Sailcraft The Sailing School / Cruising Certification Centre   Superior programmes on a superior yacht priced for outstanding value

  Sailcraft is an established, professional Sailing School in Vancouver B.C. providing cruising certification and sailing instruction in exquisite locations along the West Coast of Canada.  Sailcraft, a CYA and ISPA member school, was founded to provide a smaller, more personal format of individualised sailing instruction while we explore areas of B.C. that few charterers ever see.  A trademark of our programmes is the distance and varied locations that we visit ---- we don't sail around in circles in little boats --- we go cruising on a 45' boat to destinations that you will want to visit when you start chartering in the size of boat that you want to sail.  During your cruise, certification at the Basic, Coastal Navigation, Intermediate, Advanced and Offshore level is available.

    Our owner operated company is somewhat unusual in that we do not sail “charter” boats.  When you sail with Sailcraft, you are not  just a student or client but rather a guest aboard our yacht TURICUM, a C&C 44.
This yacht was chosen because it is a very fast, comfortable, stable boat built to the highest standards of strength and safety.   Turicum is equipped with full electronics, freezer, hot & cold pressure water, diesel heater, and the very latest sailing equipment and safety gear.   As a cruising boat, Turicum has almost 7' head room, a private forward cabin with head, and a large comfortable salon.  As a racing boat, Turicum has racked up a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the 5 3000nm Vic Maui yacht races in which she has participated along with many other local races.   Our guests are continuously amazed at how easy Turicum is to handle while sailing away from everything else on the water.
Your Skipper / Instructor is a professional having been sailing for almost 50 years and having logged more than 80,000 sailing miles.   Sailing is not his summer or holiday job -- it is his full time job.
 
     At Sailcraft, we take pride in building our programmes around our clients.  Within our cruises, we put together the course that you need.  It is not a matter of you having to go to a specific location when you are doing a Basic,  Intermediate or Advanced, you decide where you wish to go and it is our job to see that you obtain the appropriate instruction and certification within the available time.  Our programmes are all inclusive.  We supply – at no extra cost – towels, pillows, bedding, and sheets.  The only extras you may wish to bring would wine/beer for your evening meal.  Even when providing all inclusive cruises, the cost of our programmes is very competitive.   With Sailcraft you are often sailing for several additional days compared to a course with another company at the same cost.   Our courses are live aboard courses. We are convinced that the best way to learn about sailing is on a boat rather than in a classroom. In addition to the instruction on the water, informal discussions and reviews take place in the social context of the evening. Over a period of a week or more, this additional information provides a wealth of background for further cruises.  

Who are our guests:        
    Our clients are men and women from all walks of life.  Our "average student" is a woman some where between the age of 35 and 55.  She has sailed before but just as a passenger and now wants to understand what is going on and take charge of the boat.  What this means is that in a group of 5, we often have a mix of 3 women and 2 men.  Many of our guests have never sailed before while on some trips we might have people who have previously taken several courses either with us or another school and are looking to travel further a field and experience some more challenging sailing.    In short, our guests come from everywhere, Canada, US, Europe, and Asia with a very wide range of experiences and capabilities.  

As an example of our superior value all of our Basic courses include an accredited Transport Canada boating safety test for the now required Pleasure Craft Operator Card at no extra cost.