Adult Sailing Program
Adult Learn-to-Sail Intro/Overview
The Basic Keelboat Program provides a comprehensive learn to sail experience for students with no sailing experience, and for those with some experience that want to build on their skills and obtain an official US SAILING Basic Keelboat Certification.
Students learn their on-the-water skills sailing on the beautiful waters of Alamitos Bay and Long Beach Harbor in keelboats from 20’–25’ in length. Our US SAILING Certified instructors are highly skilled in communication and seamanship and provide excellent instruction. Class sizes will be limited to 3–5 persons per instructor/boat in order to provide an ideal learning environment. Each day begins with a brief classroom lecture introducing students to new sailing related topics. The rest of the day is spent on the water, with hands-on teaching.
Click here to download our program brochure!
US Sailing KB Certification Program
Our US Sailing Keel Boat Certification is broken into 3 levels followed by certification practice and testing. Each level consists of 16 hours of training that takes place on four class dates. In order to form a class, we need a group of 3-5 students that have agreed to a schedule and paid at least 1 week in advance of the start date.
Package Deals
Save $$$$ with our Basic Keelboat and US SAILING Certification packages:
Keelboat Certification Package #1 ($650)
Includes Keelboat 2, 3 & Certification
Keelboat Certification Package #2 ($900)
Includes Keelboat 1, 2, 3 & Certification
Important: For all of the above classes, students must be over 18 years in age. Students must also be in good physical condition and be able to swim at least 50 yards while fully clothed. Classes will meet regardless of weather. Lifejackets will be provided by the United States Sailing Center and must be worn at all times while on board the boat.
There will be no refund for missed classes.
Basic Keelboat Level 1 (KB 1) – This course is an introduction to sailing designed for students with little or no previous sailing experience. The course will be approximately 40% lecture and 60% on the water practice. Students in this course will be taught in a Cal 20 keelboat. By the end of this course, they will know basic sailing terminology, safety procedures, basic rigging and un-rigging, knot tying and environmental awareness.
They will learn elementary sailing and boat handling skills including tacking, jibing, heading up, falling off, docking, sailing a course, appropriate sail trim, and understand the basic principals of wind direction and points of sail.
Prerequisite: None
Class Format: 4 / 4 hour sessions
Class size: 3 to 5 students
Text: US SAILING Basic Keelboat (included)
Fee: $275
Basic Keelboat Level 2 (KB 2) – This course is the next step in the program. In this course students will review what they learned in KB1 and develop new skills such as heavy weather sailing techniques, heaving to, reefing, crew overboard recovery, navigation rules and more.
Students in this course will sail in 25’ keelboats. More time will be spent on the water in this course. It will be approximately 25% lecture and 75% on the water. Students will come out of this course with a much greater understanding of sailing and will be ready for more advanced techniques that will be taught in the level 3 course.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of KB1 course or equivalents skills
Class Format: 4 / 4 hour sessions
Class size: 3 to 5 students
Text: US SAILING Basic Keelboat (included)
Fee: $275
Basic Keelboat Level 3 (KB3) – This is the final level of the basic keelboat course.
Sailing a J24, a fast and responsive yet stable and spacious boat, students will continue their skill development. They learn new skills such as anchoring, mooring, emergency procedures, proper use of distress signals, basic coastal navigation, and more. After successful completion of this course, students should be prepared for US SAILING Basic Keelboat Certification.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of KB2 or equivalent skills
Class Format: 4 / 4 hour sessions
Class size: 3 to 5 students
Text: US SAILING Basic Keelboat (included)
Fee: $275
US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification – This course is primarily an evaluation and testing of the skills that have been learned in the previous courses or other sail training experience. Students will review and practice their sailing skills in the first session then take a written test produced by US SAILING to demonstrate their knowledge. In the final sessions they will practice, then demonstrate their boat handling skills. Upon successful completion of the course and tests students will be certified to skipper tiller steered keelboats, up to 27’ in length, on familiar waters, in 5 – 15 knots of wind. They will also be provided with the US SAILING Basic Keelboat Certification Standards booklet, a one-year free membership to US SAILING, and an official US SAILING Logbook of Sailing. The Logbook will be signed by a US SAILING Certified Instructor and an official sticker will be inserted verifying the student’s certification.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of KB3 or equivalent skills
Class Format: 3 / 4 hour sessions
Class size: 3 to 5 students
Text: US SAILING Basic Keelboat (included)
Fee: $200
