I have started receiving many emails from past trainees and Crew, so I thought it was time to add a forum where everyone can share their experiences and re-connect with each other. :D

HI, this is Dinah. And Scott, you are very right in saying that what you are doing is creating an environment for people to be able to re-live the emotions brought on by the SALTS trips. I meant itin that way when i said you were doing an amazing job...youwere doing an amazing job, creating this place for people to re-experience the magic and love of what we felt aboard the ships.
I apologize if what i said before about doing an amazing job...was unclear.
After two years of summer trips, i cant imagine not sailing with SALTS every year. I am positive that i wont be able to forever, and that some summers it wont be a possibilty at all...but i am looking forward to next summer with baited breath, to see weather i got accepted as assistant cook or bosun´s mate for either trips 1 or 5. I dont yet have my full intermediate´s ...but i have a few orals and i was very close to the re-test mark on the exam, last summer. Also i know of several people who have been bosun´s mates without hteir intermediates. so...finger´s crossed!
Thank you for the advice onthe photos...i´ll try to get the people at london drugs to put my pictures on a cd for me...so i can get them on my computer and send them to you.
Anyways, once again thank you for this amazing site...and i hope to talk to you soon.
xo Dinah

No need to apologize! thanks for what you said...

As for Volunteer crew... well, I started as a Bosun´s mate without my intermediates - I think it more has to do with the person here´s my story...

I started out as the only person off my first 5 day school trip to pass Juniors (of course, that was because I was the only person that tried) On my second 5 day school trip 1 year later I tried to pass intermediates but failed the exam  with a 79% (I had everything else done though) I was completely disheartened, I can´t remember who told me this but whomever I whined to about failing with 79% said that I only made 3 mistakes - but 3 mistakes as a skipper could sink a ship! that advice stuck with me...

But they also suggested that I sign up as volunteer crew the next summer (I was amazed that they had such a thing at the time) so I did, and took my first ever 10 day trip as a bosun´s mate (I actually never sailed on a 10 day as a trainee) Things got a bit busy once I was crew and I only half-heatedly worked on studying for Intermediates - I ended up failing 3 more times before I finally passed it, but by the time I passed my Intermediates I already had everything but my seniors exam & meteorology done and I polished that off a couple of trips later the same summer.

If Martin was correct I was the youngest person (at the time) to get my seniors (I wonder if that is still the case)

Anyway (blah blah blah - I ramble) my point was I sailed on 4 trips as a Bosun´s mate prior to having my intermediates (I was even teaching Intermediate knots and terms before I had it) - so who knows...

Hi, thanks for all the insight on your past sailing experience, how you got involved with SALTS, and best yet, the way you were bosun´s mate without your intermidiate´s!
I agree with you, I think it totally depends on what kind of person you are, not so much...how much you´ve accomplished test-wise. But sometimes it does help if...well if you´ve had experience aboard SALTS before, or if you have a sailing background. Either way, i have my fingers crossed...
Anyways thanks again for the stories, the hope and everything.

-Dinah

p.s I ´m still trying to get my pictures to you!

p.p.s My sister is 26 and sailed on the Robbie 2 when she was 16...would there be a chance you sailed with her? It IS a small world after all....

Well, fingers crossed on this end Dinah, for your V.crew asperations!

Regarding if I may have sailed with your sister - It certainly is a posibility, that would make it 1993 right?

I was on Swift Trips I and II in ´93 as a watch leader - so perhaps we wern´t on the same boat.

What is her name? I usually remember everyone that I have sailed with.

Her name is Alexa Steele, and i believe she did sail during the summer of 1993. I am not positive though.
She is actually my half-sister, and she currently lives in Connecticut, but when she was sixteen, she sailed with SALTS, and it was from her that i got the inspiration to do it myself. She spoke so highly of her time aboard the Robbie, and after 6 years, she still wore a turk´s head someone had made for her on the trip.

