Keelboat Programs

Looking to improve your communications skills on the radio? Everyone who operates a keelboat should have their Operators Certificate.
The Maritime Radio course teaches emergency radio procedures, and everyday operating techniques. Learn all about the uses of marine radios, choice of frequencies, operation, phonetic alphabet, procedural words and phrases, as well as Digital Selective Calling and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, (DSC/GMDSS).  To achieve certification a multiple choice test must be completed to 75% and an oral demonstration of radio calls and the phonetic alphabet must successfully be demonstrated.
NOTE: Students should pick up and read their textbook at the ABYC office before the first class.  

This Sail Canada course focuses on the fundamental skills for determining your position using celestial navigation.  Looking to learn a little about Celestial Navigation as a special interest course?  Then this is for you. To achieve accreditation, you will need to successfully pass the test and present your Sail Canada Intermediate Navigation accreditation. 

This course will help you plan for and execute a passage that may involve a long distance or overnight scenario to a known or unknown destination – in order to gain comfort and confidence to go cruising in safety with proper preparedness.The course will simulate a sample passage in the Southern Gulf Islands, as it will expose sailors to a greater range of required preparations, planning, navigation, hazards and execution in waters that have significant tides and currents. Some topics that will be covered are provisioning, sail plan, weather check, engine check, proper documents, crew briefings/preparations, crew overboard, emergency preparations, destination planning, navigation planning, passage making.

Basic Navigation is an essential component of sailing.  Whether it is getting out of the harbour or getting across the lake, we all need to know how to plan and execute the navigation aspect of the trip.  Thinking of taking Intermediate Cruising?  This course is a prerequisite for Sail Canada’s Intermediate Cruising. 

Planning to go across the lake?  Want to do some overnight sailing?  Take the next level in learning with Sail Canada’s Intermediate Cruising Course.  Intermediate Cruising Theory is filled with learnings about the systems onboard the typical 35’ cruising boat, sail trim components and even a little bit about engines and passage planning. We divide Sail Canada’s Intermediate Cruising into two components.  The theory component here is carried out in a zoom classroom environment.  Then in the summer if you want to achieve full certification you will spend 5 days onboard our CS33 to complete the on water component of your training.  For full details and on water pre requisites, check the Syllabus

Becoming a keelboat instructor with Sail Canada can be achieved either as a Start Keelboat instructor or as a Basic Cruising Instructor.  Clinics are offered either as stand alone or combination clinics.   At the clinic, you will receive training and coaching on how to teach, plan lessons, and evaluate students. You will be evaluated on your practical boating and sailing skills on-water and dockside and theory knowledge through working papers as well as proctored examinations. Candidates must be current in their sailing skills and knowledge for the level they are seeking, prior to entry into this clinic. Candidates who successfully complete this course will be able to teach and certify within the Sail Canada system, to the level they are signing up for.  Please see Sail Canada’s list of pre requisites for the instructor level you are seeking.  https://www.sailing.ca/instructors-coaches/

Time to ramp up your sailing game to include an asymmetric or Symmetric spinnaker.  Cruising or racing now sees a lot of fun with an asymmetric and symmetric spinnaker.  This two day course will take you through rigging, hoisting and dousing, gybing and trimming.  This course does not have a written test.  The course is often offered separately for Asymmetric or Symmetric.  Check the listings for your specific choice.

Sail Canada’s Intermediate Cruising is the next step up from Basic Cruising. It is designed for those who are either
• moving into boat ownership
• wanting to bareboat charter
• wanting to learn more about the systems on boats
• wanting to learn how to do a cruise of more than a few hours and various ways to handle the boat at a whole new level.
Pre Requisites
You must have the following pre requisites to register. Some certifications may be in progress.
• Basic Cruising
• Basic Navigation
• ROC(DSC)M
• 2 years experience skippering boats or 10-15 daytime voyages of greater than 10 Miles.

To operate a power vessel in the Toronto Harbour you are required to comply with the local regulations.  This includes obtaining and maintaining a Power Vessel Operator Permit for Toronto if you or your boat are a resident or if this is your usual boating area.  If you are doing this course in conjunction with Sail Canada Basic Cruising, a PCOC is not required.  If you are doing this course as a PVOP course, you must have your PCOC card or Basic Cruising.  It must be presented to the Lead instructor prior to course commencement.  You will be contacted by the Lead Instructor.

Start Keelboat Sailing is the perfect entry level into sailing.  The course is taught on a Beneteau First 22 and offers a large cockpit for learning in with your fellow students and your instructor.  If you are interested in trying out sailing this is your entry point.  If you have been sailing before and know that this is something for you or you want to be the person in charge on the boat, or just want to hone your skills, then have a look at Basic Cruising.  Start Keelboat Sailing is offered in a variety of formats.  Choose from daytime, evening or weekend courses. Pre Requisites: None

Are you between the ages of 14 and 20?  Did you miss out on taking sailing lessons as a kid but you don’t fit into a Optimist dinghy?  Do you want to move your dinghy sailing skills into keelboat sailing skills?  Here is the course for you.  This one week sail training session is designed to teach you the basic sailing skills in a keelboat.  You will develop skills as either the skipper or the crew in the boat.  If you feel inspired to achieve certification, you can work towards obtaining either your Start Keelboat Sailing, Basic Cruising or even add in your Power Vessel Operator Permit.  This flexible learning course is tailored to what you are after.  For more details on the syllabus of Start Keelboat Sailing or Basic Cruising, please check their course descriptions. Pre Requisites: None

To be able to cruise safely in familiar waters as both skipper and crew of a sloop-rigged keelboat of 6 to 10 meters with an outboard or inboard motor in moderate wind and sea conditions by day. The focus of this standard is on the development of basic sailing and seamanship skills as well as the knowledge needed to make the decisions expected of a skipper. Pre Requisites: None