Young Sea Cadets Return from Voyage of a Lifetime

 

Six teenage U.S. Naval Sea Cadets from Long Island who set sail from Mt. Sinai Harbor returned from their six-day Voyage of Discovery, bringing back a lifetime of practical sea experience and tactical training. Captain Roger Noakes and three experienced crewmen sailed with the aspiring U.S. Navy Midshipmen aboard the Nada, a 47-foot sailing vessel.

 

The six-day and six-night sail started on August 14 and included voyages to Connecticut, Cape Cod and back to Mt. Sinai Harbor on August 20. The sea experience included site tours and training. The Voyage of Discovery empowered the young sailors with confidence, courage and character through this opportunity to sail the Nada. Prior to the sail, the Sea Cadets received months of hands-on training in coastal navigation and seamanship at the Sea Cadet training program in East Moriches.

 

The Voyage of Discovery was supported by a sponsorship from Retlif Testing Laboratories, an independent testing laboratory. Retlif President Walter Poggi commented, “We felt it was a wonderful opportunity to promote critical self-reliance and teamwork in young cadets while giving them the opportunity to experience history, science and inspiration.”

 

“This was a life-changing experience for these young men,” commented Captain Noakes. “Our mission is to inspire young people, build their confidence, character and transform their lives.”

 

The Sea Cadets earned the privilege to participate in the adventure and were selected by the unit leaders from the Sea Cadet training program. Life lessons were taught at sea as the Sea Cadets were on four-hour rotations, 24-hours a day throughout the voyage.

 

“The voyage tested our limits and provided the opportunity of a lifetime. It also taught us valuable skills that become important at sea,” said Cadet Wesley Pase (town). “To get from point A to point B, the crew had to work as a team. No matter how hungry or how tired we were, we worked together to get the task done.”

 

The journey began as the Nada set sail on August 14 at 4 p.m., leaving Mt. Sinai Harbor. The crew sailed through the night and arrived at dawn on the Thames River in Connecticut. The Sea Cadets toured the Coast Guard Academy – Jacob's Rock (Sail Training Facility), and the threemasted USCGC Eagle barque before departing New London that night. They then sailed to the Stellwagon Bank area north of Cape Cod off the coast of Massachusetts to study humpback whales. The vessel returned to Mt. Sinai on August 20.