By Tom Rohrer
Being able to operate, navigate (and keep afloat) a marine vessel takes years of proper learning and preparation.
To obtain that knowledge and skill, one must have the necessary hands on experience while in a safe and supervised environment.
Since 1965, the Olympia Sea Scouts 453 have provided just such an opportunity for individuals between the ages of 14-21 interested in boating and sailing.
Founded by Ray E. Gillespie, who served as skipper of the outfit for over forty years, the OSS have two boats; a 36 foot powerboat named after Gillespie and a 27 foot sail boat referred to as The Sea Dog.
By joining the Sea Scouts, now run by Gillespie’s son Mike Godat, individuals have the opportunity to participate in long trips across the Puget Sound, while learning basic safety and operating skills associated with the water.
The outfit, which at one point had 57 active Sea Scouts, sits with a membership of around 10 individuals from the area. One of those scouts is North Thurston High School junior Justice Aman, who, along with his Sea Scout duties, is a Life Scout for Boy Scout Troop 208 in Olympia. Always interested in the water, the Sea Scouts have provided the perfect opportunity for Aman.
“It’s great just being able to get out and be on the water with kids your age,” Aman said. “Being able to learn about the boats and interact with people and the community is great. We get the opportunity to see different things and travel to different places. The hands-on aspect of Sea Scouts allows for us to learn the ways of the water, and the adults are there just to supervise and help in case of an emergency. It’s a great opportunity to be with kids your age and have a good time.”
A recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award, Gillespie became a Sea Scout in 1934, and later served with the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. In 2003, Gillespie wrote a book titled “Down in the Bow, Stern High on a Reef”, chronicling a Sea Scout cruise to Alaska that “becomes the ultimate test where human lives are on the line”. Having the opportunity to learn from someone like Gillespie has been a great experience for the Sea Scouts.
“Just talking to him is a learning experience,” Aman said. “You know he has seen a lot on the water and you want to get as much information from him as possible. Plus, he’s just a great guy.”
In the past the Sea Scouts have traveled as far as to Alaska and the San Juan Islands, and hold a variety of weekend and extended trips throughout the Puget Sound every year. Planning such trips is a task in itself, but a very valuable one for those looking to spend significant time on the water.
“We try to do one long cruise once a year and a weekend cruise once a month,” Aman told ThurstonTalk.com. “We sit down, look at our charts and look at our options in terms of destinations. We determine the amount of people, the fuel, plan the menu, plan cost, and then we leave.”
“On trips, we do some drills, like man overboard procedures and practice emergency situations.”
Gillespie, now 92, received the powerboat from Tacoma as a gift in the 1960’s. At that point, the boat was wide open without a top and was steered from behind with a brass tiller. After spending a few hundred dollars to repair the broken engine, and then some renovations to the ship’s structure, the Sea Scouts have since had a vessel that allows them to travel and house a high number of scouts and crew.
“To see it still being used, it certainly makes me proud,” Gillespie said. “We used to teach the kids boating procedures on dry land. The engine was in little pieces initially, and it was hard to look at it in a positive way. But after lots of work, the boat has been perfect ever since.”
Along with trips and practicing procedures, the Sea Scouts also give back to the community. Aman says the Seas Scouts help during the Wooden Boat Fair (part of the Harbor Days Celebration) and continuously volunteer for the Olympia Yacht Club.
“It’s part of the self-discipline that Sea Scouts teaches you,” Aman said of the volunteer opportunities. “I’ve got to have strong time management skills with school, Sea Scouts and Boy Scouts and that’s what you learn as part of this. You learn how to appropriately spend your time and make it count. Being a part of Sea Scouts, you can put that on a college application or job application, and people recognize the amount of commitment you’ve shown.”
In the end, it all comes back to a love of the water for those involved.
“I grew up on the water before I was able to walk,” Aman said. “My dad would take me out on the fishing boat. I guess that love has never left me and Sea Scouts has provided me with the opportunity to further that love.”
For more information on the Olympia Sea Scouts, visit www.olyseascouts.org.
