Family Week - Island Service and Boats!
Wednesday August 26 - Saturday August 29, 2026
Enjoy three nights and four days of community island service projects as well as rowing and sailing a Bantry Bay gig and other small craft while camping on Greens Island, Maine. This is an intergenerational community program designed for those who wish to be part of a community in honing or learning new skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere! Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Our goal for this week is to work together as a community on and off the water. On the island, we will make the property we use even more beautiful, enjoyable, and functional. This will include light construction projects, maintaining trails, cleaning up the beaches, and light boat maintenance. On the water, we will row and sail our Bantry Bay gigs and other small craft in proximity to Greens Island.
With guidance from AC USA instructors, participants will be invited to rotate through a range roles to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync. On land, you may lead or assist in an island service project.
Instruction, all meals, and safety equipment will be provided (you will need to bring child sized lifejackets. We only have adult sized ones). If you have tools (battery operated and hand tools) we may ask you to bring them along once the details of each project are clarified.
Typical Daily Schedule:
Activities will be adjusted in accordance to the weather and needs of the community. We may choose to visit a nearby island on one or two of the days during the day, too.
**Optional activity
6:30am Gather to stretch**
7-7:30am Light Morning Row**
7:45-8am Morning Dip** walking in from a beach (required for all participants on the first day to assess comfort in the water, then will be optional for the following days)
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea (all are expected to be present at all meal times to check in/stay updated with the plans)
9:30am Clean up, group chores, and personal time.
10:30am Gather to do island service projects. There may be an activity for the children with an accompanying adult during an island service time period such as visiting the flat quarry (rocky playground), or a beach.
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail OR continue on a group island project depending on the weather and the group's interests.**
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, or songs and tunes.
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
On Wednesday August 26, we will take the 10:30am ferry from Rockland to Vinalhaven, then a short power boat ride to Greens Island. On Saturday August 29, we will return on the 2:45pm ferry, arriving in Rockland at 4pm.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Maximum group size 24 people. All ages.
Wednesday August 26 - Saturday August 29, 2026
Enjoy three nights and four days of community island service projects as well as rowing and sailing a Bantry Bay gig and other small craft while camping on Greens Island, Maine. This is an intergenerational community program designed for those who wish to be part of a community in honing or learning new skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere! Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Our goal for this week is to work together as a community on and off the water. On the island, we will make the property we use even more beautiful, enjoyable, and functional. This will include light construction projects, maintaining trails, cleaning up the beaches, and light boat maintenance. On the water, we will row and sail our Bantry Bay gigs and other small craft in proximity to Greens Island.
With guidance from AC USA instructors, participants will be invited to rotate through a range roles to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync. On land, you may lead or assist in an island service project.
Instruction, all meals, and safety equipment will be provided (you will need to bring child sized lifejackets. We only have adult sized ones). If you have tools (battery operated and hand tools) we may ask you to bring them along once the details of each project are clarified.
Typical Daily Schedule:
Activities will be adjusted in accordance to the weather and needs of the community. We may choose to visit a nearby island on one or two of the days during the day, too.
**Optional activity
6:30am Gather to stretch**
7-7:30am Light Morning Row**
7:45-8am Morning Dip** walking in from a beach (required for all participants on the first day to assess comfort in the water, then will be optional for the following days)
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea (all are expected to be present at all meal times to check in/stay updated with the plans)
9:30am Clean up, group chores, and personal time.
10:30am Gather to do island service projects. There may be an activity for the children with an accompanying adult during an island service time period such as visiting the flat quarry (rocky playground), or a beach.
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail OR continue on a group island project depending on the weather and the group's interests.**
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, or songs and tunes.
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
On Wednesday August 26, we will take the 10:30am ferry from Rockland to Vinalhaven, then a short power boat ride to Greens Island. On Saturday August 29, we will return on the 2:45pm ferry, arriving in Rockland at 4pm.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Maximum group size 24 people. All ages.
Atlantic Challenge USA Sliding Scale:
Our sliding scale reflects the belief that financial resources, including income, should not be the sole determining factor in accessing our program. Participants with greater financial means who are able to contribute at a higher level help make the program more accessible to others. We offer three sliding-scale tuition rates based on household annual income. Please select the rate that best reflects your current financial capacity. Choosing a higher rate, when possible, directly supports participants who require additional assistance. If the number of reduced-rate requests exceeds available funds, we will work together to fundraise to ensure the program can move forward.
Payment covers: insurance, meals, instruction, equipment (boats, first aid kits, life jackets for adults, tools, toilet paper, first aid kits, cooking supplies, etc), boat fuel and ferry tickets.
Baseline Rate –– Per Adult: $300, Per Child: $150
Supportive Rate –– Per Adult: $360, Per Child: $180
Reduced Rate –– Per Adult: $240, Per Child: $120
Our sliding scale reflects the belief that financial resources, including income, should not be the sole determining factor in accessing our program. Participants with greater financial means who are able to contribute at a higher level help make the program more accessible to others. We offer three sliding-scale tuition rates based on household annual income. Please select the rate that best reflects your current financial capacity. Choosing a higher rate, when possible, directly supports participants who require additional assistance. If the number of reduced-rate requests exceeds available funds, we will work together to fundraise to ensure the program can move forward.
Payment covers: insurance, meals, instruction, equipment (boats, first aid kits, life jackets for adults, tools, toilet paper, first aid kits, cooking supplies, etc), boat fuel and ferry tickets.
Baseline Rate –– Per Adult: $300, Per Child: $150
Supportive Rate –– Per Adult: $360, Per Child: $180
Reduced Rate –– Per Adult: $240, Per Child: $120
Work trade, and limited financial aid is available.
Please email us about work-trade opportunities. Or please fill out this financial aid form.
Cancellation:
Atlantic Challenge USA reserves the right to cancel programs in cases of changes in the weather, emergency, low enrollment, or other circumstances. In the event of program cancellation, all tuition and deposits will be refunded.
If you need to cancel, please email us no later than one month before your program start date.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal between 9:30 - 10am on Wednesday August 26 to take the 10:30am ferry to Vinalhaven.
Please email us about work-trade opportunities. Or please fill out this financial aid form.
Cancellation:
Atlantic Challenge USA reserves the right to cancel programs in cases of changes in the weather, emergency, low enrollment, or other circumstances. In the event of program cancellation, all tuition and deposits will be refunded.
If you need to cancel, please email us no later than one month before your program start date.
- Cancellations 1 month or more before the start date: Refund of tuition minus the $250 deposit.
- Cancellations within 1 month of the start date: Refund of 50% of tuition minus the $250 deposit.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal between 9:30 - 10am on Wednesday August 26 to take the 10:30am ferry to Vinalhaven.
