Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54When the Young Marines weren’t sail- ing, we docked at St. Michaels and An- napolis. At each dock, we were sent on scavenger hunts for information or pho- tography. The information scavenger hunt opened up my eyes to many things I did not realize. Despite being an Advanced Placement US History student, I did not realize the history and the foundation of our country that is the Chesapeake Bay until this sailing adventure. As a mili- tary and Marine Corps enthusiast, with aspirations to become a Marine Corps officer, I have never seen Annapolis as I had seen it with my own eyes during this sailing adventure. I also learned so much about the duties of leadership during this trip. I learned the value of going through hardship with my unit as never before. I learned the value of knowing other units and learning from their experiences and teaching them my own. I learned history as I never have before. And all of this was because of a scavenger hunt and a photography contest. The only things I can think of that need improving would be, for one, in- formation on downloading GroupMe for the photo scavenger hunt as well as an incentive such as a ribbon or ribbon de- vice requirement. An updated gear list should include bug spray, aloe vera and comfortable pants to avboid sunburn. The windless days, searing sun, and going half a knot over still waters can- not be controlled or changed. There were challenges at every turn of events. There was not a step from the Young Marine's comfort zone, but a jump, away from anything that Young Marine has every known. We were put in our boats and told to sail, no formalities or special instruction. The adult staff trusted the Young Marines enough to leave them to their own and carry out their duties as instructed, and that's exactly what the Young Marines did. Each Young Marine shared their experi- ences. From the squall, to the blistering, sweat soaked, windless days, to perfect waters that make a boat heel and sail faster than the wind itself, to everything that was learned. Each crew member aboard Karma can explain that a sail doesn't work by filling up with air and pushing the boat, but it works more like a wing, generating low pressure on the sail's outside and high pressure on the sail's interior to propel the boat forward. Each crew member on Karma can ex- plain how to tack and how to jibe, and when to do so. Each adult leader can explain the same things because the adult leaders learned alongside the Young Marines. Each and every person bonded unlike any other event. Captains and Young Marine staff became com- rades we could relate and talk to. Ev- ery aspect of this adventure employed the core values of the Young Marines to their fullest. Leadership meant step- ping up when it was necessary, making decisions and following orders without hesitation. Each person aboard each boat had to maintain discipline to stay sharp and fo- cused when the sun was bearing down, and the wind was nowhere to be found. And each person had to remain focused even if the wind was strong and the speed was fast just in case anything wrong were to happen. Teamwork and communication were key. If one person did not play their part, sailing would have been impossible. If the helmsman did not keep a watchful eye and stay on course, the boat might have hit shoal and run aground, or hit a crab pot and damaged the hull, which would mean the end of the sailing trip for that boat. If the cook didn't provide food for the crew, no one would have enough energy to do anything. If the navigator was not zealous and precise in his calculations, then the boat may have gone way off course; one degree off on the chart could mean miles off on the water. If the Boatswain didn't supervise properly, then unit and crew cohesion wouldn't be possible, and no one would be able to sail. All of these created the sailing adventure of 2016. In my eyes, this adventure represents the epitome of the Young Marines SPAC- ES experience. All aspects of what the Young Marines teaches its youth and future leaders can be found in this one week trip. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this SPACES event, from the people to the experience, to the destinations we sailed to. Our instruction on sailing thrust us out of our comfort zone and forced us to adapt. The trust the Adult Leaders and the Captains had in the Young Marines, and the trust the Young Marines had in them showed teamwork. The times when minutes seemed like hours and how they would immediate- ly turn to seconds when the situation drastically changed forced everyone to stay alert. The lessons we learned, and the lessons the Adult Leaders and Cap- tains taught us will never be forgotten. Because of this sailing adventure I've come to appreciate sailing, leadership, teamwork, discipline, the Chesapeake Bay, and most importantly, life and my country.This is definitely an outstanding addition to the Young Marines SPACES curriculum. 36 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE