Courses Offered
Private lessons and alternate class dates are also available. Discounts may apply for multiple students and for signing up for multiple courses!
Experience Sailing Basic Sailing Dock & Harbor Handling Bareboat Catamarans Advanced Coastal Cruising Coastal Navigation Radar GPS
Experience Sailing
2-Hours
Just want to get your feet wet? Come out and sail with one of our friendly and professional instructors on a spirited 26 Colgate. Raise the sails, take the helm, tack, and jibe and fly the spinnaker. You'll get a taste of real sailing. Sailing every Tuesday and Thursday evening, 6-8:30pm, includes the ASA booklet Sailing Made Easy. Call for availability.
$55 per student per session or $195 per student for 4 sessions.
Basic Keelboat Sailing
2-Days ASA 101
A weekend course designed to further your basic sailing experience. This ASA certification course will provide the necessary knowledge and skills to sail a fixed keel boat up to 30 in light to moderate conditions. Sail theory, rules of the road, safety, tying knots and terminology are just part of what you'll learn. ASA test taken at the end of the second day. Includes ASA Sailing Fundamentals text book and ASA log book. Classes held Saturday and Sunday, 9am 5pm, 14 hrs total instruction.
$375 per student
Back to topBasic Keelboat Sailing & Basic Coastal Cruising
4-Days live-aboard optional / ASA 101/103
Taught on cruising boats 27-30, this course is designed to give you confidence. You'll learn everything mentioned in the 101 course plus dive deeper into anchoring, expanded terminology, heavy weather tactics, harbor handling and docking, person-over-board, general seamanship and weather. You?l also be exposed to a wide variety of gear and hardware found on sail vessels designed for more than daysailing. Students are welcome to stay aboard each night at no additional cost. At the end of each day around 5pm, you'll be back dockside in our marina and free to browse the beautiful town of Traverse City. Make it a learning vacation you'll always remember. Includes ASA Sailing Fundamentals text book and log book. Classes held every Saturday thru Tuesday, 9am 5pm, mid May thru September.
Basic Learning Cruise
3-Days live-aboard cruise
After successful completion of the ASA 101/103, this popular option allows you to take the same boat you learned on for a 3-day cruising experience. Practice the skills you just learned by anchoring out overnight or harbor-hop to Suttons Bay, Northport or Elk Rapids. The boat is yours and the destinations are many. Our boats have amenities such as propane stoves, ice-box refrigeration, holding tank head and hot showers. The boat sleeps six so you can invite your family and friends along. 101/103 prerequisite.
$695 for the entire boat for 3 days
Back to topDocking & Harbor Handling
2-days live-aboard option
Sailboat Docking taught on vessels 30-34' this course is designed to give the student confidence in any marina docking situation. Proper use of spring lines, prop walk and rudder control are just part of this very comprehensive class designed to make every docking controlled and predictable. Train on our vessels or on your own boat. 101/103 prerequisite for sailboat docking.
Powerboat Docking taught on twin engine 28 cabin cruiser, this course is designed to give the student confidence in any marina docking situation. Also covers spring lines, short-handed departing and returning, prop walk, rudder control and much more. Train on our boat or yours. No prerequisite required for powerboat docking.
Call for pricing
Back to topBareboat Chartering 104
3-days live aboard class / ASA 104
Your class is a 35 - 42 cruising monohull. Cruise planning, mechanical and electrical systems are covered along with advanced anchoring techniques, more in-depth navigation, heavy weather tactics and life aboard. This is the course to prepare you for that bareboat charter experience in the Caribbean. 101/103 prerequisite.
Bareboat Learning Cruise
2-4 Day live-aboard cruise
Upon successful completion of 104 Bareboat Chartering, you?l receive a special discounted rate to charter the boat you trained on to practice your new skills. The Manitou Islands, Charlevoix and Petosky are all within range. Invite the family along!
Call for pricing
Back to topBareboat Chartering and Coastal Navigation
7-days live-aboard cruise / ASA 104/105
Combine 104 Bareboat Chartering (see above) with the 105 Coastal Navigation Home-Study course. We'll mail you the 105 Coastal Navigation text book along with 3 DVDs to walk you thru every required exercise. The home-study also includes parallel rules, dividers, a practice chart and support material to ensure you've thoroughly prepared for the on-board test given on day two of the cruise course. The remaining 5 days will be then dedicated to the 104 Bareboat Chartering course and opportunities to practice your new navigation skills. Sure you'll learn a lot but this learning vacation will also allow you to explore the many islands, harbor towns, beaches and anchorages along the way. We'll even put a kayak on board to give you the full experience! 103 Prerequisite.
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Cruising Catamarans
2-day ASA 114
If you're thinking about chartering a catamaran in the Caribbean, this is the course for you. Designed to bridge the gap and shorten the learning curve for monohull sailors making the transition to catamarans. You'll learn anchoring techniques, tacking, jibing, catamaran sailing characteristics, design characteristics, man-overboard recovery, heavy weather tactics, twin-engine handling and more. Taught on a world-class Island Spirit 40, course includes the ASA 114 text book and support material and students are welcome to stay aboard each night. 104 prerequisite.
Catamaran Learning Cruise
3-5 days live-aboard cruise
Upon successful completion of the above course, take the catamaran you trained on for a special discounted rate. This is the perfect yacht to explore the beautiful bays that make up northern Michigan. Invite your family or friends, this 3 cabin yacht is very accommodating.
Call for pricing.
Back to topAdvanced Coastal Cruising 106
7-days live-aboard class
Hone all the skills learned in prior classes and add in new experiences including night navigation under sail, up to 100 mile non-stop passages, vessel systems troubleshooting, engineering and much more. Class is aboard a 35-45 cruising monohull and includes ASA text book, parallel rules, dividers and support material. Our cruising catamaran can be used upon request and for a surcharge.
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Coastal Navigation
Classroom includes materials, professional instruction, ASA DVD. Classes held in Traverse City Monday thru Friday Evenings 6:30-9pm, approx 12 hours total. Days 1-4 classroom learning, Day 4 is review and practice tests, Day 5 is final exam. $295 per student.
Home Study includes text book, study aids, practice tests, ASA DVD, and custom two-disc DVD developed specifically for the home study course. $295 per student
Lab (optional) upon completion of the 105 exam, enjoy one full day practicing navigation skills while underway aboard a 34?40 sail vessel during the sailing season. $125 per student
Back to topRadar
Taught with software created by Starpath and following an ASA course curriculum using radar simulators, text books, handouts and support materials, students will use their own copy of radar simulator software on their own laptops. Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm or Monday-Thursday evenings 6:30-9:30pm (approx 12 hrs total instruction time)
$295 per student
Back to topGPS
6-hour class
Classroom - Starting in a classroom setting, and then moving outside the building for land-based GPS exercises, students train with identical hand-held GPS units and support materials. Class size is limited to 12 students. $99 per student
Lab (optional) - This is an optional 1/2 day on the water to practice the skills learned in the Intermediate GPS classroom course. Students can practice anchor watch modes and other exercises on the water and enjoy a day of sailing. $125 per student
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