Course Overview
Master Boating Skills
from Beginner to Advanced
Explore our certified courses designed to build confidence and safety on the water, tailored to every skill level.
Basic Keelboat
The Basic Keelboat graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to responsibly skipper and crew a simple daysailing keelboat in familiar waters in light to moderate wind and sea conditions.
Basic Cruising
The Basic Cruising graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to responsibly skipper and crew an auxiliary powered cruising sailboat, during daylight hours, within sight of land in moderate wind and sea conditions.
Bareboat Cruising
The Bareboat Cruising graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to skipper and crew an inboard auxiliary powered cruising sailboat within sight of land and bring it safely to anchor during daylight hours.
Safe Powerboat Handling
This hands-on, on-the-water course is for anyone who wants to learn how to safely operate a small motorboat and improve their boathandling skills. No previous experience is required! The US Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) have approved this course and an increasing number of states have recognized it as meeting their requirements for a State Boating Education Certificate.
Basic Powerboat Cruising
The Basic Powerboat Cruising course graduate will demonstrate how to responsibly operate a powered cruising vessel during daylight hours within sight of land in light to moderate wind and sea conditions. This course is run on boats 26 feet and over, with a head, galley, berth, single or twin screwed.
Inshore Powerboat Cruising
The Inshore Powerboat Cruising graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to skipper and crew a cruising powerboat within sight of land for multiple days in unfamiliar waters.
Night Operations
The Night Operations graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to navigate and conduct safety drills during night time hours in moderate wind and sea conditions.
Coastal Navigation
The Coastal Navigation graduate will demonstrate the ability to solve a variety of practical coastal navigation problems and route planning exercises with a focus on paper charts in a classroom environment.
Coastal Passage Making
The Bareboat Cruising graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to skipper and crew an inboard auxiliary powered cruising sailboat within sight of land and bring it safely to anchor during daylight hours.
Earn your International Proficiency Certification
To charter in the Mediterranean you will need your International Proficiency Certificate (IPC). You can earn either your Sail IPC or Power IPC by successfully completing the cruising course series of instruction for sail or power.
Experienced sailors can challenge the course
Per US Sailing: “A certification candidate may, with previous experience and competency, challenge the required prerequisite levels by completing the written and practical examinations for each required level. Essentially, you will be taken for an on-the-water check out for the highest level of certification you are challenging. Pass the practical and then take the exam for the appropriate certification levels.”