GREEN BAY (SPECTRUM NEWS) - The Nicolet Bank Tall Ships Festival, which happens every three years, has returned to Green Bay.
The year's festival welcomes a legendary ship that has been sailing The Great Lakes since mid-June
The Bluenose II is a historic icon of Canada.
"You know I have an American friend of mine, and he's a captain, and he says I've got the Canadian equivalent of driving the statue of liberty around," said Bluenose II captain Phil Watson.
The 1921 fishing schooler is on the back of the Canadian dime, on stamps, and in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
Captain Watson started on the world renowned ship as a deck-hand in 1987.
"I worked my way up the ranks until I became Captain in 2001," said Watson.
There are fourteen deck hands on the ship, all between the ages of 19 to 25.
Most are in between semesters at university, taking the job as one of those unique opportunities they'll probably tell their grandchildren about someday.
"It's a huge honor to be working on this vessel. I never thought I'd be working on this vessel, so it's quite an honor and a privilege, and it's probably the most pride I've ever felt," said deck hand Chloe Marshall.
They've been sailing The Great Lakes for month for the Tall Ships Festivals in cities like Toronto, Buffalo, Cleveland, and of course Green Bay.
The whole time they've been manning the ship 24/7 and living below deck.
"It's basically like having a sleep over all the time with your friends. We have really great quarters actually. You have your own little bunk, you have your little space, you have a place to put your clothes," said Marshall.
They've been learning valuable work-skills since joining the crew in Nova Scotia in April.
"We had two months of maintenance where we stripped all the wood down to bare and we re-oiled everything, re-varnished everything. So, you learn a lot of skills with tool, a lot of wood working things. You learn something new everyday which is a part of what makes this experience so amazing," said deck hand Megan Milett.
They run the ship as how it was in the 1920's, climbing the 125 foot mast to raise and hoist sales.
"It's a little scary because it's a new environment and it's not usually somewhere you usually go, so it's a lot of fun but you do have to be careful and you do have to know what you're doing," said Marshall.
Working in close quarters for months inherently pushes the young people to heighten their communication skills.
"Learning how to approach people about stuff, you know. I think it's the same with any living situation I think. It's always healthier you know when you know how to talk to people about your needs and the problems that you're having. I mean the more patient you are the better as always, but you also have to bring things up that are things otherwise they're gonna grow and grow," said Marshall.
By running a ship, living as a community of sailors, and communicating with tourists, these young people are having the experience of a lifetime.
They will continue their tour stopping at Tall Ship Festivals in towns like Kenosha, Erie, PA, and a few others.
They'll return home to Nova Scotia in mid-September.