week seven?

Regrettably week seven's pictures and video are on Amanda's computer which doesn't work. Check back and hopefully we'll get them up soon.

Week Nine

This was a bittersweet week considering it was my last at boating camp. The weather couldn't have been better, although the wind was a bit shifty. There were only four campers at camp this week which reminded me of when I started working at the camp when we had a week with only one kid. But we had lots of visitors throughout the week: Olivia, Sasha, Lilian, Sarah, Eva, Liz, and Kirstin. Hope everyone had a good time and that I'll see you all out on the water someday soon!

Week Eight

This was one of those weeks where it was cloudy and windless throughout the day but then right when everyone is going home it got sunny and windy. However we still got in some good sailing and lots of good capture the flag. Special thanks to Marina and Forrest for the extra help this week. Not that many photos but we got plenty of good videos, enjoy!

Week Six (the week where is reached 103!)

Here are Amanda's clues for the treasure hunt:

Our sweet Seattle summer has never been hotter
This week was filled with frequent trips to the water
Little did you know while you sailed around
We buried a treasure near Queen City grounds
We’re the pirates of sunshine, ice cream and good fun
Where do you throw your lunch when you’re done?

Samantha likes swimming in and out of the tides
Like a surfer girl, those big waves she rides
After we return she uses a different room
To change out of wet swimsuits as 3:00 does loom
Where is this place that smells of sweet scents and dew?
Boys don’t try to enter; girls run to the next clue!

Don’t give Janelle glasses, or from them you will part
Her gentle nature and grass hats can melt anyone’s heart
Jessica and Stella ARE VERY DIFFERENT, Kiel
You should be able to realize, it’s been quite a while
Although they enjoy turning Amanda’s hair green
Of this here yacht club, they are the real queens
Jessica wears glasses (oops, not anymore ☺)
While Stella picks blackberries, and seldom does roar
Jessica asks questions, and hopes to learn lots
Her eyes always fill with wondrous thoughts
Footsteps on carpets are dirty messes to fear
Take off your shoes! The next clue lies near

The dangerous world of mafia is David’s secret pleasure
For him this game is the real treasure
He loves to jump off the dock into the lake
With Carlos and Grant, great sailors they make
Smoothly commandeering the seven seas
Without glasses even! Yet he does it with ease
When we go to the arboretum, Carlos jumps off the rail
He’s as good at rowing as he is with a sail
Filled to the brim with fantastic new jokes
Carlos is one of the funniest folks
They’re not banana boats, but as close as it gets
Yellow in color, gliding fast as jets
We all love these vehicles, this is true
Check the seat for your next clue!

Grant always remembers the parts of the boat
His bright smile and good humor are qualities to note
We’ve yet to see Grant in a bad mood
He’s good at sailing, kayaking and eating food
With our yellow boats, we don’t use sails
A different kind of instrument never fails
They’re thin and long, black and yellow
Look in the cabinet for these nice fellows!

Lily throws and moves like a pro
From water to land, anywhere she can go
Although life guards sometimes catch her mid-act
She never loses grace, beauty or tact
Talking on the phone, a sociable lady
Her tan is so bright it makes the sun look shady
Hose fights with Montlake are always a blast
We get completely soaked and have to think fast
Although our water balloons never gained great fame
Take these oars and rush to the scene of the game!

We play mafia under tents to hide from the heat
We try to use toys but burn our bottoms on seats
If only we could get a push, up and down
The treasure is buried under the ground!

Week Five

Amanda's clues:

In the midst of this room, there resides quite a chap
He’s filled with kindness and friendship (and can’t spell RAP)
We heard about a birthday, and immediately dropped
All the treasure we’ve stolen, to Queen City we hopped
Why not return it? The question flew through the air
Or give it to someone to show that we care?
He’s got brains, sailing skills, and dashing good looks
For you Colin -- we’ve devised a hunt for the books
Sun salutations and yoga are always the rage
Clues are often hidden smack dab center stage!


The hair of Jacob shines like pure red gold
His bright smile and laughter never gets old
Pie making with Colin is Jacob’s favorite hobby
For good fun and steering he’ll always lobby
Daniel can’t keep his hand in the tub
When the water is freezing – rub a dub dub!
The bucket is filled with a chilling supply
From the rectangular winter chest that never runs dry
Take a few cubes; Sprite is better chilled
Find the next clue and no one gets killed!


Even though Simon and Lily arrived a bit late
A friendly atmosphere they do create
Their pizza is steaming, their company craved
We’re lucky that from Boston, Simon was saved 
Steering under bridges, mafia lined
When Deyon paddles we’re all left way behind
His beauty and grace make us happy with joy
What a sweet, loving, sailor of a boy
When heading for the arboretum we take our fuel
From a combination closet containing the tools
Go quickly, young boaters (I mean big boys, Colin)
In this cabinet has the next clue fallen!


Faye and K Man went out on a boat
With Amanda’s good judgment they’d surely float
Unfortunate turns got them quite stuck
Even K Man got worried and stopped chasing ducks
He hopped in the water to pull them to shore
Screaming of monsters on the lake floor
When Kiel came to rescue the boat from the lilies
The hysteria had turned K Man quite silly
Reluctant to set foot in the muddy lake
Faye remained sitting as jokes she did make
Her long blonde locks glinted in the sun
As K Man made every effort to run
He felt what he guessed to be a large shark
But soon they were pulled away from the park
Use kayaks young campers, and keep to the path
Steer clear of the lily pads and their fiery wrath
Make your way over to the roped off ground
For the next clue, just look around!


