Sailing camp is back, and once again kids between six and 14 years old were able to learn how to sail in Fort St. James.
The Mobile Optimist Sailing School (MOSS) by the BC Sailing Association was brought in again through the Stuart Lake Sailing Club.
Using seven-foot Optimist sail boats and two-person kayaks, the program taught the students water safety, and how to sail and kayak independently.
Students got to sail or kayak twice a day, learn theory, water safety and leadership skills on land, and important skills like capsizing and righting the boats.
Thirteen-year-old Peter from Prince George thought capsizing the boats was his favourite thing. His family came from Prince George for the week so he and his friend Morgan could also take the course. They were camping at Paarens Beach while the two boys spent the week in camp.
Morgan found out about the Fort St. James MOSS camp by googling “summer camps” in the area.
Morgan’s dad wants to get a sailboat so he was intrigued by the sailing camp.
His favourite part of the camp so far have been the games on the water in the boats.
Ian and Nigel, brothers from Vanderhoof, were taking the camp for the second time and Ian’s favourite part was learning how to sail and then race the boats.
“It’s lots of fun,” said the 12-year-old.
Nigel’s favourite thing he had learned so far was how to multi-task in the sailboat and learning to capsize the boat, because it felt like you really accomplished something and overcame something when you righted it again.
“I really like sailing,” he said, emphasizing how much he likes the Optimist boats.
Maiyaz from Fort St. James was an 11-year-old participant in the camp who also liked it a lot and said her favourite thing so far was playing the games out on the lake.
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