Learning to sail and joining the sailing community can be a very rewarding life experience and sailing is a great way to spend your vacations. Learning to sail is easier than most people think and a US Sailing certification from Windworks Sailing & Powerboating is the best way feel confident out on the water.

Why Windworks & US Sailing?

Windworks is the only US Sailing school in Washington offering beginner Basic Keelboat lessons to advanced Passagemaking classes on our own vessels.  Windworks offers US Sailing Catamaran courses on our 40′ Lagoon, One World, as well as US Sailing lessons on newer Capri 22’s plus our 2015 Catalina 275 sport and 2021 Catalina 275 Sport.  New to our fleet is a 2018 Catalina 315, 2019 Catalina 355 and 2020 Catalina 425.  Over 25 vessels in our fleet for members use! Plus over 260 5 star google reviews!

US Sailing & Windworks currently offers Eight levels of certification:

• Crew Level: A crew-level certification can be accomplished in one day and will provide the skills necessary to participate as a crew member on a small keelboat.
• Basic Keelboat: Build on what you learned in Crew Level and skipper your own boat. Find out how pilot a sailboat, navigate, anchor and manage a crew. Certifies student to skipper vessels up to 27’/tiller outboard
• Basic Cruising: Build on what you learned in Basic Keelboat by learning how to sail larger keelboats, up to 42 feet in length. You will learn basic navigation, sail theory, boat handling, anchoring, and docking.
• Bareboat Cruising:  Build on what you learned in Basic Cruising and get certified to skipper vessels up to 42 feet in length for multi-day charters. Bareboat Cruising will provide the knowledge to confidently and safely pilot a craft in a wide variety of conditions and anywhere in the world.
• US Sailing Coastal Navigation:  16 hours classroom taught by Eric Jonsen (US Sailing trainer instructor).  Classes are spread out over 4 days after work during weekdays.  Requires US Sailing (BBC) Certification or equivalent.
• 5 day US Sailing Cruising to Bareboat Certification.  Intense on water class for “experienced sailors” wanting US Bareboat certification quickly.  Taught on our larger diesel hydronic forced air heated 37′ to 47′ late model Sailboats with 3 cabins.  Some restrictions apply.
• Catamaran US Sailing Endorsement class on our 40 ft Lagoon Sailing Catamaran located on our dock.
• 5 day US Sailing Advanced Coastal Passagemaking Certification.  
• Private Lessons are available for both power and sail boats, please call (206) 784-9386 to arrange.

This course is designed for students who have never sailed before and want to learn how to skipper a small keelboat. The skills learned in this class can be built upon with our Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising and will eventually certify the student to take larger boats for multi-day charters.

US Sailing’s Basic Keelboat certification is the most comprehensive certification in the market and will give you the ability to responsibly skipper and crew a simple day sailing keelboat in familiar waters in light to moderate wind and sea conditions. The certification is broken into three classes that must be taken in order. Each Basic Keelboat class is (8) hours on newer Capri 22’s.  The lowest student-teacher ratio in Northwest.  Most time behind the tiller for students.

• Basic Keelboat 1 (BK1): Learn about safety, getting on and off the dock, how to raise the sails and more. Certifies student to sail as a crew member.
• Basic Keelboat 2 (BK2): Build on Basic Keelboat 1 with more sailing theory, boat handling, docking and practical experience.
• Basic Keelboat 3 (BK3): Build on Basic Keelboat 2 with more sailing theory, basic navigation, and other skills necessary to skipper a boat.

Successful completion prepares you to:

• Certification that allows you sail up to 30′ tiller steered sailboat.
• Crew operations and skills
• Leaving the dock or mooring
• Boat control in open and confined waters
• Heavy weather sailing
• Basic navigation skills
• Overboard rescue methods
• Safety and emergency procedures
• Anchoring techniques

Prerequisites

No experience required, students must be 18 years or older.

Pricing

Basic Keelboat 1:

• Members & Non-members: $295 (Approx. 8 hours).
• Book a mid-week BK1 course for a 50% discount.

Basic Keelboat 2 & 3:  (Total of Approx. 16 hours).  Cost include BOTH classes (BK2 & BK3)

• Members: $495 for BK2 and BK3 (Includes text book, US Sailing Log Book, Sticker, 1 year membership to US Sailing).
• Non-Members: $895 for BK2 and BK3 (text book not included, US Sailing Log Book, Sticker, 1 year membership to US Sailing).

