During its meeting Monday, Washington’s City Council is scheduled to consider a request to all the Little Washington Sailing School to use all of Dock J along the city’s downtown waterfront.

Currently, the sailing school uses 40 feet of the 80-foot-long Dock J.

“They would like to expand their school to include more sailboats and more youth. In order to do this, the school would like to utilize all eighty feet of Dock ‘J,’” reads a memorandum from John Rodman, the city’s director of community and cultural services, to Mayor Mac Hodges and the council.

The council-appointed Waterfront Docks Advisory Committee recommends the council approve the sailing school’s request.

The sailing school wants to add another floating dock to Dock J, similar to the one that’s been attached to Dock J in recent years.

“It is a reflection of the growth of and the popularity of the school,” said Anne Kumins, spokeswoman for the sailing school.

The sailing school wants to buy smaller sailboats so it can provide sailing lessons to children 8 to 10 years old. The smaller boats, which look like a shoebox, are called Optimists, Kumins said.

Kumins said she and the sailing school are optimistic the council will approve the request.

Currently, the sailing school uses six 14-foot-long Vanguard 420 sailboats to teach basic and advanced sailing courses to children. Sailing school officials and supporters say the school’s programs promote self-reliance, safety awareness, teamwork, sportsmanship, respect for others and self-confidence.

As part of their instructions, students learn to launch and retrieve a boat and the ins and outs of sailboat rigging and tying nautical knots.

Some scholarships, many provided by area civic groups and other organizations, are provided to children who could not afford the sailing lessons otherwise.

Students must be from age 11 to age 18, weigh at least 70 pounds and swim proficiently to take part in the sailing programs. The cost to participate in one sailing class is $225.

For full information, visit www.littlewashingtonsailingschool.org or facebook.com/LittleWashingtonSailingSchool. Applications are available at the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce at the corner of South Market Street and Stewart Parkway in Washington. Inquiries by telephone should be made to 252-945-4030.