Ocean cruising classes from Maryland - a great way to start
by Sail-World Cruising on 22 Oct 2013
The Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship SW
If you are within reach of the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship near Annapolis, and want to start ocean cruising, there could be no better way of making sure your skills are up to it before you go than taking one of their ocean courses. You'll even get a certificate to show your level of competency - great if you are volunteering to crew on others' boats.
The school been a blue water ocean sailing school since 1993. Since then, they have conducted over 240 ocean training cruises of between 400 and 1500 miles each, and have become established as a recognized ocean sailing academy.
The School's ocean Captains are true yachtmasters with many years of ocean sailing experience on boats under 100 feet and with with USCG Ocean Master licensing. This is no sitting classroom study either - you'll be out cruising and learning hands-on.
What you'll learn:
Learn ocean cruise planning, equipment preparations, emergency & heavy weather procedures, onboard watch procedures, log keeping, celestial navigation and route strategies, weather analysis, port-entry from the sea and more while sailing to distant locations by Blue Water Open Ocean routes.
Included is a two day preparation seminar on the boat for the entire crew you'll be sailing with. ASA Offshore Passagemaking Certification (ASA108) available for students holding prerequisite ASA certifications.
A Professional US Coast Guard Licensed Captain with ASA Instructor Certifications will skipper the Island Packet yacht for these training cruises. Dates listed below include a two day preparatory seminar on the boat for the entire crew that you'll be sailing with.
Opportunities coming up soon:
Norfolk-St Thomas 2013 (ASA108)
November 2-16, 2013
A 1500 mile ocean passage from Norfolk to St Thomas, USVI by direct ocean route round Cape Hatteras, across the Gulf Stream and through the Trade Wind belt south of Bermuda. Fee of $4100 includes onboard food
Norfolk-Bermuda 2014 (ASA108)
Norfolk to Bermuda May 26-June 2, 2014
Bermuda to Norfolk June 6-13, 2014
A 700 mile ocean passage between Norfolk and Bermuda by direct ocean route crossing the Gulf Stream and rounding Cape Hatteras. Fee of $3300 per cruise includes onboard food
The School is about an hour and a half's drive from Annapolis. For more information go to the School's http://www.mdschool.com!website
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