ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Some two dozen East Bay Sea Scouts used their training -- and then some -- when their boat began leaking on Tuesday in Suisin Bay.

It happened just after noon as the training vessel made its way past Concord.

The 85-foot Farallon got into trouble as it was returning from a ten-day summer camp cruise to Sacramento.

That is when Skipper Mischa Block said the boat sprang a leak.17-year-old Doyoe Irvin said he was asleep when he heard a thud.

"When I first got up on top on the deck, usually our bow is something like this and it was like this, pretty far down," he said.

The Skipper said the Farrallon was taking on water and fast, with about a foot of water in the bilge. Before pumps could fire-up, a bucket brigade was launched.

"The guys jumped into action. They were cooperative with each other and... were ready to save their ship, " said Skipper Block.

It fell to Irvin to make the distress call.

"He made me take charge of the radio. I didn't know exactly what to do, but I figured it out as I went along," said Irvin.

Rescuers swarmed the vessel within minutes.

The Farallon had struck a floating object, submerged from view, which left a six inch crack in its hull. Everyone evacuated to a Vallejo bound ferry that had detoured to the scene.

Parents who picked up their children in Vallejo instead of the vessel's home port of Berkeley were remarkably calm. They noted the Sea Scout program is all about empowering young men to take responsibility and step up when needed.

The all-volunteer Sea Scouts have an 80-year history in the Bay Area. Now it needs to raise $35,000 to make the Farallon seaworthy again.