INFORMATION LINKS

SAILING SCHOOL COURSE OUTLINES AND VESSEL DETAILS

        DAY 1             BASIC CRUISING:  

ALL ABOUT YOU: Previous sailing school experiences. Sailing likes and dislikes. Dreams of yacht ownership. Sailing around the world. Sailing reality, and how to make it happen.

THE SAILING VESSELS: Rundown on vessel basics, features, and a comparative study of vessel types, pros and cons.

THE SAFE STARTUP: Primary safety startup procedures. We depart from the marina.

SAILING PRINCIPALS: Sailing starts right away. Introduction to aerodynamics, sails, rigging, and sailing terminology. Begin to tack and gybe. You will be challenged hard and learn fast.

OCEAN ENVIRONMENT: Introduction to life at sea, wave principals, weather principals and hypothermia (causes and prevention). 

NAVIGATION AIDS: Study of the buoy system in North America.

OVERNIGHT SELF STUDY

 

        DAY 2             BASIC CRUISING:  

SAFETY EQUIPMENT: Details regarding Transport Canada required equipment.

MOTORING ISSUES: Maneuvering under power, docking problems.

COLLISION REGS: Review of collision avoidance regulations, studied while we sail.

SPEED CONTROL: Adjusting sailing speed and tuning for velocity made good (speed to destination).

FASTER TACKS: Increasing your speed through the tacks.

POINT OF SAIL DRILLS: Practice changing directions in relation to the wind. Practice sailing terminology and commands under pressure:

SINGLE-HANDED SAIL: You drive the boat solo to hone your sailing skills further.

LOCAL FEATURES: Destinations, local weather patterns and hazards, marine life.

OVERNIGHT SELF STUDY

 

        DAY 3             BASIC CRUISING:  

NAVIGATION CHARTS: Learn how to find your position, hazards, and how to find anchorages.

TIDES AND TABLES: How to read tidal data to avoid grounding.

CRUISE PLANNING: Working with wind, currents, time, and weather.

ANCHORING DETAILS: How to choose an anchorage, the approach, single and double anchor deployment, local issues, shore details, and departing under power and sail.

CREW OVERBOARD: First practice at this life saving drill that also tests ALL your sailing skills.

SAIL REEFING: Reduction of sail area to de-power the vessel.

MORE SAIL PRACTICE: Confidence and speed improve.

BOAT OWNERSHIP: Maintenance issues, cost management, and sailing vessel choices.

OVERNIGHT SELF STUDY

        DAY 4             BASIC CRUISING: 

WRITTEN EXAMS: Approximately 3h total.

CREW OVERBOARD: Used as our primary test exam of practical knowledge. You do this maneuver solo at TikiTours Sailing. A practice float is deployed into the water and you retrieve it under full sail. We have a zero percent failure rate for our well-trained students, even under these conditions and with such a large, powerful vessel.

FUN TIME - RACING: We can run you through a 300m practice race circuit that will have you worked to the max, winches screaming and boat maneuvering at the extreme, or..

FUN TIME - CRUISING: You can visit some sights, relax, reflect. 

FINAL NOTES: Regarding boat ownership, chartering, crewing, race crewing, and where you go from here.

PHOTO PACKAGES: Professional color negative portraits (Optional).

 

DAY 1 INTERMEDIATE:  

ALL ABOUT YOU: Previous sailing certification. Review and discussion of previous course and experience.

PASSAGE PLANNING: Compass use and correction to true north, coastal navigation with ETA and itinerary planning.

GALLEY COOKING: Food selection and storage, galley fuel systems and safety. You bring your own food in our course so that you can practice food preparation your way.

ENGINE SYSTEMS:   Acquiring fuel, estimating range, maintenance, spares, tools.

WATER SYSTEMS:   Estimating usage, water integrity, pressure systems.

HEATING SYSTEMS:   Fuels, safety, condensation issues.

THE CREW:   Seasickness prevention, clothing, first aid.

BOAT MAINTENANCE:   The haul-out, painting, zincs, through hulls

OVERNIGHT SELF STUDY

 

DAY 2 INTERMEDIATE:  

TUNING AND CONTROL: Genoa cars, mainsheet traveler, sail twist, advanced rigging.

