Students learn to sail at NAS Jax

Photos by Kaylee LaRocque From left, NJROTC sailing students Nicole Hawkins, Jessi Montgomery, David Little and Tariek Robinson rig one of the Flying Junior sailboats during the second day of class.

NAS Jax is one of three sites in the country to host this annual event, with the other programs taking place in Annapolis, Md. and San Diego. The program is for students ages 14-17 who are selected based on their grades, ability to get along with others and desire to learn to sail. They are required to pay a fee to cover some expenses. The students are housed at the NAS Jax Bachelor Officer's Quarters, eat most of their meals in the base galley and the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department allows them use of the sailboats at the Mulberry Cove Marina for free.

A group of students haul one of the Flying Junior sailboats down to the water after the sails are rigged.

''The base has been great. The marina staff supports us by allowing us to use their facilities and boats. The galley personnel are wonderful, providing meals and bringing us lunch every day. In the evenings, we' had the chance to visit VP-30, the bowling alley and pool. We definitely keep these kids busy," said retired Navy Cmdr. Pat Thurman, officer in charge of the program.

Classes began in a typical classroom setting where the students learned basic boat handling techniques, boating safety, weather conditions and sailing terminology. They were also required to pass a deep-water swim test.

Cadre student teacher Stephen Millen, who has been sailing with the class for the past three years, attaches a rudder and tiller to one of the boats.

"This class gives them a Type I sail qualification so they can go to any marina that rents sailboats and check out a boat. Only two students had any prior sailing experience, so we start with the basics. We get them out in the boats for at least six hours each day - so by the time they finish the class, they know the fundamentals of sailing, what the different parts of the boat are and how to tie knots," added Thurman. "We also work on navigation, how to steer and how the wind affects the boats." "It's a great program for NJROTC students because they learn nautical terms and how a sailboat operates. The Naval Academy and many ROTC units in the U.S. teach students nautical fundamentals so they can build on those principles. It's a lot of teamwork," he continued. After the classroom, the students headed to the Mulberry Cove Marina for some hands-on training. They learned to rig lines and hoist sails spending much of the week on the St. Johns River.

"We have a pretty efficient safety program with five safety boats manned by experienced instructors with radios. If a storm pops up, we can put the students into the boats and get them back to shore and tow the sailboats back. We also keep our students close to the marina," Thurman stressed.

The students enjoy a nice breeze on the St. Johns River during the second day of class.

Students were required to man each of the different types of sailboats. Once they learned the basics, they spent a day learning controlled sailing by following one another in circles, in lines, practicing approaches on other boats, tacking, jibbing, upward and downward wind sailing and man-overboard drills.

This year, the class included Air Force JROTC students. "We traded 10 Navy students with the Air Force, with our group going to the U.S. Air Force Academy Teen Aviation Camp in Colorado Springs, Colo. to learn about the aviation field. In return, we had 10 Air Force students train with us," stated Thurman.

"Being in the Navy program is a nice change of pace. I'm used to learning about aircraft so this has been a completely new experience. I've learned about sailing and think it's cool to be well-rounded and learn more about what other branches of the military are involved in," said AFJROTC student James Peck of Shadow Ridge High School in Las Vegas.

By the end of each day, the students were pretty exhausted and sunburned, but proud of their accomplishments.

"It's been a really fun and enjoyable class. It's definitely a new learning experience. I signed up to get more involved in NJROTC and learned so much about sailing - including the names of all the parts of the boat," said NJROTC student Jessi Montgomery of Union Grove High School in McDonaugh, Ga.

Photo by Clark Pierce The group of NJROTC and AFROTC sailing students fall in for muster after coming in from a day on the river.

The class ended June 19 with the students participating in a graduation ceremony, proud of their accomplishments, excited about the friendships they had made, but happy to be going home.