Here is the perfect recipe for a great weekend for Boy Scouts of America Sea Scouting program.

First, place the event at the United States Coast Guard Integrated Support Command in Portsmouth, one of the service’s premier bases.

Add 60 young adults ages 14-20, and a whole bunch of adult leaders, who collectively share a love of the sea, its history and a commitment to safe boating.

Sprinkle with the best weather Hampton Roads has seen in six months.

Top off with a static display of a Coast Guard JayHawk helicopter and what do you have…the recently completed sixth annual Sea Scout Ship 16 training weekend.

Inspired by the desire to put on “the best ever” training weekend, Suffolk’s Jim Maccord and his Driver-based Sea Scout Ship 16 held their annual training event at the Coast Guard Base in Portsmouth. Organized by the Beech Grove Methodist Church Group, this event brought Sea Scouts and their ships from all over the eastern seaboard, including a group from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Hampton Roads for a weekend of training, fellowship and just plain fun.

What started out in 2000 as a local opportunity for the scout ship to have an overnight event wrapped around some lectures on seamanship and navigation has blossomed into one of the most anticipated premier regional events.

Maccord’s focus, as the program’s director is to combine education with fun. His volunteer staff put together multiple “tracks” or “courses” for the attendees, matching skill and training levels to the student. “The event features the Apprentice Track (newest scouts), made up of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety Course, the Ordinary and Able Tracks, that focused on Navigation and Piloting and featured on the water training.” Added Maccord, who has been regionally recognized for his volunteer work with scouting, “the Adult Track, made of skills training (PFD use, safety gear, splicing etc) a tour of a cutter and Sea Scout Leader Specialized Training.”

Besides the dedication to training, the scouts also enjoyed a fun weekend, topped off by a

Saturday evening

social complete with live band. Added Maccord as he started planning next year’s event, “A very good time was had by all!”      

Sea Scouting was founded in the United States in 1912 and has provided young men and women a chance to enjoy the sea in a safe responsible manner.