Junior Summer Session 2 Recap
These past 2 weeks, July 7th-July 18th, marked our second Junior Summer Program session! The Marine Explorers investigated our second Ocean Principle: Beaches & Coasts - how the Oceans affect the Earth. Meanwhile, our Youth Sailors battled the heavy winds with improved sailing techniques!
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Marine Explorers
Bay Buccaneers
Week one was filled with fun adventures! We started out strong with some seining, learning about a bunch of Oyster Bay’s awesome animals! We also learned about clouds and the water cycle’s importance to the environment. We ended things on the water, going for a beautiful sail and playing games like hose trivia, captain on deck, and end of the week jeopardy.!
Week two kept up the energy, starting out with some fun water games to stay cool! We learned a ton about sailing and went on some adventures around the bay. We took a look at some wildlife we caught in a crab trap, finding snails, sea squirts, and sponges. We even took a wonderful trip on CHRISTEEN, learning about its rich history!
This session was packed with knowledge! Everyone had an amazing time exploring the bay and meeting some critters!
First Mates
In week one, we learned about weathering and erosion by creating a huge dam in the freshwater stream! We then demonstrated the importance of wearing sunscreen, learning about the science of UV and its effects. Things then took a chipper turn as we learned about beavers and their unique role as ecosystem engineers! We then finished the week off by putting together a boat from recycled materials and setting off into the bay!
In week two, we improved our usage of different points of sail. After learning about sailing perpendicular to the wind, we learned about pulling the sails in for upwinds and letting them out for downwinds. A high-wind day on Thursday also allowed us to move faster than we anticipated!
We all had such a wonderful time making memories on the water this session!
Sound Swashbucklers
In week one, we were introduced to Opti, Sonar, and Hobie sailing! We learned how to steer the boats and how to pull in the sails! At some points during the week, there wasn’t much wind, but we all still experienced the essence of sailing!
Week two had us comparing sands from around the world, making beautiful sand art, and constructing permanent sand castles! We also learned about the wonders of the world’s glaciers and built up our own! Finally, we sent things off with a stunning sail aboard CHRISTEEN, meeting some animals in a touch tank and a dredge!
Everyone had an amazing time this session! With plenty of fun trips, some strong connections to the water were made!
Skippers
In week one, we went seining, sniggling, fishing, and dam building. There were a ton of encounters with wildlife, finding eels and spider crabs! We learned about marine mammals like whales and beavers, and also learned about water quality and the animals that inhabit our bay. It was an action-packed week!
In week two, we continued exploring Oyster Bay on both hobies and sonars. After learning about zigzagging upwind last week, we spent some of this week figuring out just how close sailboats can point to where the wind is coming from without getting stuck in the “no-go zone”. We also practiced downwinds and improved our skills with flying the spinnaker on sonars. We ended things off with Jeopardy and a wild scavenger hunt!
This was a session full of surprises — surely one to remember!
Youth Sailing
Lil’ Puffs
This session, we kicked things off by playing name games and doing the swim check. We also sailed sonars, learning the parts of the boat and introducing the basics of sailing with hands-on guidance and visual instruction! In between the learning, there was also time for fun, with plenty of wet activities like water trivia! Overall, it was a great week filled with knowledge and laughter!
Opti Sailing
In week one, we learned how to steer our Optis! On our first couple of days, we also learned our points of sail so we can sail on our own without a tow line. Even though the wind was low at points, we still learned and practiced tacking and gybing!
In week two, we started reinforcing our skills through triangle mark rounding and windward-leeward mark rounding drills. We also learned how to properly stay out of irons (the no-go zone). There was a ton of improvement, and along with sailing, we also had lots of fun playing various water games by the beach!
Awesome work from all of our sailors this session!
Adventure Sailing
Week one was a wonderful return to the water! We focused on getting reacclimated to the Hobies, reviewing rigging, tacking, gybing, and building confidence on the water! We also had a chance to mix things up by sailing the Sonars, giving everyone a new challenge and a fresh perspective! Overall, it was an amazing and insightful week on the water!
In week two, we were glad to see how much progress had already been made! With consistent wind throughout the week, we had the chance to challenge ourselves and sail at more advanced angles. We showed control and confidence on the Hobies.
It was our pleasure to coach such a great group of young sailors this session!
C420 Open
Week one was a beautiful one to be on the water! We made lots of progress in understanding the fundamentals of controlling our boats! Whether the sailors faced high or low winds, they have proven that they can apply their new skills with guidance!
We started out week two with some practice, learning how to heal the boat to help steer, as well as roll tacking to improve speed through our tacks. We completed practice starts and races while learning how to analyze our surroundings. Understanding the wind is the key to sailing, and we spent plenty of time learning how the wind affects our sails!
It was a pleasure working with such skilled sailors this session and watching everyone improve!
C420 Race Team
This session, the 420 race team practiced hard in big breezes and close to no breezes, covering all ends of the racing spectrum. With all our boats on the water, we had a great training environment. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come in the past two weeks, and we’re excited to see what’s to come by the end of the summer!
Specialty Camps
Reel Explorers
This session, we learned the fundamentals of fishing and how to use conventional fishing gear! We practiced baiting our own hooks and explored how different bait types and fishing techniques attract different kinds of fish. Using clam, squid, and minnow/spearing as bait, we successfully caught five different species: Porgies, Fluke, Bluefish, Sea Robins, and sand sharks (dogfish)! We also caught plenty of crabs in a lobster trap we set! There were plenty of keepers, making it an exciting and memorable session!
Build a Pond Yacht
Week one kicked off our very first session of Pond Yacht Woodworking! We were hard at work in the shop all week, learning the basics of woodworking and how to use various tools, like coping saws and planers. As the week went on, our yachts began to take shape, getting ready for detailing! We made great strides toward setting sail!
Week two had us hoisting our sails, putting some finishing touches on our yachts, and getting ready to sail! We added masts and keels, refining our woodworking skills along the way. Once we finished our yachts, we celebrated by bringing them down to the water and watching them sail! With a nice breeze, they made it far!
This session was an amazing learning opportunity for everybody! Every yacht came out amazingly!
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