Veterans on Deck Services

In 2025, VoD provided an amazing 225 sailboat outings, averaging 4 outings per week, year-round. VoD provided 1,350 individual sailing experiences. Veterans find VoD easy to locate, since the sailboats are docked at the Ashely River Marina, across Lockwood Blvd adjacent to the VAMC. Sixty-one percent of the 100 veterans new to VoD during the last 12 months were referred to VoD by the VAMC. The others found out through social media or from a friend. Fifty-four percent of these veterans reported having a service-connected disability. 

Over the period of 15 years that VoD has been active, our email list has grown to over 800 active-duty military and veterans who are part of the VoD community. Each year we have approximately 250 individuals sailing with VoD; some sail once or twice, and others are very frequent sailors. They return to enjoy the camaraderie, teamwork, and support from fellow veterans.

The activity level in 2025 has been robust. For the first nine months of the year, compared to the same period last year, VoD has had 10% more sailboat outings and provided 20% more individual sailing experiences. The team of skippers, mates, and volunteers work diligently to provide the therapeutic sailing experiences. The veterans express heartfelt gratitude for their opportunities to sail.