Lesson 1: On the water, 3 hours.

Welcome aboard, tour of the boat, familiarization, head operation.
Float plan.
Terminology handout.
Safety: can you swim?, PFD’s, fire extinguisher, radio, flares, horn, personal meds.
Clothing (deck shoes, sun glasses, hat, jacket, loose fitting clothing, gloves).
Preparations to get underway (float plan, sail covers, halyards, fenders, fuel/oil level checks, drinking water, GPS, cell phone, VHF radio).
Engine familiarization, priming, choking, throttle positions, raising, lowering, starting, stopping, cooling water check.
Swing keel position for getting underway.
Casting off (leaving the dock).
Harbor orientation, right of way, other boats, buoys, shoals, fishermen.
Raising sails, lowering sails, flaking sails, furling sails.
Points of sail: Close Reach, Beam Reach, Broad Reach, Running and Beating.
Tacking and jibing.
Knot craft back at the dock. Bowline and figure 8 knots.
Log book entries. Secure the boat.

Lesson 2: On the water, 3 hours

Review terminology. Q&A from previous lesson.
Float plan.
Standing rigging, adjusting.
Weather, canyon breeze, morning/afternoon wind shifts, barometer.
History of the Bonneville Sea.
Stopping (going into Irons, Heaving To).
GPS fundamentals.
MOB, marking location, throwing PFD, recovery, hypothermia.
Emergencies on board, first aid, CPR, park rangers, 911, VHF radio procedures, flare gun, air horn, use of PFD’s, whistles, flashlights, cyalume sticks.
Hypothermia, sunstroke, hydration.
Practice tacking.
Practice jibing.
Sailing a figure 8.
Knot craft at the dock: Review bowline, figure 8. Learn half hitch.
Log book entries. Secure boat.

Lesson 3: On the water, 3 hours

Review terminology. Q&A from previous lessons.
Float plan.
Sail trim, how sail shape affects speed and balance, reading tell tales.
Heeling, boat balance.
Reefing, shortening sail.
Motion sickness and medications.
Anchoring, scope, rode, swing, anchor drag, emergencies, bottoms.
Reading charts. Compass rose. Tools. Lat/Long. UTM coordinates.
Plan a trip to Bird Island.
Practice tacking.
Practice jibing.
Knot craft; review bowline, figure 8, half hitch. Learn square knot.
Log book entries. Secure boat.

Lesson 4: On the water, 3 hours

Review terminology. Q&A from previous lessons.
Float plan.
Trip to Bird Island.
Cooking on board (breakfast / lunch / dinner) snacks.
On board written exam.
Heavy weather sailing.
MOB drill.
Heave To drill.
VHF drill.
Climb the mast.
Running aground.
Log book entries. Secure boat.

Lesson 5: On the water, 3 hours

Night sailing.
Float plan.
Identifying lights at night.
Night vision.
Chart work at night.
Disorientation. Finding your way back.
On board written exam.
Log book entries. Secure boat.

Lesson 6: On the water, 3 hours

Preparing for solo.
Practice docking.
Float plan.
Compose a checklist.
Autopilot.
Frequently used formulas: D/T x S (distance / time x speed), conversions, line of sight/distance, etc.
Chest harness and tether.
Log book entries. Secure boat.

Lesson 7: On the water

Solo. (no skipper).
Float plan.
Log book entries. Secure boat.
Presentation of Certificate.

Fast Tack

Pressed for time, but still want to learn to sail? Try fast tack. Two days on the water, from 7AM-11AM, with an evening sunset sail and dinner aboard, 6-8:30PM, $425 per person, 3 students maximum. Typically a Friday/Saturday outing that accelerates at the students learning rate. A custom program for the busy executive or maxed out professional.

"Yesterday is history
  Tomorrow’s a mystery
  Today is a gift"

Suggested clothing and equipment:

Deck shoes (with a light colored, non-marring sole), required.
Polarized sunglasses with chums.
Sun hat.
Sun block SPF 35 or higher.
Windbreaker.
Comfortable, lose fitting clothes.
Note pad and pencil.
Camera.
Personal medications.
Bottled water (this will be provided, you may have a favorite that we don’t stock).
Snacks (we also have a selection of Trail mix, jerky and ginger cookies, but you may have your own favorites).
Small collapsible duffle bag for stowage of the above items.