Venture Crew 631 sets sail aboard two 51-foot boats

By Janice M. Howard / Style Editor for the Southern Standard

Venture Crew 631, consisting of 22 McMinnvillians, set sail this summer for a trip from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. aboard two 51-foot sailboats bound for the tropical islands around Bimini in the Bahamas.

The group arrived in Florida after pounding the pavement for 13 hours on First United Methodist Church’s bus. The sailing adventure got under way by checking and provisioning the boats for the week at sea.

“We left the harbor at Ft. Lauderdale about 9 p.m. Saturday and sailed across the Gulf Stream overnight,” said chaperone Kelly McVey. “After nine hours on the open ocean with rough waves and wind, the week started on a sour note when a few began experiencing sea sickness. But, as the sun came up, the port at Elizabethtown, Bimini came into view and land was a welcome sight.”

At the Elizabethtown harbor everyone aboard was processed through customs and the next few days were spent sailing, fishing and snorkeling. All meals were prepared on the two boats. The novice sailors visited Bimini Road, a unique underwater rock formation off the coast, as well as Gun Key, Honeymoon Harbor lighthouse and Moxin Rocks. They dove off the Sapona shipwreck and swam with the undersea wildlife.

At night, the boats were anchored off different uninhabited islands, allowing the crew to explore ashore and feel solid ground underfoot. They built bonfires on the beaches and celebrated the Fourth of July with fireworks exploding over the ocean.

“The mood became very somber as the week drew to an end,” McVey recalled. “We all knew we had to return to our world and all of us would miss our adventure in the Bahamas.”

This excursion really began two years ago when Crew 631 went to BSA Seabase in Marathon Key, Fla. to sail for a week on an 82-foot sailboat. That was such an enjoyable experience that they decided to plan the 2002 sailing trip on the Atlantic Ocean.

Venture Crew 631, sponsored by First United Methodist Church, is a division of the Boy Scouts of America. It is geared for boys and girls ages 14 to 21 who are not afraid of new experiences. The group meets on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in the church’s outreach building.

“If you are between 14 and 21 years of age or are adventurous parents, come join us,” McVey said. “You might just enjoy it, too!”