To achieve the highest rank in Boy Scouts of America, a youth must complete a major project involving community service.
For 16-year-old Trey Gregory, a junior at Coronado High School and a member of Troop 801, that assignment is to rebuild a boat trailer for the KMAC Foundation, a Coronado-based organization dedicated to providing accessible sailing opportunities to individuals with disabilities.
A scout since kindergarten, Gregory’s path has spanned both coasts. He began with Cub Scouts in Virginia Beach before moving to Coronado in 2020.
Now, as he nears the final stage of scouting, his project is well underway.
In 2023, there were 392,275 Boy Scouts across the United States, yet only about 6% of them would earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
To achieve this distinction, scouts must meet a set of requirements before they turn 18: sustained involvement, a demonstrated scout spirit, the completion of 21 merit badges, six months in a troop leadership role, an Eagle Scout board of review and a scoutmaster conference.
Yet it is the final, and perhaps most defining, requirement that extends a scout’s journey beyond the bounds of personal achievement and into the realm of civic engagement: to conceive, organize and lead a service project.
Founded in memory of avid sailor Kyle McArthur, the foundation has long sought to expand its reach beyond the waters of the Coronado Yacht Club – where their adaptive sailboats are currently located. Since KMAC’s current trailer is outdated and not roadworthy, Gregory’s project will allow the foundation to go to events outside of local waters.
Among the sailors who relied on these boats in February was Tracy Schmitt — better known as Unstoppable Tracy — a Canadian athlete, motivational speaker and quadruple amputee. Later this March, she will take that spirit to Australia, alongside the foundation’s Hansa 303 boats, competing in the Hansa Class World Championships.
For years, KMAC has relied on a donated trailer outfitted with secondhand racks — equipment that, while serviceable, has never quite fit the needs of the organization’s adaptive sailing program.
Jeff Lee, the foundation’s vice president, explained that KMAC is currently working on establishing a community boating center for accessible sailing with the National City Aquatic Center.
To fully utilize the location, he noted, they need the ability to launch from there — a venture that requires transporting their boats across the bridge.
When it came time to undertake his Eagle Scout project, Gregory approached Jamie MacArthur, the president of the KMAC Foundation, to see how he could contribute.
The answer came quickly: the trailer. It needed to be roadworthy and able to transport the foundation’s three Hansa 303 boats and three Hansa Liberty boats.
In December, Lee and MacArthur tasked the scout with redesigning the racks that hold the three-meter-long fiberglass boats in place, making sure they fit the dimensions of these specialized vessels while also ensuring safety during transport.
“Trey came down with his tape measure and measured everything — the trailer, the boats,” Lee said. “We worked together to figure out what we needed, and then he designed the racks himself. It’s been incredible to see him grow in this role.”
The trailer has been measured, and National City’s Megla Manufacturing is fabricating three to four new metal frames over the next few months.
After that, Gregory and his troopmates will take over — painting, laying carpet and making the final adjustments to ensure that the boats are safe and secure during transport.
Lee, himself an Eagle Scout, emphasized the leadership aspect of the project.
“Scouting is about more than just completing tasks; it’s about leading others, solving problems and giving back,” Lee said. “Trey embodies that spirit.”
The importance of the KMAC Foundation’s work is something Gregory has witnessed firsthand.
“I have seen the KMAC Foundation’s boats in action many times, and every time, the sailor has the biggest smile on their face,” he said. “It gives people who would otherwise not be able to sail, the ability to sail them at a national level…I hope for people to take away from this project that no matter how busy you are, it’s important to take time to help others less fortunate than yourself.”
For Lee, a retired Coast Guard veteran with 25 years of service, being on the water is more than second nature; it’s a lifelong passion.
“It is a magnificent feeling helping these people out and seeing the challenge they get… and their happiness once they get out on the water,” he said. “It makes it all worthwhile.”
