Spirit sets sail on educational voyage

MONDAY, AUGUST 9: Spirit of Bermuda departed St. George's at 6:30 pm on Sunday, August 8, on her second major expedition of the summer, bound for the Canadian Maritimes. Captain Simon Colley had to keep a close eye on Tropical Storm Colin and Spirit's departure was delayed.

Onboard were 15 trainees and eight professional crew.

Spirit's voyage has a busy schedule, stopping at five ports in the course of the expedition. The itinerary includes Sable Island; Fort Louisbourg, Nova Scotia; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; Rockport, Maine; and Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she will take part in the Gloucester Schooner Race on September 5 before returning to Bermuda.

The offshore expedition is part of Spirit's 'post-middle school' pathway, which provides opportunity for older students (14-21 years of age) and college graduates to obtain real-world leadership experience.

Malcolm Kirkland of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation said: “This expedition follows our earlier Jamestown expedition, and will have a similarly rich shore-side programme

“The voyaging and shore-side experiences provide invaluable training to our older youth who can then take up paid intern positions on Spirit and receive more training towards formal maritime occupations.”

The expeditionary destinations are all rich in maritime history and were all visited by Bermudians during the heyday of Bermuda's maritime industry (late 16th and 17th Centuries).

Sable Island is a crescent-shaped and perpetually moving sand bar which is 42 km long. It is inhabited by only five people year-round, all researchers for Environment Canada who study all things marine and climate related. Like Bermuda, it is surrounded by shipwrecks from every age of maritime commerce.

Fort Louisbourg is a Canadian National Historic Site. The original fortress was constructed in 1720. Though largely destroyed during the course of Anglo-French wars, it has been partially reconstructed and is now operated by Parks Canada as a living history museum.

Lunenburg needs no introduction. It's history runs deep with the famous schooner Bluenose and the Atlantic cod fishing fleet.