The State of RI and the Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the Department of Health and the CDC have issued regulations and guidance related to youth summer camps. Below are some of the major components for youth camps.
- The Sailing Center is currently closed for Open Recreation
- Summer Camps June 26 to Aug 17, 2023
- Participants can be in groups no larger than fifteen, which includes counselors.
- These stable groups must not mix with other groups or come within 14’ of other stable groups.
- Social distancing and the wearing of a face mask is not required within these stable groups.
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting should be practiced.
- Screening protocols will be done daily for staff and participants.
- Summer camps will register and apply to the State for approval to open.
Points of Information
Weekly Schedule In the past, our camps have traditionally been held for two weeks on Monday through Thursdays and either a morning or afternoon session. Summer camps were also reduced to less than 15 people in a group and we decided on 12 students with 3 instructors for safety. Our normal classes have over 25 students. To provide more opportunities for our community, we shifted the sessions to all day and limited the classes to one week, Monday through Thursday. Our programming will focus on all the youth camps we normally hold each summer, but classes will be modified. Our commitment to fun, safe learning at a value will remain!
One Week Camps, Monday – Thursday:
Youth Beginner (ages 8-17) 9:00am – 3:00pm
Youth Intermediate (ages 12-17) 9:30am – 3:30pm,
2-Days a Week Camps:
Watersports: Paddle/Kayak, Monday & Wednesday
(ages 8-16) 10:00am – 12:30pm,
Tadpole, Tuesday & Thursday
(ages 6-7) 10:00am – 12:30pm,
Registration will be online only this year due to current campus restrictions.
Online RegistrationLunch Procedure Students and staff will wash hands before lunch. Students will spread out in Marina Park next to the building and across the street from the URI Sailing Center where more shade is located. Staff will monitor students and manage social distancing as necessary. Students/staff will not wear facemasks while eating but will wear when done eating. After lunch and before returning to their boats, students and staff will wash hands.
Beginner lunch block 11:45am – 12:20pm
Intermediate lunch block 12:20pm – 12:50pm
Use of Bathrooms Bathrooms inside the Sailing Center will be used as needed. Bathrooms will be cleaned each morning, after groups go out on the water, after the lunch break, and at the end of the day. Additional cleaning will occur as needed. Staff will use Genesan GeneFect #7 disinfectant cleaner to clean all surfaces in the bathrooms. This product is approved by the EPA as a hospital-grade heavy-duty disinfectant.
Hand Washing Students and staff will wash hands often throughout the day. Soap and water will be available as well as hand sanitizer. Hand washing will occur after arriving at camp, before heading out on the water, before lunch, after lunch, and after coming off the water before departure. Hand sanitizer stations will be located at each entrance and exit doors on both levels of the sailing center.
Building Cleaning/Sanitization The Sailing Center staff will clean the building before students arrive. The staff will then clean the building before lunch and after lunch. At the end of the day, the staff will clean the building. Dedicated staff will clean the building throughout the day and high touch surface much more frequently. Genesan GeneFect #7 disinfectant cleaner will be used on all high touch surfaces. On Friday morning, the Sailing Center staff will deep clean/sanitize the building after each week of the youth sailing program. URI Housekeeping will aid in this deep cleaning process on a weekly basis.
Use of Masks/Gaiters Students and staff will wear masks while on land. Masks can be removed when on the water. Masks are not encouraged on the water for safety reasons. If a coach boat does come alongside a student boat, masks will be required.
Personal Flotation Devices (PFD’s) Students will be encouraged to purchase their own US Coast Guard Approved Type III PFD. If a student uses one of the Sailing Center’s PFD’s, the student will bring it home each night and return with the PFD the following morning. After the class ends on Thursday, the PFD’s will be sanitized using soap and water and then Genesan GeneFect #7 disinfectant cleaner. The PFD’s will then air dry for 72 hours before they are used again, as recommended by PFD manufacturers.
Social Distancing Social Distancing will occur with staggered start times, lunch times and dismissal times. Stable groups are required to stay more than 14’ from other stable groups. While on land for lunch, students will eat six feet apart and not use their masks. Whenever possible social distancing will occur even though it is not a requirement within a stable group of 15.
Boats and Equipment All students and staff will be assigned their own boat and sailing gear for the week. This will limit other students from sharing equipment
Building Traffic Chart Building traffic flow will be controlled by arrows on the floor to show direction. Each level will have one door marked entry and one door mark exit. A staff member will monitor this activity.
Student Gear Students will be required to bring many of the same items as usual which include sunscreen, hats, swim-suit, rash guard shirt, and sun-glasses if required. As we are a full-day camp, students are required to bring their lunch and should pack extra water. It is recommended to bring a gallon of water each day.
Classroom Learning In an effort to reduce the use of inside classroom space, classes will be held outdoors as much as possible. Portable whiteboards will be used to help demonstrate the sailing theory. Simulators will be used to help further knowledge.
Class size Beginner and Intermediate classes will be reduced to twelve students in each class. Kids paddleboard/kayaking will have ten students enrolled per class. The Tadpole sailors, which are our youngest sailors, will only have six kids since they are higher maintenance and require additional management.
Inclement Weather Policy The Sailing Center is not able to handle multiple groups that are required to be socially stable and not mix with other groups. If the weather prevents sailing, parents will need to be on standby to pick up students and bring them home. Since inclement weather usually does not last all day, we will do our best to communicate with parents to have them return for the remainder of the day. All sign-in screenings will be redone.
Refund Policy Participants may request refunds before the class starts. Once the session has started and a student has attended one class, refunds will not be provided. Refunds related to Covid-19 will be granted.
Visitors/Adult Recreation Visitors will have access to the building restricted to prevent the spread of germs. A visitor’s log will be maintained for contract tracing. Adult Open Recreation will not overlap any of the youth programming from Monday to Thursday to prevent access to the stable youth groups who have different guidelines than adults.
Sailing Protocols During COVID -19 The University of Rhode Island Sailing Center continues to hold the health and safety of its students, staff, and community members as its highest priority. To maintain that priority, everyone’s cooperation and compliance will be necessary for the sailing center to remain open, offering much needed outdoor time in structured activities.
Personal Protective Equipment and Hygiene
Face Masks, Gloves, and Uniforms
- All Staff will be wearing face masks at all times on land
- Instructors will not be wearing facemasks while teaching on water
- Sailors will not be wearing face masks in the boats but will need to wear a face mask on land at all times.
- Gloves will be worn when providing first aid.
- Gloves will be worn while cleaning.
- Clean masks must be used at each shift.
- Uniforms must be washed between each shift.
Physical Distancing Staff and/or participants do not need to social distance according to RI Camp Guidelines. When appropriate we will social distance at least 6 feet apart while at the facility. Staff and patrons need to follow the flow patterns set by facilities in order to minimize contamination. Enforce the flow patterns with the students for entering and exiting the sailing center. Enter, exit and traverse the facility as directed.
Sharing of Equipment Equipment will not be shared but will be assigned. This includes Personal Floatation Devices and boats.