The American Sailing Association (ASA) is the nationwide governing body for sailing schools. The ASA has set national standards for instructors and courses. These standards and the credentials you can earn are internationally recognized. .ASA certification will show the sailing world that you have attended a professional sailing school and have successfully mastered the skills necessary to receive your certification. ASA certification will also enable you to receive discounts on charters worldwide.

Sail express is blessed with the absolute prime location in the Northwest to teach people how to sail in a safe environment. Port Gardner Bay in Everett Washington is just perfect for learning and developing sailing skills while enjoying easy, convenient   access from I-5  to Marine View Drive. 

Home of the United States Navy Aircraft Carrier; "Abraham Lincoln" there is a rich heritage that brings the history of sailing alive. There are also wonderful shops and fine dining at the Everett Waterfront. This is the perfect environment for learning and celebrating accomplishments together. 

The real beauty of this location is the easy access to many wonderful ports to sail to within a day of the Marina. 
 

 

 ***Begin Right Here***

The Sail Express Keelboat Sailing Course

Sail Express is an official American Sailing Association affiliate sailing school with boats located at Port Gardner Bay on Puget Sound and in Bellevue on Lake Washington. This class is updated every three years and has evolved to become one of the Pacific Northwest’s best sources for learning to sail safely, opening the door to many awesome sailing adventures. We have gone to some lengths to find out exactly what people who are interested in sailing really want from a sailing school and club. At the same time we are committed to an instructional standard that truly does justice to what sailing is all about, providing you with the tools to build a solid foundation of knowledge and experience.

As a result, we think you will find the experience unique and memorable. In this class you will learn a great deal about sailing, setting a course to developing a life-long skill you can share with family and friends.

 

Here is what to expect in the Keelboat Sailing course,

 

1.    We begin in the classroom by outlining in detail the skills and information you will need in order to become a safe and successful sailor. The goal of the course is for you to be able to safely handle a 20-26 foot sailboat in moderate wind and weather conditions. To achieve this you will need to know the rules of the road, the systems of the boat, how the sail works, the safety equipment, what to do in an emergency and who is responsible for what on board. It takes practice to develop the skills to make it all work together. The textbook we use is American Sailing Association’s “Sailing Fundamentals” by Gary Jobson. Some schools try and teach this all in one weekend, then leave you high and dry when it comes to the application of your new skills. We have found it works much better when we teach a specific section, then give you the opportunity to build skills by practicing what you have learned before moving to the next level. This means you get much more time with your hand on the tiller. How fast you complete the course is really up to you. After all, sailors are less concerned about how fast you get there. For sailors it’s all about the journey to achievement, the process of “Getting There.”

 

2. The class begins Saturday mornings at 0900 hrs. at the Everett Marina. We meet at Meyers Café by the Inn at Port Gardner. If it’s your first day, you may need to be there at 0830 to get materials. There are 4 separate training segments you will need to complete with an instructor over the course of 2 separate Saturdays. Each morning segment is classroom oriented. The afternoon segments are all practical application sailing on Puget Sound. There is an additional segment you will need to complete on your own. Each segment requires some homework on your part. Don’t worry, in this class the homework is the fun part (you get to sail a boat). You don’t have to do this in consecutive Saturdays. You can start on the Saturday of your choice. If you have to miss a class you can join in on the next one that comes up. Just don’t take 2 of the same class. We rotate through the same segments calling them; “Day 1, and Day 2.” After you have completed both, you will be approved to rent sailboats at a discounted “Active Student” rate to sail on your own and with others who may have similar or advanced skills. You can sail boats from 24 to 28 feet in specified areas to build skills, practice tacks and jibes and complete assignments.

 

 

3. After completing all segments you can come in for your, “On the Water Test” as well as the Written Test (130 multiple choice questions, closed book), once completed we will send your results to ASA and you will receive your official certification stamp to go in your ASA Sailing Logbook and our Certificate of Achievement. This course is approved by the US Coastguard and counts as your State of Washington Safe Boaters Course. Once completed you can rent sailboats at Sail Express or other ASA facilities worldwide. It will be necessary for you to read all the hand out and text materials prior to taking the test.

