OCSC's "Day Sail Out The Gate" course

This class takes you sailing out of the Bay and past the Golden Gate Bridge, giving you a good taste of "blue water" sailing. Depending on conditions, the class may sail north along the Marin coast or out along the shipping lanes toward the San Francisco sea buoy. It's a great way to see what it's like beyond the Gate before you take Coastal Passagemaking. It is also a great way to practice your coastal navigation skills.

Topics Covered:

• Coaching on coastal navigation techniques
• Introduction to electronic navigation
• Introduction to radar interpretations
• Offshore vessel safety protocols
• Monitoring commercial vessel traffic
• Steering
• Sail handling
• Safety in ocean swells

Good To Know:

It's important to arrive at least by 7:30 am. We will provide flotation vests and foul weather gear if you need them, as well as lunch, snacks, and plenty of bottled water. Feel free to bring anything else other than alcohol. Be sure you have good waterproof sea boots, sunscreen, and a hat with a lanyard. Dress in layers! And if you're new to open water, you might want to talk to one of our club managers about how to steer clear of motion discomfort, a.k.a. "seasickness."

While the scheduled (and fairly dependable) finish time is 6 pm, please allow for a late return due to curve balls Mother Nature might toss our way. With a trip of this scope, there may be a delayed return to Berkeley of up to several hours.