Learn to Skipper
If you think you might want to learn about sailing to become independent on the water and captain your own yacht, OCSC can help make that dream a reality. These courses -- the heart of OCSC’s renowned training program -- will fully prepare you to become skipper yachts of different sizes and in all sorts of different locations. If you have serious goals as a sailor, boat ownership, international chartering, or long distance cruising, or if you just want to take friends and family out on the Bay, start here.
To skipper 18'- 27' boats in protected waters with light to moderate conditions, Basic Keelboat is your course:
BK includes these study halls:
Plus additional practice
- No charge for "Bay Reviews" under our guarantee.
To confidently skipper boats under 30 feet on San Francisco Bay, you also want to take Basic Cruising:
BK includes these study halls:
Additional practice and practical test
- No charge for Bay Reviews or Practical Tests if you qualified for the guarantee.
After completing BK and BC, we suggest that you add experience to your new skills before Bareboat Cruising by getting out and chartering on San Francisco Bay.
To confidently skipper boats over 30' anywhere in the world including San Francisco Bay, you also want BBC:
BBC includes these study halls:
Additional practice and practical test
- No charge for Bay Reviews or Practical Tests if you qualified for the guarantee.