At Dockwa, we’ve always believed in the power of time on the water... how a few hours at sea can bring peace, perspective, and connection. Few organizations embody that truth more beautifully than Sail Beyond Cancer USA, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring those impacted by cancer through the healing experience of sailing. Founded in Burlington, Vermont, and now spanning multiple coastal chapters, the organization brings patients, caregivers, and loved ones together for what they call “mission sails” - moments to breathe, reflect, and simply feel the magic of the wind.
Each sail is led by trained volunteer captains and crew who create a safe, uplifting environment aboard vessels donated or operated through Sail Beyond Cancer’s hybrid program. In this story, founder Suzanne Snyder, a breast cancer survivor, shares how two remarkable boat donations helped launch the organization’s mission and how the generosity of sailors across the country continues to carry it forward.
By Lynn Fitzpatrick - Sail Beyond Cancer
“Every time I return to the dock after taking nominees and their families and friends out for a mission sail, I wonder who benefits the most. I feel so good and I can tell by the looks on everyone’s faces, their smiles, their tears, and their heartfelt thanks, that they’ve had a special day. Together, we’ve created a memory that will touch everyone on board for the remainder of their lives,” says Suzanne Snyder, founder and Executive Director of Sail Beyond Cancer USA. During Sail Beyond Cancer’s first five years, over 2,200 volunteers in four chapters took nearly 1,300 cancer navigators and a total of 4,300 passengers out for three-hour respite sails aboard Sail Beyond Cancer’s vessels or those skippered under the non-profit’s hybrid program.
Snyder, a cancer survivor, recalls how two sailing colleagues with terminal cancer (and inspired by Sail Beyond Cancer’s mission to honor those affected by cancer through the therapeutic experience of sailing), made a lasting impact on her and the non-profit. “You never know when someone is going to offer you a boat, but two gifts will always be near and dear to my heart. The first one, not just because it was the first boat donation, but because it came from Allen Kjelleren, and he knew that he had less than four months to live. The other, came from Joe Zeblekes, one of our Annapolis volunteer captains.”
“While undergoing breast cancer treatment, I began to build momentum for Sail Beyond Cancer’s mission and platform. Talking up the start-up was part of my standard cocktail conversation. Well, one night a good friend’s uncle engaged me before the cocktail party was in full swing and told me that he had Stage IV cancer, and he knew his time was running out." He was also leaving his boat, a 30-foot O’Day, which was in the water in Oxford, MD, to Suzanne so that she could start this nonprofit. As a lifelong sailor he wanted to share the joy of sailing with others, especially all of those navigating the challenges of cancer including friends, family, and caregivers. "He shared my vision, and he knew he had just the thing that could kickstart our effort. Allen’s was the gift that launched the nonprofit’s Burlington, VT chapter, our first chapter,” which at that point was called Healing Winds VT, recounts Snyder.
“Once we had our own boat, we could train our volunteers, make a call for nominations, and start taking guests out. That first summer, we took out 115 passengers. Over time, we have perfected our mission sails. We know what type of boats work best to accommodate our guests and we’ve learned how to be facilitators. Our captain, first mate, and ambassador are on board during each sail to ensure everyone is safe and happy. Our guests bring whatever food and drink they want. They sit back and relax or take the helm, and we serve them" says Suzanne.
"The ambassador is one of the most important positions on board and spends the voyage going up and down between the cabin and the cockpit delivering food, drinks, and gear, but most importantly, the ambassador takes photos. Every guest gets at least thirty photos from the sailing excursion as a keepsake and a thank you from the nominee. Our objective is for all individuals to return to shore revitalized and carrying positive experiences from their time with us. The experience is incredibly therapeutic.”
Joe Zebleckes was an enthusiastic racer and cruiser. Sailing was his outlet. In 2022, with Stage IV lung cancer, Zebleckes joined Sail Beyond Cancer’s Annapolis chapter as a volunteer skipper. His 14 respite missions were book-ended with long drives between his home in Delaware and his boat, Anneliese, in Annapolis, but those trips were an essential component to Joe’s emotional maintenance and stability while dealing with his cancer.
Snyder recalls, “One autumn day, as Joe and I put Anneliese away after sailing, he asked if I'd be part of his last mission sail. It caught me off guard. All I could say was, ‘I’m hoping it won’t be soon.” He also mentioned he was planning to donate Anneliese to the Annapolis chapter.
In February 2023, Joe reached out to Snyder and told her he had officially filled out the paperwork to donate Anneliese. In late May, Suzanne and Captain Alex Mead, who also was Joe’s good friend, took Joe’s wife, his son, and four of Joe’s fraternity brothers out for Joe’s final sail. It was a special trip for Snyder, “They were a wild bunch. We laughed and we cried a lot. It was an amazingly uplifting experience for each of us.”
Before Zeblekes donated Anneliese, the Annapolis chapter’s impact in the community was not as strong because it did not have a dedicated donated vessel, but Joe left the chapter the perfect boat for its mission. It is beamy and its cockpit seats six guests comfortably. It has a double helm and still has room for a skipper and a first mate. Not only that, but Joe had also maintained the boat impeccably.
Since 2020, Snyder has started chapters in Burlington, VT; Salem, MA; Annapolis, MD; and Gloucester, VA. Each chapter has at least one dedicated vessel and multiple vessels in its hybrid program. The hybrid vessels are privately owned, with skippers and crew members—trained by Sail Beyond Cancer—responsible for their operation. The captain, first mate, and ambassador aboard every mission are trained to make the sail effortless, fun, and memorable. Sail Beyond Cancer’s fleet tends to be beamy and has a large cockpit and a roller furling jib. Furling mains, lazy jacks, and double helms make leaving cancer at the dock all that much easier. Spinnakers? They complicate sharing delicious food, beverages, and stories.
At the Newport International Boat Show in September 2025, the organization announced plans to start a Newport, Rhode Island chapter. Newport chapter captains took nominee Erin Darcy and her close family members out on one of the chapter’s inaugural mission sails. Erin’s sister, Colleen, wrote to Snyder two weeks later, “I wanted to reach out to share that my sister, Erin, sadly lost her battle on October 2nd. Our sail on September 14th with Captains Rob and Whit was one of her last truly free moments. She enjoyed that afternoon more than I could ever put into words. Thank you for giving our family such a beautiful gift, the chance to see her smile, feel the wind in her hair, and experience pure joy on the water. That day will forever be one of our most cherished memories. This organization will be something we cherish forever.”
The nascent Rhode Island chapter plans to host minors and adults challenged by cancer and five friends and family members on sailboats and powerboats when the boating season starts in the spring of 2026. The sailing outings are free. Anyone can nominate a cancer navigator for the opportunity to leave cancer at the dock, take the helm, and be comforted by friends, family, fair winds, and friendly seas for a few hours.
Find out more about Sail Beyond Cancer’s existing chapters, the nomination process, volunteering, financial support, boat donation program, and memorial sails at www.SailBeyondCancer.org and follow the organization’s multiple chapters on Facebook.