Make a splash with our Bay Explorer and Sailing camps! Our team offers fun and safe opportunities to take on challenges, foster confidence, and grow.
Program Philosophy
This is my daughters second year at Bay Explorers Camp. She absolutely loves it! There is so much variety and she loves being on the water all day long. The staff is amazing and so knowledgeable. One of the best camps in the area!
Sarah G.
Our 8 yr. old grandson attended the explorer's camp for the first-time last week. He was very nervous about attending because didn't know anyone. He met many kids, and the counselors made him feel welcome. He had a great experience and asked us if he could do another week of camp! He enjoyed kayaking, paddle boarding, catching crabs at Wicket's Island, and so much more. We signed him up for another week this summer!
Lisa P.
After the first day I knew the kids would be sad it was over! Such a great experience for them and they couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had, the things they were learning about, and the friends they were making! Highly recommend!!
Erin P.
Angie Weldon
Center & Camp Director
Angie has been with the Coalition's full-time team for four years and is thrilled to be starting her fifth summer with the Onset Bay Center! Angie serves as the Director for summer programs and oversees the Center's staff and programs year-round. With over a decade of camp experience and a degree in Youth Development Outside the Classroom, Angie most enjoys helping youth develop a sense of connection to nature and mentoring young leaders, through safe, structured, and engaging outdoor programs. Angie looks forward to leading the OBC summer team in creating lasting memories and friendships for youth in our programs! Angie is excited to drop lines for crabs, cruise on the Giant Paddleboard, and most of all, to meet new families and welcome back returners this summer!
Angie is a great resource for answering your questions about summer programming, camp registration, and ongoing events at the Onset Bay Center, and welcomes parents and guardians to reach out with any and all concerns!
Abby Forcier
Sailing & Waterfront Manager
Abby serves as the Coalition’s Sailing & Waterfront Manager year-round and brings a lifelong love of Buzzards Bay to her work on the water. With years of experience teaching sailing and on-the-water leadership, Abby is excited to bring her skills and enthusiasm to the waterfront in her first summer with the Coalition. She looks forward to sharing her passion for sailing, exploration, and environmental stewardship with our summer campers.
Abby is knowledgeable about all things waterfront, and is happy to field questions about year-round and summer operations!
Carly Baumann
Head Counselor
Year-round, Carly serves as the Coalition's Outdoor Learning Manager, fostering partnerships with New Bedford and Wareham Public Schools. Joining the OBC team as Head Counselor in her second summer, Carly provides a consistent and responsive presence at the Center, supporting youth, staff, and programs to ensure a fun, safe environment. With over 20 years of experience facilitating youth programs in camps and outdoor settings, Carly looks forward to sharing engaging lunchtime and outdoor activities with our groups!
Kayla Blount
Health Care Consultant
Meet our Health Care Consultant returning for Summer 2026, Kayla Blount! Kayla will be helping our team of instructors and on-site Health Care Supervisors throughout the summer! Kayla, a Wareham native, has been a nurse for 10 years and has held a pediatric nurse practitioner license for the past 8 years. Kayla currently spends her school year as a nurse at Wareham Elementary School. Kayla is also a mom and is excited to be apart of this program this summer!
Stuart Downie
Vice President of Outdoor Exploration
Stuart has served as Vice President of the Coalition's Outdoor Exploration Department for the past four years, overseeing the Onset Bay Center, Bay Adventures, Outdoor Learning, and our Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey programming. With extensive expertise in sailing, watersports, and adventure programming, he is dedicated to providing enriching outdoor experiences for enthusiasts of all ages.
In addition to managing all department activities, Stuart ensures that each program upholds the highest standards of safety, technical excellence, and innovation. During the summer, you’ll often find him observing and training OBC staff or at the helm of OBC’s launch, Bufflehead.
We are committed to providing quality programs that are safe for all participants and their families. Read about our safety and certification protocols below.
Our limited on-the-water programs ensure that we operate safely within guidelines set by the state and governing bodies dealing with the regulation of watersports and youth activities. Onset Bay Center is proud to be a registered recreational camp with the Town of Wareham, and adheres to the MA Board of Health regulations for summer camps.
Onset Bay Center Summer Camp Staff Safety Measures
Small Group Sizes & Supervision
1:5 staff to child ratios, with no fewer than 2 staff members with the Bay Explorers, Young Explorers, and Sailing groups at all time, and a maximum of 10 participants per group. Children remain in their group for the majority of their week, excepting lunch times and elective activity times, where they may intermix with other groups. Waterfront Training Academy Year 1 participants operate with a staff to child ratio of 1:6.
Experienced & Certified Instructors
Groups are led by a team of highly trained and qualified staff members. Lead Instructors are a minimum of 18 years of age and have either their US Sailing Level 1 Instructor or American Canoe Association Level 1 or 2 Paddle Instructor course or Paddlesports Facilitator Certification, based on their program of focus. Those operating motorboats hold their Boating Safety Certifications, in keeping with MA law as of 2026. All instructors also hold current First Aid, CPR, and AED certifications, either American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification or Basic Water Rescue Certification, and participate in in-house training prior to summer programs. All staff and volunteers undergo hiring screening, CORI checks and Child Protection training prior to hire with our organization, and are trained according to their in-program responsibilities.
Safety Gear & Supervision Standards
All participants, including staff, wear properly fitted PFDs (personal floating devices) at ALL times while on boats, on docks, or in water over 2ft in depth, unless actively engaged in swim instruction with trained Lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors (WSI). This is the law for anyone under the age of 12. Children only go in the water when supervised by appropriate staff. Certified lifeguards are present and on duty whenever swim programs are in session. All participants wear appropriate footwear at ALL times while in program, limiting the risk of falls or injuries.
Water Safety & Swim Assessments
All participants participate in water confidence and PFD checks on the first day of programs, as long as weather conditions are safe to do so. This consists of a safety brief and a check for water confidence, meaning verification that children are comfortable wearing an appropriately fitted PFD in the water. Bay Explorers, who participate in swim instruction and free swim periods during the week participate in a swim assessment, facilitated by an American Red Cross WSI. We ask that participants communicate personal limitations and let an OBC staff member know when they notice water hazards (hazardous underwater animals, natural features, etc.).
Clean, Maintained Facilities & Equipment
Our team performs regular cleaning and maintenance procedures for our facility, boating equipment, and PFDs, daily and weekly.
Secure, Staff-Monitored Campus
The Onset Bay Center is closed to the public during programs, and doors are locked and monitored by staff when children are present in the facility.
On-Site Health Care Support
Meet our Health Care Consultant for Summer 2026, Kayla Blount! Returning this summer, Kayla will be helping our team of instructors and on-site Health Care Supervisors throughout the summer! Kayla, a Wareham native, has been a nurse for 10 years and has held a pediatric nurse practitioner license for the past 8 years. Kayla currently spends her school year as a nurse at the Wareham Elementary School. Kayla loves this community and is so excited to be apart of this program this summer!
