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tls July the tall ships of the world will come 0 the United States for the nation’s bicenten- ta\ celebration. A number of the world’s ^0r and minor navies—many of which use ‘curing under sail as a fundamental element }eir professional development programs— y be there. It is interesting to reflect that the at ^ ^'avy have only token representation fbe tall ships’ review, just as it has only a en progratn of sail training.
B ■
sail VCr Slnce cLe Navy made the painful transition from the t0 Steam> those who have argued for training before i mast have been in the minority. Perhaps this was feSe the change to steam was resisted with such IT'en°r r^at t*1C enSineers’ triumph cost the wind- Cat^C*r ^eghimacy in the bargain. Whatever the f0U e’ °nce the fleet changed over, professional training taj,°Weh closely in its wake. Midshipmen cruises were Seco£» 'n battleships and cruisers. Sail training was a . °«dary skill, although it is still part of the traditional polis regimen. Once graduated, officers were ex- 'T^ t0 know how to sail competently, if not expertly. ahvantages which accrued to the Navy from this tra*n'ng were seldom assessed consciously; rather, Were simply assumed to be part of the Academy a „ aSe ar>d the stock-in-trade which one expected of »Scer. F
'ill °r^ War H changed all this with its enormous n°n-Academy officers. The succeeding 30 years v,,ar _a>nfirmed the systemic change wrought by the oday a minority of ships’ officers possess those trai ■ ntary skills formerly provided by Academy sail r0oj^nS- I suspect that their less knowledgeable ward- <J|j ^ates may account for much of the poor han- sb*ps’ boats which one observes in any port re boats are lowered. Their inexperience in small
craft may be a contributing element in the storm damage of ships driven too hard, of anchors dragged, and to poor shiphandling alongside. Such things are perhaps impossible to correlate directly. Still, every once in a while, one cannot help but wonder whether a servicewide sailing program could not have prevented some of these errors in seamanship among our fleet units. An examination of three major facets of sailing skills is worthwhile in this light.
Basic sailing skills constitute the first step in any program, prerequisite for the other levels of activity which are available. But these basic factors are themselves valuable. Recognizing this fact, the Chief of Naval Personnel promulgated in 1973 a statement of goals which involved the attainment of the basic skill rating (skipper) for 80% of all junior line officers and 50% of all deck ratings in the enlisted ranks. I believe that if these goals could be attained, the fleet levels of seamanship, shiphandling, and weather wisdom would improve markedly. Based on experience in the fleet, I would say that few of our junior officers know how lines should be handled and cared for, how wind affects their ships when mooring, which knots are the most useful for specific tasks, and even what effect the rudder has on a ship with sternway on. As the steaming times of our ships are steadily reduced—and singlescrew ships necessitate the use of tugs, pilots, and senior conning officers in mooring—these young officers simply may not become seamen in the true sense of the word. With longer tours ashore becoming the norm, basic sail training may be the best investment we can make to keep current in our Navy the traditional skills and knowledge of the sea. The basic skills of the "skipper” rating envisioned by BuPers can provide this.
Racing is a second dimension of the sailing program. Although racing sailboats at four or five knots seldom seems thrilling to a spectator ("like watching the grass grow!” was an old Newport comment), it can assume intense levels of excitement and tension on the part of a competitor. Command of a responsive racing yacht in
trasts to the Academy operation in most respects, conceptual basis is that of providing recreation, rfl
the*
the
Long m °5t
nance, and operation. Others, such as that at
a hotly competitive fleet has many of the elements of a combat command. Choices are required constantly. From an endless listing of possibilities, every action carries inevitable consequences which must be anticipated, weighed, and accepted. Prudent risks are required, and maturity in judgment is rewarded over the long haul. Prior preparation of equipment and personnel is essential for victory. Instantaneous tactical decisions are required in interactions between yachts, and although the combined speeds are usually less than 15 knots, the clearances are measured in inches rather than hundreds of yards. Winning in a good fleet calls for skill, a fierce competitive spirit, and a cool head under pressure. Skippers who are unable to control emotion seldom win consistently or keep their crews very long.
Racing can also provide a corollary benefit to the Navy as an unsurpassed avenue of approach to a most sympathetic segment of the local community. Participation in joint activity builds bridges of understanding we will require increasingly in the years ahead. The award of a Navy trophy to a civilian yachtsman can be the proudest moment of his life, if handled properly and with command participation. And that winner will carry a soft spot for the Navy ever after.