I am so glad she told me about SALTS, though even if she hadn´t i dont doubt that i would have found out about it and looked into it just the same!

Anyways, thank you for the crossed fingers on your part! I´ll keep you posted on my status for next year!

-Dinah

Her name dosen´t ring a bell...

We were probably on different ships or different trips - or, my memory might be fading (entirely possible) You´ll have to suggest she sign up here and then we´ll know...

I think I had my Turks anklet on for about 6 years too ;) But I lost track of how many of those I made (I used to be the ornamental knot "guy" on most trips) I got it down to 17 minutes / turks head at my peek (I remember working through lines of people :D)

Hi

My name Is Carrie and I haven´t been on a SALTS trip yet... Im going with my school group From May 10-15th 2003. Ill be sailing on the Pacfic Swift. Im so excited :)It´s going to be so much fun im sure. My friend Jen went sailing during the summer with SALTS and she said its a blast. All I can say is go team!

- Care

CARRIE! omg u going on salts! ahhh ur so lucky dude! btw this is kelsey lough hehe omg ur gonna love it dude! ive gone three times and had a blast! are u on my sisters trip?

aw ive wanted to get a turks head so bad forever...but can you believe being on a ship for a total of 25 days i never once got the chance to do one?!? you have no idea of the dissapointment i felt when i found out my sister came home from her first salts trip with not one but TWO turks heads! i was so mad! haha so my vow is to next trip is to get one

This is Mike
I went on the sailing trip1 for the summer of 2004

looks like noone touches the forums now........
but yea
it was great stuff
im going next year too

Well hello after a long hiatus!!  It´s James Berry and I sailed on many trips in the 90´s with you Scott (a bunch as a trainee & then two as volunteer crew).  I was so excited to have found your site and am going home tonight to dig up all my old photos and send them over.  I will also dig through my old address lists of all the others I sailed with and get them to log in & contribute to this site.  From the pictures to the recordings of the mug up songs (I can still hear my brutal singing voice!!) allot of amazing memories came flooding back.  Glad to have found you all again.

Cheers,
James (Slacker) Berry

Fantastic! always wonderful to reconnect with an old shipmate! where are you at now? whats up? can hardly wait to see the photos!!!!!

Hey, I just stumbled accross this site, My name is Mike deMeulles, I was on the Robertson II or "Robbie" as everyone called it back in ´89 or ´90 or something, I did 2 summer 10 day trips to Desolation, I can´t quite remember the years though. I think I reconize some of the crew in the old pictures. I sure wish I could go back in time and do it again! I have my own sailboat now and SALTS is what started that all with me.
                                                  Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for joining in :) Sounds like it was possible that we were either out at the same time - or very close to it - I sailed with SALTS from ´87 until ´94 and predominantly on the Robby...

Do you remember any other names of people from your trip - I bet we could figure out which trip it was exactly...

Hey Scott, I guess you were on the trips that I was on. The second trip that I was on a friend of mine Chris Wylie was on as well but I havn´t talked to him for a few years. I seem to remember a crew member named Dorothy, is that right? It seems so long ago. That´s cool that you tie Turks Heads, I taught myself a while ago how too and I have one on my wrist right now. I´m going too see if I can find any old pictures of those trips.
                                                        Mike

You´re remembering "Dotty" ;) her and her brother Andrew were a fixture at SALTS during the 80´s and 90´s - she probably read a story at Mug-up from "Cradle of the Deep" right?

A photo I´m sure she would hate ;)

The name Chris Wylie doesn´t ring a bell... Pictures would help - the galleries here are all sorted by trip so see if you can find any photos of people you know from the trips there and perhaps we can narrow down exactly which trip it was.

I totally recognize her from the picture! I remember her brother Andrew too. I just spent an hour looking for pictures, but I can´t find them. I know I have one of myself sliding down the deck on my belly in rain gear in the pouring rain! I have to go out of town for work for a few weeks, when I get back I´ll look again. By
                              Mike