Preparing for a SOFTIN trip is such a special time for the crew. Sure, there is always the boat preparation work to do because we run a clean and tidy vessel, but we also go through an emotional preparedness process that begins with eager anticipation.
Eagerness stems from knowing we are preparing to help people gain profound experiences by connecting them with nature and sea critters in a new (to them) environment. You see…very few of the special needs people we serve have experience on boats. This is new, wild and a little intimidating at first. So we prepare ourselves to be calming influences and earn our passengers trust by interacting directly and openly and by showing seagoing competence. The kids are generally pretty quick to recognize us as trustworthy people and that helps tremendously as they work to feel comfortable on a moving boat.
We prepare the passengers by talking to them about the boat and the sea and telling them stories, as we fit their life preservers and take care of paperwork. We provide a brief safety orientation and then we cast off. Once free from shore… the adventure begins!
You can learn more about the adventure by visiting our website, www.softininc.org. While visiting, please check out the page about our car show/silent auction fundraising event.
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