May Day Bay Day (Sail the San Francisco Bay) Heartland Charter School

Registration window February 24, 10:00 a.m. -March 3, 7:00 p.m.

Explore San Francisco Bay on sailboats and take in the amazing views!

This educational sailing field trip on San Francisco Bay offers students an immersive, hands-on learning experience that blends water safety, applied physics, geography, teamwork, and communication.

Before boarding, students review essential safety practices, including proper use of a PFD (personal flotation device), sun protection, hydration, and appropriate sailing attire. They will learn about the proper use of safety equipment, such as a life sling, and review emergency VHF calls, including Mayday, Pan-Pan, and Sécurité. Once aboard, students practice proper boarding etiquette and identify key areas of the boat’s interior, including the saloon, galley, head, and berths. On deck, they learn the names and functions of essential boat parts: the hull (main body of the boat), keel (provides stability and prevents sideways drift), deck, lifelines, pulpits, stanchions, shrouds, chain plates, cabin house, cockpit, lazarette, compass/instruments, helm (tiller or wheel), rudder (steers the boat), mast, boom, boom vang, main sail, jib, halyards (raise sails), sheets (control sail angle), winch, cleats, dock lines, and fenders. Students practice tying knots such as the Figure 8, Cleat Hitch, Lark’s Head, and Bowline, reinforcing fine motor coordination and practical seamanship skills.

Underway, the Bay becomes a living laboratory for physics and geography. Students explore how wind direction and force generate lift across the curved surface of a sail, connecting directly to physics standards related to forces, motion, and energy transfer. They identify the points of sail (i.e. Close Haul, Close Reach, Beam Reach, Broad Reach, Run, and In Irons), and practice tacking versus gybing while responding to the captain’s commands, strengthening listening and speaking skills aligned with California Speaking and Listening standards (collaborative discussions, following multi-step instructions, and presenting information clearly). They analyze tides and currents unique to San Francisco Bay, observing how the moon's gravity influences water movement and how currents affect navigation. Physical Fitness Standards are addressed through active participation: hauling halyards, trimming sheets, balancing on deck, and coordinated crew movement develop muscular strength, endurance, balance, and teamwork. Geography standards are reinforced as students interpret nautical charts, identify landmarks, and understand how commercial vessels in narrow channels have right of way, applying real-world “Rules of the Road.” By the end of the experience, students not only understand sailing mechanics and safety, but also demonstrate effective communication, situational awareness, and applied scientific reasoning in an authentic maritime environment.

Please pack layers of clothes, lunch, water, sturdy shoes (NO BLACK SOLES), sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen. We may choose to stop at Angel Island. Starbucks and Best Western hotels are next door to the school.

Ticket cost:

• Students ages 7+$125.00
• Chaperones $125.00

*The price for tickets paid with a credit card will be slightly higher due to the Ticketbud processing fee.

Heartland events are designed for families to attend together. Students need to be accompanied by an adult chaperone. If your student will be attending with another family, please let the field trip host know. Chaperones must be the legal parent or 25 years and older. All chaperones must be healthy, ethical people with the skills to be responsible adult chaperones.

**To ensure the health and safety of all attendees, please do not attend a field trip or event if you, your student(s), or anyone in your household is ill or showing possible signs of illness.**

Please read our refund policy!

Refunds will not be given for any reason. Help us offer field trips and events to as many students as possible by only placing orders for field trips and events you are committed to attending. As a courtesy, if you are sick or unable to attend a field trip, please get in touch with the teacher who planned the event and let them know so they do not have to wait at the venue for you. * Families who are no-shows may lose access to future field trips.*

May I pay using my student's planning amount? Yes! You can pay for your student's ticket and one chaperone ticket with your student's planning amount. Reminder: Only one chaperone ticket per family may be purchased using planning amounts. There are two steps to purchase tickets for field trips with your student's planning amount.

Step 1. Reserve your ticket on Ticketbud. Please select the "Student ticket paid with planning amounts through Procurify" and or "Chaperone ticket paid with planning amounts through Procurify" ticket options on Ticketbud. Complete the checkout process on Ticketbud. You will receive an email confirmation from Ticketbud once your order is complete. (If you do not receive an email, please check your Spam folder.) This is the first step in reserving your tickets. Immediately after you receive confirmation from Ticketbud, proceed to step 2.

Step 2. Place an order for your tickets in Procurify. Search the name of this field trip in the Procurify catalog and complete your order just like you would for any other order. Your spot on this field trip will not be confirmed until you have placed your order in Procurify. Failure to place an order in Procurify within three days will result in removal from the attendee list and manual deduction of your funds.

What are the check-in procedures? Meet at the Afterguard office at 9 am. The teacher will be there. The sailing activity release forms will be emailed a week before, to be filled in and signed by students and parents, and returned via email two days before the trip

Does this trip have any grade or age restrictions? Students must be at least 7 years old to attend. Due to limited space, only one chaperone per family is allowed.

Is there on-site parking available? Free parking on-site.

Can we pack snacks or lunch for this event or field trip? Yes. Bring your own snacks, water, lunch, etc.

How do I contact the event organizer?

Name: Robert Osak

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 5594291713

You must have a student enrolled at Heartland Charter School to attend this event. We verify enrollment for all attendees.