Squamish Sailing Ventures - Squamish, British Columbia

Maëva S.

My boyfriend and I went on a 4-day crew course with Ben, and it will probably stay in our minds for the rest of our lives. Ben is amazing at teaching and explaining everything you need to learn about sailing. We enjoyed every minute. 4 days went very fast, and we are already thinking about booking our next adventure to learn more. Thank you, Ben, for being nothing less than amazing, an incredible teacher, and for organizing so well each day! We are still amazed by how it went and look forward to more adventures with you!

Stephan

I went on a day sail with Ben on his Vancouver 32 and it was awesome! I want to immediately go again! Ben is a great and knowledgeable skipper and fun to be around with! We went sailing all day in Howe Sound with gorgeous views of all the local mountains. There were 3 in our group and we handled the boat all day. Overall it is very relaxed and tailored to the group / individuals.

Long story short, go sailing with Ben!

Kaya S.

I'm totally new to sailing and I'm so glad that my first day was with Ben of Squamish Sailing Ventures !!

He is an experienced skilled instructor with a very clear and calm manner.
So my learning experience was very fulfilling and joyful.

Howe sound is such a beautiful place.
Ben is very familiar with the area so took us to a little adventure to one of small islands while anchored.

I really hope that everyone in the area who wants to develop their sailing skills starts in good hands and this is the go to place.

Vanessa W.

As I began to gain experience and knowledge this year through live aboard and day sails, Ben continued to be encouraging, optimistic, guiding and super pleasant to be around! Learning as you go is a great way to start, rather than a bunch of info sitting on the dock. I highly recommend Squamish sailing ventures to sailors of any skill level. There's always more to learn and Ben is a wealth of knowledge and experience. 5 stars!

Matt H.

I have sailed with Ben three times so far and enjoyed every moment. Each time he has been so patient and welcoming. Safety was always a priority along with having fun and learning. I highly recommend Squamish Sailing Ventures to any skill level of boater! I am so happy to have done this. Thanks Ben for making this available.

Pete

I signed up for the IYT International Bareboat Skipper course with the goal of becoming more confident exploring the west coast on my own boat. In the six days I spent with Ben from Squamish Sailing Ventures we covered everything I needed to feel comfortable heading out on my own. I particularly liked how Ben left most of the decision making to the three of us taking the course, providing guidance and helpful insights when we needed it. We based our sailing plan on where the wind would be and at the same time explored a different islands, bays, moorages and marinas. It felt more like an adventure than a course. Ben thanks for the good times and excellent cuppa.

Kathrin F.

We went on a Day Sail with Ben and it was just awesome. It was basically the first time sailing for us and Ben was very good in explaining everything and making sure we had a good time. It was a beautiful day on the Howe Sound - highly recommended. Thanks a lot, Ben. We will def be back.

Warren L.

I just completed the bareboat skipper course with Ben. The whole thing was way above expectations. Instead of book knowledge, we spent time doing things. I really enjoyed the way we practiced everything: experimenting with sails, anchoring , docking, navigating, motoring in tight situations etc.. So much hands on stuff. We rarely took the easy option when there was a chance to try something different .

In addition to Ben, there were 3 of us students. This seemed to be the ideal number, and we all got as much time as we wanted at the helm, and all of the other tasks. We all tried and did everything, usually with Ben observing from a distance, suggesting stuff and reminding us of things we had forgotten.

Ben was helpful and always ready to answer questions and explain and suggest alternate ways. We all enjoyed having him as our teacher and guide. Living on board for a week with Ben and out group was a blast. I lucked out with my fellow students as everyone was enthusiastic and also wanted to try stuff and learn and share the load.

The location is ideal. Howe Sound and the Georgia Straight have good winds and we were always able to sail. The tides and currents are big and again we lucked out with a full moon and got see and adapt to them. The islands in area are beautiful and provide many varied overnighting options. We were gifted by the weather gods and all days were warm or even hot.

In addition to being a sailing course, this was also a vacation. We swam off the boat, on beaches and in isolated rocky inlets. We visited parks and harbors and bars and restaurants. Food onboard was good and varied and we took turns preparing or assisting with dinners. Lots of coffee and tea throughout the day. I got a kick out of Ben boiling water for tea on the gimballing stove as the boat rolled through the waves.

This was an amazing experience and I will do it again.