Learning on Nantucket's Tall Ship "Lynx"
By Michelle Cartwright Soverino
After heading back to the Nantucket New School, eighty students from six classes boarded Tall Ship Lynx for seafaring lessons while sailing Nantucket Sound. Part of Egan Maritime's Sea of Opportunities school collaborations, each new academic year Evan Schwanfelder, Manager of Maritime Education, coordinates lessons and field trips aboard the Tall Ship to enrich and expand the students' connection to the sea. "It is always amazing to see the students' eyes light up as they take a step into the past aboard Lynx. They connect to Nantucket's maritime history in an exciting way which unites them with traditional elements of a life lived by the sea that were once part of everyday island life," said Schwanfelder.
Aboard the ship students joined Lynx's seasoned crew to understand the basics of Tall Ship sailing and traditional navigation. Through a series of experiential stations the students moved throughout the main deck and participated in maritime activities. They learned how to read a navigational chart; use a compass to determine a course and understand the difference between true north and magnetic north; and experienced the day of a traditional sailor from clothing to diet. Before sailing back into Nantucket's harbor, each student also had the opportunity to raise the sails, haul the lines, and even steer the ship with a turn at the helm.
To learn more about Egan Maritime's education offerings, click here.
