You already know that Scientology has an ersatz navy it calls the Sea Organization, and it operates a floating cathedral in the Caribbean, the cruise ship the Freewinds. And if you’re up on your Scientology history, you know that this naval flavor is part of Scientology’s DNA because its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, was a rather hapless Navy Lieutenant in WW2 who was such an inept commander he fought a 35-hour battle with a magnetic sea floor deposit off the coast of Oregon and later used a Mexican island for target practice and nearly caused a serious international incident.
I trained on the Bolivar and BlueFin in 1969 under captains Bob Young and Jerry McDonald.. My band PEOPLE! went as a group because we had joined the Sea Org as a group. And when we sailed over to Catalina we did have a party with the band performing on the deck at night. Lots of crew got drunk and rocked out. I remember it being very cold and my guitar was getting clammy from the moisture.
The conditions for the crew were pretty dreadful. We didn’t care because we’re only there for 10 days to get our Able Bodied Seaman checksheet completed.
Missed you by mere months, Geoff. I trained on the Bolivar just after you, in 1970. Got my AB rating in a couple of weeks before I was whisked off to the Apollo.
The Bolivar was a different experience. It was temporary. The Apollo was like a full organization, self contained. I learned certain things on the ship. I did not understand at the time how weird it was. And no one was thrown overboard by the time I got to the Apollo.
Those two reporters got the wool pulled over their eyes. They are puff pieces that make the Bolivar seem like a party boat. Wollersheim found out differently. How many others got that treatment?
that's a great article tony👌
I trained on the Bolivar and BlueFin in 1969 under captains Bob Young and Jerry McDonald.. My band PEOPLE! went as a group because we had joined the Sea Org as a group. And when we sailed over to Catalina we did have a party with the band performing on the deck at night. Lots of crew got drunk and rocked out. I remember it being very cold and my guitar was getting clammy from the moisture.
The conditions for the crew were pretty dreadful. We didn’t care because we’re only there for 10 days to get our Able Bodied Seaman checksheet completed.
Missed you by mere months, Geoff. I trained on the Bolivar just after you, in 1970. Got my AB rating in a couple of weeks before I was whisked off to the Apollo.
Wow. I was so clueless. Were you on the Apollo in 1974? That’s when I went to the ship to work in the bands.
Me! Me! I was clueless! Nope, I was off to NYC on a garrison mission to set up FOLO EUS and missed you again.
based on your experience the bolivar was worst respect the apollo? and have you ever assisted to that vile practice of throwing people in the sea?
The Bolivar was a different experience. It was temporary. The Apollo was like a full organization, self contained. I learned certain things on the ship. I did not understand at the time how weird it was. And no one was thrown overboard by the time I got to the Apollo.
Those two reporters got the wool pulled over their eyes. They are puff pieces that make the Bolivar seem like a party boat. Wollersheim found out differently. How many others got that treatment?