VetsBoats shares the magic and beauty of wooden boats to help restore health and well-being to military veterans who suffer from PTSD and Traumatic Injuries. We are here to inspire and motivate them to participate in marine education, sail training, and restoration on the San Francisco Bay and beyond.
Through common purpose and teamwork, veterans rediscover inner strengths and share in the camaraderie of fellow veterans. Our programs bring them out of isolation and engage in a variety of activities that promote mindfulness. Studies by the Veterans Administration have shown that learning to sail and taking part in sailing activities, when paired with a therapeutic treatment program led by a medical healthcare provider, significantly increase lasting positive outcomes for participants.
We provide three programs, each fostering teamwork and community healing and providing a pathway to veteran benefits in healthcare, education, housing, and employment.
Our Programs
How We Do It
Today we live amidst a silent crisis: over one million Veterans are battling some form of addiction, and since 9/11 30,000 veterans have taken their own lives. VetsBoats is part of a grassroots effort to reverse this trend; to raise awareness, provide hope and community, and to make a difference that sends ripples outward to Veterans and their families all around us.
We leverage our relationships with veteran service orgs and Veteran Service Offices to reach the veterans most in need. VetsBoats is an approved organization for Veterans to perform community service. We make sure veterans get access to the benefits that they have earned from their service. And we remain in contact with them through surveys and regular engagement, giving them opportunities to come together in community to work and sail and enjoy the camaraderie that helps them heal each other.
In 2024, VetsBoats plans to introduce over five hundred Veterans to Sailing and Begin Sea Trials for Clover.
1000+
Veterans + Families
Introduced to Sailing
9
Years of Service
10
Boats in Network
501c3
Non-profit Foundation