Scouting History

Fair enough, maybe our guys were all used to sailing already it wasn't particular new to use.  It was beautiful and a ton of fun. My two High Adventures we did we 74 mile canoe trip on the Buffalo River and backpacking the Gila Wilderness loop in New Mexico.  Neither had no preset itinerary and the youth had to roll their own adventure.  Some things worked, some things didn't....  Like failing to put the food in waterproof containers on canoes....  dunked dinner more that once on the trip. But great adventures! 

It depends how you define "high adventure".  One person's adventure is another person's normal weekend.   High adventure in context of my experiences  New and challenging experiences -->  BSA Sea Base ... Activities that we just can't do where I live. Physically demanding --> Philmont ... Carrying a heavy pack for 6 to 10 miles each day.  Setup.  Tear down.  Hike.  Hike.  Hike. Dependent on your own crew for health, safety and success --> Northern Tier ... You are significantly further out and isolated than any of the other adventures.   Help and comfort are an hour away.  Maybe not a day or more away either.  Cost --> All ... 😁 Each can also be viewed as not a high-adventure. BSA Sea Base ... Expensive toys and the beach.  BSA Philmont ... A week of summer camp activities with a BSA second class five mile hike at the start of each day BSA Northern Tier ... A canoe trip.  I've been on several high adventures and I cherish all of them.  Sea Base though holds a special place for me.  It was a unique adventure different than any of our other adventures.

Having been both a unit leader for a long time and a district/council scouter at times too, I've learned to appreciate that units often feel a whole lot more animosity and distrust of the council than is needed.  I've found that units that make a good faith effort to work with the council generally have no problem with stuff getting approved. The council really isn't out there to make life difficult for the units.

If there is a choice to be made that necessitates that I side with the councils/execs or the units/Chartered Organizations, I will choose the units and CO's every time.  

We have done the Key West sailing through Seabase, it is a lot of fun. It isn't High adventure but it is a lot of fun.  I am not sure how the Bahama base is now after the last hurricanes, might be worth checking, For our Sea Scouts they were looking at the Captain waiting to do more, they would rather charter a boat and sail it themselves, because they can.