The Team:  Our most precious resource

Welcome aboard! As Canada’s largest learn-to-cruise sailing school, we’re proud to say that our greatest strength is our team. You’ll be learning with passionate, skilled, and knowledgeable instructors and skippers who are as enthusiastic about sailing as they are about helping you succeed. From your very first lesson to your final sail, you’ll be supported every step of the way by a dedicated team committed to making your learning experience safe, rewarding, and fun.

Our instructors are experienced professionals, certified by Sail Canada and other leading international training organizations. That certification means they’ve met the highest standards in sailing instruction—and more importantly, that they know how to teach in a way that makes sailing not just understandable, but exciting and enjoyable. Their hard-earned qualifications are your assurance of a top-quality learning experience.

Above all, our instructors are here because they love what they do—and they’re excited to share that passion with you. Whether you’re just starting out or building your skills, we’re here to help you feel confident, capable, and inspired on the water.

Ron Schute

Founder, Basic Cruising, Intermediate Cruising, IYT & Racing

Doris Parolin

Sailing School Director, Basic Cruising, Racing & VHF-ROC(M)

Nicholas Schute

Basic Cruising, Intermediate Cruising & Racing

Jean Charles, Lucas-Baker

Charles (Jean Charles) Lucas-Baker

CANSail, Basic Cruising, VHF-ROC(M), Sail-Share & Maintenance

kelly barr, basic cruising

Kelly Barr

Basic Cruising & VHF-ROC(M)

Stan Blakey

Basic & Intermediate Cruising, Coastal Navigation

Ken Bourne, Advantage Boating

Ken Bourne

Basic & Intermediate Cruising

Ryan Davis

CANSail, Basic Cruising, Racing & Sail Canada LF

Raymond Gouin

Basic Cruising

John Lowerey, Advantage Boating

John Lowery

Basic Cruising

Ron Haag, Basic Cruising

Ron Haag

Basic Cruising

Peter Lok, basic cruising

Peter Lok

Basic Cruising

Mike Roper

Basic & Intermediate Cruising

Michel Veilleux

Basic Cruising

Gavin Shanks

Basic Cruising

Louie Skretas

Basic, Intermediate & Advanced Cruising, Coastal Navigation, Sail Canada IE

Charles (Jean Charles) Lucas-Baker

CANSail, Basic Cruising, VHF-ROC(M), Sail-Share & Maintenance

Kelly Barr

Basic Cruising & VHF-ROC(M)

Once upon a time Kelly was a full-time air traffic controller and a part-time pilot. In 2016, interested in finding a new hobby that would allow him to incorporate some of his aviation skills, he tried his hand at dinghy sailing. Kelly quickly fell in love with the sport and became eager to grow his skills, particularly in regards to managing a bigger boat. Advantage Boating was his first choice- he took Basic & Intermediate Cruising as well as Basic & Intermediate Coastal Navigation. 

Kelly now owns a C&C 30 which he sails out of Nepean Sailing Club with family and friends. It was during a trip out on his boat that Kelly’s daughter ‘demanded’ he teach her about sailing- she decided that grandpa, and only grandpa, could be her teacher! Motivated by her ‘demands’ and inspired by an Advantage Boating presentation, Kelly finally decided to become a sailing instructor. He now looks forward to helping new sailors to become as excited about the sport as he and his granddaughter are!

Ken Bourne 

Basic & Intermediate Cruising

Ken was born and raised in Atlantic Canada, and grew up with a passion for the ocean. When he eventually moved to Ottawa, he took up sailing, and amassed quite a bit of experience on Albacores, Lasers, Sharks, and Hobie Cats. However, it was during his first charter to the BVI’s that he fell in love with larger cruising sailboats- he could feel the salt water calling him back! Since then, Ken has spent many winter vacations down south, chartering sailboats and as part of our flotillas. Additionally, in 2019, he purchased his first cruising boat and sailed it down the Eastern Seaboard, from Lake Ontario to the Bahamas. If you need him during the winter months, you can be sure to find him there! 

Throughout his years on the water, Ken has accumulated thousands of hours sailing on the Great Lakes, and has logged over 3500 nautical miles of coastal cruising. Once he retired, he decided that he wanted to share that knowledge, experience and passion for sailing with others, and decided to become a Sail Canada instructor.

Ryan Davis 

CANSail, Basic Cruising, Racing & Sail Canada LF

Ryan began sailing at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, and it was here that his passion for teaching developed at a young age. After his time racing in the Laser Radial fleet, he began coaching junior sailing programs in Nova Scotia, sharing his passion for the sport with the next generation of sailors. Most recently, Ryan led the Bedford Basin Yacht Club’s Learn To Sail Program as its head coach! 

Ryan now joins us here in Ottawa, bringing with him his nearly decade of teaching experience in Halifax and the surrounding waters. Outside of his work as an instructor, he is also an active keelboat racer, and continues to race a J105 with his father in Chester, NS whenever he finds himself at home. As he begins his first sailing season in Ottawa, he is also excited to get involved in keelboat racing here at Nepean Sailing Club.   

As a sailing instructor, Ryan exudes calm and patience, understanding that learning for novice sailors requires a slow and comfortable approach. He keeps his lessons fun and engaging by incorporating a hands-on teaching style and ensures that everyone gets a chance to participate. Keep an eye out- Ryan is sure to be on the water often this summer!

