Nautical Day Camp – Teaching Kids to Sail
This program is open to children and teens between the ages of 7 and 18. We will take kids without any sailing experience and over the course of one summer week – Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM, and make them into a beginning sailor. In addition, a teen that has already completed one or more weeks of this program may continue on their learning experience – bringing them to the next level of sailing, including racing, and leadership!
We Teach How to Sail
rigging, hoisting, trimming, steering, tacking, jibing and much, much more!
We Teach Life Lessons
Learn self-confidence, teamwork, camaraderie!
We Sail on Lake Erie
We sail in front of Buffalo’s Inner Harbor and we see Canadian waterfronts.
This Camp is Fun
Pizza Parties, Club Racing, Graduation Ceremonies and more!
School Fleet
HR 25, Four Boats: The HR 25 is our main training boat. Is a perfect fit for sailing on Lake Erie. It was designed by George Hinterhoeller in the late 1960’s as a larger version of the Shark 24. As both a fun and fast boat, the HR 25 is a perfect weekend cruiser and club racer for the novice to the experienced yachtsman.
Specifications:
- Hull Type: Fin Keel
- Rig Type: Fractional Sloop
- LOA 25’1″
- LWL 19’10”
- Beam 8′
- Draft 4′
- Ballast 1100 lbs.
- Displacement 3200 lbs
Each week will begin similarly with all students participating in a briefing on boat parts and handling. As there will be students of all skill levels working together, we will then break off into smaller groups where skill level will be determined. Once skill levels have been evaluated each group will partake in specialized programs meant to further develop their sailing abilities.
At the end of the day’s activities we will regroup to discuss our strengths and weaknesses in a constructive and collaborative manner. This time will also serve as an opportunity for the kids to reflect on what they learned that day. Each student will be expected to be courteous and respectful to instructors, other members of the sailing school and, of course, one another.
Before we hit the water, it is everyone’s responsibility to know what is expected of them so that safety is not an issue out on the boats. Large group activities will be planned based on the abilities of our most novice students, nobody should ever feel overwhelmed on the water. This sailing camp is based on a leisure approach to sailing and we want everyone to fully enjoy their time with us.
Becoming confident on the water and honing one’s abilities in a safe and professional environment can build important skills for students of all ages. Although competitive behavior is not our objective, we do encourage students to be driven and strive to be the best sailors they can be. Our attention to detail, emphasis on teamwork, respect for nature, self-reliance and a deep knowledge of sailing are just a few of the cornerstones of the Sail Buffalo Nautical Day Camp philosophy!
Our Location:
Inside Historic Lighthouse Park, 2 Fuhrmann Blvd, Buffalo NY 14203
Junior Sail Camp runs weekly for 8 weeks over the summer from Monday – Friday from the end of June until the end of August, except over the July 4th holiday (Tues. – Fri.)
- Sign Up for the June 27 – July 1 Session
- Sign Up for the July 5 – July 8 Session
- Sign Up for the July 11 – July 15 V
- Sign Up for the July 18 – July 22 Session
- Sign Up for the July 25 – July 29 Session
- Sign Up for the Aug 1 – Aug 5 Session
- Sign Up for the Aug 8 – Aug 12 Session
- Sign Up for the Aug 15 – Aug 19 Session
Please fill out this waiver for each student and have it ready for the first day of camp.
Discounts!
- 10% Discount for Multiple Weeks
- 20% Sibling Discount
- Friends of Sail Buffalo get an Additional $50 off of the first week!
All discounts will be applied on the first day of camp and after the initial reserve of $147 is payed.
Scholarships are Available
Cazenovia Community Resource Center provides scholarships to kids which show great potential in the sport of sailing and who might go on to become instructors themselves, limited availability). For scholarship consideration, the student must write an essay and submit it in letter form. Email us at info@sail-buffalo.com for more information on this scholarship.
We work hard to make the Junior Sailing Program super fun. In addition to the education, we engage our students in lots of fun activities during the week such as:
Pizza Party – on Friday’s at 3:00pm, all kids and their parents are invited to join their instructors for a free pizza party after sailing. The party is held at the sailing club’s docks.
Foul Weather Field Trips – in the event of bad weather preventing sailing (such as rain or high winds), the education continues with field trips. Teens and their instructors travel over to the Naval Museum for some historical education or watch movies inside the new Science Pavilion, walk along the shoreline, watching the whole harbor and compare the various buoys and navigational aides with a chart of the harbor. We may also choose to stay inside our Floating Pavilion, the coolest floating classroom there is!
Club Racing– If weather permits, the instructors may call for Racing between the teen boats. The starting and finishing line are determined by mutual agreement. To win, you will need to understand the currents and how they relate to wind. Depending on these factors, It always gets exciting.
Graduation Ceremony (Parents Invited) – Fridays at 4:30 p.m. is the graduation ceremony for the “Future Sailors of Buffalo.” Parents, relatives, friends and siblings are all invited. Each kid is recognized and presented with a “Kid Sailing Program Commemorative Certificate.”
We have Additional Boats!
- 3 Walker Bay (literally impossible to capsize)
- 2 Sun Fishes
- 1 Hobie Cat 14
- 3 Wooden Dinghies made by the cadets from WNY Maritime Charter School.