Sweetwater on Eastern Lake Ontario
Happy Sailing Academy National Yacht Club
Live Info Session
Sail Canada · Intermediate Cruising

Intermediate Cruising.

Six days, five nights. Sunday to Friday.

NYC in PEC. Learn in the city, master it in the County.

In this
session.

  • IntroMeet your instructor
  • No. 01The school and the boat
  • No. 02Sweetwater, your floating classroom
  • No. 03Finding us
  • No. 04Why Eastern Lake Ontario
  • No. 05The Basic to Intermediate pathway
  • No. 06Prerequisites & timing
  • No. 07Student portal & learning tools
  • No. 08Six days, day by day
  • No. 09What you will practice
  • No. 10Seamanship scenarios
  • No. 11Dates, price, what is included
  • —Registration timeline
  • No. 12Booking through NYC
  • No. 13After Intermediate
Evan Logan — Founder and Lead Instructor, Happy Sailing

Meet your instructor

Evan Logan.

Founder & Lead Instructor · Sail Canada Educator & Coastal Skipper

Sail Canada educator and coastal skipper with 14 years on the water and five years as a professional coach. My approach blends technical sailing education with a feel-based, supportive style rooted in hospitality. The goal is a calm, capable learning environment where you build real confidence.

Since 2025: 6,000+ nautical miles aboard Sweetwater across Lake Ontario, the US East Coast, the Bahamas, and the Eastern Caribbean. That experience shapes how we teach — real decisions in real conditions, not theory that stays in a textbook.

Named in Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Places to Go in 2026 feature on Prince Edward County.

14+
Years on the water
6,000+
Nautical miles logged
5th
Season, Picton Harbour

No. 01 · The school and the boat

A Sail Canada certified school in Prince Edward County.

Founded in 2022 by Evan Logan, now in our fifth season. One principle, never compromised: every student steers, every student navigates, every student docks.

As presented to National Yacht Club · Aboard Sweetwater, a 2011 Bavaria 36 · Picton Harbour, Ontario

Instructor and student during a sailing lesson aboard Sweetwater

Happy Sailing is small on purpose. Four students per course, one boat, one instructor, one week. There is no second classroom. No overflow group. Nobody waiting their turn at the helm while someone else gets the lesson.

It is a Sail Canada certified school, headquartered in Picton Harbour on Lake Ontario, and a sister operation in Nassau through the winter. Across the 2025 and 2026 seasons we have logged over 5,000 nautical miles aboard Sweetwater, a 2011 Bavaria 36 cruising sloop.

The Intermediate Cruising course, the bareboat skipper course, is the centrepiece. Six days liveaboard, departing and returning from Picton. It is the credential most cruising sailors use for the rest of their lives.

4
Students per course, maximum
6,000+
Nautical miles aboard Sweetwater
36 ft
2011 Bavaria cruising sloop
5th
Season from Picton Harbour Marina

No. 02 · Sweetwater, your floating classroom

Sweetwater. A 2011 Bavaria 36 cruiser.

Three private cabins. Six berths. Galley, salon, head. Your floating classroom for the week.

Sweetwater at anchor, Prince Edward County Sweetwater interior Sweetwater salon Sweetwater galley Sweetwater cabin Sweetwater forward cabin Sweetwater head Sweetwater cockpit Sweetwater helm Sweetwater aft cabin
Bavaria 36
2011 sloop, 36 ft LOA
3 cabins
Double berths, galley, salon, head
Full galley
Meals cooked aboard every day
Picton
On the boardwalk in Picton Harbour, just steps from the Claramount Club

Full tour at happysailing.ca/our-boat

Finding us

Picton Harbour.

On the boardwalk, just steps from the Claramount Club. Parking on site.

Sweetwater at anchor, sunset in Prince Edward County
At anchor in Eastern Lake Ontario. Every night somewhere different — and every night worth it.

No. 04 · The cruising ground

Where you learn matters.

  • Real adventures, every night

    Ice cream on the bench in Marysville while locals wave hello. Live music at the pub on Wolf Island. Swimming off the boat at Big Sandy Bay. Paddleboarding to shore at Main Duck Island. This is your classroom after 1700.

  • Challenging and forgiving in equal measure

    Bay of Quinte and Adolphus Reach for building confidence. Open onto a Great Lake when you're ready. Weather moves fast here — that's not a warning, it's the lesson.

  • One of the finest freshwater cruising regions anywhere

    Over 1,000 km of shoreline, dozens of anchorages, a new place every single night. By Friday you won't believe it's all within a day's sail of Picton.

1,000+ km
Of cruising shoreline within range of Picton
12 nm
Offshore to Main Duck Island
5+
New anchorages every course

No. 05 · The pathway

Basic to Intermediate.

