At the Central Lincoln County YMCA’s Sailing Camp at Round Pond Harbor, each summer youth in grades 3-9 enjoy learning how to sail. Our staff of experienced instructors will teach your kids lifetime skills in our fleet of 14’ Tech Dinghies.

What’s new this year? To start, improvements have been made at the small “club house” to include a new deck and benches. This space, donated courtesy of the Reny family, is used for meetings, classroom time and a place for kids to eat lunch and enjoy hangout time while on land.

In addition, the Y was in need of a new chase boat to bring the campers out to the floats in the harbor where the sailboats are stored. This spring, a group of generous donors raised funds for the Y to purchase a 17-foot Whaler chase boat, a great asset in transporting campers to and from the floats and public wharf.

And finally, our Sailing Camp Director, Jaja Martin, has successfully obtained her captain’s license. Through an online course called Mariners Learning System, all students are required to pass five separate module tests before signing up for the proctored exam. Other requirements include a complete application, TWIC card, notarized oath, first aid, CPR, physical exam, and Sea Service form documenting all previous experience the applicant has accumulated over the years.

Martin’s extensive sailing experience includes an 8-year circumnavigation on a 25-foot sailboat with her husband. They also spent a year on land putting together a 33-foot steel boat and then spent five years cruising and living in the Arctic. Martin has been directing the YMCA sailing camp since 2006. Now with her captain’s license, she looks forward to spending another summer with the kids on Round Pond.

The Sailing Camp schedule runs in weekly sessions from June 26-Aug. 25, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Members are $275 per week, non-members $350 per week. Call and register today.

For more Sailing Camp details, or to see a full schedule of summer camp programs, download the 2017 Summer Camp Guide at your Y’s website or call for more information: clcymca.org, 563-9633 or boothbayregionymca.org, 633-2855.