Sailing Lessons Keep Kids Cool

On a recent afternoon a group of Swampscott kids were out on the harbor learning how to sail. 

Most sailing students were just excited to be out on the sea. Many of them looked forward to that accidental slip into the water where they can cool off and splash around. 

In order to be part of the class, a child must first be a certified swimmer, said Katie Kimball, director of the sailing program. The children wear life vests if a fall into the ocean does occur.

"I can be really challenging, but it can also be really relaxing," Kimball said. "It's just a great feeling to be out on a sailboat."

The classes are three hours long each day and last for two weeks. They are run by the town Recreation Department.

Kimball said that the hardest part for children to understand is the idea of wind. "It's abstract because you can't see the wind, so it takes times to get used to that," she said.

Siobhan Surette has been teaching kids how to sail for three years and she never gets tired of it, she said.

"When they (children) can sail on their own, it's a good feeling," Surette said.

The best part about sailing for student Emma Bouchard was getting to be on the water and trying something new. 

"I just wanted to try something new and its fun and if we're good we get to go swimming," Bouchard said.