The Experience
Discover the world of boating right in your own back yard, learn to sail and/or powerboat, and enjoy the pleasures of affordable and unlimited boat access without the shackles of ownership, in and around Toronto's beautiful Harbourfront and Islands, taking lifestyle steps into the gratifying world of on water adventure.

As a Canadian Yachting Association (CYA) Centre of Excellence in Training Facility, our partners provide you with the best in training, guidance and fun, settling you into the world of sailing and/or powerboating, whilst developing your skills and widening your lifestyle horizons.

As Toronto’s ‘best in boating’, the sailing & boating centre experience takes you through the steps, providing close mentoring throughout your course, be it at beginner, intermediate or advanced level. Upon first arriving at the sailing and boating centre, on the Harbourfront in downtown Toronto, you will be met by their friendly and knowledgeable staff, which are always on hand to help, this is then followed by an introduction to your instructors and fellow students. Each course takes a practical angle, with a hands on approach to learning with the majority of the time spent out on the water. When experiencing the basic course, after receiving an introductory briefing, you are off to the boat to learn some basic terms. In the beginning, you may not know a Fender from a Forestay, a Tiller from a Tell Tale, but by the end of this 28-hour course you will be feeling the wind and riding the waves with total confidence! Due to the fact that your experienced instructor’s believe that confidence is built through practice, they will make sure that you will spend your time helming/driving, trimming sails and taking a turn at skippering the boat so that you experience both the technical aspects of sailing and powerboating, as well as the human dynamics necessary to be effective. During this course you can expect to learn about; boat parts, tacking and gybing, tides and currents, points of sail, safety equipment, safe refueling, maneuvering under power, docking and casting off, boat handing under sail, “rules of the road”, anchoring, emergencies, knots, weather, duties of the skipper, and crew navigation. The professional instructors are focused on making your learning experience as enjoyable and rewarding as possible and are happy to share their broad knowledge and experience with you. Join in this fantastic opportunity to discover the freedom of the open water in the heart of downtown Toronto!

Price

CYA Basic Cruising (Sailing) Standard
$546.96 (includes all applicable taxes) based on one person
ref# ADS1

CYA Basic Power (Powerboating) Standard
$440.96 (includes all applicable taxes) based on one person
ref# ADPB1

Includes

• CYA recommended course text book, log book and seal
• Semi-private lessons by professional experienced CYA instructors – 28 hour course (4:1 student/instructor ratio)
• Rentals of custom teaching boats
• Basic Keelboat (sailboat) examination fee (theory test can be taken up to 1 year after course completion)
• Unforgettable Days camera
• Experience itinerary
• Signature packaging and delivery to the recipient
  

Location
Queens Quay West, near the Harbourfront Centre

Vital Information
All instructors are experienced and qualified CYA sailing teachers. Due to the fact that this experience takes place in water, it is recommended that the participant is comfortable with water conditions however, care will be taken to assure that the participant is in a safe environment. This Experience is suitable for participants of all ages, however it is recommended for children over the age of 16. Please contact us for more information.

Numbers
This Course may include up to 24 students; however there is a maximum of four students to an instructor and boat ratio for on-water sessions.

Session Length
This is a 28-hour course for sailing and 18-hour course for power, expects to spend the majority of your time on the water. This Experience can last as long as 4/3 weeks depending on the scheduling chosen, see Availability section for more information on scheduling.

Weather
This Experience depends on good weather. If you have booked your experience, the sailing club will inform you in advance if the weather conditions will prevent the Experience from taking place, and an alternative date will be arranged.

Dress Code
It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothing and non-marking soled shoes with a good grip.

Availability
This Experience is available from April 23rd to September 31st. A wide variety of scheduling formats are available to fit your busy lifestyle:

For the Basic Sailing Course (28-hours)

• Two consecutive weekends
• Holiday weekend
• 2 Weeknights over four weeks
• 4 Weekdays over 1 week
• Evenings and weekend (Sat & Sun) over 1 week

For the Basic Powerboating Course (18-hours)

• 1 Evening and 1 Weekend
• 2 Weeknights over three weeks

Please contact us for more details on availability.

More Information
To get started you will NOT need any special equipment, the Sailing Club will supply you with all required safety equipment including an approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD). In addition we recommend you bring the following for your increased comfort and pleasure: a hat, sunglasses, sun lotion, light waterproof jacket and pants, additional thin layers of clothing, light non-marking soled shoes, and a bottle of water. You will learn to sail aboard the custom designed Harbour 20's which are rigged to make your learning experience safe, clear, and enjoyable. The keelboat fleet also includes Sonars, which are excellent for day sailing, and J24's, which are a class-one race design. This Experience may be adjusted to suite corporate team building Experiences (which suit groups of upto 44 people in 4 person teams to compete in a regatta or cryptic clue scavenger sailhunt), private one-to-one instruction, shorter intro courses, and private boat rentals and yacht charters. Please contact us for more information on these and many more options that are available with the Queens Quay Sailing & PowerBoating.

Delivery
All Experiences include Next-Day evening delivery with UPS (registered mail). If you would like a morning delivery time or perhaps on a Saturday, please contact us or mention this on the order form to arrange this service.