Experience 'an ocean of education and adventure' on a Tall Ship

by Barby MacGowan on 19 Dec 2013 Spending a week on a 200-foot Tall Ship isn’t your usual summer camp fare, but in July and August of 2014, teens between the ages of 13 and 18 will have a unique opportunity to experience 'an ocean of education and adventure' aboard the newly built SSV Oliver Hazard Perry.

With 15 professional crew plus a capacity for 30-34 students each session, Rhode Island’s Official Sailing Education Vessel is open to students from any state or country during teen camp sessions. It is a 200-foot Coast Guard inspected and approved steel-hulled, technologically sophisticated 21st Century ship - the first ocean-going, full-rigged ship to be built in the U.S. in 110 years and the largest civilian sail training vessel in America.

Students will take the helm of the 500-ton Tall Ship, learn to work as a team with others as they hoist and brace the yards on the 130-foot tall rig, and apply acquired seamanship and navigation skills to guide the ship’s course on a voyage of discovery. In addition, they will witness the natural magic of the ocean and its inhabitants—think spectacular night skies, marine phosphorescence, whales breaching, and dolphins at play! Newport, Nantucket, Boston, Portsmouth and Greenport are among the historically rich ports the ship will visit.

Camp price for six days/nights is $1,600 (10% discount for enrolling before January 31, 2014), which includes all meals and a 1:4 ratio of staff to students. The first of SSV Oliver Hazard Perry’s seven one-week onboard coastal Sea Camp programs begins July 13 and the last finishes on August 30.

Camp Details

Tentative schedule and itinerary (subject to change) is as follows:

Week 1: July 13 – July 19
Newport, RI – New Bedford, MA (no overnight sailing)
Ages: 12-14 years (Middle School)
Itinerary: Newport, RI – Block Island, RI – Dutch Island, RI – Tarpaulin Cove, MA – Vineyard Haven, MA – New Bedford, MA

Week 2: July 20 – July 26
New Bedford, MA – Boston, MA (overnight sailing included)
Ages: 15-18 years (High School)
Itinerary: New Bedford, MA – Vineyard Haven, MA – Nantucket, MA – night underway – Transit canal during Cape Cod Canal Centennial – Provincetown, MA – Boston, MA

Week 3: July 27 – August 2
Boston, MA – Portsmouth, NH (no overnight sailing)
Ages 12-14 years (Middle School)
Itinerary: Boston – Provincetown – Stellwagen Bank – Jeffreys Ledge – Isle of Shoals – Portsmouth

Week 4: August 3 – August 9
Portsmouth, NH – Boston, MA (overnight sailing included)
Ages: 15-18 years (High School)
Itinerary: Portsmouth, NH – Jeffrey’s Ledge – Stellwagen Bank – night underway – Provincetown – Boston Harbor Islands - Boston

Week 5: August 10 – August 16
Boston, MA – New Bedford, MA (overnight sailing included)
Ages: 12-14 years (Middle School)
Itinerary: Boston – Boston Harbor Islands – Stellwagen Bank – Provincetown – night underway – New Bedford

Week 6: August 17 – August 23
New Bedford, MA – Newport, RI (overnight sailing included)
Ages: 15-18 years (High School)
Itinerary: New Bedford – Vineyard Haven – night underway – Tarpaulin Cove – Sakonnet River - Newport

Week 7: August 24 – August 30
Newport, RI – Greenport, NY (overnight sailing included)
Ages: 12-14 years (Middle School)
Itinerary: Newport – Dutch Island – Block Island – night underway – Mystic – Greenport

Call +1 401-841-0080 or visit www.ohpri.org/summer-camp for information and a reservation form. And don’t forget to start your adventure early by joining the Facebook/OHPRI family. Information outlining the history of SSV Oliver Hazard Perry and all of its Education at Sea opportunities can be found at www.ohpri.org.