SAILING SCHOOL

Frequently Asked Questions

How many students are in a class? There is a minimum of three students, maximum of four, as well as the instructor. We have found this to be the ideal student/instructor ratio and maximize student learning.

What size of boat is typically used for courses? With a full class of four students, your course will be taught on a boat ranging in size from 34 -38 feet in length, with either 2 cabins or 3 cabins.

Will I know what boat I will be on before I arrive? We will be able to let you know your boat when you arrive for your course. There can be changes to boat availability, so rather than let you know of last minute boat changes, we release the boat details when you arrive. We keep all our boats to the highest maintenance standards and want to be sure that the boat you are learning on is the best one for your course!

What are the sleeping accommodations for the course? Your course will be on either a 2 or 3 cabin boat, with plenty of room for each student. If you are coming as a couple, then you can expect to share a cabin. Most boats have a dinette that converts into a double berth, and a single birth settee in the main salon. Sleeping accommodations will be worked out when all the students arrive and with the instructor.

What if I become seasick? Are there precautions I should take? The San Juan Islands are in a protected area, without ocean swells, however, it is always a good idea to come prepared with sea sickness medication, even if you never need to use it. Treatments include acupressure wrist bands, or medications such as Dramamine or Bonine (please note that these medications can cause drowsiness). A non-medication option is ginger. There is evidence that this herb settles the stomach and can be taken in many forms including: raw ginger, candied ginger, ginger snap cookies, ginger ale or ginger beer (non-alcoholic). Once onboard, many people find that the sea-sickness will subside on its own after a few hours as the body re-balances and they find their “sea legs”. Staying above deck and getting fresh air will also help.

Will there be an opportunity to do my laundry during the week (on the Learn-n-Cruise)? Chances are that you will find you neither need nor desire to do laundry during your cruise, but many of the ports of call will have laundry facilities, so that you can do a quick laundry. Bring plenty of quarters along for the machines.

May I bring along my favorite alcoholic beverage? Yes, you may do so, as we do not provide alcohol in our provisioning. However, for the safety and learning of all aboard, alcoholic beverages are allowed only after instruction, when at dock or at anchor, with a 2 drink limit.

Is smoking allowed during the course? All our boats are non smoking. If you smoke, it can only be done ashore (with minimal opportunities for stopping).

What if I have a particular snack I want to bring. Is there room for this? Yes, bring along your favorite treats. Our provisioning includes snacks, but if you have a favorite you cannot do without, bring it along.

Can you accommodate food allergies or food preferences, such as vegetarian? We do our best to accommodate vegetarians and anyone with minor allergies or lactose intolerance. However, please remember we are shopping for a group, so if you have severe restrictions plan to supplement some items on your own.

For the weekender courses, what do you suggest we bring for our food and what facilities are onboard?

Your days will be busy so you will find it easiest to pack food for simple meals. You may bring any of the foods you normally enjoy at home. There are cooking amenities available onboard including stove top burners, refrigerator, BBQ, kettle, and cooking utensils. If you are having difficulty deciding what items you should bring, here are some suggestions (keeping it simple is best): Breakfast: granola, yogurt, eggs, cereal, milk Lunch: sandwich ingredients, soup or noodles, bags of pre-made salad Dinner: vegetables such as broccoli or asparagus, something that can be barbequed such as chicken, beef or fish.

Snacks: chips, veggies, cookies

What if I need to bring along my CPAP machine? Most CPAP machines have a 12-volt cigarette lighter power option. We suggest to go to Radio Shack (or similar) and get two (2) 12-volt cigarette lighter extension cords. (Don’t unwrap the second one unless it’s needed for sure…as you can always return it if it’s unopened.) That way you’ll have power to the CPAP machine for sure, as all boats have 12-volt cigarette lighter sockets by the electrical panel. (Plug in the one extension cord and try the machine in your car…just to make sure you’ve got the right cord and that it works well.) Also, if you have a 110-volt A/C power cord, bring that with an extension cord (one should do it) to use when hooked up to shore power at a dock (this will only happen once or twice during the week). That MIGHT also work if the boat has an inverter, BUT…the CPAP machine draws so little power that the inverter sometimes thinks there’s no current draw and it shuts off. Sometimes, plugging in a phone charger along with the CPAP machine helps the inverter know that devices are in need of power, and it won’t shut off. If your machine takes batteries (and many do), please bring lots of batteries in case the other two options are inconvenient (cords all over the place), you aren’t hooked up to shore power or in case something in the electrical system fails while out in the islands.