Rose Ann and Chuck Points, owners of St. Augustine Sailing Enterprises, Inc. hosted students from Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) with on-board time on the water, a sailing and onsite classroom schedule, discussion groups, and demonstrations. Students attending the event on November 22 are blind and deafblind. The sailing company hosted the young people from elementary and middle school classes while incorporating the school’s Unique Learning System (ULS). ULS is a one‑of‑a‑kind program designed specifically to give students with complex learning needs meaningful access to a general education curriculum and a variety of life experiences. FSDB is located at 207 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine.
During activities, students departed on sailing vessels to learn about points of sail with hands on activities in tying different knots, leaning more about parts of the boat and their uses, among others. Each of the 17 students experienced a short time at the helm. Afterwards, an outdoor classroom discussion included customized, handheld scale models of sailboats with a full range of moving parts to learn key features of sailing. Also, knot tying instruction was included with small blocks, ropes and cleats given to which each student as a gift. A Q&A session and storytelling was also involved. All activities were held at St. Augustine Sailing headquarters, Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor.
According to Rose Ann Points, company crew members and area captains volunteered their time during all activities with one-on-one student instruction while working with teachers from the school. “Our companies continue to participate in helping children and adults learn how to sail and improve their abilities from beginners to seasoned sailors. The programs with students are some of the ways we give back to those who may never experience sailing. The techniques and the water provide an environment with wind and nature for anyone to enjoy,” she said. The Points also donate their time, fleet of sailing vessels, and expertise to fundraisers with St. Augustine Sailing Sisters and Betty Griffin Center, among others.
During the summer, St. Augustine Sailing also hosted the school’s Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) Summer Academy for nine-year-old through 16-year-old students who are blind/visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, or deafblind. In October, the Points hosted a program with Texas 635 and a peer supported weekend for law enforcement suffering from critical incident stress.
St. Augustine Sailing Enterprises serves the community as a certified American Sailing Association Training Facility with a well-maintained fleet of best-in-class sailboats from 21 to 45 feet at the harbor-front office located along the Intracoastal Waterway and Matanzas River, near historic downtown St. Augustine and Vilano Beach. All captains and instructors at the business are certified by the American Sailing Association and are United States Coast Guard (USCG) licensed.
As company owners and St. Augustine residents, Rose Ann and Chuck Points have been boating and sailing most of their lives. Rose Ann began her boating life in the Northwest cruising on the Columbia River on board a 27-foot powerboat during weekends and vacations on the water with her family. In 1996, she moved to Florida to live aboard a Morgan Out-Island Ketch with her three children for 13 years. She has sailed along the East coast from Maryland to the Tortuga and up the west side of Florida, spent about nine months traveling throughout the Bahamas, and time in the Caribbean such as Puerto Rico’s Spanish Virgin Island and British Virgin Island as well as other Caribbean locations.
Rose Ann has been associated with St Augustine Sailing for more than six years in a variety of positions and purchased the company with her husband Chuck in 2017. She holds a 50 GT United States Coast Guard masters license with Aux Sail Endorsement. She manages St. Augustine Sailing and the company’s various member clubs, the local SailTime franchise, and the new and used boat sales brokerage. Rose Ann founded a variety of team building programs and establishing a myriad of sailing activities. She established Women on the Water (WOW) to enhance the lives of women through education, practical application and access to sailing vessels, and to develop skills to sail with confidence. She is responsible for managing 10 employees, sales and marketing, administration and hiring.
Chuck Points has sailed Asia, Europe and a variety of different sailing environments from Lake Superior to the South China Sea. He has more than 20 years of sailing experience. In addition to holding a Masters 100 GT Captain License with an Aux Sailing Endorsement, he is a certified American Sailing Association Instructor. In 2007, he was named an ASA Outstanding Instructor of the Year. His passion for being on the water extends to being under the water as well. He is also a dive instructor and oversees all sailing operations at the company and serves as the main Delivery Captain. Chuck is a Vietnam war veteran and served in the U.S. Marines.
For more information on St. Augustine Sailing, call (904) 829-0648 or visit the website at www.sta-sail.com.
