Ready to learn the fundamentals?

This two-day course helps you build foundational sailing skills: what makes the boat go, how to set and trim sails, basic maneuvers, and essential safety. By the end, you'll be ready to crew confidently on daytime sailing adventures.

What you'll receive

Hands-on learning aboard modern boats: Build skills on our forgiving but responsive performance cruisers, Student Driver and Sloop du Jour, in protected waters near Ganges, BC. You'll practice steering, sail trim, crew commands, basic knots, and boat handling under both sail and power.

Small groups, patient instruction: With a maximum of four students, you'll get plenty of individual attention. Our instructors create a relaxed environment where questions (and mistakes) are welcome.

Sail Canada certification: Earn Sail Canada's Start Keelboat Sailing standard with credentials recognized across Canada. Opens doors to crew opportunities with experienced skippers and more advanced training.

A conversation about your sailing journey: Each course ends with time to reflect on what you've learned, discuss your goals, and explore next steps, whether that's more training, club sailing, or planning your own adventures.

Course format

Two-hour pre-course orientation covering theory, terminology (on Zoom)
Two full days on the water in Ganges, BC, with a minimum of 12 hours of coached sailing
Open-book learning exercises to reinforce concepts

Who should enrol

This course is perfect for anyone who:

Has little or no sailing experience
Wants to try keelboat sailing in a supportive environment
Is still deciding whether to commit to sailing
Wants to build confidence and skill before tackling more advanced courses

No prerequisites. You don't need any experience.

Registering, deposits & final payment

This course is limited to four students. We require a minimum of three students for the course to proceed. If we don't meet our minimum enrollment, we'll work with you to find a convenient alternative date.

Students are required to pay at least 25% deposit upon registration. The balance of course fees is due a month before the course starts.

Please see Wild About Sailing's course booking, refund and cancellation policies for more details.

Learn to Sail on Salt Spring Island!