Women’s Classes - private, Std or as a group
Sailing tune-up for women: learn what will make sailing more fun. Ladies learn a bit differently. When learning an adventure skill from another woman, often learning blocks disappear replaced by smiles. Learn postures to keep others from taking your job out of your hands mid-effort. Line safety reduces injury and increases line handling strength.
Women Course Enrollment - With Afterguard you can take a women’s class for any course or course series listed.
(Tune-up one day or Standard courses with all Women enrollment)
Skill Tune Ups - Crew Overboard Recovery
Sailing skill tune ups are a great way to fill in holes and update skills or add to them. These courses can be individual, family or open enrollment. Popular topics are: couples sailing, anchoring, crew overboard recovery, night navigation, Safety drills and reefing, DDW, gybe w/o slam, docking or mooring. Tune-Ups build skills and confidence.
(Most are 1 day, others are completed over one weekend)
Navigation - The Rest of it.
Taught by a former USCG officer who took Navigation for 4 years at the USCG Academy. This informative course provides the comfort and confidence you can navigate aboard ship in fine weather or fierce.
After the a Coastal Cruising course many still do not feel confident in their navigation skills? This course can help you. It covers ‘the rest’ of how to navigate in theory and practice. It makes achieving reliable results consistently something you can be confident in.
(6 evenings, 2 wknd or a 1 week course)
Racing 120 - Estuary
Learn the rules of the game starting in the safe, fun, yet mellow Estuary races on a weekend Nov-March or a Wed evening May to September. We enter at least one boat in a Mid-Winter or Beer Can series. Practice in the first session, a bit of class time, then race. Racing is the sport in sailing.
(2 days -one practice one racing, or enroll in a multi race series.)
Racing 121 - Bay
Oh yeah. This is the adrenaline version of the sport in sailing. Bay racing is where it gets very exciting. If you have not taken a spinnaker course or know how to run one - this is a great first step. We enter in a non-spinnaker class to get the rhythm of the Bay and experience serious competition.
(1 or wknds of racing)
Spinnaker 122- Estuary
Start learning the foredeck and control lines of Spinnaker operation in the flat waters of the Oakland Alameda Estuary where balance will not be such an issue. Learn the steps of the deck dance moving the pole from side to side for a Tri-Radial ‘Chute’. Lean to set, fly a spinnaker, gybe and take it down. (3 days OTW before racing.)
Spinnaker 123- San Francisco Bay
Spinnaker on San Francisco Bay could not be more challenging or fun. Once able to fly a ‘Chute’ on the Bay the rest seems easy. Start in the semi-protected areas of the South and Central Bay. Finish with a run from the Gate. It is just plain fun. Can take a 4th day if choose to learn to do a peel to change up or down in cloth weight to work with the varied winds of the Bay. (3 days OTW before racing )
Racing 124 - Estuary with Spinnaker
This is a progression from white sails to tight quarter sailing with the more challenging addition of spinnakers. Again - start in the Estuary to get the moves and calls down without balance worry.
(1 practice and 1 race or can be taken as a series)
Racing 125 - SF Bay Racing w/Spinnaker
In the Bay the possibility of becoming dis-masted or tangled up with another boat is a real one when spinnakers are involved. There are ways to control a spinnaker in the SF Bay conditions that make it safe and fun. Mark rounding and teamwork are much more critical - get timing, signals and moves down.
(1 long race or up to 4 short races in a series)
Diesel Engine Trouble Shooting
That green machine under the floorboards can cause fear in the heart of many auxiliary sailors for lack of knowing the basics of trouble shooting problems with an engine. Get comfortable answering - What is that noise? Why did the temperature spike? Learn what the key things to check on an engine are to keep it working reliably. Great class for ladies and gentlemen. (1 day or 2 day opt)
GPS for Sailors
Learn how to use and when to trust the best thing that has happened in navigation since Nathaniel Bowditch wrote a book. Set up waypoints, routes and learn how to quickly get what you need from your unit. No, you can’t trust the first number you get. Why 3 units on a boat can give 3 different answers? Does the government really scramble it?
(1 day with 2nd day opt.)
Ocean Introduction
Sailing in the ocean is a dream for many. Learn how to set up a boat for offshore sailing. When ready, shove off to begin acquiring ‘sea legs’ to simply enjoy sailing in the open ocean. Strongly suggest 2 sessions to be ready for Ocean destination sails or ACC. Can include the SF buoy, Faralone Islands, Duxberry Reef or an ocean race.
(PM plus One day outside sailing)
Cruising Spinnaker
A woman who cruised for 3 years finally single-handing the Atlantic from the Caribbean to Azores said, “The ocean has many moods. Most of them are mellow.” To save fuel and extend a sailboat’s range learning to handle these sails helps in the mellow winds. Cruising Spinnakers require minimal gear, crew and create little trouble if handled right. Any spinnaker can be a challenge if not set, tacked or taken down properly. To extend the wind angles we can show you a few tricks.
(1 day Bay, 1 day Outside - or as a weekend course)
Heavy Weather Sailing
Our courses are built around safety. This course has more risk than the others. Sailing outside always has risks of encountering Heavy Weather. In the first weekend we try to avoid it. If you take a second weekend we look for it. Go over the steps in the Bay on day 1, then go outside day 2.
We suggest you become prepared for what Mother Nature has up her sleeve. When in the middle of a blow or big seas is time to do, not practice. These sessions are to practice setting up and working with; jack-lines and tethers, using a messenger to put in a 3rd reef or use Storm Sails, prepare a sea tow bridle, set a droge and warps. Work out and put into place a variety of storm strategies that can fit the boat(s) you sail. Suggested before sailing offshore.
(1 weekend with 2nd weekend option to build competence.)
Email Afterguard or just call (510)535-1954
