Fair Haven River Rats Prepare To Set Sail For The Summer Season

FAIR HAVEN, NJ — The Fair Haven River Rats, a 70-year-old non-profit educational sailing organization on the Navesink River, is gearing up for the summer sailing season and calling for kids, adults and families to join them.

The local organization, which is not a traditional yacht club, offers junior as well as adult sailing lessons.

Over the years, thousands of people from all walks of life have learned to navigate the waters, officials said.

David Downie, a Fair Haven resident and trustee of the organization whose children learned to sail at River Rats, said the group is fully volunteer-run.

“There is a tremendous amount of work involved with operating and maintaining River Rats,” Downie said. “But I am rewarded each summer when I see gleeful youngsters cheerfully riding their bikes past my house to River Rats for their day of sailing instruction.”

Downie added that the organization stands out because multiple generations of families have learned to sail together there, and many stay involved.

“There is no better place in the area where children and adults can learn to sail in a fun, comfortable and collaborative environment with sweeping views of the Navesink River,” Downie said.

Students who excel in the River Rats' youth program can later become instructors when they turn 14 years old.

Registration for youth sailing is available at Junior Training Signup - River Rats Inc. There are still a few spots available for the upcoming season.

"River Rats operates on the concept that everyone can benefit from learning to sail," officials said.

Taught by seasoned sailor J.P. Polubiec, adult sailing classes combine textbook learning with on-the-water practice sessions, allowing students to gain valuable 'hands-on' experience with River Rats-owend boats.

The first sailing class begins on Saturday, June 13, with subsequent sessions on 6/20 and 6/13. Orientation is on June 6. More sessions will be scheduled depending on demand.

Each class will have a classroom session and an on-the-water session. The classroom session covers basic sailing theory and nomenclature, including parts of a sailboat, rigging, how to make a sailboat sail, and basic knots.

The on-the-water sessions provide hands-on experience and include rigging and unrigging, trimming sails, the different points of sail, time at the helm, and approaching a mooring and a dock.

Polubiec noted that sailing is an excellent way to develop
confidence, improve communication skills, thrive in changing environments, power through challenges and assume a leadership role.

“Sailing is inherently collaborative,” Polubiec said. “Even at the beginner level, it depends on communication, trust, and shared effort.”

He praised the River Rats program for emphasizing intentional, inclusive and ego-free learning.

Registration for adult sailing is available at Adult Sailing Program - River Rats Inc.

For more information on the programs offered by River Rats, you can visit their website, riverratssailing.org.