For Class, Learning Is Literally a Journey

Not all of this spring’s graduations involve young adults marching solemnly in black mortarboards and gowns.

The students who graduated from Orange Coast College’s sailing program were just glad to be in dry clothes.

After 14 months and thousands of miles at sea, the school’s most ambitious sailing class ended successfully when the 65-foot Alaska Eagle, donated to the school in 1982, returned triumphantly to Newport Beach with 125 students who saw New Zealand, Tahiti and Hawaii along the way.

When the class called sail training was founded in 1980, it sent students on modest journeys to Catalina, said Brad Avery, director of the college’s marine programs. More adventurous trips to Hawaii came later and went well, but the five-leg New Zealand venture had everyone a little nervous.

“This is the biggest trip we’ve ever done,” said Avery, who was joined by relatives of the crew to meet the boat in Newport Harbor. “This is the longest she’s ever been away. I like to see it home safe.”

The students, whose ages and occupations vary widely, start out with small-boat classes and then move up, Avery said. A basic knowledge of sailing and a couple of thousand dollars will pretty much see a willing sailor through the screening process, he said.

“A couple of years of classes with us, and you’ll be competent to sail the ocean,” Avery said. “Anybody who goes has to apply. They have to have some idea of what they’re getting into. It can be uncomfortable and demanding.”

Most of the crews who sailed the Alaska Eagle during the 14-month voyage signed up for legs of about two weeks. The last crew, which sailed here from Hawaii, experienced some of what the Pacific has to offer during the very first days out.

Buffeted by 40-knot winds, the 10-person student crew had to fight seasickness while still learning the ropes.

“I had never experienced heavy weather before,” said Dennis Burgess, a Las Vegas police officer. “This is a 65-foot boat. But when you’re out there, it may as well be 65 inches. This is a stark realization of your own limitations.”

Huntington Beach resident Gary Ioe said the 17 days at sea helped build self-confidence that he expects to carry over into his daily life as an engineer for McDonnell Douglas. The only down side was the constant wetness of his clothes, he said.

“Saltwater never dries out,” he said. “You sleep in wet clothes and put wet clothes on in the morning.”

Though quarters were tight, personality conflicts were minimal, students said, because they focused on a shared goal.

“The crew gelled really quickly,” said Nate Steel, an instructor at the Wyoming arm of the National Outdoor Leadership School. “One of the best things was we found a bunch of new friends, and we shared something really special.”