“The shape of my life has been deeply impacted by my early involvement in youth sail training. As a teenager it provided me with adventure, freedom, a wide variety of skills and a sense of belonging. Sailing allowed me to realize my passion for being on the water while improving my skills as a leader and my independence. There is something quite magical about working with your friends, using only what nature provides in order to reach far shores together. Sail training also reinforces the importance of simplicity; when something breaks you have to learn to fix it, anything superfluous is forgotten.
As an adult my experience with sail training helped shape my career trajectory. Along with a large number of my compatriots, I entered a sector of the marine industry. In my case, I became a woodworker, apprenticing at a wooden boat-building and restoration shop. Without the opportunity to work fixing boats as a teenager, I doubt I would have ever made the leap from University graduate to joinery apprentice, a leap I am forever grateful for. I currently help manage a small sail-training organization and am constantly struck by what a profound experience sail training can be. That somehow, despite the obvious and numerous hardships that go with being out on the water, youth still consistently return to us glowing and laughing and stronger.”
-Erin Philp – Coordinator, Nova Scotia Sea School