The third element of sailing is cruising. This trains for command at sea as nothing else can—save experience. Being at sea in a sailboat is a very humbling experience. One is quite aware that the sea only tolerates his presence. In my view, this acquisition of basic humility is an essential ingredient in the constitution of a good skipper. There are seas powerful enough to humble any ship, and sooner or later one will find such a sea if he continues in the profession. Blue water experience under sail also provides the essential characteristics of self-reliance and personal responsibility that are synonymous with "seamen” in our profession. When off soundings in a small cruising boat, there is no "union shop” dispute over who should have checked the spare battery, the bilge pump, the radio direction finder, or any other of the numerous items of equipment or procedure needed for safety and survival. The oft-blamed "George” who should have done it is far astern on the land, and there is no excuse for one’s own failures. Implicit in this litany of blue water assets is that most prized characteristic of the sailor: forehandedness—the habit of thinking ahead, of anticipating any possible challenge, including ultimate disaster. This trait is taught to the offshore cruiser by the time- honored carrot and stick method, and the sea seems to take special delight in thumping us professionals.
In short, adequate sailing programs can have a direct salutary effect on the fleet. Further, the more we go beyond the basic skills of "messing about in small boats” to the graduate courses of serious racing and offshore cruising, the greater will be the return to the fleet. But how to get there from here is the centra^ question. Indeed, it is a formidable task which is pose just in the 80/50% objective of BuPers.
Since their inception, Navy sailing programs have been conducted along separate tracks, based on the environment of their operation. The Naval Academy programs have been founded on the legacy of 1 traditional assumption that skills and experience at quired under sail have direct applications in the nav profession. Every midshipman is still required to maste the elementary skills of sailing and seamanship bef°r he continues the further quest for professional quail c tion. Some go farther and represent the Academy intercollegiate racing and in bay and ocean comped11® as well. The sailing program is primarily supported 1 appropriated funds and designated billets, as befits1 contribution to the total educational package provi at Annapolis. It is well organized, the equipment adequate to the task, and the whole program refleCt a high level of command interest and support.
The other Navy sailing programs present sharp c°^
than the acquisition of professional skills. That is; sailing programs at the fleet locations are on a par 'vl bowling, tennis, macrame, and pottery. Capital equ*P ment and maintenance support are funded by n j appropriated accounts, and where operational person^ are provided, they are carried on special services’ r° ^ Most training functions are supplied by volunteers, programs at the 40 branches of the U. S. Naval Sai1 Association vary widely in scope and organizat* Some, like San Diego’s fine operation, depend alu1 totally on the efforts of volunteers in training, 11131
Beach, employ civilian professionals who perform & ^ or all of the support functions. Most branches somewhere in between these extremes. Generally ^ rental fee is charged for the use of institutional b° to pay for maintenance of the hulls, spars, and hard and to provide for periodic replacement of consum3 ^ such as sails and cordage. If the boats are entere civilian competition, the participants usually P3f . the association and entry fees which competition volves, and most often rent the boat as well. Su.pP £ by the parent commands varies just as widely aS programs offered—from studied indifference to ent astic cooperation. ^
The primary maladies of the Navy’s active sailing programs thus center on five basic issues-
► Uncertain Conceptual Base: As a sea-based service ^ Navy needs to decide whether the skills acquit
hot} r111 comrnander to commander in a single loca- cbaritlUs> a change of command often means a sudden an a^e *n status for the local sailing program, lending Saji: r op uncertainty and impermanence to the entire ^operation.
ecure Financial Base: The Navy exchange system is
Sail'
rectn§ institute primarily professional training or catl0n‘ ^ sail training is valuable for Naval Acad- it . midshipmen (and I obviously think it is), then jyjls also valuable for fleet personnel. The Chief of in^3* ^tsonnel’s enunciation of the 80/50% objectives t*on ^ *S an Ifdispensable first step, but implementa- l ^ requires further institutional activity, is s0Tn!Zat*on: Although the Naval Sailing Association *Vlng mightily to provide a centralizing influence, •■tde ranc^es are largely separate entities and operate the Pendently- There is little communication among Za/rouPs scattered around the world. The only organi- thread that ties them together is informal; the evCn1S manne(f by volunteers. Qualifications are not It! recognized uniformly from one branch to another. WasSCVeral documented cases, complete requalification liar re<!u!recl upon arrival at a new duty station. Pecu- prevrc<dtairements and bureaucratic barriers frequently visiting fleet personnel from using the boats, in(j. though the boats are readily available and the equals possess valid qualification cards from other ^ p S Qr even from the NSA.
a ^la^e Support from Command: Because of the lack of
rtlari^Vl’wide structure in the sailing programs, com-
t>nr cSupport varies not only from branch to branch, trom . i • . -ii
In 1874, all recruits for the U. S. Navy had to appear before a board of officers, who tested their competency in some of the practical details of seamanship. Those who had never sailed before the mast had almost no chance of being accepted by the Navy.
the source of the nonappropriated funds which finance all recreational activities. These funds are being reduced by increasing salary levels for exchange employees, by lower profit margins, and by the smaller clientele implicit in a Navy of reduced numbers. On the receiving end, the overhead costs of nonappropriated fund activities have also increased with inflation, and the price of equipment and material has similarly risen. The result is that the recreation divisions at several commands cannot accurately predict a budget more than a year in advance. The purchasing and maintenance funding which result inhibit efficiency in expenditure and may imply a steady degradation of material condition of the equipment. Part of this problem stems from the base realignments of the past few years, but the larger portion results from systemic changes in the exchange system’s place within the military community.
