The Marshall Girls Sail It Forward

Three sisters. Our family's first sailors. A whole new world of possibilities.

Our family has always loved being on the water. My husband is a boater, but sailing was something entirely new to us. When our three girls joined the Junior Sailing Program at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, we had no idea just how much the experience would mean to them—or to our family.

They became our family's very first sailors!

They learned how to tie knots, handle their boats, read the wind, and, perhaps most importantly, duck when the boom came swinging their way!

But what they learned went far beyond sailing.

They discovered that sometimes the hardest things turn out to be the most fun. That it's okay to be frustrated, to make mistakes, and to not get something right the first time. Sometimes you just have to push through the hard part, figure it out, and try again.

They learned independence, confidence, teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance. They learned to trust themselves, make decisions, and keep going when things didn't come easily. And somewhere along the way, they discovered the incredible feeling of doing something they once thought they couldn't.

As parents, watching our girls develop those skills was priceless. Sailing gave them an opportunity to grow in ways we couldn't have taught them ourselves, and we're incredibly grateful for the instructors, volunteers, and everyone who makes this program possible.

Now It's Our Turn to Sail It Forward!

The wooden Optimist sailboats that helped teach our girls have introduced thousands of children to sailing. They've served generations of young sailors, but it's time to build the next fleet.

We're raising money to help replace the aging boats so that the next generation of kids can experience the same challenges, triumphs, laughter, and life-changing lessons our girls did.

Our girls were given an incredible opportunity. Now we want to help give that opportunity to someone else's children.

Whether you give $10, $25, $50, or more, every contribution helps us get closer to putting the next generation of sailors on the water.

Help the Marshall Girls sail it forward!