Sailing Workshops & Endorsements
Improve Your Sailing Skills
We offer sailing workshops to help you build your sailing skills and sailing resume. Many clients use these workshops on their new-to-them boats. Alternatively, we can charter a boat in your favorite area or you can come to us to learn on our Leopard 48 sailing catamaran, Calypso.
Many of our sailing workshops (those with the NE logo) result in an endorsement that will appear on your NauticEd sailing resume. That will give charter and insurance companies that much more information to assess your sailing skills. If you're not a member of NauticEd, you can sign up here and get 2 free online sailing courses on us.
Contact us for more information or to schedule one or more of our sailing workshops.
Practical Safe Seamanship* (1/2 day)
Review all USCG safety equipment requirements. Review boat safety procedures and requirements. Ensure personal safety equipment is available and properly fitted. Review safety checklists. Review and practice proper line handling under load. Review and practice key knots used around a sailboat. Review basic VHF communication. Prepare jack lines for use underway.
Introduction to Sailing (1 day) NE
Intended for those that have not taken a sailing practical skills class. It's an opportunity for you to get some fundamentals and earn your first sailing endorsement (when combined with the NauticEd Introduction to Sailing course)! You will learn skills to maneuvering the boat in a marina, how to raise the sails and trim them by doing it, experience casting off and docking the boat, and tie key boating knots.
Cruising Catamaran Overnight Experience (1-1/2 days)
Intended as an initial workshop to get a basic feel for living aboard a modern cruising catamaran. Depart the marina and set sail to a nearby anchorage. Anchor for the night and prepare dinner in the galley and relax under the stars. The next day, raise anchor and spend the day sailing back to the marina. Practice docking the boat and securing dock lines. In other words, experience a little bit of many of our other more in-depth sailing workshops to help you decide if the catamaran life is right for you!
Cruising Catamaran Systems (1 day) NE
Practice daily checks of boat systems including engines, electrical, and freshwater. Practice preparation for getting underway including communications equipment, electronic systems, electrical/shore power, propulsion, sails and rigging, and securing boat equipment.
Optionally: Review and practice other modern cruising systems such as generator, water maker, washer and dryer, marine sanitation, and galley equipment.
Catamaran Sail Trim** (1/2 day) NE
Practice raising and lowering mainsail and headsail. Practice trimming sails at all points of sail. Practice tacking and gybing in a cruising catamaran. Practice reefing and heave-to.
Asymmetrical Spinnaker** (1/2 day) NE
Review proper use and conditions for an asymmetrical spinnaker (A-sail) on a cruising catamaran. Practice setting up running rigging for single-side sailing. Review rigging for gybing conditions. Practice raising, lowering, and trimming A-sail at various points of sail.
Operating Under Power (1/2 day) NE
Review cruising catamaran twin engine usage and effects. Practice preparing and starting engines and ensuring safe operation. Practice engine/rudder combination for operating under power. Practice engine-only operation in tight quarters (e.g., marina fairway).
Docking and Line Handling (1 day) NE
Review standard docking procedures including line and fender configuration in various weather and current conditions. Practice hand signals for safe and effective communication while docking. Practice docking and tying a catamaran in side-tie configuration. Practice docking and tying a catamaran in a slip. Practice docking tips-and-tricks using engines and rudders (e.g., using propwash to move perpendicularly away from/to a dock).
(Note: docking is usually practiced in 2-4 hour segments over multiple days.)
Mooring (1/2 day) NE
Review safe line management for mooring. Practice hand signals for safe and effective communication while mooring. Review different mooring approach techniques for cruising catamaran. Practice mooring using multiple techniques.
(Note: mooring availability may affect practice.)
Anchoring (1/2 day) NE
Review anchor gear and effective anchoring techniques. Practice hand signals for safe and effective communication while anchoring. Practice planning for anchoring and weighing anchor. Practice anchoring in various tidal, current, and wind conditions. Practice effective use of anchor bridle. Review special anchoring situations (crowded anchorage, strong currents, multiple anchors, etc.)
Passage Planning with Chart Plotter & Instruments (1 day) NE
Practice preparing a passage plan including course, weather, current/tide considerations (workshop pre-work). Practice implementing the passage plan using a chart plotter and enroute weather reports. Practice navigation in restricted waters including approaches/departures. Review and practice visual navigation techniques.
Underway at Night (1 day) NE
Review night operation skills and practices. Setup watch schedule. Prepare the boat for night operations. Practice port arrival (or departure) in restricted waters at night. Practice watch standing and night operations for 1 night.
* Required workshop for first-time clients
** Depending on weather conditions
Approximate time in each workshop is shown independent of other workshops; in other words, some workshops can be combined and conducted in less time than separate workshops. For example, Passage Planning with Chart Plotter & Instruments and Underway at Night workshops can be conducted together in 1 day. Contact us to discuss combining workshops.