March Break adventure for Sea Cadets

Sea Cadets work as part of the crew during the National Tall Ship Deployment on Canada’s west coast in March. Tall Ship Deployment involve 58 sea cadets from across Canada, teaching them traditional seamanship skills during the week-long experience.

Capt Cheryl Major, RCSU (P)PAO ~

March was an amazing month to be a sea cadet in B.C. with no less than six unique on-water opportunities offered to cadets from around the province and the country.

Sixty-four cadets from B.C., the Prairies and Ontario deployed on two Patrol Craft Training Orcas for two one-week opportunities to learn and sail with Royal Canadian Navy sailors.

Cadets took on all duties aboard the ships, from engineering and navigation to man-overboard drills and piloting the zodiac recovery boat. Only 128 cadets are offered this opportunity each year.

Sea cadets also sailed aboard HMCS Calgary during both March and April. Aboard Calgary they learned the inner workings of the frigate and how Canada’s warships operate at sea, at home, and abroad.

Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific) also hosted 57 sea cadets for a Tall Ships Deployment with SALTS (Sailing and Life training Society) ships Pacific Grace and Pacific Swift.  Aboard these ships, cadets learned classic sailing skills such as rigging, navigation, teamwork and safety.

A unique opportunity with the Canadian Coast Guard afforded four sea cadets from Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps (RCSCC) Captain Vancouver in Vancouver and RCSCC Amphion in Nanaimo the opportunity to complete a five-day “boot camp” that will count towards their high school work experience requirements. During their week with the Coast Guard, cadets learned about search and rescue and had the opportunity to drive Coast Guard craft.

An additional five sea cadets from RCSCC Grilse in Port Moody and RCSCC Invincible in Maple Ridge sailed aboard B.C. Ferries’ Salish Raven to learn navigation and daily ship’s life activities, as well as reinforcing the skills learned at their Corps.

Finally, 20 cadets competed in the National Qualifying Regatta at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club over Easter weekend. Cadets Ilya Sharikov, Rio Liu and Emily Clark from RCSCC Rainbow in Victoria, Joshua Fitzpatrick from RCSCC Grenville in Kelowna, Liam Knott from RCSCC Admiral Mainguy in Duncan, Keelor Powers from RCSCC Babine in Smithers, and Andrew Burden from RCSCC Lonsdale in North Vancouver will compete in the National Sea Cadet Regatta in Kingston, Ontario, in August.

There are 1,200 sea cadets in 30 communities in B.C. In addition to on-water opportunities, sea cadets learn leadership, citizenship and physical fitness as well as other maritime-related skills such as shipwright.

This year marks the Sea Cadet Centennial; 100 years of excellence in providing unique opportunities for youth to gain valuable skills such as leadership, citizenship and community services, while gaining a unique perspective of Canada and the world from a maritime viewpoint.

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