What Are Your Sailing Goals?
(We'd Love to Customize Your Experience)- Show me the ropes.I'm just getting started
- Be a better local sailor.I have some experience
- Skipper a yacht on a sailing vacation.
- The deep blue and beyond.
Get instant access to 2 free
online sailing courses
Credentials
NauticEd Credentials
- Level V Captain Rank Chief Instructor/Assessor
- American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
- SLC Instructor/Assessor
Other Credentials
Instructor Certifications- RYA Yachtmaster Cruising Instructor, Small Keelboat Day Skipper, Basic Coastal Cruising, Basic Coastal Cruising, Bareboat Charter Master, Coastal Navigation, Advanced Coastal Cruising, Cruising Catamaran, RYA Professional Practices & Responsibilities and TC ROC(M) VHF Radio Course
Professional Sailing Certifications- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (MCA), Marine CPR AED First Aid, Transport Canada (TC) SVOP, TC Marine Emergencies ME3, ISAF Safety at Sea
My personal comment and commitment to you
My lesson plans use proven teaching methods that assist my students in acquiring fundamental sailing knowledge, sail planning, navigation, marine weather, operational vigilance and boat-handling for all conditions. With over 42,000 NM logged under sail and a professional sailing Instructor for the past 15 years, I have had the privilege to introduce sailing and certify more than 1600 students on cruising keelboats 24-52 feet and cruising catamarans 38-48 feet. My favourite C&L destinations are BC's West Coast including Howe Sound, Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound. I also enjoy Instructing Cruise & Learn adventures in France, Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, Greece, British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Grenadines, Antigua, Turks & Caicos Islands, Chili and UK- 65 weeks in the past 12 years. I am an Instructor for the NauticED Qualified Crew, Coastal Skipper, Bareboat Charter Master and Captain Rank Certifications.
Juice up your Sailing Certificate. Take an online sailing course from NauticEd and get professional practical sailing instruction from Carl Richardson.
Feedback from previous students
I been sailing and receiving instruction from Carl for about 10 years now and really appreciate his dedication and patience to ensure you get the knowledge and confidence need to skipper a vessel safely.
Carl has a great depth of knowledge and is a very good instructor. He has lots of energy and never misses an opportunity to teach.
Carl Richardson is a sailing gold mine of endless knowledge and experience . Always loads of fun and makes learning a joy. Safety first, and very professional. Would highly recommend VSC to anybody who’s getting started or want to learn more about sailing.
Carl pushed hard on things that I "knew" but needed to know much more deeply. An example was COB, where he challenged me to think through critical details that I had skimmed over. His challenging me was far more valuable than a simple check-box rubric exercise.
The National Standard Rubrics (NSR) assessment was provided and explained by email. I used it as a study tool. The material covered in the assessment was included in the NSR assessment , however, the assessment was not used as a tool in the assessment to my knowledge. This not a criticism, rather an observation that left me wondering whether it would have added value to have a more prevalent role in the assessment, or whether it would have just been a distraction from a very positive experience.
Good job in adapting to situations. Taking time throughout to explain the details and allowing time to get re-try drills when necessary. Making the course a cruise while gaining an education.
Carl has a great depth of knowledge and experience. Focused on bringing everyone's skills to a higher level. Very good at explaining the dynamics of sailing, sail trim, seamanship, and boating. Strong focus on safety. Our crew had very uneven knowledge and experience. As one of the most experienced in the crew he did not focus enough on my personal goals/needs, but focused more attention on the less experienced. I was frustrated to not come away with an adequate exploration and recognition of my skills and knowledge. The boat (a Bennateau 36 First) was not very comfortable for as many people as were on the boat (6). Good handling and sailing boat, but, in my opinion not comfortable for cruising.
It was a pleasure to sail with a such a competent and safety conscious Instructor. Thanks Carl!
Carl provides a very thorough coverage of all aspects of running a sailboat. He is intentional in covering the theoretical reasons as well as the practical application for each action. He encourages students to take ownership of their tasks and constantly hone skills.
Two wonderful days in English bay with a great Skipper. Safety. Wind. Fun.
Carl knows his stuff and is competent. He would be a better asset, however, if he used better time management techniques and gave better feedback on individual progress each day and what needed to be improved upon. Knowing where you were in your skill set was important for self improvement at the time - not later.
I went into my week with Carl thinking I was a sailor and left realizing I had a lot of work to do. This is not a bad thing. I felt that though the learning curve toward becoming a competent sailor appears challenging, he makes you feel as though it is reasonably attainable. Carl is a very thorough instructor who gave me the confidence to return home and practice the skills learned through his teaching techniques. He gives each crew member ample opportunity to utilize important planning and decision-making skills in a variety of conditions. Muscle memory is the key but now I have a great foundation upon which to build. I really enjoyed our week aboard Clara Allegro and appreciate the opportunity to have sailed a much larger vessel than what I own. Be prepared to be regaled by Carl's wonderful story telling during your nightly sojourns to the local pub or eatery!
