the crew don't up the anchor we don't leave. If they don't hoist the sails we don't sail. If they don't cook the meals, we don't eat. etc..etc.. "Pecheur" is very well equipped with toilets (heads) and an excellent galley so although life is basic it's much more comfortable that you might expect on an old wooden ship. This is a back in time experience. CD players, Electronic games and cell phones are strictly forbidden, but we do have charging facilities for cameras.
We try to encourage a team spirit making the crew work together in the hope that by the end of the week they are fully capable of running the ship. The program is very intense and comprehensive offering a chance for natural leaders to emerge.
The sea of Abaco is a perfect cruising ground for the first timer and the veteran sailor alike. Because islands and reefs surround the area there are never any big seas, making seasickness almost unheard of. The surrounding islands range from completely uninhabited to small island towns of a few hundred people. The snorkelling is excellent and the weather is clement most of the year making it a perfect cruising ground. 
All cruise's start on a Saturday and return to Marsh Harbour the following Friday. We provide transport to and from the ship and Marsh Harbour airport, but you are responsible for transportation from your hometown to Marsh Harbour. Marsh Harbour is well serviced with
airlines
departing from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando,(see Airlines, US Airways, Bahamas Air, Air Florida). 
We carry a crew of maximum twenty, minimum ten, we find that fifteen is an optimum number. The program is open to all Boy Scout members and co-ed groups with a minimum age of fourteen at the time of arrival and a recommended weight limit of two hundred and fifty pounds. The program is based on the Florida Sea Base guidelines, and all Boy Scout values are followed. We also carry one million dollars specific Boy Scout liability insurance.( Leaders Guide, print copy, ) |