Scouts and cubs on the sea: The success of one local sailing program leads to another
East Northport resident and Northport High School graduate Jonas Raio outside the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. Raio, an outgoing boatswain for Sea Scout Ship 270, spent a week aboard the vessel. Photo courtesy Sea Scout Ship 270.
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A sailing program that supports youth during a formative time in their lives while providing the space to make friends, develop leadership skills and have fun on the water, was celebrated at a Landship Ceremony last Thursday, January 9 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Northport.
The event welcomed new Sea Scouts, applauded the accomplishments of current members and included a presentation by East Northport 18-year-old Jonas Raio, who spoke of a weeklong adventure aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, a 295-foot, three-masted barque used as a training vessel for future officers of the United States Coast Guard. Known as “America’s Tall Ship,” the Eagle is the country’s largest tall ship and the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service.
Raio was one of six Sea Scouts nationwide who earned a spot on the ship, thanks to his resume of scouting and other activities, as well as a personal essay he submitted for a chance to earn the experience.
Raio began sailing just five years ago as part of Sea Scout Ship 270, the Northport unit of a century-old organization with other units – or ships – established on oceans, bays, rivers and lakes across the country. The Northport unit was created in 2017 as a way for young men and women, aged 14 to 20, to grow with fellow shipmates, learn water safety and boating skills, and share outdoor, social and service experiences.
The structure of a unit is similar to that of the Boy Scouts, with scouts being able to work their way up in rank.
Along with his brother Calder, Raio and a handful of local adults, including Masaki Sato, Theresa Dankes, Helen and Gary Fricke, Ann Nakamoto, Penny Gadzini and Karen Schlereth, helped grow the Northport program into what it is today: an exciting youth group offering a myriad of unique opportunities and adventures to those curious about the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary.
A new Maritime Explorers Club serving children ages 11 through 13 has also been announced: Explorer Clubs are part of the Learning for Life corporation, an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The new Maritime Explorer Club in Northport will follow the Sea Scouts program and be led by Skipper Ken Engel, a Northport resident who graduated from SUNY Maritime in the Engineering/Naval Architecture program and is a manager at National Grid at the Northport station. Engel’s wife Lauren, as well as her dad Bob Hoey, Committee Chair and Charter Org Representative of Sea Scout Ship 270, will also serve as club leaders.
To get more information on Sea Scout Ship 270 or Explorers Club, message them on Facebook or Instagram.