I wouldn't hesitate to take another course with Carl. I learned a lot and also, more importantly, learned where I need to improve.
Carl is an incredibly patient and knowledgeable instructor. If you put in the time to learn with Carl your sailing skills and safety will be exactly what you need to become a confident skipper.
Carl was a pleasure to have as an instructor. His best teaching quality, beyond his immense sailing knowledge, is his calm demeanour. He did a fantastic job of providing a stress free environment to learn in, ensuring that I got the most out of the course.
Great instruction and a very enjoyable cruise as well - Thanks Carl!
Carl was extremely knowledgeable and approachable as an instructor. He encouraged us wit all components of our learning to sail.
Very enjoyable experience!
I had my Day Skipper training from Carl Richardson. I have to say I had amazing time, learned so much and got much more confident in my sailing. He is excellent in every aspect of sailing, theory and practice. He is incredible as a teacher as well, very fair, helpful and patient all the way. I highly recommend Vancouver Sailing Club and Carl.
Carl did a great job with us! We had a bit of a mixed bag of skills, and he manged to keep everyone challanged and learning. I learned a termendous amount in the one week on the water ( and probably more about ropes and knots then I could have imagined!), and a lot more confidence! Thanks Carl!!
Perfect Cruise and Learn Vacation, great company and very knowledgeable instructor. Would reccommend in a heartbeat.
Carl is an excellent teacher. We always enjoy being on the water with him and decided to join the Vancouver Sailing Club after a great weekend doing our qualified crew.
Carl is a great instructor, passionate about sailing and eager to share is knowledge. I learned a lot thanks to him and I enjoyed his courses.
Very good instructor, prepared and with deep and very useful skills..
Thanks for everything, Carl. I appreciate your knowledge and patience with my soft side as I learned all of these modules. I look forward to much sailing with you and VSC in the future!
Carl's depth of experience and his ability to tailor his lessons to share with students of any level of experience makes him a great instructor. You can tell he loves to be on the water and it is contagious.
Great, experienced, instructor.A lot of knowledge and teaching skills. Appreciate the tips and directions to become a better sailor.
A great instructor and a great person !
One year ago I had to start from zero.
A few weeks ago I sailed a 36ft sailboat during the night from Nanaimo to Vancouver in 20knt of wind with "my" crew and me at the helm in a comfortable and safe way !
An unforgettable feeling and I owe it all to Carl Richardson !
The 7 days on the Clara Allegro with Carl as VSC instructor was exciting, relaxing & most of all brought me from rank uninitiated to being a confident convert to the sport. This was challenging and fun. I would not hesitate to recommend that anyone thinking of trying out sailing to take a 7 day cruise and learn at the VSC as a first time sailing experience. A vacation and a life experience rolled into one.
Great sailing experience !!
Carl Richardson had a way of really getting me out of my comfort zone! He was always about safety first and that to me was very reassuring! I will definitely seek him out as I progress to the next level!
It has been a great experience, More to come. Thanks CEL.
Carl is an absolutely fabulous instructor. He is firm with his instruction, but friendly and confidence inspiring.
Excellent week of learning in a beautiful part of the world.
....... and on top; Carl Richardson does know how to make a sailing course a great event!
....... and on top; Carl Richardson does know how to make a sailing course a great event!
Amazing guy...I also sailed in the 47th "southern Straights race' with Carl and 7 others. I'll never forget the experience! Thanks Carl and Grant!!
I liked his approach learning by doing or experience it. It is exactly my learning stile.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned a lot. Subsequently bought my own 26 foot yacht and it is great to apply what I have learned.
Carl has a wealth of sailing knowledge as well as knowledge on local conditions and information. Learnt a lot.
The VSC program exceeded all of my expectations!
Carl was a fantastic instructor for the entirety of my 7 days sailing with him. He made sure to allow me to put my skills to practice with minimal intervention, unless it was required. His instructional methods are very well developed and leave a student with a great deal of confidence. He is very approachable, and entirely professional. I would recommend Carl for anyone who is interested in learning to sail, or those who simply want to improve their skills with an experienced sailor.
Look forward to more sailing with Carl!
Thank you for introducing me to sailing! You've helped me to find my new passion!
What started out as a basic learn to sail keelboating course has turned into a tremendous student/mentor relationship. I'm hesitant to recommend Carl's vast knowledge of sailing because I'd like to keep it all to myself, but that's not in the spirit of sailing as you will learn from Carl.
Carl is not just an instructor, after that 7 days he is a friend. I learned a lot !!!!! Carl explain all aspects of sailing (and gave lots of racing tips on sail trim!) with passion and knowledge which is just amazing. I love to have another sailing course in the future. Thanks, Carl!
Excellent and knowledgable weeks sailing
Carl is the reason I will be continuing to learn to sail, a great guy, with a passion for teaching and a passion for sailing. A great weekend was had by all.
Carl demonstrates a thorough knowledge of sailing and a common sense ability of translating that to real life. R