Learn to sail a cruising keelboat. Cruising keelboats generally have inboard diesel engines, a steering wheel, are set up for multiple day trips and, also, most cruising vessels and include hot and cold water, cooking facilities, sleeping quarters, and private bathrooms with showers. The larger size of the vessel is more comfortable for day sailing, as they can accommodate more passengers.

US Sailing’s Basic Cruising certification is the most comprehensive certification in the market and will give you the confidence to safely sail anywhere in the world and in a variety of weather conditions. The certification is broken into three classes that must be taken in order:

• Basic Cruising Part 1 (BC1)
• Basic Cruising Part 2 (BC2)
• Basic Cruising Part 3 (BC3)

Successful completion prepares you to:

• Certification that allows you sail up to 42′ sailboat.
• Organize and direct crew operations.
• Day-trip planning.
• Basic charts and navigation.
• Sail trim, heaving-to.
• Heavy weather sailing techniques.
• Inboard engine techniques.
• Docking techniques.
• Anchoring techniques.
• Safety and emergency procedures.

Prerequisites

Basic Keelboat Course (3 part series)

Pricing

BC1, BC2, BC3 Package

• Members: $995 (Includes text book)
• Non-members: $1,795 (text book not included)

You finally made it, gone through all the classes, had sufficient time on the water, and now you are ready to get through the next level. Taking the cruisers out for more than a day sail, that’s what real sailors want, to take her where the wind blows you, and stay aboard anchored in a far away harbor.

The first night you will charter your destination and get provisions for the trip, feel free to stay the night in the marina on your vessel. The group will set sail in the am at the designated time, and be anchored or moored by sunset. The next morning you will set sail again, and take the test on the boat before arriving back to the dock before sunset.

Successful completion prepares you to:

• Certification allows you to skipper vessels up to 42 feet.
• Organize and direct crew operations.
• Plan multiple day charters.
• Advanced seamanship.
• Advanced sailing techniques.
• Advanced heavy weather sailing techniques.
• Advanced docking techniques.
• Extensive knowledge of boat systems including diesel engine troubleshooting and galley safety procedures.

Prerequisites

Basic Keelboat and Basic Cruising Certifications

For members, Navigation & Piloting Course(4 Part Series) is required to be taken prior to chartering a WWSC vessel overnight.

Navigation and Piloting class is one of the favorite classroom courses for our members. We’ll teach you all of the critical information needed to navigate our beautiful complex waters of the Salish Sea and Puget Sound. You’ll learn how to interpret the USCG Aids to Navigation (ATON), how to read the navigational charts (maps), calculate tides and currents, estimate fuel burn and bridge clearances, and plan your itineraries.  Total of 12 hours of classroom instruction, waterproof Maptech Chartbook, NP workbook, Chart #1, roller plotter

Pricing

• WWSC Members: $1295 (text book included)
• Non-members: $1,895 (text book not included)

Cruising to Bareboat combines US Sailing Basic Cruising, Bareboat Cruising, and Windworks Navigation and Piloting into a fun-filled 5-day cruise-and-learn adventure. When complete, you’ll be ready to skipper sailboats, up to 42 feet in length for multiple day trips to destinations in the Puget Sound, San Juan Islands and more.

This course is designed for students who have completed the Basic Keelboat series (BK1, 2, and 3) and want to learn how to skipper larger cruising sailboats for multiple days.

US Sailing’s Bareboat certification is the most comprehensive certification in the market and will give you the ability to responsibly skipper and crew a cruising sailboat, up to 42 feet in length in a variety of weather conditions. The Navigation & Piloting (N & P) graduate will have demonstrated the traditional, non-electronic knowledge aids to navigation (ATONs) and the art of traditional navigation techniques using hard copy navigational charts and tools such as tide and current tables, phases of the moon, compass, dividers, and parallel plotters. Over 5 days, you will be taken through the following by a knowledgeable captain:

• Basic Cruising Certification
• Bareboat Cruising Certification
• Navigation and Piloting

Successful completion prepares you to:

• Skipper vessels up to 42 feet.
• Organize and direct crew operations.
• Plan multiple day charters.
• Extensive knowledge of boat systems including diesel engine troubleshooting and galley safety procedures.
• Demonstrate how to determine latitude and longitude; interpret aids to navigation (ATONs), interpret navigation charts, estimate tide and current, determine course to steer and trip planning.
• Limited of (4) students per boat.  WWSC has right to change student to teacher ratio.

Prerequisites

US Sailing Basic Keelboat Series (BK1, 2 and 3)