LEWES, Del., March 9, 2021- About 4,500 teens, organized across the U.S. into “ships,” participate in Sea Scouting, a co-educational program for teens from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). In addition to teaching skills and teamwork that last a lifetime, having fun on the water is also a big part of Sea Scouting.

When Ship 198 from Lewes, Delaware, went on a two-week “long cruise” and faced a problem – an electrical short that caused a small engine fire aboard – the youth and adult leaders quickly turned what could have been an end-of-trip scenario into a great learning experience.

Using their safety training, Scouts quickly put out the fire and were then towed into a marina by another Sea Scout vessel. Thirty miles shy of their final destination, the trip could have ended. Instead, the youth reached out to another local Sea Scout ship to have some fun and camaraderie with paddlesports, camping and fellowship while repairs were made before an eventual safe trip home. This accomplishment was one of many cited in honoring Ship 198 with the 2020 National Flagship Award.

Presented by Boy Scouts of America and Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the award is given to a Sea Scout ship that demonstrates excellence in seamanship, youth development, leadership, on-the-water programming and community service. Chartered by the Broadkiln Marina in Milton, Delaware, Ship 198 is led by the ship’s boatswain, Cheyenne S., and skipper Ron Krajewski. Under Cheyenne’s leadership, ship leaders embarked on an aggressive recruiting campaign as well as active participation in outdoor district and council events, on-the-water activities and community.

In 2019 Ship 198 grew from 10 members to 28 active members. By year’s end it had amassed a record of accomplishments that included half of the youth members advancing one rank and 10 earning the BSA Recruiting strip patch. On the water, youth members learned the fundamentals of sailing, marine engines, marine radio procedures, piloting and navigation, on board emergency procedures and crew overboard drills.

Off the water, ship members attended the Northeast Region U.S. Coast Guard/Sea Scout Safety-at-Sea training event, the annual “Salt and Sleet” Sea Scout training rendezvous at Camp Fairlee, Maryland, and others. A full accounting of accomplishments including community service, achievements and training can be found here.

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Sea Scout Ship 198 Lewes, Delaware, Honored with 2020 National Flagship Award https://bit.ly/3elqbzc @BoatUS

About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):

Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with more than 700,000 members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We are The Boat Owners Auto Club and help ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins. When boats break down on the water, TowBoatUS brings them safely back to the launch ramp or dock, 24/7. BoatUS offers GEICO Marine Insurance policies that give boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and superior service they need. We help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.

About the Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.” The Scouting organization is composed of nearly 2.3 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 960,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit scouting.org.