Celestial Navigation to Bermuda [PHIL-OSOPHY]
It takes most of my strength to maintain balance and find my sea legs on a moving ship. I can't imagine how I'd handle sailing the unpredictable ocean from Marion to Bermuda, much less using only the stars, moon and the heavens to navigate 645 miles, but that's exactly what a crew of students did.
In an exciting presentation on February 27 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Captain James Geil and his Tabor Academy high school student crew will share their incredible journey from Marion to Bermuda using only the celestial navigation they learned at Tabor.
Our oceans are beautiful yet unpredictable, and this Marion-to-Bermuda race is the only one in North America that offers celestial navigation class, which is perfect for Tabor Boy and her student and alumni crew. The knowledge they learned in class is put to a real test.
I was thinking this has to be a turning point for the students' maturity. Imagine the stories of sailing the ocean through storms and raging walls of fury and understanding the nuances of life at sea in a real-life situation. Captain James Geil is one of the best teachers, having gone through every example of extreme seamanship, and will share his tales and encounters along with the inspirational students' hard-learned wisdom.
This is a ticketed event, so contact Tabor Academy or the New Bedford Whaling Musuem. The Sailor's Series is an annual, legacy lecture series of the Whaling Museum that presents a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats and the sea.
Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on the 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.