FAQ

Absolutely. Many Saltline students start with little or no time at the helm. Our live-aboard expeditions are built for curious, motivated people who want genuine sailing skills, not just a ride. You’ll learn hands-on with ASA-certified instructors beside you, practising real manoeuvres in real conditions in some of the world’s most beautiful cruising grounds. It’s all about real learning, real confidence, and real adventure.

Our students are spirited explorers and curious adventurers from all walks of life. Some are dreaming of bareboat charters with friends and family, some want to lead unforgettable family voyages, and others simply want the calm confidence to handle their own boat safely. If you’re keen to learn, willing to pitch in, and excited about life on the water, you’ll fit right in.

No. Many of our guests arrive with little or no sailing background. We’ll place you in the course level that matches your experience and goals, whether that’s a first step with ASA 101 or advancing into coastal navigation and heavy-weather skills.

You don’t need to be an athlete, but you should be reasonably mobile and comfortable moving around a boat that may be heeling, rolling, or at anchor. Expect to handle lines, step on and off docks, and spend days outdoors. If you can manage a flight of stairs and walk a few kilometres, you are likely fine. If you have any concerns, contact us and we can discuss the best course and expedition for you.

Being comfortable in the water really helps you relax and enjoy the trip, but strong swimming isn’t required. Lifejackets are always available and safety is our top priority. Many trips include optional swimming and snorkelling, which you can join at your own comfort level. If you’re nervous around water, let us know so we can support you.

The American Sailing Association is an international standard-setting body for recreational sail training. ASA designs the curriculum, textbooks, and skill benchmarks used by Saltline instructors. When you earn an ASA certification, you complete a clearly defined level of knowledge and hands-on ability that is recognized by sailing schools and charter companies around the world. In practical terms, it means the skills you gain with Saltline follow you when you charter in new countries, continue your education elsewhere, or eventually buy your own boat.

Saltline offers a progression of ASA courses, typically including 101 (Basic Keelboat), 103 (Coastal Cruising), 104 (Bareboat Cruising), 105 (Coastal Navigation), 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruising), and 114 (Cruising Catamaran). Availability varies by trip and destination, so check the course pages or contact us to match your goals with the right voyage.

View our ASA Course Guide here.

Yes. Many expeditions are designed so you can earn a pair of certifications, such as 101 & 103, 103 & 104, or 105 & 106, depending on your prior experience. We’ll review your background and help you choose the combination that makes sense for you.

Let us know what certifications you hold and how recently you’ve sailed. We’ll recommend the next logical step and point you toward voyages that reinforce what you know while pushing your skills to the next level.

Saltline trains in a range of world-class cruising grounds, such as Vancouver Island and the Pacific Northwest, the British Virgin Islands and nearby Caribbean islands, the “World’s Aquarium” of La Paz and the Sea of Cortez, Grenada and the Grenadines, Croatia’s Adriatic coast, and more. Each season, we publish a schedule of confirmed trips plus a list of possible future destinations based on interest.

View our full list of training locations here.

If you would like to sail to a custom destination, contact us, and we will plan a personalized plan with you.

On many trips, yes. Non-sailing partners and family can join as “non-certifying crew,” sharing day-to-day life on board, enjoying the destination, and joining as much or as little of the formal curriculum as they like. Space is limited, so ask about this option early in your planning. If you have a mixed group of learners and pure vacationers, we can also help design a custom voyage that balances focused training time with relaxed exploring and time ashore.

Yes. If you have a group, we can work with you to design a private trip: choosing the destination, dates, course combinations, and balance between training and pure adventure. Submit a contact request and tell us how many people, their experience levels, and what you’d like the week to feel like, and we’ll propose an itinerary and quote that fit those criteria.

Absolutely. While most trips include ASA coursework, we also arrange private or semi-private voyages where the focus is on exploring and enjoying the cruising lifestyle. Your skipper will still share skills and seamanship along the way, but without exams or a structured curriculum. Reach out with your ideal dates and destination and we’ll help shape an adventure-first itinerary.

Open Booking trips are intentionally flexible departures that can be tailored based on who joins. Dates, destinations, and course combinations are set at a high level, then fine-tuned once we know the mix of experience, goals, and group types. If you see an Open Booking that interests you, get in touch and we’ll shape the details together.

Your instructor-skipper designs the itinerary around training goals, weather, tides, and local conditions. You can expect a mix of quiet anchorages, working harbours, and, in some regions, modern marinas. Plans may change with the forecast, which is part of learning how real cruising decisions are made.

Most days include a morning briefing, several hours of sailing and manoeuvre practice, an afternoon passage or skills block, and time to relax or explore ashore. You might be hoisting sail at sunrise one day and practising docking drills in a new harbour the next. Evenings are usually spent sharing a meal aboard, debriefing the day, and planning tomorrow’s run.

Yes. Before departure, the crew and instructor do a big grocery shop and stock the boat together. All onboard meals are prepared on board by the Captain and crew. Any special meals or optional dinners ashore are at your own expense.

Training yachts are comfortable but compact. On our Dufour 470, we target 2 guests (couples or friends) per cabin.  On our rental boats, we will have a mixture of single cabins for 1 and double cabins for 2. More often than not, washrooms are shared. We’ll share the layout for your specific yacht. If you’re booking as a couple, you are expected to share a cabin.

Space on board is limited, so soft duffel bags are strongly preferred over hard suitcases. Pack light, quick-dry clothing, a warm layer, a waterproof shell, non-marking shoes, swimwear, sun protection, and any personal medications. Extensive packing lists are provided once you book.

Yes. Let us know about allergies, medical requirements, and strong preferences well before the trip so we can plan provisioning accordingly. Highly restrictive diets may require some additional personal snacks or ingredients, but we’ll work with you to make meals enjoyable and safe.

Safety is woven into everything we do. Throughout your course you’ll rehearse realistic scenarios such as a fouled prop, a failed tack in tight quarters, or a dragging anchor. After each event we debrief together: what happened, what worked, and what we could improve next time. By normalising this kind of open review, we show you that good sailors are always learning, never guessing. For those who want to dive even deeper into seamanship and emergency skills, advanced courses like ASA 104 and ASA 106 spend significant time on safety systems, heavy-weather tactics, and decision-making.

Many new sailors worry about this. Conditions vary by location and time of year, and your instructor plans routes with comfort and safety in mind. If you know you’re prone to motion sickness, talk to your doctor beforehand about options such as medication or patches. Simple habits help too: staying hydrated, eating lightly, and spending time on deck with your eyes on the horizon.

Weather is part of learning to sail. Light rain or stronger winds can create valuable teaching moments, and instructors adjust each day’s plan to keep things safe and educational. In extreme or unsafe conditions, sailing plans may be reduced or altered. Learning how to read forecasts and make those decisions is an important part of your training.

Many guests sail safely with managed medical conditions. It’s important that you share relevant information with us in advance so we can assess whether the course is appropriate and ensure your instructor knows what to watch for. You are responsible for bringing and managing your own medications.