Mileage Builder (2025.207)

Mileage Builder - Keelboat Cruising

Mileage Builders help you practice your new cruising skills in coastal waters. Designed for graduates of our KB3 or any Sail Canada Basic Coastal program, this course is conducted on the Glenmore Sailing Club's Catalina 30 at the Sidney North Saanich Marina in Victoria, BC.

Create your own four-day liveaboard cruise and learn adventure!

Prior to the course, students set their learning goals and objectives using the performance objectives within the Basic and Intermediate Cruising standards. This course does not award a formal standard, but can be logged for proof of experience for future courses and chartering opportunities.

Who is this course for?

Anyone who meets the course prerequisites and wants to build experience sailing, navigating and operating a medium-sized cruising vessel in coastal waters. This includes students who:

• Are preparing to take the Sail Canada Intermediate Cruising standard

• Wants to develop and practice skilled learned in their KB3 or Basic cruising course or Basic Navigation Course.
  

• Wants to try a liveaboard experience on BC’s Gulf Islands

• Learn the basics of living aboard, including vessel maintenance and meal preparation

Course prerequisites:

• Keelboat 3 or equivalent to Sail Canada Basic Cruising Standard

Course Format:

• Two hours ashore session in Calgary prior to going to the west coast.  

• • Dates to be set - plan for one to three weeks ahead of your course on the coast

  • Session includes menu and passage planning (including selecting destinations)

• Four days of sailing and motoring onboard "Summer Ice"

• • This is a live aboard program - students to bring own sleeping bag, pillows, etc

  • Students participate in planning, purchasing and preparing meals aboard.

• This course is held in all weather with moderate wind and sea conditions.

• Students arrange their own transportation to/from Sydney North Saanich Marina and accommodations on Vancouver Island.

• PFDs are provided for students. If you have a favourite and want to wear it, please bring it along.

• Student Standard for Keelboat 3 - Basic Cruising Standard

• Instructor Standard (qualifications of instructors for this course).

• Alberta Sailing Association and Sail Canada Course Levy applied during course registration.

• Questions? Email us.

• The days are full with learning and demonstrating skills. Please ensure you get the rest you need after the four days of the course.

Sleeping Arrangements

• Summer Ice is a modest-sized vessel and does not have cabins. Consider our time aboard as you might living with family in a smaller RV or at a rustic lakeside cabin. 

• Summer Ice can accommodate up to four people in the following configurations

• • Three individual students in separate bunks

  • One individual student in a single bunk, one couple sharing a bunk

  • Two couples, each sharing a bunk

What to bring:

• Clothing: Synthetic clothing in layers... base layers and insulation layers. Windbreaker, fleece jackets, rain jacket, rain pants. Avoid cotton where possible.

• Footwear: Closed toed shoes or flat soled rubber boots with non-marking soles.

• Other Gear: backpack or duffle bag for your gear onboard;  sunscreen / block; sunglasses with a safety string; lip balm stick; hat with clip or line to tie onto your PFD; water bottle; Buff or neck warmer. OPTIONAL items to bring: camera, watch; anti-nausea (Meclizine, Dramamine, etc) and/or allergy medication (Instructors can not provide any oral medications for students.)

• Sailing gloves or rubber coated mesh back gloves: For the rubber / mesh gloves consider cutting the fingertips off of the thumb, index and middle fingers leaving your most distal 1.5 finger segments exposed. This protects your hands and still allows for finer work with shackles, chart plotter, etc.

• Sleeping bag, pillow case, and optional pillow. Clothing for four days aboard

• All belongings must be packed in a collapsible duffle bag. There is not sufficient space for suitcases aboard.