Two steps. Basic Cruising first - offered by NYC. Intermediate is the bareboat skipper course. Charter companies in Ontario, BVI, and the Med ask for this standard.

Step 01 Basic Cruising Four days of sail handling, anchoring, docking, and the foundations of cruising. Offered by NYC.
Before Step 02
  • ·Basic Cruising (required first)
  • ·ROC(M) VHF with DSC
  • ·Basic Coastal Navigation
  • ·PCOC (Transport Canada)
Step 02 · You are here Intermediate Cruising Six days, five nights liveaboard. Multi-day passages, navigation, vessel systems, emergency response. The credential bareboat companies ask for worldwide.

The Sail Canada Intermediate Standard

01 Confident sail handling in varied conditions
02 Precision boat handling under power
03 Navigation, pilotage, and passage planning
04 Vessel systems mastery
05 Emergency and seamanship decision-making

No. 06 · Prerequisites & timing

What you need, and when.

Basic Cruising first. The others can follow.

  • 01
    Basic Cruising StandardMust be complete before Intermediate begins
    Required first
  • 02
    ROC(M) VHF with DSCRestricted radio operator, maritime
    Prior or within 12 months
  • 03
    Basic Coastal NavigationChart work, fixes, ETAs, pilotage
    Prior or within 12 months
  • 04
    Pleasure Craft Operator CardPCOC, required by Transport Canada to operate any pleasure craft
    Separate from Sail Canada sequencing

How the timing works

Basic first. ROC(M) and Navigation before or within twelve months of your last course day.

Required before you arrive Basic Cruising must be complete before Intermediate begins. NYC offers it every season. This is the natural pathway: Basic through NYC, Intermediate through Happy Sailing.
Flexible window ROC(M) VHF with DSC and Basic Coastal Navigation can be completed prior to the course or within twelve months of the last day of your Intermediate course. Sail Canada issues the certification once all credentials are in hand.
Timing-constrained members If your schedule does not allow the standard Basic-then-Intermediate sequence, we can blend both into a single extended private booking on Sweetwater - intensive and demanding, not a shortcut. Talk to Rachel or Evan to see if it is the right fit.

No. 07 · Student portal & learning tools

Student portal and learning tools.

Course modules, base guides, and planning tools live in your portal.

What is in the portal

Course modules & curriculum
PEC Base Guide
Provisioning Calculator
Float Plan Builder
Video sessions & study notes
happysailing.ca/student-portal
happysailing.ca/student-portal
Caribbean SchoolOntario SchoolStudent Portal
Contact

Student Portal

Your Courses

Welcome back, Evan

Pick up where you left off.

Sign Out

Entry Level

Start Keelboat Sailing

Vessel parts, sailing terms, points of sail.

Open Hub →

Foundation

Basic Cruising

Covers all ashore knowledge requirements.

Open Hub →

Progression

Intermediate Cruising

Cruise prep, coastal navigation, seamanship.

Open Hub →

Mastery

Advanced Cruising

Sail theory, weather, offshore seamanship.

Open Hub →

How to log in

Sign in with the email from your course invitation. Forgot your password? Reset directly on the portal page.

New students get access automatically when Rachel registers you at NYC. Nothing extra to set up.

Crew actively sailing aboard Sweetwater on Lake Ontario
Mid-week, mid-lake. The skipper has the helm, the crew is in the cockpit, everyone is doing something with intent.

No. 09 · On the water

What you will practice.

Confident cruising built on deeper skill, not checklists.

  • Sail handling confidence

    Varied points of sail, tacking and gybing under pressure, reefing under way, heaving to. The focus is decision-making at the helm, not procedure memorization.

  • Boat handling under power

    Close-quarters manoeuvring in marinas, docking in crosswinds, mooring buoy pickups, stern-to and side-to approaches. By Day 5, none of it feels like a test.

  • Vessel systems mastery

    Electrical, plumbing, diesel engine, sail handling gear. You leave knowing what every system does and what to do when something is not right.

Students aboard Sweetwater at golden hour
Anchoring & pilotage Single anchor with proper scope. Stern line ashore. Mediterranean mooring. Picking up a transient ball under sail. Pilotage into unfamiliar harbours with chart and compass.

No. 10 · Seamanship

When things go wrong.

Crew overboard is the headline. The other seven matter too. Sail Canada requires demonstrated competence in all eight before certification is issued.

01Springing a leak
02Steering failure
03Grounding
04Fouled propeller
05Dragging anchor
06Fire or propane leak
07Engine failure
08Crew overboard recovery

No. 08 · Curriculum

Six days, day by day.

Six days liveaboard, Sunday arrival through Friday return. Every day builds on the last.

