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DAMION SAILORS
There are many lines that control the eleven sails. The equipment on deck demands constant attention as well. I can usually find Damion delegating maintenance duties to the crew, or aloft making inspections of the rig. When you sail a 1812-era tall ship across an ocean, the chafe (wear) alone generates a lot of work.
It always fascinates me when I ask the crew what state they call home and they mention somewhere in the Midwest. Damion grew up in Kansas, hardly a place you'd expect to give rise to a young bos'un crossing the Pacific on a tall ship. In all fairness, it was when Damion moved to Hawaii for his high school years that he became involved in sailing. One of his classmates had connections with a tall ship that sailed the islands, and arranged a day of sailing over spring break. Damion remembers lying on the forward hatch looking up at the stars and the sails and thinking "This is what I want to do." After graduation, he noticed an advertisement in the paper seeking volunteers to work on a tall ship. As fate would have it, it turned out to be the same ship! Damion later signed on to sail the ship throughout the south and western Pacific as it delivered cargo to various ports. Rice, four, sugar, and building supplies were routinely carried to countries on the Pacific rim. Since then his other sailing experiences have taken him to Japan, Indonesia, the east and west coast of the United States, the Great Lakes, and throughout the Caribbean. However, Damion does not see himself as a career sailor. He is an avid (enthusiastic) SCUBA diver who would enjoy pursuing underwater archeology. He has made numerous wreck dives, and sees his experience sailing tall ships as an excellent means to better understand the fragments of wrecks which he explores on the ocean bottom. His interest in ancient civilizations complements (goes well with) his overall appreciation for studying historical objects. Without hesitation, I would have to say that Damion is the kind of guy kids would enjoy. While living on the big island of Hawaii, he enjoyed hiking and hunting wild pigs. Although he spent some time surfing, he lived too far from the beach to make it a regular activity. Of course, Hawaii provided excellent opportunities to SCUBA dive, but Damion also enjoys "free diving" (using snorkel only, no air tanks). While in Egypt, he spent some time "free diving" to a depth of 40 feet in the Red Sea to check out the resident grass eels. Revealing his more creative side, he enjoys playing the guitar, writing, and art. And like any big kid, he loves to spend time checking out Sony's "Play Station." When I asked Damion what he enjoys most, his answer was straight forward, "traveling!" To put it plainly, he said, " When I start to know the street names, it's time to move on."
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As the "C" watch leader and bos'u, Damion Sailors has his share of responsibility for Pride's safe delivery and maintenance. During his watch he carries out the orders of the captain for sailing the ship, and manages the crew members on his watch. He's also the bo'sun (boat swain) which requires him to manage the maintenance of the ship with the exception of the duties already assigned to the engineer. The rig on a tall ship is large and complex.