► Inadequate Administrative Base. The executive secretaries of the NSA have provided the organization and Navy sailing in general with an invaluable administra-
tivc core since 1966. They have worked without pay because they have believed in Navy sailing and have seen a job which needed doing. But now with 40 branches and 8,000-10,000 branch members, the need is for central organization beyond the capability of a volunteer system.
If Navy sailing is to meet the ambitious objectives of the Chief of Naval Personnel, these problems will require solution or accommodation. Money is scarce and will probably stay that way for the foreseeable future, so programs which entail significant expenditures are beyond immediate achievement. But several things can be done inexpensively to enhance the fleet programs in the near term. Paramount among these is a change in perspective toward sailing as an activity.
The lack of a firm conceptual base for Navy sailing programs can be remedied only by command decisions in Washington. The essential determination is simply whether sail training is to be considered professional in character, or whether it is to remain in the recreational category. If the contribution of sail training to fleet readiness is formally recognized, implementation of an improved program can begin at once.
What investment is necessary to begin? What are the projected costs of the program? The initial investment in equipment has been made already in most areas. Under revised fleet training criteria, additional equipment may be required to meet the increased demands made on the inventories. However, this should be proven before further investments are made. The primary investment will be in kind—in a few billets, in expertise, and in administration. Specifically:
► A BuPers instruction must be issued as a "charter” for Navy sailing programs. It would recognize sail training as an essential element in professional development. The 80/50% officer/enlisted breakdown should be included as an initial goal, and commanders should be specifically enjoined to develop programs to achieve these levels over a two-year period. The sailing programs should be included in the general military training activities of the command. The volunteer help of the NS A branch could be a possible interim measure. Boats should be used for professional sail training duties only during working hours and reserved for recreational and competitive purposes thereafter. Since the capital investment was made by nonappropriated funds, official use must not interfere with the recreational schedule.
► The basic sailing skill level (skipper) should be added to the line officer requirements and to the general military requirements for E-4 and above in the deck ratings.
► Create secondary Navy enlisted classification (NEC) codes for personnel with special skills in sail training
and maintenance who could be employed on a P
time or
► Establish in
art-
full-time basis for the purpose, ashore and afl°3,
bill^
every major sailing center a j
"sailing master” to be filled only by qualified person*1 with the NEC suggested above. This person shoe report to the training or operations division rather to the recreation division. Initially, the sailing maste^ duties could involve sail training alone. Later, he m*g acquire operations and maintenance supervisory do ^ ► As funding allows, gradually shift operational
maintenance functions to the operations and trail
nirif!
of tbe
divisions. Eventually, if primary employment boats is to be for the purpose of professional deve ment, appropriated funds will be required.
► Create a "Sailing Master of the Navy” to p
rovi'
ic
organizational focus for the fleet programs which
necessarily be widespread. A small administrative j and permissive travel funding would suffice if his he3 quarters were in Annapolis adjacent to the U. S. N
Sailing Association office. Cooperation with the ' teer organization would be essential for the transit ^ period at least. This would reduce the loss in efficie . in the change from volunteer to active duty adm (
!
!
tration. Nominations for the sailing master billet be solicited from the executive board of the NSA,%v ^ members are more conversant with those presen | involved in Navy sailing than any official body- (,
n0n’l
► The Sailing Master of the Navy should be a P‘irt
the Naval Education and Training Command, resp sive to its directives, and able to draw upon its ta.^ and facilities for the development of innovative traltl-0|i methods, curricula, and standardization of instru and qualification. ^ \
Implementation costs for this Washington P ^
tal^1
would be quite limited initially, expanding lfl
mid-term to a pay-as-you-go program of sharing^ ^(>|j
-------------- r~i o- r o r
appropriated fund equipment to a final posture o h
support for sailing activity from appropriated
accounts. In fact, the fiscal climate may preclude * ^ ing into the final phase for some time, and the dee*
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un *.^cmcnt past the second stage should be deferred in ' resu^ts °f the 80/50% goals are assessed. The
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kr P0shions, inasmuch as there are that many NSA cnes. This number could be expected to increase
iat as the requirements and the provision of
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tnrough the initiation of programs for depend- _es’ classes, junior programs, etc. Consider the rliffere ^^erenhal rate structures to spread usage over
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periods.
