September 08, 2021
Sailing on Copano Bay
Written by: Angel Alcala, Activity Leader, and Bianca Hernandez, Development Associate
Our 27 acres on Copano Bay is our most unique feature, and sailing is a fun addition to many of our partners’ programming. Many of our campers sail for the very first time at Camp Aranzazu! Though it’s an exciting and brand new experience, our activity leaders use their hours and hours of skipper training to help our campers and partners have fun and feel at ease out on the bay! Our sailing program is a great way to experience our waterfront property and safely spend time with others outside.
And thanks to the generosity of the Moody Endowment, we have been able to expand our adaptive sailing program to more than just the summer camping sessions! Make sure you’re following us on Instagram and Facebook to find updates for opportunities to participate in our sailing program in our off-season!
You can read what Angel, a veteran activity leader, has to say about sailing at Camp Aranzazu:
“When out sailing on Copano Bay, you never know what to expect. Are the pelicans going to fly beside your boat? Are the jellyfish going to be on top of the water? Are the dolphins going to catch your waves and swim alongside you (my personal favorite)!!? Copano Bay is such a beautiful resource at Camp Aranzazu, and sailing provides us with so many natural opportunities to teach our campers. Exposing campers to different types of wildlife out in their own habitats and being out in the open water has so many therapeutic benefits for them. Prior to my time at Camp Aranzazu, I had no sailing experience. Even though I’m a Rockport native, I had never before been on a sailboat. Something that surprised me the most about sailing was how up close and personal the wildlife gets to the sailboat. I’ll say it again — you can even spot dolphins if you’re lucky!
Some campers are so relaxed while out on the bay that they take a few moments to rest and enjoy the waves while their skipper brings them back to dock safely. I have to say my favorite part about sailing is the conversations we get to have with the campers while out on the water. Some of our campers use this time to be vulnerable and share their life story — that’s a special gift that I am always honored to accept.”
