Bon voyage, Cutty Sark

After 33 years as a classroom in the sea, Whidbey’s historic vessel, Cutty Sark, has found a new purpose: guiding the next generation of Hawaiian women in the ways of the ocean.

This weekend, John Stone shared a heartfelt goodbye with his beloved ship and its new Hawaiian crew at the “awa” blessing ceremony in Friday Harbor before it set sail to Maui.

Over the years, Stone has volunteered his time and wisdom to take thousands of students on adventures through the Salish Sea on the 52-foot sailboat with classic lines and billowing sails. Stone is the former owner of Captain Whidbey Inn and sailed his stunning boat in Penn Cove for many years.

Stone recalled how he had once pushed tirelessly to get more innovative education programs going when he was on the Coupeville School Board. His dream came to life when he got a call from Chris Burt, a Langley Middle School teacher, asking Stone to bring history lessons to life. The pair hoped to inspire other schools to adopt the Adventure Education Program. The plan was a success.

From Coupeville and Langley middle schools to homeschoolers, scout troops and youth groups, thousands of students have set sail aboard the Cutty Sark for multi-day tours of the San Juan Islands. Stone’s classes taught kids about water safety, nautical techniques, the history of the neighboring islands, science and literature.

While Stone was in some ways unconventional, he was strictly traditional when it came to teaching maritime sailing, Burt explained.

On board, Stone would split the students into two rotating groups. Below the deck, students would learn the history of the area, with help from Stone’s extensive library. Up above, kids were positioned in rotating sailing stations, in charge of bow watch, starboard lookout, tending to the sails and steering the ship.

Stone’s teaching methods were imaginative and inclusive.

In one lesson, he crumpled a piece of paper and used it to teach trigonometry, challenging a student to catch it midair. Another time, students were tasked with calculating the ship’s mast height using ratios.

“We’re all brilliant. We just have to figure out how to unlock it,” Stone said.

The groups would often work with Washington State Park rangers to do service projects and learn about resource management and preservation. Other times, students were given opportunities to have cultural exchanges with the Swinomish tribal communities.

“It was authentic learning. It wasn’t contrived,” Burt reflected.

While grateful families would sometimes provide donations, the trips were entirely free for the kids and funded by Stone, who had no issue donating much of his time and money.

“I’d much rather spend my money on kids’ education and getting them excited about life and learning,” Stone said.

Stone’s favorite form of payment was when kids wrote him notes about their adventures with him, he admitted. He recalled when one student wrote that his trip on the Cutty Sark was the best experience of his life.

Stone teared up from the memory. “I will remember it forever, maybe longer,” he said.

The Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society has renamed the vessel Nā Hiku. It will be repurposed as a floating classroom for young Hawaiian women to learn maritime skills, Hawaiian protocol and traditional navigation and ocean stewardship. When Stone reflected on what the new Hawaii owners would do with his vessel, he was filled with pride.

“Of course, not having my boat that I had for 33 years, it is poignant,” Stone said, but he is heartened that his boat can continue to educate future generations.

“Education, this is how we save the world,” Stone said.

The vessel left Friday Harbor late Sunday night and is en route to Maui. Track Nā Hiku’s journey at trackmytour.com/r88dB.