OCSC's Catamaran Course

The Catamaran Course is intended for those with a US Sailing Bareboat Cruising certification or equivalent skills. We teach this course aboard our brand new Fountaine Pajot Mahe 36. This yacht is fully-equipped for bareboat chartering. Our Catamaran course is designed for sailors looking to become competent and confident on larger cruising catamarans. You'll practice all the skills you need for chartering this yacht on San Francisco Bay as well as in any of the popular chartering locations worldwide, from Tahiti to Turkey, Australia to the Caribbean.

We limit the classes to four students and one instructor per boat. The curriculum consists of 28 hours of instruction.

Topics Covered:

• Close quarters maneuvering with twin engines
• The four important motoring tools – Ranging, Hovering, Rotating, Creeping
• Docking and Slip Departure
• Systems and equipment orientation on the Mahe 36
• Unique sailing characteristics of the Mahe 36
• Keeping a proper lookout with the different visual lanes of a catamaran
• Person Overboard Recovery
• Reducing Sail by the Numbers
• Speed control in congested sailing areas
• Anchoring with a bridle
• Using Mooring Balls with a catamaran

Successful completion prepares you to:

• Charter our Mahe 36 Catamaran on San Francisco Bay
• Comfortably charter a Catamaran in the 30-50 foot range in all the major cruising destinations around the world

Good to Know:

If at the end of the course you have all the necessary skills to keep the boat, your crew and yourself safe as skipper of the Mahe 36, you’ll be awarded OCSC’s Cruising Catamaran Certification. If you still need work to become fully proficient we will help you set up practice sessions with other students to help you complete your certification.

It is possible to learn everything and become certified on a private lesson basis. We estimate that most experienced Bareboat Cruising Sailors will need between a day and a day and a half to get the training and practice they need to certify.

The OCSC Mahe 36 Training Manual will be sent to you in advance of the course. Due to the unique characteristics of this yacht, it is VERY useful to have read the manual a couple of times before the practical training so you are somewhat familiar with the concepts being presented.

Lunch is provided each of the four weekend days of training.