« All Events

Event Series: Anchoring with Confidence | Anchoring Course & Cruising Skills Training in British Columbia

Keeping Your Cool in Close Quarters™

June 19 @ 3:00 pm - June 21 @ 3:00 pm

Docking is one of the most requested boating skills and one of the biggest sources of stress for recreational boaters. Whether you own a boat or charter, successful cruising in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest means knowing how to go to new places. Cruising with confidence to go to new marinas with friends and family members who are new to boating will transform your entire boating experience.

Keeping Your Cool in Close Quarters™ is Voyage Makers’ signature docking and boat handling clinic. This hands-on training program focuses on practical boat control, marina maneuvering, crew communication and decision-making in real-world conditions. Participants practice repeatedly in a supportive environment designed to build both skill and confidence.

Unlike many boating courses that focus primarily on theory, this program emphasizes repetition, judgment and situational awareness. Students learn how experienced skippers think, communicate and adapt while maneuvering in marinas, fuel docks and confined waterways.

Whether you are preparing for boat ownership, a bareboat charter, or simply want greater confidence at the helm, this program helps you become calmer, more capable and more effective around docks and marinas.

This clinic combines practical seamanship with decision-making skills that help skippers understand not only how to handle their boats in close-quarters, but how to prepare their crew and feel stronger for next time. The result is greater confidence, safer cruising and more enjoyable time on the water. This is a hands-on intensive weekend focused on docking techniques designed to give you the confidence you need to explore and enjoy cruising this season and for a lifetime.

Join us with our partners at Seaport Yacht Charters. 

Ideal for new owners, charter clients and coastal cruisers looking to expand their cruising range throughout the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound and beyond.

Competencies

  • Itinerary Planning for Anchor deployment
  • Scope calculations and tidal considerations
  • Bottom assessment and holding characteristics
  • Anchorage selection and planning
  • Swing circle management
  • Overnight anchoring procedures
  • Weather and wind shift assessment
  • Stern tie techniques
  • Anchor recovery procedures
  • Emergency anchoring strategies
  • Cruising risk management

Itinerary

  • Day 1:  Arrival after 3:00 p.m.,  Theory and communication briefing. Crew briefing. First round of close-quarters maneuvers. Debrief over dinner.
  • Day 2 : Itinerary planning for first 3 docking locations for close-quarters practice. Evening destination, The Marina at Brentwood Bay Resort.  Dinner and debrief at The Lodge.
  • Day 3: Docking practice at next 2 locations. Return to Port Sidney at 2:00 p.m., debrief.

All-Inclusive Price: $2,150 per person, single occupancy. ($3,440 double occupancy)

  • All meals: Breakfast and lunch aboard. Dinner on board on Day 1. Dinner at The Lodge on Day 2.
  • Your own fully appointed cabin with linens and towels (unless you choose to share). PFD (if you don’t wish to use your own).
  • On-Board Expert Instruction
  • Lots of fun.
  • Probably a new friend or two.

Certifications

  • This clinic can be part of the Competent Crew/Day Skipper practical course for students who wish to seek that certification. Please contact us for details.

Private Training Options

  • If you want to learn to dock your own boat, call us and make an appointment to prepare yourself on your own vessel.
  • Options available to join this experience with the group with your own vessel.
  • Contact us for more information.

Details

Venue

Related Events