Sailing Safety


Seven Levels...Standardized Training... Certified Instructors...Membership
Participation in US SAILING's Keelboat Certification System includes using our Official Logbook of Sailing, where you will record all course completions, certifications and on-the-water experience. Upon successful completion of each level, you will receive a sticker and signature from your instructor in your logbook. This information will be submitted to the US SAILING national database by your sailing school. Your Official Logbook of Sailing will serve as your passport for renting and chartering boats locally and worldwide, and for continuing your sailing education at schools that are part of the US SAILING Keelboat Certification System. So choose a sailing school that has US SAILING certified instructors and training materials, and become a part of the US SAILING Keelboat Certification System. Sailing is a lifetime challenge, and we hope the skills you gain will provide you with the opportunity for both excitement and relaxation! Welcome to sailing…a sport and lifestyle you will enjoy forever! Download US SAILING Brochure on The First Thing to Look For in a Sailing School
BASIC KEELBOAT Whether coming up from the US SAILING Community, Red Cross, other dinghy sailing programs, or as a total non-sailor, this course is designed to educate and train each student to sail a basic 18 - 27' sailboat with a ballasted keel and tiller steering on their own. Experience the thrill, freedom, and fun of taking out these basic keelboats for daysailing! This is where it all begins! (course requirements, standards, and certification outlines) BAREBOAT CRUISING For the sailor who has been daysailing larger keelboats and is ready to expand his/her sailing horizons to multiday trips - cruising! This course, along with the COASTAL NAVIGATION course, prepare students to sail larger cruising sailboats for extended multi-day trips. The vessels used for this course are 35-45' sloop-rigged cruising keelboats with wheel steering and inboard diesel power. This course involves navigation skills, anchoring skills, and vessel management and knowledge. After expanding your sailing horizons and achieving this level of certification and subsequent related local area cruising experiences, it is time to expand to new island and coastal vacation sailing destinations around the globe! (course requirements, standards, and certification outline) COASTAL NAVIGATION Learn the art of coastal navigation. Includes dead reckoning techniques, chart reading, position determination (fix), and much more. Great prep course to "finding your way" out on the water, extending day trips, and visiting new locations.(complete course requirements, standards, and certification outline) CELESTIAL NAVIGATION A valuable type of navigation particularly for those preparing for the OFFSHORE PASSAGE MAKING course, and for those coastal sailors who just want to have the knowledge of Celestial Navigation. This course teaches how to use a sextant to calculate a sailboat's position based on the sun, planets and stars. (Complete course requirements, standards, and certification outline).	BASIC CRUISING Building on the skills and experiences learned in BASIC KEELBOAT, the successful student is now ready to advance to larger cruising sailboats which includes larger hull sizes 23 - 35', sloop-rigged cruising keelboats with auxiliary power. Expanded knowledge includes more time spent docking, maneuvering, and learning large boat systems and handling. Enjoy sailing larger vessels with friend and family while expanding day trip possibilities. (course requirements, standards, and certification outline) PASSAGE MAKING This course is divided into two distinct course components - COASTAL PASSAGE MAKING AND OFFSHORE PASSAGE MAKING. After experience has been gained through numerous day and multiple-day sailing experiences, this course takes the more advanced student through an expansive and difficult set of sailing exercises typically more demanding in scope and knowledge of vessel handling, navigation and management. Designed for longer coastal passage making circumstances, night-time navigation, fog situations, watch rotations, radar use, and more. These courses are conducted on 35' or larger sloop-rigged keelboats with wheel steering and inboard diesel power. The first segment - COASTAL PASSAGE MAKING - prepares sailors for more difficult sailing destinations and coastal passages. After more experiences in Coastal areas. (course requirements, standards, and certification outline) OFFSHORE PASSAGE MAKING introduces the student to true blue-water ocean sailing. This course is taken in an ocean environment, with a total of 600 nautical miles offshore, and 250 of those miles being out at least 25 nautical miles. (course requirements, standards, and certification outline). You may also want to Download the US SAILING Brochure on The First Thing to Look For in a Sailing School


		Sailing Certification Program