Capture the flag with day camp is never too fun
It’s not easy to find an incentive to run
Instead we spend our time on more enjoyable toys
Up and down they go, pushed on by the boys
Underdogs are common, and tightly gripped hands
The treasure is hidden UNDER THE SAND!

Week Four

Summer is finally here! The sun is out, the wind is blowing, and there is no better time to be on a boat. This week we got to go all the way to the center for wooden boats, madison beach, and kayak around the arboretum. We had a great group of kids and many returning campers from last year which allowed us to extend our reach of things we could do. Hope everyone had as good a time as I did. My imovie isn't letting me compress videos to full quality so this is a little lower quality but hope you enjoy!

Here are the clues to the Treasure Hunt! Written by Amanda

We are the mighty Light Rail pirates, follow our tracks
Efficient transit brings clean air that noisy traffic lacks
This journey will be grilling, but you must persevere
Where the popsicles reside, the next clue is near!

Thomas can dry capsize his boat like a pro
Jessica loves to tell Amanda “No!”
Thomas is late more often than not,
When boys take the elevator, Jess gets them caught
Although the sun warms our bodies on docks
There’s a winter wonderland in a large box
Drinks are cooled, hypothermia tested
The next clue is certainly ice infested!

Maddy, NOT Madison, is quite the star
She plays softball and sails and never strays far
Michael loves South Park, especially Butters
Bravely borrowing sun screen without even a stutter
There’s a certain boat that will never point straight
The occupants always seem to be late
Its color is rosy, the durability strong
Look in the seat and you just can’t go wrong!


We could all talk about dear Erica for hours
Her face is the most delicate of all flowers
Her kayaking skills are out of control
We’re drawn to her tan skin and wonderful soul
Holton steals grapes and goldfish, but not whole grain
He sails so fast that he makes his own lane
Bike accidents cause cute pictures on phones
But check out the handlebars that we call our own!

Although every camper is special and wild
The craziest award goes to one lovely child
For constant swim time, he’s the one to thank
Bubbling and boisterous, our good friend Hank!
He’ll jump out of any boat when he gets the chance
Flying like Superman, his arm raised in a trance
Hank does front flips off the rowboat edge
From our dock we saw a car fly over the edge
Hank will be needed to retrieve the next clue
It is hidden in this area deep, dark and blue!


Queen City Junior Boaters are known for their strength
They can kayak and kayak for the longest of lengths
In order to go boating, they must pick up gear
Keys are not needed, only combinations here
The instruments of movement are long, black or yellow
Whoever finds the next clue is quite the fine fellow!

Composting is what us kids do best
Our disposal skills are certainly put to the test
There is a dangerous land nearby, however
Where the methods of waste removal are not so clever
Sewage overflows are never too pleasant
But what if they contain the next joyful present?

When we are pushed on this play toy of choice
Some of us scream, others lose their voice
Nausea can strike like a strong gust of air
When riding this structure, stomachs beware
We love to spin, around and around
The pirate treasure is hidden UNDER THE GROUND!

Week Three

Well week three was quite the adventure of a week. We started out on Monday with a boat getting it's mast stuck in the mud and a long ordeal to get it free. K-Man even offered to become Atheist if our luck didn't start turning around. We meet a nice man who lived on a house boat who helped finally free the mast and gave hot tea to everyone. Tuesday and Wednesday were both very cloudy days mixed with rain and not that ideal for boating. However on Thursday the sun finally came out and we all ventured over to Madison Beach for some sun. Friday was the perfect boating day with just the right amount of wind and plenty of sun as well. Here is the video from week three and also the first video for the summer. Amanda has the pictures on her computer but is in Portland for the weekend so when she returns we'll put them up. Thanks everyone for a wonderful week.

2009 Boating Camp Week 2

So we have a new camera, with a floaty strap, and have been taking lots of pictures. You can download any of the pictures off the picasa website and share them with people. Today, Wednesday we had a great time sailing up to Ivars and going over to Gasworks park. The wind is steady, although maybe 2 knots too fast, and the sun is beautiful. Had a lot of fun swimming today with a capsized Opti.

here are the pictures so far from this week!

Dave Matthews and Fiona

As many past campers might know I enjoy listening to music by the Dave Matthews Band quite a lot. I was and still am amazed to learn that Fiona, a frequent camper at QCYC, recently stared in the latest Dave Matthews Band music video for the song "Funny the Way It Is". While it would be difficult to directly say there is a connection to being at the camp and starring in Dave Matthew's music videos, I think it would be impossible to say that that connection does not exist at all. The experiences you learn at camp relate directly to starring in music videos. Congratulations Fiona, I am very jealous.

Watch the video

2009 Summer Update!

I am excited to announce that I will be returning this year for one last summer of boating camp. I am even more excited that long time camper and last year's junior counselor, Amanda, will be joining me as the second counselor. This is going to be a very fun summer and I can't wait to get out on the water and have some adventures!