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availabl
e area will allow. At rates which are less
th;
xjrnize the effectiveness of
current marina man-
estrnent in sailing master billets would constitute or 1
s°mewha are recognized. In most areas, if expertise is the single billet could be combined with position or transferred from an under-utilized rene position of Sailing Master of the Navy would ^re very little in the way of funds, level C ^ec*sl°ns outlined are essential on a servicewide CVe^ ^ the stated objectives are to be achieved. How- the^ t^ere are °ther actions which will be required at as °Ca level, whether or not Navy sailing is accepted probj>r°^essl°nal activity. In most locations, the central gro^ Is an insecure financial base, and the problem is Sa>linln^ m°re severe every year. In the long run, if self S-t0 reta>ned even on a recreational basis, Can ^uthciency is an absolute requirement. Perhaps this tj0 deferred in some areas of major fleet concentra- auto0r several years, but in outlying areas, financial sail n°my *s a ncar-term necessity. Moreover, even if lull tfaininS *s accepted as an element of professionalism, ^asibl^°rt appropriated fund accounts may not be t0 „ e l°r some time. Intracommand transfers of funds V<ii] ^ay l°r” professional development usage probably self. n0t Suarar>ree self-sufficient funding either. Thus, Ion Ul’l30rt may he viewed as a necessary condition for f0|j® terrn continuation of local sailing programs. The fr0r()''V'nS recommendations for local branches stem ► q t^*s central assumption.
Sa]ar^erate increased revenues for maintenance and tfji es increasing boat usage through an aggressive taisi Program. Higher usage is a better method of tecWe ln.Come rhan is an increase in fees, which may period Cj*ente^e- Try to ^11 the sailboats during slack
CtltS: lad
of
sttUctlng self-help projects and surplus material, con- theextensive a mooring facility for private boats as
Qj. — —
3Vaila eclual to civilian mooring facilities, the berths in a] e wili be filled rapidly by eligible personnel supp0r°st any area. A substantial berthing income can and jj-C rhe salary of a full-time marina manager defied assistants- Moreover, a marina provides a much- ^ Ma ■ Serv*cc ro military personnel.
t>oati Dy developing maintenance skills required in bility & Programs. Sail repair is well within the capa- °f most boatswain’s mates if they are given the
requisite training and equipment. Fiberglass repair is a standard skill in the hull technician rating. Outboard engine maintenance can be done by enginemen. Rigging of small sailboats can be done by anyone with some instruction. These are all rather simple skills which can be taught once in a program and passed on by apprenticeship. The NSA branches can provide significant assistance in the initial teaching of these skills. y Budget for the long haul. Develop a five-year equipment replacement and repair plan. The NSA branch contains many boat owners who can provide detailed and specific advice on this plan.
Obviously, these suggestions will require adaptation to local situations, but the thrust of change should be clear. The key to success at the naval base/naval station level is a close working relationship between the management and their customers. Given this condition, the requisite organization can be developed to accomplish the ends desired. Without this environment, the program is almost certain to decline and ultimately to fail.
Left alone, sail training in the Navy may be in real trouble, as budgets steadily shrink, exchanges provide ever-smaller profits for recreation activity, and equipment inevitably deteriorates. Volunteer organization has gone just about as far as it can. Navy sailing programs are now straining over problems of standardization of curriculum and instruction, reciprocal recognition of qualifications, and the unrestricted, easy flow of ideas and solutions to common problems between the groups. We are hobbled by a conceptual restraint which views our activity as extracurricular and frivolous. Without a determined program on at least one of the command levels suggested, the Navy may be in the process of losing a potentially valuable fleet asset. The spectacular tall ships’ visit provides us with a suitable reminder that we are well astern of other navies—and even the U. S. Coast Guard with its beautiful bark Eagle—in this area of professional training. It is time to reassess our position on the issue.
Lieutenant Commander Bonds was commissioned through the regular NROTC program at Rice University in 1962. He has served in destroyers and on a destroyer flotilla staff. Following a tour at the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group, he commanded the USS Firm (MSO-444) for 32 months in the Pacific. A student at the Naval War College in 1972-73, he remained at the college as an assistant for strategy in the Center for Continuing Education. He has been active in Navy sailing since 1966. He is a charter member of the Navy Yacht Club of Newport, has served as its secretary, and is its immediate past commodore. He has raced Navy boats on both coasts, and cruises with his family in their Coronado 25, Alliance. He is presently fleet captain of Shields Fleet Nine (Newport) and is also a vice commodore of the U. S. Naval Sailing Association.