And a good time was had by all!!

• Two Dogs on the Dock
• Fergie and Craig
• Draeger and Andrew
• Holland America's Donation
• International Boat Show
• Eight Bells Tradition
• Eight Bells for Daryl Clark
• Summer Sailstice
• Spinnaker Sunday
• Scholarships for Boating Card
• Merch! We have Merchandise!
• June Calendar
• Message from Our President

Read about big news from Challenged Sailors San Diego, providing FREE SAILING for those living with disabilities.

Although we do not encourage dogs on the dock, two dogs have proven themselves as able sailors.

Fergie, Dock Princess and Chief Snack Moocher

Fergie and Craig Dennis are constants on the dock. On sail days, if Craig is there, you can be sure Fergie will be right beside him. Fergie brightens the faces of all our sailors. Whether she is greeting people on the dock, down at the slip overseeing the rigging of boats, helping seat our adaptive sailors, waving them off toward the fairway, or walking along the gunwales as she sails away with Craig, she is always a welcome presence.

Her partner in fun, Craig, is one of our stalwart volunteers. He has been volunteering since 2018 and wears many, many hats. As a crew lead, he ensures the boats are rigged safely and provides guidance on wind and tides. On non-sailing days, you will find him doing the quiet, unseen work that keeps everything running smoothly. Whether a rudder is broken, lines need repair, or a mast needs stepping, Craig is the guy.

When he is not sailing, Craig can be found with his posse from North County Ocean Swimmers, swimming at least four times a week. Salt water is truly his love language.

We are deeply grateful for all that Fergie and Craig do for our community.

Fergie consulting on repairs.

Craig fills some mighty big shoes.

Hey, there you are Draeger...Always keeping an eye on the crew.

Draeger, with the soulful eyes and softest fur brings lightens the nerves of everyone on race days. Draeger is Andrew Morton's service dog. Andrew, a former Navy Seal and former Firefighter/EMT was presented with Draeger nine years ago to assist with his TBI and PTS. Draeger is Andrew’s constant companion providing moral support not just for him but to all those who meet him.

In October 2023, Andrew started sailing with Challenged Sailors of San Diego accompanied by Draeger. We all thought "hmmm how is this going to work?" Well, it worked perfectly fine. Draeger goes where his daddy goes. When Andrew first got into a Martin 16, Draeger hopped into the cockpit without a moment's hesitation. At first, the movement of the boat was a little unsettling to him but, by golly, he was determined to remain with Andrew. At the conclusion of their first sailing excursion under the guidance of companion sailor Dan Willan, it was evident to all that Draeger had caught the sailing bug.

Andrew and Draeger have also assisted with dock support as well as crewed the chase boat during some races. When Andrew is assisting rigging the Martin 16’s, Draeger is next to him dock side eagerly anticipating his invitation into the cockpit as if saying “can I get in, can I get in?” Racing in the KMAC last month, Andrew, Draeger and companion sailor Jane Dunn became the first crew of three to place third in three races.

Although we don't see Andrew as much as we would like, we are always happy when he and Draeger make the scene. Andrew, the father of four children is busy at university, pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Upon graduating, Draeger will also receive an honorary degree. After all, he has attended all of the classes as well.

The crew: Andrew aka Dad.

Jane and Andrew placed third in several races with Draeger at the helm.

San Diego is home to several cruise lines and Holland America, one of the USA's premier cruise lines uses San Diego as a home port. A very community minded organization, they donated $5000 to Challenged Sailors to be an Admirals level sponsor of the Charity Bay Race on September 26th. The Charity Bay Race is sponsored by Point Loma Yacht Club and is the major fundraising event for Challenged Sailors. Holland America sails to Alaska & the Yukon, Canada and New England, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, California and the Pacific Coast, the Panama Canal, South America and Antarctica, Bahamas, Europe, The Med, Norway, Iceland, Scandinavia, the Transatlantic, Australia and New Zealand and the South Pacific. Whew!! that is a long list of fun places to travel in style. As a Holland America fan, I can tell you the rooms are clean, the food is amazing, the staff is unfailingly kind and helpful, their on-board programing is top notch, and the fun begins as soon as your feet hit the gangplank. AND their behind-the-scenes sustainability efforts are amazing. They work to be a blessing to the seas.

