Sea Scout Ship 2020
Hindsight
The Hunter is a 1983 Hunter 22. When John acquired the boat from his Small Boat Sailing merit badge counselor, it was in poor condition. He and Dominic put many hours of work into it to get it fit to sail in the spring of 2022. Since then, it has served as Ship 2020's primary sailing vessel. It is the Ship's second boat with a full interior cabin, which facilitates overnight adventures. One such adventure was John's Quartermaster sail, when he took command of the Hunter for three days with a few other scouts.
The Montego is a 1977 Montego 19 that was given to John by his Small Boat Sailing merit badge counselor. It was given to John as a project boat because it needed lots of work and repair. The largest of these repairs was sealing a 3" crack on the port side of the boat at the waterline. John completed this repair as a part of his Composite Materials merit badge. The Montego serves as the Ship's auxiliary vessel, and is kept with the Hunter in a slip at Cheney during the sailing season.
The Speedball is a 14' fractional sloop. Since it was designed to be a racing boat, it is one of the fastest boats in the fleet. After sailing it a few times, John built a new, larger rudder to improve handling. He also modified the daggerboard to prevent it from falling through the centerboard trunk. While a few more modifications are needed, the boat should be ready to race during the next sailing season.
The Ghost is a Ghost 13. It is one of Mr. Mulligan's boats and is one of the most used small boats in the Ship. While it is not the nicest boat in the fleet, it is entirely functional with a floating hull and solid sails. When in the yard, the Ghost is used as storage for the four kayaks and their equipment.
Tweety is a Starfish that was donated to the Ship by Ranger Paul. The name Tweety comes from the Tweety Bird sticker on the side of the hull. Our story with Tweety started in 2020 when Mrs. Rongish was contacted with a request to pick up a boat in Hutchinson to take to Quivira Scout Ranch. After being sailed once and then being stored improperly after the 2022 summer camp season, John asked Ranger Paul if he could bring it back to Cheney for the Ship to use. Since bringing it back, Tweety has been used nearly every week. After some minor repairs by Mr. Mulligan, it has consistenly sailed great and served the Ship well.
The Sunfish is a very old "Clonefish." It the oldest boat in the fleet, and it has no identifying markings inside or outside the hull. It was the first boat that John acquired. He bought the Sunfish a few months after completing his Small Boat Sailing merit badge. The Sunfish sails well enough, but it currently has a few small leaks.
"Roger" is a 13' Dolphin Junior. With a unique Pirate theme, Roger is a very fitting boat for Sea Scouts. This boat was used often during the summers of 2021 and 2022. Though it lacks a tiller extension and is in need of a paint job, it is currently John's favorite small boat. It is the Ship's most comfortable sailboat for its size.
"It's impossible not to vibe on Roger." - John Rongish, August 31, 2022
The WindChaser is a trike with a sail. It serves the Ship well on days when sailing on the water is impossible. Steering is accomplished with foot pedals so that your hands can remain free to operate the mainsheet and handbrake. The WindChaser was donated to Ship 2020 by a former Scoutmaster of an old troop.
The "Bob Snipe" is a class-legal racing Snipe given to Ship 2020 by Bob Fugit. He was no longer able to sail the Snipe, so he donated it to the Ship for the youth to sail. John and Dominic have been practicing sailing it with the hope of becoming comfortable enough to teach others. While practicing, they learned that a Snipe rudder is deeper than a Sunfish rudder; and they hit a rock which snapped the rudder in half. This learning experience will soon be complemented by some practice with woodworking to repair the rudder.
The "Council Snipe" was donated to Ship 2020. It was originally owned by Quivira Scout Ranch in the 70s. The Scout Ranch sold all of their Snipes. This Snipe was bought and used for a few years, then stored for many years. In August of 2021, it was left at the Quivira Scout Office to be given to the Ship.
The "Driftwood" is a Hobie 14 Catamaran. It is owned by Leo Doeger. Leo got the Driftwood in the summer of 2021. Since then, it has seved Leo and the Ship well for two sailing seasons.
The Butterfly is Aidan's boat. Aidan acquired the boat as a project boat, and has recently completed a full restoration. Though it didn't see much use in 2022, it will definitely be a lot of fun in 2023.
