Learn To Cruise
Learn To Sail
– Keelboats
Learn to Sail. Build Confidence. Cruise Anywhere.
Start your sailing journey with Canada’s largest Learn-to-Cruise school and progress from beginner to confident skipper through a proven, hands-on training system.
With Sail Canada’s internationally recognized certification pathway, you’ll gain the skills, confidence, and experience to sail your own boat—or charter anywhere in the world.
Sail Canada’s Learn-to-Cruise program is built around keelboats—stable sailboats typically 23 feet or larger that provide the ideal platform for learning real-world sailing skills.
Learning on a keelboat gives you:
- Stability and confidence from day one
- Practical, hands-on experience at the helm
- The foundation needed to safely skipper larger cruising boats
The program follows a structured, building-block approach, where each course builds on the previous one—ensuring you develop strong skills, sound judgment, and true independence on the water.
With Advantage Boating, you have the flexibility to complete your Learn-to-Cruise training in a setting that suits your goals and schedule:
Ottawa – Train on our fleet of 22–27 foot keelboats —perfect for maximizing hands-on learning and building core skills.
Kingston – Step aboard a well-equipped 35-40 foot cruising yachtS and gain experience on a larger vessel while developing practical cruising confidence.
The Caribbean – Turn your training into an unforgettable adventure with a one-week live-aboard course aboard a 40–43 foot cruising yacht, sailing in warm, turquoise waters.
Wherever you choose to start—or continue—your journey, you’ll be building the skills and confidence to sail further, explore more, and truly embrace the cruising lifestyle.
👉 Small groups. Maximum hands-on experience.
👉 A clear pathway from beginner to advanced cruising
Our Courses:
Enjoy a fun and relaxing 3-hour (or longer) experience on the water with your Sail Canada instructor as your skipper. Bring your friends, your family or come alone. Under the guidance and coaching of your instructor, you can even take your turn steering the boat, adjusting the sails or more if you wish, for a more “hands-on” experience.
It’s time to get your feet wet & discover sailing! This course aimed at those who have minimal boating experience and no prior sailing. This 2-day, 14-hour course is a short introduction to keelboat sailing & boating to give students a taste of sailing and cover the very basics in a safe supervised environment. By the end of the weekend you will start to have an appreciation for sailing and how to make a boat move through the water using the wind.
This is our most popular Learn-to-Sail course and is often the first course people take if they are new to sailing or looking to obtain a good foundation on how to sail on a keelboat. Basic Cruising is the first real skipper-level course in the Sail Canada Learn-to-Cruise progression of courses and prepares students to handle a small keelboat safely with competence as either crew or skipper for day-sailing in familiar waters.
Build confidence and grow your sailing skills at the helm and on the water with the support of a Sail Canada instructor-coach. Whether you’re looking to refresh your skills, log miles, or gain experience on longer passages and larger cruising boats, these hands-on courses offers practical learning in a supportive environment. Available in Ottawa, the Kingston area, and the Caribbean.
Recommended for people who are interested in owning or chartering a boat. It places emphasis on practical training while living aboard.
A challenging course to prepare you to safely skipper or crew a 10–15m sailboat—day or night, in any weather, within 100 miles of shore.
Have you ever thought about being able to share the joy and beauty of our sport? Do you enjoy teaching others? Consider becoming a Sail Canada cruising instructor. We are always looking for enthusiastic instructors who are eager to share their passion of sailing with others!
Designed for youth (aged 13 – 17) who will be working toward achieving their Junior Crew (Beginner level) or Junior Skipper (Intermediate level) certification depending on age and sailing experience. Sailors will be taught aboard our 22′-24′ keelboats in a fun, safe and hands-on environment.