We are very grateful for their support. They are a community, humanity and environmentally supporting organization and we are proud to be in their orbit. Thank you Holland America!!

If you have ever found yourself wondering what the interiors of the big sailboats we see on San Diego Bay look like... If you love keeping up with advances in marine technology, the International Boat Show is for you.

We are lucky this year, because our marina, Safe Harbor Sunroad, is hosting the San Diego International Boat Show. The show highlights over 30 boat builders and brokerages, over 150 of the most stunning boats you have ever seen, and over 75 on land exhibitors. They have generously offered Challenged Sailors San Diego a space for a booth and we will be there. Our goals are to promote our sailing program because we have one of the strongest programs in the nation and trying to raise funds to advance our boat rehab project.

Steve Bridge, President, and Daniel Willan, the Director of Community Outreach are leading the effort. The show runs from June 11-14 with free entry for kids 12 & under.

The "eight bells" tradition is a centuries-old maritime custom originally used to track time aboard ships. Before modern clocks, sailors divided their day into 4-hour shifts called "watches". A ship's boy used a half-hour hourglass and struck the ship's bell every 30 minutes. One bell marked the first half-hour, increasing sequentially up to eight bells, which signaled the end of the four-hour watch.

"Eight bells and all is well": This famous phrase was used by the lookout or watch-stander at the end of a shift to report that the watch was complete and uneventful.

End of Watch: In modern maritime funerals and ceremonies, eight bells are struck to honor a deceased sailor. It symbolically means "end of the watch", signifying that their watch is complete and they are relieved from their duties.

Daryl spent his career as an electrican and lineman for SDG&E but his real love was for ocean. He was a commercial fisherman as well. He spent countless hours as one of our foundational volunteers, rigging boats, sailing with adaptive sailors. He was deeply disappointed when a bad back forced him to step back from volunteering. He loved Challenged Sailors. You are missed, Daryl. He is survied by his wife, Terry, a daughter and those rays of sunshine and hope, his grandchildren.

Summer Sailstice was founded in February 2001 by John Arndt, as the global, annual celebration of sailing held on the weekend nearest the summer solstice.

The annual Summer Sailstice sailing event is free to all participants and has grown from 200 boats signed up in 2001 to almost 5,000 boats today. Since many sailors join in the fun on many different boats, the actual number of Summer Sailstice sailors participating is estimated at almost 19,000 annually.

The summer solstice marking the beginning of summer, is always an excuse for a party or a really good time. Challenged Sailors is participating in summer sailstice to bring summer fun to our sailors. Let's fill the boats that day and make way for the promise and joys of summer!

More excitement for our sailors—Martin 16 spinnakers! We’ve started to add even more “fun factor” for our adaptive sailors by training and sailing with spinnakers. Our Martin 16 sailboats are capable of flying asymmetric spinnakers. These sails almost triple the sail area on the boat and make even a typical medium-wind San Diego afternoon much more exciting.

Our spinnaker-knowledgeable companion sailors are teaching other senior companions how to fly this sail. To avoid impacting our already-jammed Friday and Saturday schedules, we are conducting this training on Sundays. We have a few companions who can now routinely fly a spinnaker with an adaptive sailor along, and several more who are only a lesson or two away. We have also been using Sundays to qualify some of our newer volunteers as companion sailors. Altogether, we’ll be ready for a fun time as San Diego’s summer arrives!

We are meeting on an ad hoc basis. If you would like to get on the list contact Dale.

The CSSD Scholarship Committee is thrilled to announce the launch of our CA Boater Card Program. Whether you are looking to sharpen your skills on the water or ensure you are compliant with state regulations, this program is designed to help our community stay safe and confident at the helm. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get certified and keep our waters accessible for everyone. Ready to get started? Click the link below to learn more here: Stay tuned for more scholarships and reimbursements that CSSD will be finalizing and announcing in our next newsletter!

Friday and Saturday Sailing 955 Harbor Island Dr Dock D, San Diego (Safe Harbor Sun Road Marina)

If you have signed up with Challenged Sailors then you can reserve a sailing spot as an adaptive, companion sailor or dock support, please email Sue T.

Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6 11:30 AM - 3 PM

Friday June 12 and Saturday June 13 11:30 AM - 3 PM NO SAILING International Boat Show

Friday June 19 and Saturday June 20 11:30 AM - 3 PM Summer Sailstice Day

Friday June 26 and Saturday June 27 11:30 AM - 3 PM

Friday July 3 and Saturday July 4 11:30 AM - 3 PM

Sept 26 - Charity Bay Race - Sponsored by Point Loma Yacht Club. Mark Your Calendar

Board Meeting June 15 5 PM to 6:30 The meeting is remote. To get the login please contact Morgan.

Learn the rules of racing (Seminar) Rules of Racing Tuesday, June 16 6:30 – 9:00pmSan Diego Yacht Club, 1011 Anchorage Ln, San Diego, CA 92106,In the Jessop RoomNo Charge, Open to all, hosted by SDYC

Spinnaker Sunday is ad hoc. If you are interested in participating please contact Dale.

Tee shirts $10

Tanktop $5

Waterbottle $10

Baseball Cap $5

SPF 50 Hat $25

As you can see, we have a limited supply of logo'd merchandise. Any time and any where you wear our merch, you bring awareness to our project. People with challenges do not often announce themselves, but your merch with our logo will plant the seed for sailing. If you would like to purchase one or more of these items, please contact us at: info@challengedsailors.org

Challenged Sailors Board of Directors meets every month, and we open our meetings with a Mission Moment. One board member is tasked with presenting an inspirational insight related to our mission. It was my turn in May, and I sought out Nancy Beckley who has been my source on multiple previous occasions. Nancy has been with CSSD since its inception, and she is experienced at every role. Most often she serves as Crew Lead which gives her the opportunity to witness some great moments. She recently returned from her winter home in New Mexico and was met with the initial appearance of our "new" Chase Boat. These were her thoughts: "Good job on the new Chase Boat. I felt very proud that we were able to upgrade. It will be a visually striking fleet when all the Martins have been refurbished. This got me to thinking - how CSSD has evolved from a defunct Challenged America to the CSSD of today. All of this from a group of people who saw the need to continue this wonderful organization. With no funds to speak of, taking over the Martins, fundraising, recruiting and building it up to what it is today. Many people, both Volunteers and Adaptive Sailors have come and gone but there is this core of dedicated people who keep the mission going. I applaud all of you."

Thank you, Nancy. I couldn't have said it any better. You may not put yourself in that "group of people" but you are definitely one of the "core". Welcome back!

Our powerhouse Board keeps our sails full and our mission on course! Their strategic vision, financial expertise, and community connections ensure Challenged Sailors San Diego delivers smooth sailing and nonstop adventure all year long.

Each year Challenged Sailors replaces four of the eight members of our Board of Directors, who will each serve a two-year term. And at the end of next year, we replace the other four for two years. This maintains continuity and institutional knowledge.

The most significant leadership update is the appointment of Steve Bridge, MD, as President of Challenged Sailors San Diego. Steve is a familiar face on the docks and on the water, and has recently been serving as Vice President. Peter Phillips will continue serving on the board as Vice President in the interim.

The current board of directors is:

We are looking for people to step up as:

What skills and talents do you have that can help us continue to be the best that we can be? If you're interested in being considered for, or want to learn more about, a position just email Steve Bridge, or call at 619-665-5716.

Steve Bridge, MD President

For those living with disabilities: MS, CP, TBI, quadri or paraplegia, Down syndrome, hearing impaired, blind...we are YOUR program that sails EVERY WEEKEND to get you 100% FREE on the water with special adaptive boats. Safe and fun. No experience necessary.

You on a sailboat is just a click away. If you've been gone from our docks for a while then there’s never a better time to come back.

Honor the mission with a contribution that enables us to continue delivering the creation of bonds through shared experiences of generosity and compassion.

This is San Diego and #WeSailEveryWeekend. Our program exists through the generosity of people in our community. Please consider making a donation to help us continuously achieve our mission. Every weekend.

Our Contact Information

Challenged Sailors San Diego, Inc.

PO Box 6994San Diego, CA 92166

619-665-5716

http://www.challengedsailors.org

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