Saltwater Veterans

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Saltwater Veterans

💛⚓️💙Our social network of veterans & their families who use sailing to be physically and mentally active 💛⚓️💙

17/06/2026

SYDNEY HEADS | Spinnaker and whale tails at dusk! 🐋⛵️🌅

Why?

Today we set ourselves a real-world mission — sail beyond Sydney Heads in search of whales.

With light winds and calm conditions, it provided the perfect training opportunity to develop symmetrical spinnaker skills in an operational environment rather than simply sailing around Hunters Bay.

By combining a practical objective with sail training, participants were able to build confidence in spinnaker hoists, trims, gybes and recoveries while experiencing the incredible wildlife and scenery that makes sailing offshore so special.

Activities like this demonstrate how sailing creates opportunities for learning, teamwork, adventure and connection — all while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of being out on the water.

And as an added bonus, the whales didn’t disappoint. 🐋💛⚓️💙

16/06/2026

PITTWATER | Paula representing the Saltwater Veterans crew at the Sail Her Way Racing Instructor Development Day at RPAYC. ⛵️💙

Why?

Because strong instructors create strong communities.

By investing in the development of our instructors, we’re improving the quality, safety and consistency of the experiences we provide to veterans and their families. Every new skill, coaching technique and lesson learned has a flow-on effect to the people we support on and around the water.

Programs like Sail Her Way also help increase female participation, confidence and leadership in sailing, creating more opportunities for women to progress from learning to sail through to racing, coaching and mentoring others.

For SVSP, instructor development is about much more than sailing. It builds capability within our community, creates pathways for participation, and helps ensure veterans and families continue to have access to welcoming, supportive and professionally delivered programs.

Thanks Paula for flying the SVSP flag and continuing to invest in the future of our community. 💛⚓️💙

VeteranWellbeing WomenInSailing AustralianSailing CommunityThroughSailing

15/06/2026

Nice hat 💛⚓️💙

11/06/2026

CLEAN BOTTOM | The unseen side of keeping SALT-E-7 moving efficiently through the water — cleaning the hull and checking below the waterline for serviceability.

A good excuse to dust off some long-unused skills from a previous life. ⚓️

Why

⚓ A clean hull improves performance, handling, and fuel efficiency

⚓ Regular inspections help identify damage, wear, or maintenance issues before they become bigger problems

⚓ Preventative maintenance reduces operating costs and keeps our community asset available for more veterans and families

⚓ Looking after the boat together builds ownership, skills, and connection within the SVSP community

-E7

10/06/2026

MIDDLE HARBOUR | Wednesday arvo pursuit racing on SALT-E-7. ⚓️

Why

⚓ Psychosocial integration into the wider sailing community creates connections, friendships, and opportunities beyond the veteran community

⚓ Club racing provides a natural next step beyond coursework, helping participants continue developing their skills in a supportive environment

⚓ Regular racing builds confidence, teamwork, decision-making, and on-water experience

⚓ It creates a pathway from learning to lifelong participation in sailing

For many of our crew, racing is the carrot that keeps them progressing after completing their courses — turning qualifications into meaningful, ongoing involvement in the sailing community.

09/06/2026

TEAM EFFORT | The less glamorous side of boat ownership is the maintenance. ⚓️ Yesterday’s re-waterproofing (sika-flexing) the screws that secure the traveler-track to the deck.

Behind every sail, regatta, course and social connection is a lot of work that happens before and after the fun begins.

Why is this important?

⚓️ Working together builds community – maintenance days create opportunities to connect, share stories, and spend time alongside fellow veterans, families and supporters.

⚓️ Many hands make light work – every hour volunteered helps reduce operational costs, allowing more of our fundraising and sponsorship support to go directly towards activities, scholarships and participant opportunities.

⚓️ Learn and share skills – as an SVSP community asset, our boats provide a great opportunity to develop practical skills, learn from others, and pass on knowledge and experience.

⚓️ Keeping our fleet safe and reliable – regular maintenance helps ensure our vessels remain fit for purpose, safe, and ready to support the next adventure on the water.

A huge thank you to everyone who lends a hand, whether it’s sanding, polishing, repairing, cleaning, towing, rigging, or simply turning up with a positive attitude. Every contribution matters. 💛⚓️💙

06/06/2026

CRONULLA | Weekend winter, social racing ⚓️….and the shorts still being rocked here in Sydney!

Great to see our Cronulla crew continuing to grow, with regular sailing opportunities and increasing veteran participation through Cronulla Sailing Club.

Why?

Building partnerships and MOUs with local clubs creates a win-win outcome for both veterans and the sailing community. SVSP provides the “soft landing” through introductory courses, training, mentoring, and supported participation, helping veterans build confidence before connecting them with welcoming local clubs for ongoing sailing opportunities.

What’s particularly rewarding is seeing veterans who have come through that pathway then invite and support other veterans to do the same, creating a sustainable cycle of connection, participation, and community growth.

This is exactly how we strengthen both veteran wellbeing and grassroots sailing—one sailor at a time. 💛⚓️💙

05/06/2026

MIDDLE HARBOUR | Good laughs, great learning, and plenty of time on the helm during tonight’s Start Crewing & Helming session aboard SALT-E-7 at MHYC. ⚓️

Why?

Sailing is one of those activities that naturally combines connection, challenge, and mindfulness. Every session builds confidence, develops practical skills, and creates opportunities for veterans, families, and supporters to learn together in a supportive environment.

Whether you’re stepping aboard for the first time or refining existing skills, it’s all about getting people on the water, building capability, and strengthening community.

💛⚓️💙

03/06/2026

MIDDLE HARBOUR | Paying It Forward | Today we ran our Start Crewing and Start Skippering courses out of Middle Harbour Yacht Club aboard SALT-E-7.

A huge shout out to Pirate Pete. As a military veteran and Start Skippering candidate himself, Pete jumped straight in to support the Start Crewing participants, taking them through points of sail, rigging the boat, outboard motor operation, and then heading out into Hunter’s Bay for some practical tacking and gybing.

The weather was certainly zesty at times, but Pete handled everything in his stride.

One of the most rewarding parts of the day was watching someone who only entered the sport around a year ago now stepping up to mentor and support other veterans on their sailing journey.

**Why this matters**

Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project is built on veterans supporting veterans. Today’s course was a great example of how confidence, skills, and experience are passed from one generation of participants to the next. What starts as someone simply turning up for a sail can grow into leadership, mentoring, volunteering, and creating opportunities for others.

Watching Pete pay it forward is exactly the kind of community we are trying to build.

Stay Salty 💛⚓️💙

02/06/2026

MANLY | Awesome to share a sail with long-time supporter and friend of SVSP, from Young Veterans. 💛⚓️💙

Why this matters

have been strong supporters of SVSP since our foundation days. Their encouragement, advice, and willingness to back what we were trying to build helped us keep moving forward during the challenging early years.

They also reinforced an important lesson for us — that when one organisation helps another, the positive impact flows far beyond the initial act of support.

That experience inspired us to keep the karma rolling forward and look for opportunities to support other veteran organisations, including wherever we can.

Veterans supporting veterans. Organisations supporting organisations. Stronger together.

VeteranCommunity

Address

Hudson Parade
Sydney, NSW
2107

Website

http://saltwaterveterans.org/

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