Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

A summer sail with 12 students from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind suffered a rain delay, and then got poured on mid-sail. This was an instructional sail for students participating in a summer camp, and no one’s enthusiasm was dampened in the least! 

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Learning Parts of the Boat

St Augustine Sailing recently hosted 12 students from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind during a morning and afternoon. The event included one-on-one and group sailing instruction and demonstrations along with time aboard large sailing vessels on the water!

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Learning Knots and Terms

Even the camp counselors joined in learning how to tie knot and learning the parts of the boats.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

First, we had an hour-long instructional session with parts of the boat exploration using exact models of our training boats.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Then Captain RoseAnn Points led a session on knot-tying.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

The students were wonderful; excited, eager, ready to learn, and amazingly quick at memorizing the parts of the boat and points of sail. 

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Junior Sailors

When asked if any of them were nervous about going sailing, only one said she was unsure of the size of the boat. I told her it was the size of three cars, and she was then very excited, proclaiming it “a very big boat!”

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

We used the boat models to demonstrate wind direction, sail trim, and parts of the boat. The students mastered the terms rapidly.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

After lunch, the students departed on four sailing vessels with sailing instructors and captains, school staff, and volunteers on the nearby Intracoastal Waterway.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Boarding the Sailing Vessels

We headed down the dock, divided the group up into three students and three counselors per boat. Everyone boarded the sailing boats for a quick safety brief and trip out of the harbor onto the Intracoastal Waterway.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Heading out for a Sail

The students were interested in the other boats, the wind, the rain clouds, and most importantly – who was going to get to steer, and who was going to get to steer first!

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Once away from the dock, the students learned more about the points of sail with hands-on activities and a short time at the helm to experience being the master of the vessel.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Steering the Boats

The students were wonderful helmspersons, and excited to go sailing. Kathy Mignerey from St. Johns County Schools told me the students go downhill and cross-country skiing every year as well. 

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Florida Sunshine and Rain

Although everyone got wet, everyone agreed they would like to come sailing again, and getting rain on was a part of the adventure. Each boat’s team bonded into a group who had braved the Florida elements and came out … wet!

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Teenagers – too cool for school!

The program with the FSDB Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) Summer Academy included nine-year-old through 16-year-old students who are blind and or visually impaired.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Thank You Volunteers

Our crew members and area captains volunteered their time during all activities while working with instructors and chaperones. Fun was had by all!

Thanks to Scott Smith of Monarch Studio for coming along and photographing the event. He is a world-class sailor and photographer. Thanks to SailTime Northeast Florida for donating the boats and captains. Thanks to Elise Gayle Sloan for crewing and photography. 

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Thank you Elise for crewing for me! We sure did get soaked!

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Thank you Scott – for bringing your sailing expertise and photography equipment to capture this fun day.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

Sunscreen Awareness

For wearing spray sunscreen, make sure to apply it on the dock downwind of the boat. If it gets carried onto the boat, it can make the boat slippery as well as discolor the fiberglass.

Aerosols are not great for the environment, so best to use a mineral based, non-nano reef-safe version like Stream2Sea. Even the bottles are environmentally friendly; totally biodegradable. Stream2Sea has generously given me a discount code “KimW” for you to use at the checkout at checkout to save 10%.

, Sailing With Students from The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind // Learning Knots and Terms

What to Read Next:

Etiquette for Boarding a Vessel // How to be the Perfect Boating Guest

What It’s Like to be a Charter Boat Captain

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