Sailing lessons and cruising tips in Puerto Vallarta
There have been many requests for Captain Joe to provide sailing lessons to newbie yacht owners, novices, inland sailors and others who are looking to expand their sailing skills or have discovered the sailing bug. He maintains, "There is no greater calling than to share your knowledge, passion and skills, about something you love to do."
His teaching approach is to focus on the fun first. The knowledge, skills and desire for sailing will develop from that foundation and will imprint better. "Let's go out and play. We'll keep it light, easy and fun. Then after everyone is becoming relaxed and confident, we can start to really learn the art and science of sailing." His calm, confident and easy demeanor put you at ease and you will quickly learn to sail a yacht with grace and control.
Couples new to the cruising lifestyle have been asking Captain Joe for his help. Joe tells us, "Often I am approached by a couple who have just purchased their dreamboat, but their sailing skills are from day-sailing their smaller boat or strictly on inland waters. They just need a little confidence to make the transition to coastal cruising." Captain Joe will take you on a tour of your new yacht to show you basic maintenance tasks, safety and fire plans, review the running rigging with you, check dock lines, your anchoring systems and sail reefing procedures. Then, it's time to sit down and have a cup of coffee. "It's a lot to absorb" he says, "You have to understand that a lot of these systems are alien to these new owners. You have to slow down and let them take it in at their own pace. A cup of coffee is a nice pause to reflect on the new yacht systems and let questions come to the surface." After a cup-of-Joe and some exciting sailing talk, it's time to "light the fires and kick the tires. Let's take your new baby for a ride!"
Another service request for Captain Joe has been making Mates for Skippers. No, we aren't talking about a dating service! Often, the Skippers spouse doesn't have a clue about operating their yacht. This is not a healthy cruising or yachting environment! The dangers are many and include: insufficient support in a medical or maritime emergency; extensive and tiring watches for the skipper; and most importantly, the tendency of the spouse to lose interest in the cruising lifestyle! Plus, it's not fair for the skipper to hog all of the fun!
This is where Captain Joe can really be helpful to cruising couples. His tutorage of sailing and yacht handling skills, rules of the road, medical and emergency procedures will help transition your spouse into a capable and confident mariner and thereby increasing his/her enjoyment and participation in yachting. Your vessel will be safer, happier and you and your Mate can bond more easily into your new cruising lifestyle.
At the least, Captain Joe and you will cover Basic Yacht Systems including fire suppression equipment and use; safety equipment; communication systems; engine service; and electrical system overview. Deck Instruction will cover rigging overview, sail hoisting and control systems, and basic marlinspike (knots). Underway, you will learn docking skills, proper sail trim, sail reefing, tacking, jibbing and rescue methods. Basic navigation including use of GPS, reading charts and dead reckoning will be addressed. Anchoring methods will also be practiced. And most importantly the Maritime Rules of the Road will be throughly covered as they apply to your vessel. If there are special skills or subjects you would like to address during your sailing and cruising lesson, let us know and Captain Joe will talk to you personally. All lesson plans will be carefully compiled and customized to meet with your training needs. Just contact us using the link below and we can start your lesson plan immediately. "Click" here to contact us for sailing or cruising lessons
Are you looking for some sailing support groups or lesson materials to get you started with sailing? Below are some of our recommended links for information. Cruising for Women A site for woman looking to command their own yacht Return from sailing lessons to Home Page |
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