Adult & Family Sailing
Adults and families can have fun learning together on the water through our signature sailing programs. With options for private lessons, flexible scheduling, and a range of courses from beginner to intermediate, sailing at The Center for Wooden Boats is fun and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
Family Sailing programs require one adult accompany youth 12-17 years OR 2 youth 12-17 be together in the boat with instructor. Please see our Youth Programs Page for opportunities like field trips, sailing, and woodworking classes tailored for youth ages 8-15.
Already know how to sail and want to schedule a sailing check out? Learn more here.
Learn to Sail!
SailNOW! LEARN TO SAIL
This is the signature CWB learn-to-sail program for adults and families. Students learn basic boat handling skills that are the foundation for a lifetime of sailing. This one-month intensive team-learning program starts with shore school followed by 10-hours of practical lessons on the lake.
US SAILING BASIC KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION
The US Sailing Basic Keelboat class is for students who are interested in a comprehensive entry level sailing course which should equip them to skipper keelboats under 27 feet in length, in winds up to 15 knots. This course provides 22 hours of instruction and practice. Upon completion of this course, you will receive the nationally recognized US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification. There are no prerequisites for this class.
PRIVATE SAILING LESSONS
One-on-one Private Lessons are perfect for new sailors, experienced sailors wanting a refresher and livery checkout, or anyone wanting to “dip their toe” into the craft of sailing. You’ll practice one-on-one with an instructor - or upgrade your lesson to enjoy with a group fo 2-3 friends and family.
DROP-IN SHORE SCHOOL
This 2-hour class introduces the basics of sailing. Topics include terminology for parts of a boat, points of sail, and basic sailing theory. With this class you will receive to the CWB Sailing Primer!
Improving Your Sailing Skills
BOAT OF THE mONTH SAILING CLINIC
Already have your CWB livery card? Want coaching and practice sailing our traditional rig and centerboard fleet? This 3-hour clinic is designed to help you become comfortable rigging and sailing the traditional rig and centerboard boats in our fleet. Each clinic spotlights a different sailboat or rig. Examples include the Pelicans, Swifts, gaff rigs and Lightnings. You’ll learn a bit about the history, the different components involved with rigging the boat, how to sail these boats most effectively. Most of your time will be out on the water sailing. At the end of the clinic we will give you a coupon for 1 hour of free sailing on that “Boat of the Month” for that month. The goal is to build confidence with our entire fleet!
SailNOW! REFRESHER CLINIC
This refresher is for Sailors who have a current Livery Card at The Center for Wooden Boats but have not sailed in a while and wish to sail with an instructor's supervision before going out on their own again. This course can also be used by SailNOW! students who want some additional sailing time with an instructor prior to getting checked out. This clinic will be held on the third Sunday of each month from 3:00 - 5:00 PM.
More to Learn & Just for Fun
Small Boat Navigation
Learn navigation and piloting skills for small boats. This class is ideal for small boat cruisers, kayakers and others who want to roam closer to nature.
This is a 10-hour course divided across two weekend days. The first day (6 hours) will teach you how to use nautical charts and other various publications to plan on the water trips for a day or for a month. The second day (4 hours) will focus on understanding how to use Tide and Current publications as part of your navigation toolkit. This is a critical skill for small boat skippers on Puget Sound where we have big tides and strong currents. These skills are transferable to electronic navigation so will form a valuable foundation for more advanced navigation skills. As an additional bonus, you will be introduced to many trip destinations around Puget Sound.
Navigation tools will be provided for the class work. The chart of Puget Sound will be yours to keep after the class.
Small Boat Cruising Clinic
This 4-hour course will introduce you to the world of small boat cruising. Topics include:
How to plan and execute large and small voyages in boats under 22 ft
Features a boat needs to keep you safe and comfortable.
Gear you need
Salish Sea destinations
Small boat cruising is a fantastic way to discover our local waters and provides to opportunity to explore countless lakes and waterways all over North America.
PELICAN PELUZA
Pelican Peluza is geared toward recent SailNOW!, Basic Keelboat, and Private Lesson graduates (although anyone with a blue card is welcome), to provide additional sailing experience through learning how to race. We will work to get 1 to 3 races in per night around a designated mark down the lake. The goal here is to have fun and sail more.
Pelican Peluza will start April 19th and be held every Friday evening from 5:00 - 7:00 through September 20th.
Women on the Water
Women on the Water is a monthly sailing event. Its goal is to strengthen and grow the local women's sailing community. We will be using the larger sailboats in our livery fleet which can accommodate 4 or more adults. After sailing is done and the boats are back at the dock, there will be an opportunity for social time in the SLU Gallery.
Testimonies
“My friend and I had our first sailing lesson at the CWB. It was great, instructor was clear and kind, we got right into sailing and got to experiment and get a feel for the boat and the wind. ”
“My wife and I took a joint 2-hour lesson, and it was awesome! Derek was personable, knowledgeable, and provided skilled information to maximize our lesson. ”
“I signed up for the private lessons package and have had an excellent experience. Everyone is friendly and takes safety seriously. ”