 

You will need to bring:

1. Rain gear (including waterproof pants and a hat), tennis shoes (no black sole boots)

2. Pack a lunch or you can eat at the Deli at the marina

3. A pen, pencil and plain white paper to take notes and make drawings on. We highly recommend you purchase a well-bound journal to keep notes and capture sailing experiences you may share later. Each class is packed with information, hands on practice and valuable local sailing examples / applications.   

4. The textbook is pictured below, we can order it for you or you can pick on up at Barns & Noble for 18.00. You should read through page 160 before your first class. This book has been the standard for building sailing skills for years, is updated annually and covers 2 complete levels of training.

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The class begins at 09:00 and goes until about 4:30 PM depending on conditions and levels of each students boating experience. If weather conditions are not conducive to the practical segment, we may adjust which segment we teach first. For the Keelboat class we may make scheduling adjustments if there are small craft warnings or winds over 20 knots. We teach an advanced foul weather sailing course where higher winds are preferable. In this class however, we want you to be able to focus on learning, so the fewer distractions the better. While the classroom segment may have 6-12 students, we limit the practical sailing segment to 4 students per instructor. This gives you time enough to ask questions and build your skills. 

 

The normal Cost of this course is $649.00.  Each year we hand out 50 discount certificates for this class for only $399.00. This way we know our moorage fees will be covered for the year.

(This includes instructors, written test, ASA logbook, ASA sailing certification and Sail Express certification of Achievement.)

Beginning October 15th of each year we offer Christmas gift certificates for this course also at the discounted rate. 

 

Please take a look at your calendar and call us to schedule your first Saturday. You may also e-mail us with any questions.

 

425-339-3670 (scheduling / message phone)

 


Weekend get-away

Perfect for people throughout the Northwest. Complete one level of instruction over the weekend while enjoying the beauty and challenges of one of the world’s most popular cruising areas, the San Juan Islands. Classes (except Basic Sailing) are spent overnight anchored somewhere in the San Juan Islands where you will be learning to sail, navigate, anchor and much more. For students in the basic sailing class or those arriving Friday night, we can usually arrange for overnight accommodations on one of our boats. All Weekender classes set sail Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. and finish around 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon. A great way to spend the weekend!  We only offer the weekend get-away course a couple time a year so sign up and enjoy!!!

  Course Goals 
Keelboat Sailing

GOAL: To skipper a 20-30 foot sailboat day sailing in light to moderate wind and sea conditions. You will understand the basic fundamentals of sailing such as:

  • sailing terminology
  • what makes a sailboat go
  • tacking and jibing
  • points of sail
  • basic sail trim
  • sailing knots
  • basic rights of way on the water
  • safety afloat and rescuing a person overboard
  • docking
  • proper mooring techniques

 Basic Coastal Cruising

GOAL: To skipper a sailboat up to 32 feet in length safely in moderate wind and sea conditions. This course is an introduction to overnight anchoring. You learn by doing:

  • anchoring
  • navigation: tides, currents, piloting, positioning, charts
  • VHF radio procedures
  • sailing a plotted course
  • basic weather patterns
  • reefing and heaving to
  • more advanced rules or right of way
  • "shifting gears" in various wind conditions
  • basic performance sail trimming techniques
  • basic aero/hydrodynamics

 Bareboat Charter  

GOAL: To skipper a chartered 30-40 foot sailboat by day for a multi-day cruise in a variety of conditions. This is the minimum level of proficiency required by most charter companies:

  • basic maintenance and repair of boat systems
  • solid understanding of charts
  • proper use and meanings of buoys, lights and aids to navigation
  • strengthened skills in dead reckoning and positioning
  • analyzing weather, navigation, tides, and wind in cruise planning
  • advanced person overboard procedures