Sailing Off To Her Next Big Adventure
Yami's first sail on the Abbey Road in 2014
Since 2014, Lake Superior Tall Ships, Inc. has been providing positive, life-changing outdoor sailing adventures to kids in the Apostle Islands & Chequamegon Bay area on our 60' Schooner Abbey Road.
Yamila LeBouton-Chediack is one of those kids. But now, after 6 years of sailing on the Abbey Road as a member of Sea Scout Ship 336, "Yami" (pronounced jah'-mee) is packing her duffle bag for her next big adventure.
In 2014, Ally Roberson invited Yami to attend a Sea Scout meeting to see if she would like to join the group. Yami had never heard of Sea Scouts before. Her family had kayaks, she had taken sailing lessons from North Coast Community Sailing, and she enjoyed being on the water, so she figured "what the heck, it could be fun".
“For over 100 years Sea Scouting has promoted leadership, citizenship and seamanship through water safety instruction, boating adventures, outdoor activities, social gatherings, community service, and knowledge of our maritime heritage.
The Bayfield Sea Scout unit –Sea Scout Ship 336 - was re-established in 2012 to provide these opportunities and exciting challenges to local kids, age 13 to 21. Sea Scouts is a place to grow and learn, find adventure, and build long lasting friendships.”
In no time Yami was making friends and having fun. She may have even learned a thing or two.
Over the years, Yami sailed hundreds of miles on weekly Monday evening sails, monthly weekend sails in the Apostle Islands, and on annual 10 day long sails to Isle Royale, the north Shore of Lake Superior, and to Duluth for the Tall Ship Festivals.
At first, the older scouts had to teach Yami how to tie knots, trim the sails, navigate, and swab the deck. As each year passed, Yami grew to become the "Old Salt" who the young "Swabbies" looked to for inspiration and instruction.
So now that Yami has graduated from High School, she is ready to head out into the big world. In the YouTube video below, she explains in her own words how Sea Scouting has made a difference in her life.
Yami's Next Boat
In March, Yami will be heading off to Tacoma, Washington to join the crew of the Lady Washington as a paid deckhand. Her friend Bridget McCutchen (also a Sea Scout from Ship 336) has been working on the Lady since December 2019.
The Lady Washington is owned by Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, a 501 (c)(3) educational non-profit based in Aberdeen, Washington. For more than 25 years, they have provided hands on education opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds aboard the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. With a focus on teamwork and empowerment, their programs explore the shared history and the daily connections to the world’s oceans.
We wish Yamila "fair winds and following seas", and we can't wait to see where this voyage will take her!
“LSTS is the chartered organization for Sea Scout Ship 336. The scouts, with their adult leaders sail on the Abbey Road almost every week from May through October.
Working with the Sea Scouts is one of the ways that LSTS is able to take kids sailing to help them experience great adventures, make amazing discoveries (often about themselves), and become good stewards of Lake Superior.
Please email us if you’d like information on how any kid can become involved with the Sea Scouts”