Tall Ships: To be or not to be
It's a topic close to my heart, and when I started my research and reporting I thought it would be difficult to remain objective. I believed that one villain would emerge--a scapegoat at whom we, as mariners and Tall Ship/sail training enthusiasts, could direct our anger.
Instead I found that, while these events are frequently a logistical nightmare, in this case nearly all of the parties involved could take some responsibility for what has unraveled, with the bad economy as the coup de grâce. And now the question remains, can the city "be made whole" again and can the event be salvaged? The Boston Globe reported last Tuesday that city and state officials were working together to try and find a way to provide some public access to the ships. We are still waiting for that solution. Sail Boston, on their part, submitted a plan to the city that does not include a way to bring the public to the ships.
But as for the crème de la crème of the event--the Parade of Sail--there is little hope. The ships, as many of you already know, have been asked to arrive at night, by engine and not en masse. I have likened it to asking a peacock to not display its feathers. The "drop dead" date from the Coast Guard to submit permits for the parade and for the fireworks has come and gone. And while Sail Boston could still submit their permits the week before, according to one Coast Guard official, the cost goes up exponentially as we draw closer to the event.
And what will the marring of the Tall Ships festival in Boston (the first one in nine years) do for sail training and the ASTA mission in and around the city?
On a personal level, what I find most troublesome about the evolution of events surrounding this year’s Tall Ships festival is that thousands upon thousands of youth may be denied the opportunity to feel what I felt in 2000--the first time I saw so many of these majestic vessels in one place, and what drove me and has driven so many others to pursue sailing on a Tall Ship.
Admittedly, I was initially drawn to the Tall Ship community for its allure of romance and adventure. But I quickly learned that the opportunity offered so much more. It taught and encouraged teamwork and leadership, and brought to the surface a level of confidence and self-esteem with which I wasn’t necessarily always in touch. It had a dramatic enough impact that I often wondered what the sail experience might do for those who were raised in underprivileged environments. And it was for this reason that I continued to support ASTA’s mission.
Sail training should promote that there is so much to learn beyond the classroom, that there are cultures to experience and people to meet with whom we can forge a connection. These festivals should be about bringing sailing to the masses, yet somehow, in this current mess, we seem to have lost sight of this goal.
If you are interested in seeing a copy of the presentation, please e-mail me.
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