Learn to Cruise Courses -Sailing Lessons on a Keelboat leading to Canadian Yachting Association Certification.

2009 Learn to Cruise Courses The learn to Cruise program is for adults who want to learn how to sail and handle a cruising keelboat safely. A keelboat is a larger sail boat with a weighted keel and overnight accomodation. Two courses are taught by a CYA Advanced Instructor and lead to CYA Basic and Intermediate Cruising qualifications recognised worldwide by charter companies and boating associations. New for 2009 is an Advanced Course leading to the Advanced Standard Contact: Phil at (613)634-7462 Learntocruise@cogeco.ca Brochure and mail in application form

Comments from some Course participants :

"Relaxed yet business like instruction. A very good learning atmosphere, instructor's depth of knowledge was obvious. Thanks, an excellent experience, I am a more competent sailor as a result of your instruction."
G.R. Burlington ON. 2006 (boat owner of 2 years)

"Great instructor would highly recommend him, relaxed style, sense of humour, listened to feeback, patient and flexible."
C.L. Godfrey ON 2006(new to sailing)

"Instruction couldn't be better very patient. I had a marvelous experience. Thank you for all of the training, I am miles ahead of where I was prior to the course. It has motivated me to go on and improve my skills."
E.C. 2006 Newmarket ON

"Excellent guidance: I gained confidence in my ability to communicate with the crew and sail the boat, while advice was still available. Thanks for answering my 1000 questions. Great job of bringing a crew together. I'm sad to be ashore!"
T.D. 2006Peterborough ON

"The approach & delivery were spot on...pitch, timing and pace of instruction were ideal..a great week and a wonderful experience the constant presence and active engagement of the instructor are invaluable. The vast amount of helm time just lifts this live aboard training way beyond comparable shore-based rivals"
M.H. Kingston ON 2007 (Dive Instructor)

The Courses:

• The Basic course leads to the CYA Basic Standard .It is intended for people with no or little sailing experience. On successful completion you will be able to sail a 6-10m keelboat in familiar waters and moderate conditions by day, as skipper or crew. The course also covers the Pleasure craft operators card which is included in the fee. The course covers practical sailing skills including knots, raising and lowering sails, tacking, gybing, points of sail, heaving to, reefing sails, crew overboard recovery, anchoring and docking (under power. Theory includes how a boat sails, terminology, rules of the "road", required safety equipment and its use,coping with emergencies, basic weather, tides and basic navigation.

  The Basic course is taught as a 6 day live aboard course. Most other basic courses are taught in four days of sailing on smaller day sailing boats. The live aboard on a comfortable cruising boat with small class sizes of 3 people or 2 couples gives more time to practice skills and covers material beyond the basic curriculum.
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• The Intermediate course leads to the CYA Intermediate Standard. The Basic Standard and further sailing experience are prerequisites for this course. If you are an experienced sailor but without the Basic Qualification you can challenge the Basic before taking the Intermediate Course On successful completion you will be able to cruise safely as both skipper and crew of a sailing yacht of 8 - 12 meters in moderate wind and sea conditions by day. The Standard emphasizes on-the-water skills at a level acceptable for bareboat chartering The Intermediate Course is designed for more experienced sailors who plan to cruise or bareboat charter. Cruise planning, living afloat, weather, boat systems, emergency procedures, more advanced docking, seamanship and basic elements of coastal navigation are taught and practiced. Improved sailing skills are developed including efficient gybing aand tacking, sail trim, flying a cruising spinnaker and two methods of return to a crew overboard. If time permits we will also experience night sailing.The course is taught in a 6 day live aboard format. This longer format, coupled with a small class size provides sufficient time for coaching and practice to meet the skills required and for covering all information necessary for the ashore skills exam in depth.
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• The Advanced course leads to the Advanced Standard

  Basic Cruising, Intermediate Cruising and Coastal Navigation Standards; Red Cross or St. John Ambulance Emergency First Aid Certificate and a VHF radio certificate (Radio Operator's Restricted Certificate - Maritime Voluntary)are prerequisites for this course. Power Squadron Members with Advanced Piloting in lieu of the CYA coures can also qualify. On sucessful completion you will be able to act safely as skipper and crew of a sailing cruiser of 8 - 15 metres, operating by day and night in coastal or inland water in any weather . The Standard emphasizes a high level of on-the-water skills and involves a continuous passage of at least 48 hrs. The Advanced Course is designed for experienced sailors who plan to cruise extensively and want to experience heavy weather sailing by day and night. Long distance cruise planning, frontal weather systems, boat systems, day and night emergency procedures, advanced docking including docking under sail, advanced seamanship and coastal navigation including a navigation watches of 20 miles by day and 20 miles by night, keeping a full navigation log including danger bearings, advancing a line of position. distance off,dead Reckoning (DR) position,use of electronic navigation equipment,plotting leeway or current set and drift on 3-5 mile leg and compensate to arrive within a 1/4 mile of estimated position are taught and practiced. The course includes at least 48 hours of continuous sailing with crew on watches. Two methods of return to a crew overboard are practiced including night overboard. The course is taught in a 6 day live aboard format
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• For adult dinghy sailing see Learn to Sail Page