Edition:
November 16, 2007
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Reporter
Taking on water when one is aboard a sailing ship tends to make a harrowing adventure out of what is otherwise smooth sailing. Local teen Kelsey Quirk experienced just such an adventure on October 5. Kelsey was a junior camp counselor and deckhand aboard the American Pride, a 130-foot three-mast schooner operated by the Children’s Maritime Foundation.
The educational sail to Catalina was one of four sailings the home-schooled sophomore had been on up to that time. She had spent three previous summers attending the summer sea camps and was invited along this year as a junior counselor/deckhand. Her specialty for this trip was dish duty, but she also tended the sails and anchor chain.
The adventure occurred when the tall ship schooner was on its return from a five-day excursion around Catalina Island. On board were eight crewmembers, four teacher chaperones and 28 students, ranging in age from 14 to 15 years. Seven nautical miles south of Long Beach Harbor, the ship began taking on water when 10- to 12-foot seas exacerbated a small leak. The situation became even more serious when a bilge pump quit working.
The captain put out a mayday distress call for a couple of pumps, which brought help from the U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Police and Fire Departments, Los Angeles Port Police and Los Angeles County Lifeguards, as well as the Channel 11 News helicopter.
The most exciting part of the adventure, according to Kelsey, was when the tender boat that hangs alongside the ship came loose at the motor end. A crewmember wearing a life-vest and secured with a line jumped out into the boat. Kelsey and three other crewmembers helped pull it back up and secure it.
Being a deckhand during high seas had its drawbacks according to Kelsey, who says, “The worst part of the trip was emptying the seasick buckets while I myself was sick.”
Kelsey’s parents, Tim and Beth Quirk say, “We are proudof our daughter and of her commitment to her position within the crew." The adventure hasn’t deterred Kelsey, who was scheduled to return to the American Pride for another trip.
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