Some of our programs have a habit of booking quickly, so we are introducing a few of them here so people can get thinking about them and start planning - contact the office today to enrol:
Advanced Sailing - Inside Passage - Vancouver to Prince Rupert starts June 1
Rally Around Vancouver Island - June 17 Multiple Boats - Do CYA Intermediate, Advanced or Offshore
CYA Intermediate (Caribbean) - Grenadines - Starts January 2012 (details coming soon)
7 Day Advanced Sailing - July 21 Vancouver to Ucluelet or August 11 Ucluelet to Vancouver
7 Day Offshore Sailing - August 4 (Start/Finish Ucluelet)
VHF - January 7 or February 18Coastal Navigation - January 16 or February 13
The remaining courses in 2011 still have openings:
Diesel Course (1 Day) November 20Advanced Diesel Starts November 22
(Posted on Mar 15, 2011 at 07:27PM ) Tags:
One fun filled evening at our Granville Island sailing school classroom for shore based training followed by up to 4 hours on the water for a total of 7 hours of instruction for the world's best pastime!
$139 per person
2011 CLASSROOM DATES (6.30pm to 9.30pm)
Tuesday, April 5 Friday, April 8 Tuesday, April 19 Monday, April 25
Monday, May 9 Monday, May 16 Tuesday, May 24 Monday, May 30Tuesday, June 7 Friday, June 17 Tuesday, June 14 Monday, July 4
Thursday, July 7 Monday, July 18 Wednesday, July 20 Tuesday, August 2
Thursday, August 11 Tuesday, August 16 Monday, August 22 Friday, August 26
Wednesday, September 7 Tuesday, September 13 Thursday, September 15
At any of of these shore based sessions, we will organize folks into subsequent water based afloat sailing sessions, which will be offered evenings from 5pm to 9pm or dusk (whichever is earlier). Classroom groups will be divided into on the water sessions offered in the 2 weeks following each shore based session.
To reserve a space in a classroom session above, please go to our course page for this program.
We are unable to book the water sessions through the office - these reservations are only made at the classroom sessions.
Afloat sessions are aboard our Martin 244 pocket cruisers - designed and built locally for maximum sailing fun in Vancouver Harbour.
We also want to congratulate the batch of 'freshly minted' instructors from the January class under the guidance of David West.
The November class, led by Oliver Woolcock and James Johnstone were a bit camera shy except for this burn around the bay on a Farr 40.
Wait a moment - FARR 40? - perhaps this group is well on their way to TOP FUN status?
One of our leading indicators is seeing Mr. Cooper back building boats. Brian Kell of Grand Yachts said recently that the best way to find the bottom of the market is to watch Forbes Cooper. More than any other indicator, his sense of timing in the past 40 years or so has been absolutely uncanny.
We're also seeing a number of people back enrolling in courses and the 2011 lineup is the best ever - with new programs, exciting twists on old ones and a general overhaul on programming and a quest for our new TOP FUN instructor ranking.
We're just off the water from the JIB SET polar bear cruise and the old bear has had his one trip out of the crow's nest for the year.
Beyond that, for sailors, the looking up has another connotation - look up and watch the sails. A great tip to get you sliding along a little quicker this year.
All the best for the new year from the whole crew at Cooper Boating.
ps - we've taken those few holidays off and the office is open again January 2 - December 24, 2011
Text to follow or click on the image of the letter to open the original.
November 29, 2010
Cooper Boating
1815 Mast Tower Road
Canada V6H 3X7
Vancouver, BC
Forest Gump made the observation that ÔÇ£Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what youÔÇÖre going to get!ÔÇØ
Investing in a sailing experience with a company that I had no experience presented a significant financial risk. Boarding a boat and putting my life in the hands of an instructor/captain whom I had no knowledge presented both a personal and emotional risk.
But if every instructor Cooper Boating employees is even close to the outstanding caliber of Marla Hedman all risk is nullified. In August of 2010, I opened a ÔÇ£box of chocolatesÔÇØ to have one of the best experience of my life. From the moment I stepped on board the Polaris to the moment we returned to Granville Island my heart was smiling. The crew whom I had never met composed of an Engineer, a Physician, an Attorney and CEO, and myself: a Professor and President of a leadership consulting company, were all highly educated professionals that knew how to have a wonderful time.
Our instructor and captain Marla Hedman was equally as professional and enjoyable. There was not a moment that I felt unsafe or that I did not believe that she had a keen observation of everything happening aboard the Polaris. Marla has a wonderful manner of teaching that allowed the crew to maximize the talents and skills each of brought on board while giving us the opportunity to learn in a comfortable non-threatening environment. Marla is an outstanding sailor with keen ability to both sail and teach. She is fun, has a genuine nature, is an exceptional listener and outstanding coach, and someone I would be glad to sail with in any sea in any condition.
Thank you Cooper Boating for realizing it takes more than just a fine boat to make a great sailing adventure. Thank you for selecting quality instructors like Marla Hedman. I have been on other boats in ports in different parts of the world where the captain made the experience a nightmare for his or her crew. This experience was just the opposite: Marla Hedman made this ÔÇ£Bucket ListÔÇØ moment in my life perfect!
Sail on!
Tim Clipson, Ed. D
Professor of Executive Leadership and Executive Communication
President of Leadership Is For Everyone, Inc. (LIFE, Inc.)
(Posted on Nov 16, 2010 at 04:03PM ) Tags:
Progress to the BAY SKIPPER level when you are keen to take things up a level and be comfortable in command of these great pocket cruisers -
Looking to crew on larger boats, take the CREW module followed by the CRUISING NUTS & BOLTS weekend.
Skippering these boats is best done with the BAY SKIPPER module in English Bay before the CRUISING NUTS & BOLTS weekend to Gibson's on the Sunshine Coast.
None of these modules is over one week in duration and can fit into a busy work schedule. Need any help - our office is open daily and ready to assist.
(Posted on Oct 28, 2010 at 01:11AM ) Tags:
The new format is CREW and BAY SKIPPER. Both courses span less than a week in format and have different objectives.
The reasons to change are to make the course shorter for ease of scheduling and to better match client objectives as they take to the water. New sailors with us have shared that courses drawn out over many weeks make it hard to balance with their busy lives. In addition, part of having fun on the water is having the level of experience that matches the level of responsibility. Many people want to just crew aboard the boat and have fun.
Want to crew aboard a bigger boat? Do the CREW module and then our CRUISING NUTS & BOLTS weekend. Want to be a skipper on the day sailing boats and cruise English Bay? Then proceed to the BAY SKIPPER after CREW. Feel free to get some practice as a crew member in between. Want to get to the bigger cruising boats? Add the third module of CRUISING NUTS & BOLTS.
Both CREW and BAY SKIPPER run two evenings in the classroom during the same week and the on the water component involves the entire weekend that same week.
We have devoted the beginning of this year's publication to providing a new overview of various programs and how they all fit together. For those you meet at this special time of year that have always wanted to start sailing, there is also a section about "Brand New to Sailing." It's great to introduce people to this activity and that's what this new part of the publication is all about.
For those who've started and want to continue with our course lineup, you will also find trusted favourites and some interesting new programs. The power boat courses are on-line and we'll follow up with that material next year in print for those so inclined.
The office is open daily except for the afternoon of the 24th and 31st along with the entire day on December 25, 26 and January 1. As you plan for some great times on the water in 2010, we're here to get you there!
administration phone 604.683.6837 fax 604.687.3267
