Spirit of South Carolina sail was a blast!

We had our training class for February on Saturday, February 12th. This was a very special day not only because all the interns were together but we took a sail on the Spirit of South Carolina! It was a beautiful, sunny day and although the weather was chilly, the interns had a great time. For many of them, this was their first time on a ship. Besides the beautiful scenery of the Charleston Harbor, the interns took part in some fun and educational activities.

First, we learned about the different areas and sails of the ship. Then the interns actually helped to hoist the sails! Everyone got a little workout with that. Then did three activities on the ship - we did a plankton tow and got to see some of the cool, microscopic critters that live in the water; we learned about watersheds and the importance of salt marshes; and we learned about navigation and how to use a compass and navigate using landmarks and maps. I think everyone appreciated GPS after that!

And it seems like everyone enjoyed silent sailing, where we all had a quiet spot on the ship for 10 minutes to just relax and listen to the sounds of nature for a little while.

So it was a great day! Good weather and good company! Thanks to the crew of the Spirit of South Carolina for such a wonderful experience!

Next up: training classes in March - we're going canoeing!

-Kathy