Happy Sailing Academy · Free Live Webinar
Learn to Sail · Learn While You Cruise
Welcome Aboard
The instructors and crew behind your next adventure.
How the cruising ladder works — and what you need at each step.
What it means to learn while you cruise a beautiful place.
The Exumas and the Sea of Cortez — regions, routes, pricing.
This session is being recorded. Everyone who registered gets the recording link and full transcript afterward.
Our Team
Sail Canada Certification
Take command of a small cruising boat by day — your first skipper certificate.
Prerequisite: noneSkipper coastal passages in unfamiliar waters — the charter-ready standard.
Needs: Basic Cruising + Coastal Nav · VHF · PCOCNight passages and heavier weather, building toward offshore.
Needs: Intermediate CruisingAdd multihull skills on top of your keelboat training.
Needs: Basic or IntermediateTools To Help You Learn · Access When You Register
Register for a course and gain access to our interactive simulators and study modules — built to sharpen your self-study and get you exam-ready before you leave the dock.
Open the Student Portal →Flights, marina, route & packing
ETA, TVMDC, plotting & fuel
Mirrors the Sail Canada exam
Get the rode right, every time
Plan food & water for the crew
Galley-tested for the week
Tidal rise & docking planner
Sources, quizzes & sail trim
Track every skill you master
A Look Inside · Interactive Simulators
Drop the hook in a 3D anchorage — set scope, depth and wind, then read your swing room, under-keel clearance and holding grade.
Trim the sheet, lead car and wind angle, then read all three telltales for the perfect setup.
Explore these and more inside your student portal — happysailing.ca/student-portal
Learn While You Cruise
Forget weekend lessons on the same lake. Move aboard for eight days in a stunning cruising ground, sail somewhere new every day, and earn your certifications as you go.
How A Week Works
Everything for your eight days at sea, aside from your flight.
8 days / 7 nights living aboard a modern cruising boat
Hands-on training from a Sail Canada instructor
Official Sail Canada certifications & your logbook
All meals & provisions aboard (alcohol not included)
Park & port fees, fuel, water, taxes & gratuity
Pre-departure Zoom sessions & your student portal
Winter · January to April
365 islands of gin-clear turquoise water running southeast from Nassau — our flagship destination.
Desert islands and flat, protected water north of La Paz — "the world's aquarium."
The Exumas · Nassau, Bahamas
A chain of about 365 cays running 120 miles southeast from Nassau. Its heart is the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park — the world's first land and sea park, established in 1958.
The Exumas · Your Week
The longest run of the week; snorkel a plane wreck.
Park HQ: island hike, coral garden, whale-skeleton beach.
Snorkel "the Aquarium" and a sandbar swim.
Thunderball Grotto and a walk through town.
Estuary tour and a beach hang with sea turtles.
Final evening before returning to port in Nassau.
Nassau into the Exuma Cays · live map
The Exumas · Winter 2026/27
per person · all-inclusive
Sweetwater, our 2011 Bavaria 36. One flat rate, every departure.
Basic, Intermediate, or bothper person · all-inclusive
Pricing being finalizedLagoon 40 · a single February charter block.
Catamaran EndorsementJanuary to April 2027 · maximum 4 students. Out of Nassau, all-inclusive except flights. Prefer a student-led week? The Mileage Builder aboard Sweetwater is the same $5,000. Catamaran pricing is being finalized — ask us for the current rate.
Sea of Cortez · La Paz, Mexico
Twenty miles north of La Paz, Isla Espíritu Santo — a UNESCO desert island Cousteau called "the world's aquarium." The islands keep the water flat while the desert throws a reliable afternoon breeze.
Sea of Cortez · Your Week
Snorkel from the beach; anchorages for every wind.
Paddle, snorkel, or the hike at El Rincón.
Mangroves and a dinghy ride.
Clear water, secluded beach, sunset ridge hike.
Last night out; cactus forest and a beach fire.
Back to the marina for a final evening aboard.
Our route north from La Paz · live map
Sea of Cortez · Winter 2026/27
from · per person · all-inclusive
Beneteau Oceanis 41.1 · price varies by departure week.
Basic, Intermediate, or bothfrom · per person · all-inclusive
Bali Catspace 40 or Bali 4.0 · level ride, more space.
Basic, Intermediate, or bothJanuary to April 2027 · maximum 4 students. Every rate is the total per person in Canadian dollars — certification, meals, fuel, park & port fees, taxes and gratuity included. Flights are the only extra. Rates run roughly $6,600–$7,700 and vary by week and vessel.
Beyond the Courses · Aboard Sweetwater
A student-led week aboard Sweetwater, our 2011 Bavaria 36 — no set curriculum, the days shaped around your crew's goals. For sailors who want time on the water as much as a certificate.
Hone your skills and confidence between certifications, at your own pace.
Log the sea time and miles that charter companies, insurers and your résumé want to see.
Try a week of liveaboard cruising before you invest more time and training.
Before You Fly
Every destination comes with a full Base Guide — the marina, the route, the anchorages, and exactly what to pack. Add pre-departure Zoom sessions and your online navigation course, and you step aboard already knowing what to expect.
Google Reviews
★★★★★ Five-star reviews from our Exumas & Bahamas crews since 2022
Absolutely fantastic — it could not possibly have gone better. By some feat of Happy Sailing magic I learned more than I ever thought possible, while feeling like I was on a vacation. I passed both my basic and intermediate cruising standards.
Evan is very calm and laid back, and focuses on hands-on teaching — having you do the sailing yourself and making the ideas click. By the end we'd seen world-class beaches, passed our exams, and become way more confident.
Evan was very patient, knowledgeable, and professional. We learned so much from him and would highly recommend taking his course.
Evan's expertise and passion for teaching created an engaging, supportive environment where we felt confident tackling new challenges and made learning both effective and enjoyable.
By the end we'd developed solid seamanship skills, a strong understanding of boat systems and life aboard, and improved our navigation and sail planning.
The perfect blend of fun and education — I gained so much confidence about chartering and sailing. The instructors handle the details so you can focus on learning.
Your Next Adventure
Sea of Cortez or the Exumas, January to April 2027.
Base guide, portal tools, and pre-departure Zoom calls.
Step aboard and earn your certification while you cruise.