Sail Nauticus is the nonprofit community sailing arm of the Nauticus maritime museum on the downtown Norfolk waterfront, running seven weeks of summer camps that pair sailing on the Elizabeth River with hands-on STEM work. Maritime Explorers takes ages 8-12 with no experience needed and mixes science experiments with learn-to-sail; Sail Voyagers is an advanced sailing week for ages 11-14; FloatLab is an engineering camp for ages 12-16 in which campers use CAD/CAM and a CNC machine to build and float-test their own eight-foot boat; and an Instructor-In-Training week for ages 14-17 works toward US Sailing certification. Every camp week now includes an optional overnight aboard the historic Battleship Wisconsin on the final Friday, with dinner and breakfast provided, at no extra charge for the camper. All camp proceeds support the Nauticus Foundation.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Sail Nauticus directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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★★★★★Scott MckinleyA great downtown location, offering beautiful boats with colorful sails and great people. The program is well run, and there’s quite a bit of river to explore within the confines of where you’re allowed to sail. It almost makes you wonder about renaming Norfolk the “Vacation Village!
★★★★★Alex JacobNauticus has a great fleet of boats and is very welcoming. Their platform is optimized for all levels of sailors and has appropriate rules for safety in place for all.
★★★★★S ChapmanI have been a member of Sail Nauticus for over 10 years! It is a fantastic sailing center with a great community. There are opportunities everyday for everyone! Clinics races, social events, and leisurely sails all year! Come and enjoy sailing on the River!
★★★★★Jo SandlinWarm and welcoming to this newbie to sailing. Lots of encouragement to this 68 year old, just now learning how to sail. Many scheduled events that are inclusive. Great value!
★★★★★Nate LaymanThe Sail Nauticus team was awesome. Our company leadership team did a teambuilding event where we learned to sail together, and it was our best meeting yet. Great team building takeaways, amazing instruction, and we all walked away knowing how to sail! We will certainly be back. Knowledgeable and passionate crew over there.