Reimagining Adventure Sailing at Saunderstown Yacht Club

Letting Kids Take the Helm This Summer

It’s hard to believe, but in a matter of weeks, school will be out and summer break will officially begin. For parents, that means the annual search for activities that will keep our energetic kids busy, happy, and off their screens has already begun. We’re all looking for that Goldilocks camp, the one that does not break the bank and does not provoke the dreaded “I don’t want to go” showdown.

For many families, the challenge goes even deeper. Kids who are still young but feel like they’ve somehow aged out of traditional summer camps. They find themselves stuck in an awkward in-between stage. They crave autonomy. As parents we want to give them that. We also want to wrap them in bubble wrap. It’s a delicate balancing act!

This year, Saunderstown Yacht Club went back to the drawing board with our Adventure Sailing Program. Our goal was simple but ambitious. We wanted to create an experience that feels less like camp and more like real adventure, one that builds confidence, independence, and curiosity while still being fun, active, and engaging.

Adventure Sailing is designed for hands‑on learners who want to move, explore, ask questions. On the water, kids naturally develop essential soft skills like communication, collaboration, problem solving, and leadership. Sailing requires teamwork, decision making, and adaptability. Skills that matter not just in the summer, but in school, future careers, and life.

The program also creates space for managed risk. Trying something new, making mistakes, resolving small conflicts all help build resilience. Whether it is handling changing conditions on the water or working through a challenge with teammates, these moments foster independence and real confidence.

Adventure Sailing meets two days a week, and we offer a four-week and an eight-week program. The kids have something exciting to look forward to each week on the water while still leaving plenty of space for summer to unfold. There is time for beach days, getting lost in a good book, biking around the neighborhood, and even the occasional moment of boredom, which often turns out to be where creativity begins. Our hope is that this balance helps kids feel like they truly own their summer.

Adventure Sailing is also intentionally unplugged. Days are spent outside, moving, thinking, and exploring. Kids get a meaningful break from screens and the chance to reconnect with the natural world, their peers, and themselves.

What really makes this year’s program different is that we have engaged with Save The Bay and the Conanicut Island Sailing Foundation. Two trusted Rhode Island organizations.

Through our partnership with Save The Bay, campers will spend half of their day working alongside two educators, exploring Narragansett Bay through hands‑on marine science. Activities include seining, water testing, species identification, and learning firsthand how the health of the Bay connects to life on the water.

In collaboration with CISF, one afternoon each week sailors will put their skills into action by sailing to meet a CISF educator. These purposeful sails reinforce skills learned with Saunderstown Yacht Club instructors while giving kids the powerful experience of navigating real destinations, an exciting milestone that builds confidence and independence.

Together, these elements make Adventure Sailing more than just a summer camp. It is a thoughtfully designed experience that meets our kids where they are, challenges them appropriately, and sends them home tired, proud, and we hope, excited to come back the next time.