Here is what you study in the Coastal Navigation (OSS 105) portion of the Fast Track® to Coastal Passage Making (OSS 105/106) course:

Depending on weather conditions, the Coastal Passage Making (OSS 106) section of this course covers the following:

Prerequisites: If you are seeking certification, you must have all lower US Sailing certification levels including Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising; if no certification is desired, skills must equal those achieved in the Offshore Sailing School Live Aboard Cruising or Bareboat Charter Cruising courses

Certifications: US Sailing Coastal Navigation and US Sailing Coastal Passage Making

Fast Track® to Coastal Passage Making Courses – OSS 105/106

Please note, rates and location are subject to change.

Single means private room ashore and private cabin aboard the boat. Double per person means two people are signing up to take the course together, sharing a room ashore* and a cabin on the boat. Rates are also available for two people who wish to take the course together, will share room ashore*, but want private cabins on the boat; or taking course together but want private rooms ashore and private cabins on the boat.

*Some future course dates will NOT include hotel accommodations and students will need to make their own hotel plans.

FTCPM refers to the complete Fast Track® Course for Coastal Passage Making Course which includes one or two days of Coastal Navigation before boarding the boats and six days aboard on the Coastal Passage Making Course. CPM is available if you already have Coastal Navigation certification and are taking just the 6-day Coastal Passage Making Course.

Your Fast Track® to Coastal Passage Making Course package includes:

• Coastal Passage Making Course tuition – 6-days of sailing
• US Sailing Coastal Navigation and Coastal Passage Making textbooks
• Offshore Sailing School Navigation Workbook with answers for home study
• Offshore Sailing School Navigation Workbook with plotting overlays for home study
• Chart 1210TR
• Check with Sales Associates whether accommodations ashore are included in your course date, or not
• Daily resort fee and tax, allowing access to all amenities, free WiFi and more, if applicable
• In-depth boat and gear check-out aboard, then passage preparation including stowing provisions for entire passage
• Sun-up to sundown sailing and at least one night time passage
• All meals and beverages aboard during the passage
• All use of navigation materials including charts, parallel rules and dividers for Coastal Navigation course
• Offshore Logbook
• Certification stickers sent from US Sailing after course for each
• certification earned, if tests are passed
• Course Diplomas

You will need pencils and erasers and these plotting tools for the Coastal Navigation Course home study program (available from Amazon): parallel rules and dividers. Packages above are subject to change and do not include meals ashore, food or purchases you choose to make, travel or other expenses you may incur.

Please call 888-454-7015 for Fast Track® to Passage Making Course schedules and rates. Itineraries are given to you at start of course and may change as courses progress, subject to weather and sea conditions. Boats are also subject to change. If you already have US Sailing Coastal Navigation Certification, you can take just Coastal Passage Making Course on most itineraries. In this case, arrive the night before, stay ashore that night, and board the boat the following morning. Since time of arrival at final destination may vary, plan to depart the following day.

Sample schedule, subject to change, for Fast Track® to Coastal Passage Making Courses in Florida

Day 1
Arrival day – no instruction

Day 2 – Start Passage Making Course
9:00 – Move aboard cruising boat and get boat ready for sea; safety briefing and boat show, complete pre-departure check list
11:00 – Or as soon as preparation finished, set sail, drills underway
5:00 or sunset – Anchor practice, prepare for offshore passage early next morning, dinner and anchor watches

Days 3-6 – Sailing and instruction sunrise to sundown
Breakfast – at anchor or during passage; instruction under sail
Lunch – generally underway, dinner at anchor on scheduled overnight stops or underway if sailing into night
Friday – Coastal Passage Making certification test administered

Day 7
Sunrise-noon – Breakfast, boat clean up, set sail for final destination
Noon – Return boat

Offshore Sailing School knows we cannot thrive without great employees and products. All graduates are asked to fill out an evaluation at the end of the course. The following testimonials come from those evaluations and individual correspondence with recent graduates of the Fast Track to Coastal Passage Making or Coastal Passage Making Course. Many are happy to correspond by email or phone with you. If you would like us to put you in touch with anyone below, please call 888-454-7015 or email sail@OffshoreSailing.com.

*Navigation-only course will change from two days to one day for some course dates in 2024. Check with our Sales Associates.

What our graduates have to say about the Offshore Sailing School Fast Track® to Coastal Passage Making course:

I wish more women of my age and stature could feel as alive as I’ve felt since we started this quest. We are two of Offshore’s biggest fans and love to recommend you and your organization. These last two courses peaked my sailing confidence with real challenges and practice. Multiple man overboard drills, using the boson’s chair to go up the mast, navigating narrow entrances to harbors and marinas, and many hours of sailing after dark all contributed to a perfect learning experience.

Mimi Amerson – Springfield, GA

Jim and I just got off the catamaran from our Passage Making course. We had an invaluable experience. No matter what your skill level in sailing, no matter how much you think you know or you know you don’t know, there is more to learn. Because of the instructors, I have the confidence in any situation to say to myself, this must be done and I can do it.

Meg Atkins – Ft. Myers, FL

There’s an old proverb that says “to travel is better than to arrive – it’s the journey, not the destination.” My time with Offshore endowed me with more than just a lifelong skill: I came away from this experience with a renewed sense of purpose and a desire to live life better.

Tyler Cowan – Oakville, ON

I was a student in the Fast Track to Passage Making course based out of Captiva in May 2009. This was my third course from Offshore. I found the course to be challenging, packed with useful practical information and very enjoyable. I think the course fits very well at Captiva, the route we took was perfect for what we were being taught. I also expect that there are many potential students who think about Southwest Florida as a place to cruise in their future and the location of this course at Captiva gives them a chance to apply the skills they are learning to this area. Overall, the course exceeded my expectations in what I had hoped to learn and I found it very rewarding and fun. I would recommend the course to anyone who has reached the level of experience necessary for the course and who wants to advance their knowledge of cruising skills. However the key to the success of any such intensive course is the quality of the instructors. I give Kevin and Andy the highest marks in this regard.

Jeff Linstrom – Glen Ellyn, IL

My wife and I enjoyed the entire experience. It was challenging and exciting to acquire new sailing skills through hands-on experience in the classroom and on the passage. We are looking forward to Celestial Navigation and Offshore Passage Making courses in the future. As an experienced sailor, watching my wife develop her sailing skill and confidence made for a great outcome. Thanks for helping us to sail as a couple.

Thomas Flynn – Epworth, IA

With Mark’s and Bart’s assistance, my confidence soared and I now feel very comfortable with my sailing skills. I have shared with my friends that the Fast Track to Coastal Passage Making experience was one of the most personally challenging, thrilling and fulfilling educational experiences of my life. Now I am able to confidently and competently practice my sailing skills and share my husband’s love of sailing. For me, it brings to mind a timeless quote by Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Offshore Sailing School has given me the skill and confidence to do just that. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Jane Flynn – Epworth, IA

Mark was very supportive and helped me to improve my existing skills and taught me new skills. He did this in a supportive and enthusiastic manner. This was a fabulous learning vacation experience which taught me more about sailing and myself.

Robert McPherson – Jersey City, NJ

Appreciated real-world pragmatism. The instructors had great ability to teach a lot of material in a short time without any feeling of pressure.

Dani Pletter – San Francisco, CA

Kevin and Mike were excellent instructors. They let the students try many new things by themselves that increased our confidence level. They were very patient and reassuring. We had a tough passage from Miami to Captiva via Key West in bad weather. The sailing was difficult, and the learning experience was outstanding.

Jacques Mayo – Lima, Peru