Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Andrew Kettman (left) and Derek Doyle learn to put up a sail during sailing lessons at Lexington Reservoir.

Summertime sailors head to Lexington Reservoir

By Miriam Eljas

Parents who are tired of entertaining their children this summer need not look any further than the water. De Anza College and the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department have created a sailing day camp for children ages 12 to 15.

"It is difficult to find an activity to please this age group. Sailing happens to be appealing and fun," said day camp director Charles Dougherty.

"One mother told me that she was having difficulty finding something that her son would enjoy. She tricked him into coming to the lake by saying they were going somewhere else. At first he was not so thrilled, but by the end of the day he was sold."

Dougherty trains campers in sailing fundamentals through week-long sessions at Lexington Reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The program runs through the summer, ending the week of Aug. 17.

It has taken Dougherty four years to get this program off its feet. Dougherty originally designed the sailing program through a research project for De Anza College, which he felt needed diversity.

Dougherty obtained his captain's license through the U.S. Coast Guard--a long process that now enables him to sail anything up to 100 tons, the weight of a ferry. He is also an instructor examiner for the U.S. Coast Guard, where he trains officers in Honolulu.

Last summer Dougherty held the first sailing class ever at Lexington Reservoir and received an enthusiastic response, he said. This past spring he pulled together De Anza's first sailing education course. He hopes to create a maritime studies division there as well.

Although bad weather systems due to El Niño may have scared potential sailors away from Lexington, Dougherty hopes to attract more interest with the current warm weather.

In the summer program, campers learn how to manage sailboats as well as kayaks and pedal boats. Dougherty and his assistant director Chris May, a physical education instructor at De Anza and San Jose State University, educate students on boat handling, rigging, navigation and other sailing skills. On land, campers learn about their environment in order to better understand their surroundings.

Students are also trained in safety techniques that include water rescue, CPR and first aid. This includes capsizing a sailboat and learning how to right the craft in case of emergency. Teamwork is also stressed, as students must coordinate how to handle the two-person boats.

Before participating in the program, campers must pass a swim test that includes floating for three minutes as well as swimming 100 yards.

Campers meet Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is provided, along with a barbecue on Thursdays, when the students sail to Miller's Point, on the east shore of the reservoir, and beach their boats for a picnic. On Wednesdays the group usually hikes into the hills on a nature walk for a unique perspective of the reservoir. Dougherty also teaches campers about the history of and animal life in the area.

Last year Dougherty manned a boating booth at the reservoir through which he rented boats and gave lessons to 400 people. He said he hopes to stimulate interest in boating and plans to create sailing competitions on the high school and collegiate level.

"The rangers have been very supportive in getting this program up and running. Its a very tough job for them, and they've helped us get the public more involved," Dougherty said.

For more information on the Lexington Lake County Park Sailing Program, call Dougherty at 864-8645.

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