Prerequisites: None
Certification: American Sailing Association Level 1 Certification available optionally
Seasons offered: All

The goal of this course is to be able to sail an auxiliary powered sailboat 20-30' in light to moderate wind and sea conditions in familiar waters without supervision.

Basic sailing terminology

Basic sailing theory

Basic Rules of the Road

Docking and Mooring

Person overboard recovery

Knot tying for sailors

Points of Sail

Tacking and Jibing

Required safety equipment

Contact Bellhaven San Juan Island charter boat cruising for details on this keelboat sailing class.

Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat or equivalent
Certification: American Sailing Association Level 2 Certification available optionally
Seasons offered: All

The goal of this sail boat course is to be able to cruise safely in local and regional waters as both skipper and crew on an auxiliary powered sailboat 30-35' sailing by day in coastal waters in moderate winds and sea conditions.

Topics and skills covered in this boating course include:

Basic chart symbols and piloting

Understanding Tide and Current publications

Understanding Latitude and Longitude

Taking bearings and plotting positions

Basic anchoring techniques

Fundamentals of aero and hydro dynamics

Basic performance sail trim methods and "shifting gears"

Sail reefing and heaving to

Additional rules of the road

Basic ship systems operations and maintenance

VHF radio procedures

Additional practice of crew recovery

Contact Bellhaven Northwest charter boat cruising for details on this exciting sailing class.

Prerequisites: Basic Coastal Cruising or equivalent
Certification: American Sailing Association Level 3 Certification available optionally
Seasons offered: All

The goal of this bareboat charter course is to skipper a 30-40' sailboat on a multi-day cruise by day in coastal waters in moderate wind and sea conditions.

Topics and skills covered in bareboat sailing include:

Provisioning and cooking safely aboard

Understanding and maintaining diesel engines

Understanding and maintaining all vessel systems

Customs procedures

Cruise planning using tides and weather as variables

Person overboard recovery

Knot tying for sailors

Points of Sail

Further developing navigation, piloting, docking skills

Further developing sailing abilities

Additional practice of crew recovery

Bellhaven San Juan Island charter yachts can provide contact details on this bareboat sailing course.

Prerequisites: Intermediate Coastal Cruising/Bareboat Chartering or equivalent
Certification: American Sailing Association Level 4 Certification available optionally
Seasons offered: All

The goal of this offshors boating navigation course is to demonstrate the navigational theory required to safely navigate a vessel in coastal or inland waters in moderate wind and sea conditions.

Topics and skills covered in the coastal navigation course include:

Light lists, Notice to Mariners and other publications of interest to the coastal sailor

Calculating and correcting leeway, set and drift from current and wind

Understand and using danger bearings

Restricted visibility procedures

Dead reckoning, running fixes and other useful navigation skills

Contact Bellhaven sailing classes for details on this coastal navigation boating class.

LEVEL 5 - Advanced Coastal Cruising

Prerequisites: Coastal Navigation or equivalent
Certification: American Sailing Association Level 5 Certification available optionally
Seasons offered: All

The goal of this boating navigation course is to be able to act safely as skipper and crew of a sailing vessel 40-50' for an extended period of time during the daytime and nighttime in unfamiliar waters under all wind and wave conditions where it is still advisable to sail.

Topics and skills covered in advanaced coastal navigation include:

Advanced daytime and nighttime electronic navigation using GPS, Loran, Radar, Electronic Chart

Single Side Band radio operation

Advanced weather analysis and prediction using onboard WeatherFax

True vs. apparent wind speed and angles

Advanced sail trim and performance sailing techniques

Setting and dowsing a spinnaker

Watch systems and rotations

Advanced anchoring techniques

Handling various onboard emergencies

Contact Bellhaven San Juan Island charter boat rentals for details on this advanced navigation class in Northwest waters.

Prerequisites: None, although some small boat experience recommended
Certification: American Sailing Association Levels 1-3 Certifications available optionally

Course Goals: See Levels 1-3 above. Learn everything needed to skipper your own boat, all in one spectacular week. From trimming sails, docking, navigating, anchoring and steering to cooking aboard and understanding electrical and mechanical systems found aboard today's modern cruising boats. You will learn by doing the first three levels of courses, from Basic Keelboat through Bareboat Chartering. It's all here wrapped up in an unforgettable week of living the cruisers lifestyle and gaining local knowledge of the San Juan Islands - one of the worlds most popular cruising grounds. You can see Orcas whales, bald eagles, frisky sea otters and seals throughout your cruise and maybe even one of our three resident pods of Orcas whales.

Prerequisite: Bareboat Charter Certification or equivalent
Certification: American Sailing Association Level 3 and 4 Certifications available optionally

Bellhaven makes cruise and learn sailing classes fun and educational.

Course Goals: See Level 4 above. Building upon skills and knowledge gained in the first three levels, this course refines your basic skills in anchoring, navigation and boat handling. Additionally, this course will further expand your knowledge of cruising areas in the region as you cross an international border, clear customs and begin exploring the less populated but equally beautiful Canadian Gulf Islands where you will also enjoy the colorful people found in the small pubs and island villages there. This course is a great follow-up to the Basic Cruise N Learn and a prerequisite for the most challenging course we offer, the Advanced Cruise N Learn.

Prerequisite: Coastal Navigation Certification or equivalent
Certification: American Sailing Association Level 5 Certification available optionally

Goal: See Level 5 above. This is our most challenging course. You will learn much about yourself and the requirements for extended passage making. During the week you will navigate over 300 miles by day and by night. While aboard you will become proficient with some of today's most advanced electronics and equipment including, radar, GPS, watermaker, Single Side Band radio and WeatherFAX. You will be traveling to the fascinating and incredibly wondrous Desolation Sound area in British Columbia. Cross the Straits of Georgia and traverse Malaspina Strait while fine-tuning and developing as a truly experienced and knowledgeable sailor.

Contact Bellhaven sailing classes located in the San Juan Island cruising area for exciting boating classes available. You can get skills to handle a new boat or sailing veterans can polish sailing and sea handling techniques.