DINGHIES / KAYAKS:    Selection and comparisons, stowing. 

WASTE SYSTEMS:   Holding tank regulations, maintenance.

VHF RADIO USAGE:   Channel 16, DSC, aphonics, antennas and range.

RADAR REFLECTORS:   Principles of radar detectors and radar equipment, range.

COLLISION REGS:   Rules 1 through 19, 40, and 45 of the Collision Regulations.

GPS / NOTEBOOKS :   Raster and vector charts and software, interfacing, equipment stowage and usage.

WEATHER FORECAST:   Advanced equipment and techniques.

INTERNATIONAL:   Customs and Immigration, border crossing, reporting, flags.

LIVING ABOARD:         Boat motion, berths, lighting.

DAY 3 INTERMEDIATE:  

MOTORING:      Stopping near a float, float pickup, boat hooks and heaving line issues.

SPINNAKER USE:          The asymmetrical, packing, deployment, special equipment.

CREW OVERBOARD:   The triangle and alternate methods, crew retrieval from the water.

FASTER TACKS II:   Tacks and gybes (six in ten minutes).

THE CLOSE REACH:   Telltales, velocity made good, feathering, pinching and luffing.

PERFORMANCE:    Clean hulll, reducing windage, sail area and overlap.

COAST NAVIGATION:  Holding compass course, estimated position, dead reckoning,  identifying aids to navigation.

HARBOR APPROACH:     New harbors and anchorages, traffic.

ANCHOR TECHNIQUES: The two anchor system, stern in, breast anchor.

THE SHORE PARTY:   Tides and beaches, beach fires, dinghy concerns, swimming ashore and re-boarding.

DAY 4 INTERMEDIATE

WRITTEN EXAMS:    Approximately 2h total.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 120 vs. 12 volt, solar power, wind generators, batteries.

RUNNING RIGGING:   Gear selection, running rigging systems, physics.

SPEED PARAMETERS:   Calculating hull speed, sail area to displacement, rig aspect ratio.

CHARTERING:   Destinations, problems, pricing, yacht selection, the checkout.

REMOTE PLANNING:   Obtaining charts online, aerial and satellite photo reconnaissance, cruising guides, cruising forums.

CYA EQUIPMENT:    Selection and details. 

THE TRAVEL BAG:   Handheld radio/distress, harnesses, portable nav lights, self contained navigation set.

THE SNUG DOWN:   Checkout for extended storage, maintenance issues, condensation prevention, dock lines, sail covers, UV considerations.  

Sailing courses are offered in 1 - 4 person classes, as well as private instruction on your vessel. Sailing areas are off West Vancouver, British Columbia in pristine waters clear of shipping lanes, and extend into the Georgia Strait and Howe Sound. All classroom 'ashore knowledge' is taught on vessel or at marina in the ocean environment. 

VESSEL DETAILS

Our primary sailing school instruction boat is a 2nd and 3rd VARC decorated, and 2nd and 3rd and 2nd overall WVYC decorated (2004), actively racing, racer / cruiser (details shown).

WE HELP YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE IN YACHT PURCHASE

TikiTours Sailing School's training is excellent to prepare the prospective yacht owner for the purchase. We teach you how to sail, but also how to sail fast, due to our racing background. We also know equipment and design. Our boat has the distinction of having done over six years continuous single-handed short-course yacht racing with 'zero' hardware failures, which is almost unheard of in any yacht racing. Simple, strong, and race-proven deck systems have been the key. We will give you insight into speed factors, design  parameters, and even numerical performance data on the available sailboat models while you are with us. You will leave us not only a 'skipper', but one who can make a sound design choice down the road at the next purchase.

WE HELP YOU DEAL WITH AND PREDICT BOAT MAINTENANCE 

At TikiTours Sailing School, we show you proper sail handling, flaking/rolling of Kevlar and other sails, chafe avoidance, UV covering strategies, deck systems organizing, and simple procedures such as freshwater rinsing at the end of the day. This will (in addition to good vessel selection) cut your sailing costs from the unaffordable to the affordable.

 

 

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