Like a lot of successful organizations Spectrum Sailing was born modestly—out of necessity in Charleston, SC. Founder Scott Herman was looking for a sailing program for his son who is on the autism spectrum.
Like a lot of successful organizations Spectrum Sailing was born modestly—out of necessity in Charleston, SC. Founder Scott Herman was looking for a sailing program for his son who is on the autism spectrum. None of the local programs were equipped to provide him instruction. So, Scott started his own camp. That first local camp in 2017 had a capacity of 10 sailors. Seventy applied. This pointed out that the Herman family was not alone.
“From the very start, I wanted to build a program where we really do hold a camp,” said Herman. “These kids aren’t the ones who get picked to be on the school team. They don’t have drawers full of team shirts. These kids spend almost every day with their parents who are constantly looking for new things for them to try. So, for three days, these kids spend time with camp friends. They tie knots. They laugh at stupid camp jokes. And while they do that, maybe their parents get a break.”
The camps are staffed by a combination of Spectrum Sailing leadership and sailing instructors from the host clubs who receive advance training in working with kids on the spectrum. On each boat there’s a second adult volunteer, some of whom travel long distances to provide the help. Local sailors sometimes lend their boats to take parents out to watch. It’s more than a boat ride. By the end of the third day the kids are sailing the boats. The instructors are riding along.
In 2024 ten camps have been held from Newport Beach, CA to Portland, ME and from Holland, MI, to Houston, TX—each one was fully-subscribed. More than 400 campers experienced sailing this year. Over 100 volunteers pitched in. In 2025 more growth is planned. The biggest challenge continues to be how to scale the camp initiative to fill the demand. For every camper accommodated, at least three must be turned away.
“Harken joined as a national sponsor of Spectrum Sailing in 2023. We’ve watched how Spectrum Sail campers come in on day one as halting first timers sometimes not wanting to leave their parents, and leave after the camp picture on day three feeling like they’ve discovered something they didn’t know they had inside,” said Harken CEO, Bill Goggins. “The expression on these campers’ faces is precisely the same one you see from any first-time sailor old or young who has experienced sailing’s magic. ‘I can do this. I got in a boat; I did this and it was really fun.’ That expression shows how, being exposed to sailing can be life-changing,” said Goggins.
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