Captain Dan Presenting
BASIC KEELBOAT
Basic Keelboat
Description:
This is the full standard course to give sailors a complete hands-on introduction to sailing a small keelboat (sailboat with a fixed keel). We will be using the US Sailing Basic Keelboat textbook. Upon completion, the sailor should have a working understanding of the sailboat, how to operate it, and have initial experience at the basic procedures.
Motivation:
The activity and sport of sailing provides an enormous variety of experiences on the water. There is a great spectrum between casual sailing to performance racing to weekend cruising to long-distance open-ocean cruising. Weather varies greatly in many ways. Navigation among geographic and other boating traffic can present great challenges. The experiences can be beautiful, exhilarating, adventurous, and they can be terrifying. It is of the utmost importance to maintain safety and to operate the sailing vessel with competence and knowledge. Organized, formal education is the very best way for sailors to achieve the knowledge and skills necessary to be competent and safe.
Prerequisites: None
Who is this course designed for:
1. Those with some sailing experience and want to get a solid understanding and hands-on experience with a sailboat.
2. Experienced crew who want to establish full understanding of what’s going on around them on the race boat.
3. Sailors and skippers who want to fill in the gaps of their knowledge and skills. This course is perfect to helps identify the blind spots of knowledge that occurs naturally when learning how to sail casually.
4. Youth who are ready to begin their mastery of sailing and skippering, and enter a sport of fun and adventure.
The Course Includes:
1. Course text book, “US Sailing Basic Keelboat”
2. In-Classroom training: approx. 10 hours
3. On-The-Boat training: approx. 20 hours
Class Size:
Maximum, four students per session.
Tuition:
$1347.00
Signing Up:
Click the link at the bottom of this page!
Guarantee:
100% money back guarantee if not satisfied with your experience
Absence Make-Up Policy:
If you are unable to attend any part of the course, you may make arrangements for make-up learning, such as offline lessons or attending the applicable segment of the next session.
Cancellation Policy:
100% money back if cancel within 5 days of the beginning of the session
Course Schedule:
This course includes five 2-hour evening classroom sessions, and four 3-hour and two 4-hour on-boat sessions.
Specific schedules will be posted in January.
Course Outline/Syllabus:
1. Sailing Concepts
Understanding the boat, parts, functions, rig
Understanding Sails, how they work, how to operate
Sail Trim: Basic understanding of sail shape
Basic sailing directions: Upwind, Downwind, Points of Sail
Changing direction: Heading up, heading down
Turning: Tacking, Jibing
Sailing Vocabulary
2. Preparing to Sail
How to dress for the weather, warm, cold, windy, wet
Understanding the Wind
Sails: Further understanding, parts, functions
Sails: Lines (ropes) connecting to sails
Sails: Hoisting and lowering
Sails: Controlling the sails when under way
Knots: Introduction
3. On the boat
Leaving the dock
Crew position
How to steer the boat
Sailing: starting and stopping
Jib and Mainsail trim
Turning: Tacking
Turning: Jibing
Stopping the boat: Heaving to
Returning to the dock
Tying up to the dock
4. Further Sailing Skills
Adjusting sail shape
Depowering the sails
Sail Balance
Tacking angles
Jibing angles
Wind shifts
Sailing upwind and wind shifts
Leaving and returning, more situations
Knots and lines
Line handling, coiling
Line handling, heaving
VHF Radio
5. The Sailing Environment
Weather
Onshore and Offshore Winds
Tides and Currents
Basic Navigation Rules: Right of Way
Nautical Charts
6. Safety and Emergencies
Hypothermia & Heat Emergencies
Motion/Seasickness
Electrical Hazards
Physical Fitness
Overboard Rescue Methods
Shortening/Reducing Sail
Running Aground
Anchoring Concepts
Safety Equipment
Signaling for Help
About Captain Dan
Sailing
Dan Carnahan was introduced to sailing on his uncle’s race yacht in Long Beach in the 1960s, and he has been sailing ever since. Dan completed nearly the full course catalog at Club Nautique Sailing School, Alameda, in the 1980s-1990s. For three years in the 1990s, Dan organized and skippered weekly sailing trips out of Alameda and Benicia. In the early 2000s, for another three years, Dan served as crew, foredeck, in the Benicia Thursday night races. Dan started racing his own boat, a Santana 22, starting in 2013. Dan took over the management of the races, as Race Chair, in 2017 and is still serving that that position. In 2018-2019, Dan earned his USCG captain’s license, and during 2019 he was employed as a professional captain for a pleasure cruising charting company in Alameda.
Teaching/Coaching
Dan’s experience in leadership, teaching and coaching began during high school years, serving as a YMCA camp counselor, then as Assistant Scoutmaster for his Boy Scout Troop. He was employed by his church, serving as Youth Counselor during college years. In Benicia, Dan has served as head of the Men’s Ministry at his church, and he served professionally as Youth Pastor. Dan has served as an adult volunteer with Benicia’s Boy Scout Troop 8 since 2000 and continues still. He served several years as Scoutmaster, and several more years as Committee Chair. Today, through his professional coaching business, Dan helps entrepreneurs and business owners in a coaching/accountability capacity to achieve their business goals.
Caring
Dan helps those who are learning to feel supported and understood. He is calm and patient. His students feel comfortable and safe, not only physically, but emotionally as well. Dan knows that everyone begins their learning from the beginning, as he did. And Dan’s love for being on the water and with others provides for a very happy experience for everyone.
Benicia, San Francisco Bay
Many people love the picturesque setting that surrounds the bustling little town of Benicia. It lies on the Carquinez Strait of the San Francisco Bay Area, has an active boating community and yacht club. Seeing the sailboats out on the glistening water gives many the inspiration and desire to be a part of the sailing activity. But, until now, there has been no organized method for people to become involved. Dan has a heart to help create the way to bring people to the water and to the boats. Dan is now in the perfect position, as Race Chair, and as an experienced teacher and coach, a sailboat owner, and licensed captain, to make it a reality. Captain Dan’s mission is to provide the pathway for anyone to gain access to the exciting world of sailing.
Contact
Captain Dan School of Sailing
Dan Carnahan: dan@captaindan.com, 707-319-5706
https://www.captaindan.com/
Mailing Address: PO Box 1074, Benicia CA 94510
Classroom: 701 Southampton Rd, Suite 101, Benicia CA 94510
Boat: Benicia Marina, F Dock, Santana 22 “Sail la Vie”