Adult Learn to Sail

Titahi Bay Boating Club offers learn to sail courses to new and existing members aged 16 and over.

Sailing is a skill for life. Many of our sailors have sailed the globe, have participated in competitive racing at national or international levels, or just enjoy the chance to get out on the water with their family.

The course fee is $180 per-person. This includes one year of club membership, allowing you to use many of the club-owned boats.

Course dates for 2024/2025 are:
Mondays 6-8pm
2nd, 9th, 16th of December
27th January
Time-on-water as needed to allow you to gain confidence (see below).
‍

‍▼

‍What you'll learn

• Keeping yourself safe on the water
• Knots commonly used in sailing
  
• Boats - Parts of a boat, what they do, their names, and how to get your boat ready
• Reading the wind
  
• Launching and retrieving a boat
  
• Righting your boat after a capsize
  
• Points of Sail - Upwind, Downwind, and Reaching
  
• Tacking and Gybing
  
• Rules of the water
  

By the end of the course, you will have gained sufficient skills to either helm (steer) or crew a two-person dinghy. We don't consider a course the be-all and end-all of sailing, and you'll receive continued support and opportunity to develop your skills further.

‍▼

Course structure

‍▼

What to bring with you

• A wetsuit. We can help you find a wetsuit if you don't have one, just ask on the first day.
• Shoes or sea boots which you can get wet. These will keep your feet warm and protect them from injury.
• The ability to swim short distances, and remain calm in cold and deep water while wearing a life jacket.
  You will fall out of a boat when practicing capsizing, so you'll need to be able to stay calm in cold water, and swim short distances to and from other boats. If you don't yet have this ability, a great place to start is at your local swimming pool or beach.
• A Towel.
  
• A desire to learn dinghy sailing! As our volunteer coaching time is limited, it is our preference to invest training into those who are more likely to continue sailing with us. If you're interested in "giving it a go", we recommend coming along to one of our "Have a go Sailing" days, or visit Wellington Ocean Sports.