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You can get started early for you course by doing a few of the following things. Go to the local library and pick up any beginner books on sailing. You need to realize that learning to sail is also like learning a new language. There are many nautical terms you can learn about and we speak nautical to you while you are taking the course so bone up on terminology before you get here. If you have the chance to go sailing with friends then by all means do so. The more you sail the better you will get at it. If you sail enough eventually sailing will become like riding a bicycle and you will never forget how. But it does take time to get to that level. The most important thing you can do after you have completed a course with us is to just keep sailing!!
You could, as many students do, literally just show up with no previous sailing knowledge or experience and we will teach you from scratch as well! What is included in your course fees are the following
- Use of our text books while you are here in San Carlos
- ASA log book and all Certification fees
Local day sailing packages
Basic
Keelboat 101:
Ok if you are taking this course from the dock
as a non live aboard course (which I recommend for beginners) then you will have
approximately 18 hours of instruction stretched out over a period of three days.
This is the best way to learn to sail as a beginner since you will repeatedly
practice the same skills over and over again. Skills such as docking, tacking,
jibing are learned through lots of practice and that is exactly what you will do
as a student. Also a quick note, course sizes are restricted to 4 students max.
so you will have plenty of opportunity to sail as the helmsman and then crew.
You can expect to be on the boat around 6 hours a day so here is a list of items
you may want bring with you.
-
snacks or lunch
-
plenty of sunscreen
-
a comfortable hat
-
deck shoes (black soled shoes please leave
behind). Comfortable tennis shoes are just fine -
sailing gloves (plain old open fingered
bike gloves will do just fine)
Basic
Coastal Cruising 103
Again this course can be taught from the dock as
a non live aboard course. You will again practice many skills over and over
again. It is assumed that you are already a good sailor and have mastered
tacking and jibing so we would hope to move on to more advanced skills such as
man overboard, anchoring, reefing and heaving to. Again you will have
approximately 18 hours of instruction over a three day period. The items list
above apply to this course as well.
Bareboat
Charter 104
Bareboat charter is an advanced level course and
you are required two spend at least 48 hours a board the boat as a live
aboard. So if you are talking just this course we will spend one day of local
sailing and then we will do our two day live aboard after that.
Combination packages
Combination Packages levels 101-103 & 104: with 5 or 7 days of sailing
These are our most popular courses. The
course was designed to take a complete beginner and mold them into someone
capable of captaining a small sail boat around 26 foot in size. After the course
you will be capable of day sailing a 26 foot boat in good weather with at least
one crew member. You will spend the first several days departing from and returning to the marina San
Carlos. You will have the chance (if you like) to sail two different styles of
boats. Mono hulls and Multihulls.
Day 1-5: These first 3 or 5 days will be spent
tacking, jibing, reefing, heaving to, anchoring, practicing man over board
drills, figure 8, quick stop or deep reach, docking, knot tying and perhaps
snorkeling if you take the course during summer time, June to middle of October.
Expect to be on the water around 6 hours a day. We will also take two written
tests during this 3 to 5 day period. Tests will be scheduled during non windy parts
of the day or light to non wind days. All study materials will be provided to
you. You should bring the following items with you on the boat during these
days.
-
snacks or lunch
-
plenty of sunscreen
-
a comfortable hat that will not blow off your
head easily
-
deck shoes (black soled shoes please leave
behind). Comfortable tennis shoes are just fine -
sailing gloves (plain old open fingered
bike gloves will do just fine)
Day 3 or 5: On the afternoon or morning of day
3 or 5 we will
provision what ever boat you are going to sail on and move you on to the boat.
Day 4-6: You will start your cruising portion
of the course. We will look at the charts, check if wind predictions match with
local observation. If you take the course during the northwesterly wind season,
October to April, we will more than likely have northwesterly winds and it will
be a beat to weather to arrive at one of bays you will visit
during your two day live aboard. During this time you will work on the ASA 104 bareboat
charter certification. You will practice anchoring procedures. You will go over
many boat systems. Through hole valves, sea cocks, holding tanks, stuffing
boxes, engine maintenance and basic diesel mechanics. Engine fuel systems,
cooling systems closed and open circulation fresh water and salt water. You will
go over all safety gear, flares, fire extinguishers ect….You will learn
how to do basic chart plotting and at some non windy time during these three
days you will take your written exam on bareboat charter. There is a lot to go
over and always something to discuss or study.
If you have any specific questions just email me
vradice@gmail.com or call