John Lowery

Basic Cruising

John’s journey with sailing began on an odd vessel- a sail rigged canoe- during a visit to the family cottage. It was that experience that ignited John’s passion for the sport and at just 8 years old, his parents purchased a ‘Sea Snark’ styrofoam dinghy for just $25. The following summer, a thrilling ride on a Laser sparked John’s fascination with high-performance sailing, and so he decided that the CYA’s White Sail program was the next step. Even as adulthood beckoned, John’s love affair with sailing endured. 

Now, John’s enthusiasm has been passed on to his three sons, all of whom he has guided through the CanSail program at Nepean Sailing Club, as well as the Race Team and Dinghy Instructor Program. Additionally, retirement heralded a new chapter for John as he moved his boat down to Kingston and decided to share his expertise and passion for sailing as a Sail Canada instructor. Armed with a lifetime of experience and a love for the water, he now imparts the joys of sailing to eager learners! 

Ron Haag

Basic Cruising

Ron developed his passion for boating at a young age as he grew up sailing a wide array of small dinghies over the summer months. Many years later, he decided to buy a keelboat of his own and has been sailing out of the Rockcliffe Yacht Club ever since. 

Sailing for Ron is a family activity. His fathers love for sailing led him to develop his own passion for the sport, and he decided to name his first keelboat after his father in honour of him. Last summer, Ron also went on a 5 week adventure, sailing around Lake Ontario, and loved the time he got to spend with his wife and son when they were able to join in. He did however also get his fair share of solo experience as he completed 3 of those weeks by himself! 

The passion and the community that he’s developed through the sport has given him a desire to give back and allow others to have the same joys and experiences. Teaching was the perfect choice for him! 

Peter Lok

Basic Cruising

Peter’s love for the water began at an early age as he learned to sail as a child in the Gulf of Thailand. Life’s twists and turns kept him away from the sport for many years but he finally returned to sailing in 2012, completing his Basic Cruising certification in Georgian Bay. Since then, he’s been hooked! 

Shortly after his course, Peter began racing keelboats out of Nepean Sailing Club and purchased a 420 dinghy. Later, in 2016, he upgraded to a Catalina 30 and fell in love with the cruising lifestyle. Since then, he has logged miles on the Ottawa River, the West Coast, the Great Lakes, and the Caribbean, with plans to explore beyond! After skippering a boat in the 2023 Advantage Boating Grenadines flotilla, Peter now has plans to depart for Croatia in the fall to explore the Dalmation coast.  

Peter is always looking to enhance his knowledge of all things sailing so that he can better educate and inspire new sailors. He feels extremely lucky that he gets to combine two of his life’s passions: sailing and teaching!

Michel Veilleux

Basic Cruising

Despite his current wealth of knowledge, Michel’s first sailing experience started out as many others do- figuring out where and how everything fit and worked together on their small family sailing dinghy! The hook really set in however when a friend of Michel’s invited him out on Lake Champlain for a few sailing lessons, and during a winter holiday sailing down in the US Virgin Islands. The following winter, their vacation was spent sitting on the beach at a resort, and his longing for the boat solidified his realization that he’d much rather be out on the water.

Michel went on to obtain his American Sailing Association Keelboat and Coastal Navigation certification which allowed him to charter a boat for the first time, a trip that offered some very valuable lessons and experience as they battled and survived Hurricane Dean! His enthusiasm however wasn’t dampened and he went on to buy a 46 foot Beneteau, which he has since enjoyed sailing along the US east coast, in the Caribbean, in the Mediterranean, and beyond as a full time liveaboard skipper. Since then, Michel has accumulated over 30,000 nautical miles crossing the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.     

Throughout the years, Michel has introduced and initiated many friends into the sailing lifestyle and, since his return to Ottawa, has felt the urge to pass on his experience and knowledge to others. In his own words, “there’s nothing quite like it!”

Gavin Shanks

Basic Cruising

Gavin has been sailing and racing sailboats for 50 years. From many years as a flying instructor, he has developed a patient teaching style and an ability to inspire confidence in his students. This experience combined with a deep knowledge of sailing techniques on a variety of sailboats from dinghies to 50 foot mono hulls is now being applied to instructing the basic cruising course. When not instructing on Lac Deschênes Gavin can be found racing at Nepean Sailing Club, cruising in the 1000 islands out of Trident Yacht Club or somewhere in the Caribbean. Other interests include playing guitar, mandolin and baking bread onboard while cruising.

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Louie Skretas

Basic, Intermediate & Advanced Cruising, Coastal Navigation, Sail Canada IE

Louie has been a Sail Canada instructor since 1992 and, over the past 32 years, has taught numerous Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Cruising live-aboard courses. These courses have taken place in some incredible locations, including on the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. Additionally, he has also worked as an active boat delivery skipper and charter captain, delivering boats as large as 112 feet from the Caribbean to Florida and the northeastern US! 

Recently retired, Louie enjoys spending time with his partner Sophia, cruising between the Great Lakes, the St.Lawrence River, Halifax, and Bermuda, as well as adventure bike touring in Europe. Whatever the case, you can always be sure to find him on the go!

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