It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing
that assures the prosperous voyage.
George William Curtis
SloopCity Classes. Grab a life jacket. Let's get out there and sail!
SloopCity 1 (Basic Sailing)
This “fundamentals” class is designed for new sailors or those with minimal experience. We teach you all of the essential skills necessary to safely take command of a keelboat in a variety of weather and lake conditions.
Topics covered:
- safety procedures
- sail trim
- rigging/de-rigging
- right of way rules
- leaving/returning harbor
- reading the wind
- man overboard drills
- heaving to
- what to wear
- medical emergencies
- parts of boat
- points of sail
- tacking and jibing
- basic knots/line handling
- reefing the main
- outboard basics
- weather/wind evaluation
- sail shape/de-powering
- crew communication
- and much more!
15 to 16 hours on-the-water instruction. 3 student max. $500 per person
Each student will receive a US SAILING Basic Keelboat book, class outline, information sheets and a knot tying line.
SloopCity Skipper (Intermediate Sailing)
This is the next step after SloopCity 1 or for those who have some previous sailing experience. Polish your boat handling skills while we introduce you to important new topics that will make you a more complete sailor.
New topics covered:
- advanced sail trim
- docking
- boat speed
- reading the water
- knots/springlines
- anchoring
- harbor sailing
- basic navigation
- sailing etiquette
- VHF radio operation
12 hours on-the-water instruction. 3 student max. $425 per person
Each student will receive a US SAILING Basic Keelboat book, class outline, information sheets and a knot tying line.
"Introduction to Sailing" Class
Our "Introduction to Sailing" Class is a 3-hour session where we will introduce you to the basics of sailing a modern keelboat on Lake Michigan.
Not sure if sailing is for you? This is the perfect opportunity to get out there and discover what sailing is all about. Join with a couple of your fellow "fence sitters" for an evening of instructional sailing along our beautiful shoreline. You'll love it!
3 hour class session. 4 student max. $75 per person
