Vaughan Johansen

Photo of Vaughan Johansen

Instructor in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Rated 4.89/5 by 80 students

Level V Captain Rank Chief Sailing Instructor / Assessor

A USCG Captain and certified sailing instructor, Vaughan Johansen has taught sailing from the Florida Keys to the Canadian Arctic. An adult educator with 20 years standing, Vaughan's approach to sailboat instruction is to help students harness their strengths, push their boundaries, and guide them through the challenges of sailboat operation and sailboat cruising. Vaughan holds certifications from the United States Coast Guard, NauticEd, the American Sailing Association, Sail Canada and Transport Canada. He has been teaching sailing and cruising in the Pacific Northwest since 2010. He sails a C&C 36.

Credentials

NauticEd Credentials

NauticEd System Knowledge Expert NauticEd System Knowledge Expert
Transformational Instructor Course Graduate Transformational Instructor Course Graduate
Student Star Rated Student Star Rated
American National Standards Instructor/Assessor American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
SLC Instructor/Assessor SLC Instructor/Assessor
  • Level V Captain Rank Chief Sailing Instructor / Assessor
  • American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
  • Canadian National Standards Instructor/Assessor
  • SLC Instructor/Assessor - Sail
  • ICC Preparatory Instructor

Other Credentials

USCG Captain (OUPV Near Coastal) ASA Certified Instructor Sail Canada Certified Instructor Transport Canada Certified Small Vessel Operator

Associated practical schools

Publications

Read the Expert Article Vaughan Johansen has written

Training and assessment

Sail Practical Training Courses

International License Training/Assessment

Notes: Sailboat skipper and yacht charter training is done on a C&C 36.

CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS OR TO SCHEDULE TRAINING

As a bonus "thank you", we'll give you two FREE sailing courses and electronic logbook!
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vaughan.johansen@gmail.com
604-329-3390
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Feedback from previous students

Michael E., Canada, BC, Vancouver at 2026, Aug 13
Practical Competence of Sail - Qualified Crew Member

Training date: 2026, 12 Aug

Absolutely wonderful time out on the water with Vaughan. He was patient, knowledgeable, and ran a tight ship. I felt challenged, but knew he had my back. I would recommend Vaughan to anyone looking to learn how to sail.
Travis V., Canada, BC, North Vancouver at 2026, Aug 13
Practical Competence of Sail - Qualified Crew Member

Training date: 2026, 12 Aug

Vaughan was excellent all around. Made me feel very comfortable and by the end of the course, very competent. I enjoyed our time on the water and he made leaning fun and relaxing, but we built on what we learned every day and added on more skills. I couldn’t recommend him more!
Elke D., Canada, BC, Vancouver at 2026, May 24
Practical Competence of Sail - Skipper Large Sailboat

Training date: 2026, 01 Apr

Vaughan is a patient and knowledgable teacher. I went from barely knowing what I was doing to being confident operating the boat on my own. Highly recommend taking courses with Vaughan!
Shelley D., Canada, BC, Pemberton at 2026, Apr 09
Practical Competence of Sail - Skipper Large Sailboat

Training date: 2026, 01 Apr

Vaughan has a calm patient demeaner. I felt safe learning on his boat with his leadership. He is detail oriented and gives participants time for practice. I would recommend him as an instructor.
Michael H., Canada, BC, Vancouver at 2025, Aug 27
Practical Competence of Sail - Skipper Large Sailboat

Training date: 2025, 26 Aug

Exceptional communicator and teacher. Inspired confidence with his technical ability and calm demeanor.
William H., Canada, BC, kelowna at 2025, Aug 26
Practical Competence of Sail - Skipper Large Sailboat

Training date: 2025, 26 Aug

Nicky M., Canada, BC, North Vancouver at 2025, Jul 03
Practical Competence of Sail - Bareboat Charter Master

Training date: 2025, 30 Jun

Great assessment and lots of sailing knowledge to learn from.
Burket K., USA, MT, Whitefish at 2025, Sep 04
Practical Competence of Sail - Skipper Large Sailboat

Training date: 2025, 07 May

Adam E., Canada, ON, Toronto at 2025, Sep 12
Practical Competence of Sail - Skipper Large Sailboat

Training date: 2025, 02 May

Fantastic course, would consider doing more with Vaughn (if I was still in Vancouver) but I would happily crew with him
David W., Canada, BC, Vancouver at 2025, May 03
Practical Competence of Sail - Skipper Large Sailboat

Training date: 2025, 02 May

Vaughan is an outstanding sailing instructor- patient, knowledgeable, and always accommodating. He explained everything clearly, adapted to my pace, and made each lesson both effective and fun. His humour, breadth of knowledge, and entertaining stories made learning a true pleasure. I left each session more confident and excited to get back on the water. Highly recommended!
Showing 1 - 10 of last 80 reviews.