A week (5 or 7 days) is the typical length of a sailing/power boating course that includes a “live-aboard” element and cruising to a particular Coastal destination, depending on your departure point. CRYA affiliated charter companies & sailing schools are based out of various marinas on Vancouver Island including Comox, Nanaimo, Gabriola Island, Genoa Bay, and in Vancouver. Instructors offer their services from a variety of locations. Check out the Community Showcases for those communities, and the full listing of Schools & Instructors on the CRYA website.
A typical day starts with breakfast prepared aboard, checking weather to adjust the destination of the day, doing all boat checks, then either raising anchor or leaving the dock. The day is filled with skill building in navigation, boat handling, learning rules & regulations, exercises & drills like COB (crew overboard), practising knots and hitches, eating lunch on the GO and wildlife viewing.
Late afternoon we might drop a crab or prawn trap then drop anchor in a bay OR pick up a mooring buoy in a marine park (e.g. Pirates’ Cove, Montague Harbour, Smugglers’ Cove, Mark Bay by Newcastle Island) OR dock in a marina. Dinner is either prepared aboard, often on the BBQ, or taken ashore in a local restaurant or Pub.
Depending on both the region and season, the evening activities include exploring coastal villages, taking the dinghy to land for beach-combing & hiking the local trails, swimming in bottomless fiords or fresh-water lakes or… just relaxing watching the sunset!
Favoured destinations for Cruise & Learns: Desolation Sound, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and all the Islands and waters of Georgia Strait. You can even book a 3-week circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, exploring the West Coast, if you’re adventurous!
Dream it and we’ll help you realize it!
Why not treat the whole family to a vacation on the water, while you learn to sail as a team. After your Cruise & Learn, you’ll earn certifications that will eventually allow you to Bareboat charter or confidently handle your own boat! The cost is less than a Vancouver to Anchorage cruise ship holiday. Which sounds more rewarding to you?
There’s no better vacation with family and/or friends than cruising the BC waters on a boat!
