Why attend Call of the Sea’s Aloft Program?

Our seamanship class engenders personal growth, builds self confidence and interpersonal skills like leadership and team work!

Comments from scholarship applicants for the Aloft program:

Another fear that I somewhat overcame… is the fear of sailing.   I’ve never grown up with doing exciting things like going out on a boat with your family or hiking or surfing or other activities that involved family and friends… I want to overcome the fear that I can’t do something that I’ve never done before..but as my mother always says “the only thing to fear is to fear itself”. I just want to overcome an obstacle that I’ve never been able to do. I’m still currently learning how to overcome this fear, but from what I’ve learned from the class is that it’s okay to make mistakes…the whole point of this experiment is to try and to learn.
Cristy Lopez, Girls Aloft scholarship recipient

I’m excited about sailing on the bay and learning about the boat. I most fear not knowing what to do.
Carter Bussi, Aloft scholarship recipient

Brigantine Matthew Turner’s first season of sailing featured exciting new educational programs such as the Aloft Seamanship classes and After School programs for local youth who have been attending school virtually.  Sponsorship has been vital to Call of the Sea’s ability to offer these programs to a wide range of youth from around the Bay Area.  Below we feature one student who participated in the Aloft program, and a new sponsor who stepped up to support Call of the Sea.

Audrey participated in 5 Aloft programs on Matthew Turner, joined by her God mother Elena Joy Pelen, an experienced sailor who introduced Audrey to Call of the Sea

Here are Audrey’s impressions of the Aloft program:

…we go to the Golden Gate, not too close, but we do go to the Golden Gate, and then we come back.  You learn how to set sail, go aloft, you learn how to use lines which are the ropes on the boat, and you learn your words…what do you call left side of the boat, right side of the boat, what do you say when you get back from being aloft, what do you say when you’re going aloft.  …besides learning new things, you make new friends, you get to meet the captain and her crew, the crew are really nice, they teach you, they help you…I love it, I love being there, I wish I could go every single day!!   Thank you very much!  

Audrey and Elena aboard Matthew Turner

Students go aloft with a safety line to prevent falls!

Thank you for your support!

The the Turley Family Fund of the Napa Valley Community Foundation provided a wonderful surprise gift in October which significantly contributed toward continuing our educational programs and helping maintain our crew and educators.  Our programs this fall reached out to new and more diverse groups of students and vastly changed their learning horizons during this shutdown time. This proved to be a regenerating and productive time for the Call of the Sea staff and community as we applied current and new skills to maintaining a healthy education environment for our students.  We are deeply appreciative of the thoughtfulness of the donors and the bolstering of support at this unique time.