Student at the helm Student at the helm in the Bahamas Student on the foredeck giving thumbs up

Day 01 - Sunday

Arrival, orientation & dinner aboard

  • Arrival Sunday afternoon
  • Vessel and systems briefing
  • Safety equipment tour
  • Galley orientation
  • Dinner aboard, introductions

Day 02 - Monday

Underway, sail handling & anchoring

  • Getting underway, departure briefing
  • Sail handling fundamentals
  • Tacking, gybing, sail trim
  • Reefing under way
  • Anchoring: scope, set, and hold

Day 03 - Tuesday

Navigation & pilotage

  • Chart work, bearing fixes
  • Dead reckoning and GPS
  • Passage planning and ETAs
  • VHF procedure and priorities
  • Harbour entry and mooring

Day 04 - Wednesday

Boat handling under power

  • Close-quarters manoeuvring
  • Docking: side-to and stern-to
  • Mooring buoy pickups
  • Standing turn exercises
  • Vessel systems: electrical, plumbing

Day 05 - Thursday

Long passage & deeper systems work

  • Full-day offshore passage
  • Heaving to and crew overboard drills
  • Emergency seamanship scenarios
  • Systems deep-dive: engine, fuel, water
  • Weather reading and decision-making

Day 06 - Friday

Self-led return passage & certification

  • Students plan and execute return voyage
  • Minimal instructor involvement
  • Individual final evaluations
  • Certification on completion
  • Return to Picton, Friday afternoon

A typical day aboard

From morning briefing to night at anchor.

0700
Breakfast aboard
0800
Briefing, weather, voyage plan
0900
Departure
Mid-day
Passage, drills, lunch hove-to
1600 - 1700
Arrival, anchor or moor
1730
Debrief and theory
Evening
Dinner, group debrief

Before your course begins

From registration to departure.

1
Contact Rachel at NYC
Express your interest. Rachel pre-registers you in our system and passes your contact info to Evan.
Step 1
2
Deposit within 48 hours
Evan calls to process payment. Your deposit locks your spot. Pre-registration is held for 48 hours only — no hard feelings if plans change.
Within 48 hrs
3
Final payment
Balance due 60 days before your course start date.
60 days out
4
Crew Zoom with Evan
Two weeks before departure. Meet your crewmates, confirm the sample itinerary, discuss provisioning, and get any last questions answered.
2 weeks out
5
Sunday arrival at Picton Harbour
Meet at Metro, shop for provisions together, stow gear aboard Sweetwater. The week begins.
Course day 1
Crew in cockpit during instruction
Meals aboard. Coffee in the cockpit at sunrise. Dinner at anchor. Everything cooked aboard, included in the course.

No. 11 · What is included

$2,500, all-inclusive.

Included

  • Sail Canada certified instruction
  • All meals aboard
  • Fuel
  • Mooring and dockage
  • Course materials and logbook
  • Certification on completion

You bring

  • Personal gear and toiletries
  • Foul weather kit
  • Soft duffle, no hard luggage
  • Sailing gloves
  • Non-marking soled shoes

No. 11 cont. · 2026 dates

Four sessions, four students each.

Sunday arrival, Friday return. Inventory shared across the season. June filled first, which is typical.

June
22 to 27
Sold out
July
27 to Aug 1
1 spot left
Aug – Sep
30 to 4
Open
September
13 to 18
Open
$2,500  per person, all-inclusive

Want the boat to yourselves?

Get a crew of friends, family, or fellow members together and book Sweetwater as a private course. Same instruction, same certification, your own group. Talk to Rachel or Evan to set it up.

No. 12 · Booking through NYC

How NYC members get started.

We would love to have you. First conversation to course confirmation is usually under two weeks.

No. 13 · After Intermediate

Pathways forward.

Most Intermediate graduates come back for one of these within a year or two.

Mileage Builders

Time on the water

After Intermediate, the next thing is time on the water. Mileage Builders are unstructured sea time aboard Sweetwater, structured around what you need: confidence, decision-making under pressure, or specific skills before you charter on your own. We run these in PEC and the Bahamas.

Bareboat Chartering

The credential opens the door

Sail Canada Intermediate is recognized by charter companies around the world. BVI, Greece, Croatia, the Mediterranean, and right here in Ontario. The credential opens the door. Mileage and confidence get you through it.

We will teach you everything you need to know. We do not guarantee you will achieve the standard. What we guarantee is that we work with you at every step to get you to your goals. Nothing beats a good sailing resume, so get out there and practice.

“Questions.
Thirty minutes for Q&A · Anything on the curriculum, the boat, prerequisites, or the route

Get in touch

Reach out to Rachel, or to Evan directly.

National Yacht Club × Happy Sailing Academy. Sail Canada certified cruising education, headquartered in Prince Edward County.

Contact

Happy Sailing Academy · Est. 2022 Intermediate Cruising · 2026 Season