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The Drascombe Longboat, the vessel used on Baja sailing courses, is a light, maneuverable craft that can explore hidden coves or be hauled onto a desert beach.
Photo: Mac Henry |
A NOLS sailing course will get you well on your way to sailing on your own and becoming a competent crew member. We use a unique yawl-rigged open boat to explore the coastline of the Baja California Peninsula.
The Drascombe Longboat is a light, maneuverable craft perfect for learning sail basics, exploring shallow coves or hauling onto desert beaches. On this boat you’ll learn coastal navigation on waters rich with marine life, from intricate sea fans and colorful reef fishes to raucous sea lions and blowing whales, accessing places unreachable by larger boats.
This course follows nature’s rhythms, so you may find yourself up before dawn or sailing until dusk to take advantage of a favorable breeze. There are bound to be some long, challenging days on the water, but there should also be time to wonder at the night sky or at the sea stars in a tidal pool. You’ll learn to read winds and waves with confidence, work as a crew with your coursemates, and, on windless days, practice rowing and towing.
The boat will be your home on the water, but you’ll also be at home on the land, practicing Leave No Trace camping onshore in this unique desert that greets the sea.
Fundamental Sailing Skills
- Sail and line handling
- Anchoring techniques and strategies
- Wind awareness and points of sail
- Sail theory and helming
- Elements of sail and vessel trim
- Capsize recovery
Ocean Travel Skills
Seamanship, including all of the following:
- Interpretation of tides and currents
- Ocean hazard assessment
- Weather assessment
- An understanding of wind and wave dynamics
- Coastal Navigation techniques, chart reading and compass use
General Expeditioning Skills
- Vessel outfitting, care and packing
- Route selection and expedition planning
- Vessel design and repair
- Use of signal devices, including flares and VHF radio
Next Steps
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