Vaughan Johansen

Photo of Vaughan Johansen
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Rated 4.89/5 by 76 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 H., Canada, BC, Vancouver at 2025, Aug 27
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
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 Skipper Rank
Nicky M., Canada, BC, North Vancouver at 2025, Jul 03
Practical Competence of Bareboat Charter Master Rank
Great assessment and lots of sailing knowledge to learn from.
Burket K., USA, MT, Whitefish at 2025, Sep 04
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
Adam E., Canada, ON, Toronto at 2025, Sep 12
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
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 Skipper Rank
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!
Tim B., Canada, BC, Vancouver at 2025, May 02
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
Hands down great experience and instructor. Highly recommend getting out on the waters with Vaughan
Olivia M., Canada, BC, Surrey at 2025, Apr 23
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
So good!!
Derek H., Canada, BC, Salt Spring ISland at 2025, Apr 06
Practical Competence of Bareboat Charter Master Rank
Vaughn, Was excellent and very thorough. In 3 degrees ,heavy rain, 15 kt cross wind and up to 3 kt ebb tide med mooring , MOB retrieval was cold hard work and Vaughn was still patient and understanding.
Suzanne N., Canada, BC, Nelson at 2025, Jun 01
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
Vaughn was an excellent teacher, very thorough with his teachings and very patient. His enthusiasm for sailing was definitely passed on to us. I would highly recommend Vaughn if you are looking for any sailing course.
Showing 1 - 10 of last 76 reviews.