Caleb Hinson points out a new course for Erin Dewherst at the helm while below in the cockpit Natasha Curd teaches Kayla Grey new knots for her next level of advancement.
Daniel Buchignani retrieves a life ring in a man overboard drill while Amanda Quance steers the rudder. Man overboard drills are common on Odyssey to insure that crew can rescue anyone in any scenario.
Quance and Buchignani navigate their small quartermaster back to Odyssey which is anchored in the bay. When Odyssey has reached her destination for the day the crew leave her anchored and go ashore for hikes and beachcombing or practice their swimming and small craft handling.
Crew ready their sail boats for a day of small craft training in Thea Foss Waterway. During the summer months Odyssey is chartered out in the San Juan Islands and the crew not aboard practice kayaking and small boat sailing at the Tacoma Youth Marine Center.
Caleb Stites and Natasha Curd work on their navigation skills in the chartroom of Odyssey. While Odyssey is equipped with radar and a computer with digital charts and GPS, all crew members are required to navigate with a paper chart and compass.
Fenders and a ladder used when Odyssey is docked are stored behind the mast and between the smaller boats lashed to her deck.
A red lantern hangs off of Odyssey’s port side. Crewmembers learn to recognize maritime navigational signs as well as recognize the different kinds of ships by the lights they display at night.
Sisters Amanda and Emily Quance tease each other while enjoying dinner on deck. Although the crew are often serious and focused on their tasks while underway, when the day is over they spend much of their time goofing off and playing pranks on each other.
Two crewmembers keep watch on Odyssey’s bow as she sails into the sunset. While underway there are three positions which must always be filled by a crewmember: helm, bow watch, and navigation.
Caleb Hinson peers through binoculars at an object in the water pointed out to him by crew on bow watch. While there are adult skippers onboard, the teenage crew is often in charge of running the boat and the safety of the crew.
Tess Tucker prepares to enter the Ballard Locks to pass from Eliot Bay to Lake Union in Seattle. Because of the time it take to travel on a boat, crew often have to maneuver tricky passages and dockings in the dark.
Amanda Quance drags a fender half her size to the bow of the boat, where she will use it to keep Odyssey from crashing into anything while they dock.
Crewmembers relax and swap stories on top of the main sail after a challenging trip through the Ballard Locks. Despite the cold and dark, many crew prefer to gather on deck even though there is plenty of room down below.
Using their legs to push Odyssey out from the pilings, the crew attempts to reposition Odyssey during a tricky docking. While safety is always a priority aboard the ship, sometimes scenarios require creative improvising.
Amanda Quance untangles Odyssey’s dress flags from their storage bins in preparation for the Opening Day Parade in Seattle Wa. The flags are ancient, possibly left over from Odyssey’s time in the Navy.
While Odyssey is the largest Sea Scout ship on the western coast there are many other programs in the Puget Sound and across the nation. Sea Scout ships often meet up during large maritime events, such as parades and boat shows, and they enjoy the chance to brag about their ship and tour others boats.
Typically the crew of Odyssey are a ragtag group in red t-shirts and grubby jeans. However, they frequently win prizes at parades and boat shows with their crisp uniforms and sharp salutes.
A watery sun glistens on Odyssey’s deck and the lapping waves of the Puget Sound.
Isaac Hilmo shows off while teaching a class on throwing heaving lines. In order to dock Odyssey crewmembers must throw heavy lines for a distances of up to 20 feet from the boat to the dock, and constant practice is required for new recruits.
Natasha Curd prepares to be hauled aloft, high up Odyssey’s mast, to replace a light bulb on the spreaders. The crew are trained to maintain Odyssey and preform all but the most dangerous tasks.
Natasha Curd wraps her legs around a stay, a mettle cord running from the top of the mast to the deck, in order to steady herself as she replaces a light bulb 50 feet above Odyssey’s deck.
Crewmembers wave at a camera hoisted halfway up the ship’s main mast. Less than half of Odyssey’s length is shown here and the crew below are a skeleton crew, barely enough to run all of the ship’s functions while under sail. A crew of 10 to 12 experienced hands are typically required to run the 90 foot wooden sailing ship.
Amanda Quance (front) and Natasha Curd (back) inspect one of the quartermasters for cracks in the sail loft of the Tacoma Youth Marine Center. The quartermasters are used to haul crew from ship to shore, and for man overboard drills and small craft sailing, so their fiberglass hulls take quite a beating.
Crew gather in the sail loft of the Tacoma Youth Marine Center to discuss repairs to their quartermaster. The small rowboat was refurbished over the winter of 2014 due to cracks in its hull.
With a quartermaster over their heads, crew slowly walk up the staircase to the sail loft where the small rowboat was to undergo repairs.
Natalie Koch scrubs Odyssey’s deck with salt water while docked in Thea Foss Waterway. Odyssey undergoes regular cleaning at the command of the skippers to keep the ship clean and respectable looking.
Charter guests prepare to help lower the mainsail aboard Odyssey. The ship is chartered out to groups of teenagers and adults for team building exercises or afternoon sails.
An ancient sail is stuffed back into its bag by crewmembers. Sailors rarely get rid of anything which could be even remotely useful so the program has some gear dating back to Odyssey’s time in the navy in World War II.
Gordon Craig drains the old diesel engine on Odyssey. While the crew are trained in all the workings of the ship, many chose to specialize in a certain area such as engine repair or navigation.
Confused by the tangled mess of the ship’s reserve batteries, Tess Tucker poses a question to another crewmember not pictured.
Jonathan Kanz (left), Sarah Carlson (middle) and Jonah Hilmo (right) prepare a platform which is floating and tied next to Odyssey. During the winter of 2014, the ship underwent a complete overhaul including removing her boom to be sanded down and repainted.
Crewmembers monitor Odyssey’s functions while under sail.
In a rare moment of peace, crew members play a game of cards on deck while the sun sets behind them.
Kesia Lee 