Sailing the Northwest

The Seattle Sailing Club makes it easy to learn to sail with a wide range of sailing lessons.  They are the oldest sailing school in the Northwest, providing sailing lessons since 1968.  The Sailing Club is certified by the American Sailing Association, which means your lessons will also provide ASA certification, which is certainly helpful when chartering a boat with other Charter Agencies.  There is an additional $30 fee to cover the ASA exams.

Lessons are a bit pricey, although there is a substantial discount for Club members.  Their classes include:

• Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA Level 101)
  $295 members // $395 non-members
  A 12-hour course that includes 9 hours on the water covering terminology, rules of the road, basic knots & sail theory, rigging, sail selection, points of sail and seamanship.
• Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA Level 103)
  $395 members // $525 non-members
  An 18-hour course that includes a 3-hour solo trip (class only) covering reefing, heaving-to, boat-handling practice, sail selection and trim, basic navigation, and docking practice.
• Bareboat Chartering (ASA Level 104)
  $695 members // $845 non-members
  A 9-hour course, plus a 3 day, 2-night overnight instructed charter that covers all the aspects of chartering a larger boat, including a systems overview (propane and head), troubleshooting inboard engines, big boat sail selection and docking, navigation and anchoring.  A must-have if you have never chartered a boat before.
• Cruise and Learn (ASA Levels 103 & 104)
  $1,150 members // $1,700 non-members
  This is a six-day, five-night course that covers the topics of Basic Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Charter 104 in an overnight instructed charter.
• Coastal Navigation (ASA Level 105)
  $295 members // $395 non-members
  A 9-hour all-classroom course covering how to read nautical charts, symbols, dead reckoning navigation, GPS practice and other navigation techniques.
• Spinnaker Handling Course
  $295 members // $395 non-members
  A 12-hour on-the-water course which teaches you how to use the spinnaker (primarily for racing), including how to pack, host and set the spinnaker, and gybe, trim and douse the spinnaker.  You must previously complete Basic Coastal Cruising prior to taking this class.
• Introduction to Racing
  $395 members, $495 non-members
  A great introduction to the fundamentals of sailboat racing, including starts, mark rounding and tactics, this 12-hour course will allow you to learn the racing rules and advanced sail trim techniques, and also includes a race at the conclusion of the lessons.

Contact the Seattle Sailing Club to get further information on lesson availability, and which lessons may be most appropriate for you.  You can reach the Seattle Sailing Club at:

Seattle Sailing Club
7001 Seaview Avenue NW, Suite #125
Seattle, WA 98117
info@seattlesailing.com
http://www.seattlesailing.com/
(p) 206.782.5100
(f) 206.782.9751

** Disclosure **  I managed the Seattle Sailing Club from 1992 to 1995 under previous ownership.  In addition, my Merit 25′ was a Club boat for close to 10 years.  I no longer have any financial relationship with the Sailing Club, and it has transferred ownership to Sail Northwest (no relationship to this site either, despite the name similarity).