Spirit of Bermuda arrived at Albuoy’s Point at 12 noon on Saturday, July 17, after completing a learning expedition to Jamestown, Virginia involving 21 students. The voyage commemorated the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Deliverance and the Patience to Jamestown, Virginia.
Upon arrival in Jamestown, Spirit was welcomed by representatives of Historic Jamestown and Jamestown Settlement in a short ceremony recognizing the historic occasion. Each organization was presented with a cedar plaque inset with Bermuda limestone triangles representing sails of ‘the Bermuda rig’.
“The objective of the learning expedition,” said Onboard Educator Reid Kempe, “was to take young Bermuda residents on an ocean voyage to build social confidence, teamwork and leadership skills, and also to expose them to learning experiences involving their culture and history”.
The voyages featured medium to strong winds, flat calm, a Gulf Stream swim in 14,000 feet of crystal blue water and dolphin and pilot whale escorts.
The learning expedition involved 5 days of shore-side cultural activities including visits to the replica Jamestown fort, the replica 17th Century ships, a living history farm and Indian village, and the archaeological dig at the site of the original Jamestown fort. At Yorktown the students learned about the last great battle of the American War of Independence. Learning experiences also included the loading and firing of a musket, marching and musket drills under barked orders from a drill sergeant, and the firing of a siege cannon.
One of the students, Kazim Muhammad, 17, remarked: “I was amazed to learn of the close ties between Bermuda and US history. If the men shipwrecked on Bermuda hadn’t built the two ships, Deliverance and Patience, and sailed to Jamestown, that colony probably wouldn’t have survived. That is really significant. Every Bermudian should know that. It should be part of the school curriculum.”
Another student, Ty-Rique Berkeley, 14, was full of praise for the voyage. “I loved swimming in the middle of the Atlantic, and seeing dolphins and pilot whales,” he said. “In the Jamestown museum I learned Pocohontas’ real name, and I also learned how to handle the square sails on a square-rigged ship.”
Seventy percent of the students on the voyage received financial assistance. These funds are raised by the Bermuda Sloop Foundation and come from donors and sponsors who contribute directly to the Bursary Fund with the intention of assisting students who could not otherwise afford to participate in a voyage.