What did you do this summer?

In 1885 Mark Twain wrote about the Mississippi river adventures of teenagers Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The summer of 2014 saw the youth of Mariners 936 of Dana Point taking part in real life experiences that rivaled the idyllic escapades of Twain’s characters. Mariners 936 is a year around maritime program based at the county docks in Dana Harbor, offering the opportunity to learn to sail, cruising adventures, and competition. During the summer, the youth spent many Saturday mornings maintaining their fleet of Sabots, Lasers, 420’s, 14-16 foot Capris, as well as several larger vessels. Many participated in fun Saturday afternoon sailing and Wednesday afternoon Soda pop sail races…a source of friendly rivalry between Mariners, Westwind sailing, Dana Point Yacht Club, and Dana West Yacht Club.

The summer started with a big splash by way of the traditional Fourth of July “Water Wars” taking place in Dana Harbor…no one stayed safe from a thorough soaking! July also included the International Sea Scout Cup; a biennial, week long regatta sponsored by former America’s cup sailor and businessman William Koch. Some of the most experienced Mariner racers vied for the trophy against 76 other young sailors. Mariners placed 2nd, 8th, and 14th…no mean feat in a competition that included 38 teams from all around the world!

Later in July, many of the Mariners set sail on the tall ship Spirit of Dana Point in the annual voyage to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands. Along with other maritime skills the Mariner crew learned that taking in sails whipped by winds over 30 knots is not for the faint hearted! Swimming and hiking on these islands easily matched the exploits of Tom and Huck; kayaking into the pitch darkness of the painted cave on Santa Cruz Island was not unlike the caving excitement that Mark Twain so convincingly described.

August is the premier cruising month for recreational boating in Dana Point. Mariners planned and carried out sailing trips to the fun ports on Catalina Island. The End of Summer Cruise will take place over three days prior to the Labor Day Weekend and will be the finishing adventure before the start of school. All four Mariner cruising sailboats will head to Emerald Bay and Isthmus harbors, where they will join youth from Newport Beach and Marina Del Rey for fun and some friendly competition in the English George Regatta.

September sees the onset of a new school year and also the start of another great Mariner season! Interested girls and boys aged 12 through 18 looking for their own seafaring adventures are invited to a youth and parent open house on Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm on September 10. No previous sailing experience is necessary; maritime skills are taught with an upmost emphasis on safety at sea. The informational meeting will be held at the Orange County Sailing & Event Center. More information available at mariners936.com or by email info@mariners936.com