Paul Cuffee middle school students learning to sail at the Herreshoff Seamanship Program
Five middle schoolers set sail in vintage Herreshoff 12 ½ foot sloops before the start of the new school year at the sailing school and marine museum in Bristol. For two weeks the students learned about sails, rudders, and wind direction, and applied their knowledge as they tacked and gybed across beautiful Bristol Harbor.
“I’d been sailing before at a summer camp,but this time we really learned how to sail, not just go out on the water,” 8th grader Mahogany exclaimed. “It was fun!”
For Cuffee students, being on board the 12 ½’s brought to reality the principles of boat design learned in their 5th grade maritime unit on boats, where they studied how buoyancy, stability, and speed influence hull and sail plan design.
Thanks to the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Cuffee students who would not otherwise have had this opportunity were able to attend the sailing school program.