Bareboat and Offshore Cruising classes

[Lost Lake]

I finally committed and signed up to take the classes the last weekend of June in Ludington, MI.

It sounds more like a party than training actually! Sleep on the 38.5 Hunter Weds night, breakfast in town then sail all day, dinner in town, sleep on the boat, repeat for Friday, then sail out on Saturday, anchor at sea, supper on the boat, sail back Sunday afternoon....

What a great way to spend 4 or 5 days!

[newt]

Hi Lost! I think its great that your getting out cruising for a few days. Since you have already committed to this outfit, I hope they are great. The more you can get out and stay out on the water in classes it seems like the more you learn.

[doug]

let us know how you like these classes. My wife and I are planning a week course that covers ASA 101, 102 and 103 and spends either 5 or 7 days cruising which we think is a good way to determine how well we would react to 4 - 6 weeks cruising (there is nothing like dreaming about something only to find out you really don't like camping out in a boat).

enjoy.

doug

[Lost Lake]

I will post my experiences here when I am through. The classes I'm in are 103 and 104. Hope we have good weather, but then on the other hand, I bet I would learn more in a stiff gale with a lot of rain!

[newt]

Doug-
I would recommend that you charter for a week after your class. The Days we spent on 103-104 were nothing like chartering because of the student teacher interaction. My wife did not like (ie hated) the class, but she has had a fair amount of fun chartering. I enjoy chartering much more than the classes.

[Ralph Erickson]

Good for you, Lost!  You will thoroughly enjoy your classes, if they are anything like the ones I took in 2004.  I went with Offshore Sailing School and took the Fast Track to Cruising course.  We spent 3 days on land with classroom instruction in the morning and afternoons aboard a 26 foot Colgate, then we spent a week living aboard a 46 foot Hunter, sailing from Duck Key to Key West and back, spending 5 nights total living aboard.  Quite a good time and quite an experience.  Learned a heck of a lot. I wrote a letter to Offshore telling about my experience, and they posted it on their website (see link below).  Let us know how it goes!

Ralph

[Lost Lake]

Great write up Ralph! I hope to sail more also, and sail some interesting seas in the future. Thanks for the encouragement!!  Here's toasting grog to you!

[Bob Condon]

Well, my brother teaches the courses and awards certifications for those that pass the sailing tests and the written tests.

It is not a party.

He did have 4 students that thought it was a booze cruise. He told them up front that it can be a sightseeing course or an educational course... their choice.

They wanted fun and got 1 of the three certifications of which they were upset in the end.

===

Another time, he had a family along. Mom has no interest in education, Dad was ready to go and Buffy and Jody were along for the ride. After my brother discussed with the kids what the certifications would enable them to do, they were on board much more that either of the parents. The kids got all the certifications... Dad has a harder time but passed everything... Mom had a nice time with everyone on board.

[Lost Lake]

If I wanted the booze-cruise, I'd take the class in the BVI !! It's only a few hundred more, and what a neat vacation!

I'm still trying to figure out what the classes and certification do for me... Will I be able to bareboat anywhere or will I need to prove myself by chartering first?

[Ralph Erickson]

I took what's called the "Fast Track to Cruising" course.  At the end of the courses, I was US Sailing certified in Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising, and Bareboat Cruising.  Offshore Sailing School told me that the certification means that chartering companies will accept this certification to allow me to bareboat charter up to a 50 foot yacht.  I wanted to see for sure, so I contacted two chartering companies, The Moorings and Sunsail, and filled out an application for chartering a yacht.  They ask for your "sailing resume", and I included the course in the resume.  Sure enough, they assured me that I could bareboat any of their yachts in their fleet!!!! I do indeed plan to do just that in the future - not sure I'll go that large; for my comfort, I'd be happy with a 35 footer or so. 

Lost Lake, are you going with Colgate's Offshore Sailing School?  I didn't know they had a base in Ludington, MI. 

[Lost Lake]

No, my class is through Northern Breezes, an ASA course. I also wrote to a charter outfit and they asked me to fill out a resume, and said perhaps I would have to hire a skipper for a day if I felt uncomfortable with the boat or the water.

Sounds good to me!!