ANACORTES SAILING FIELD GUIDE
Three Days to Certified Powerboat Confidence in the San Juan Islands
A focused, three-day AB 103/104 cruising course that puts you aboard a Nimbus 305C to learn boat handling, navigation, anchoring and safety, finishing with written certification.
Three Days to Certified Powerboat Confidence in the San Juan Islands.
Spend three days and two nights off Anacortes practicing powerboat handling and cruising techniques in the San Juan Islands aboard a Nimbus 305C. The course pairs classroom instruction with sustained time underway—overnight anchoring, guest moorage, hands-on drills and a final written exam to certify qualified candidates.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Real cruising in local waters
Hands-on instruction focused on maneuvering and cruising a powerboat around the San Juan Islands, with practical work underway rather than just dockside demos.
Navigation, anchoring and safety
The syllabus emphasizes coastal navigation and daily practice of anchoring, docking and emergency procedures so students gain operational confidence in common cruising scenarios.
AB 103 & 104 certification
Candidates who complete the course and pass the written exam leave with AB 103/104 certification, qualifying them to join PowerTime membership programs and charter beyond local waters.
What the day feels like
What the three-day course actually feels like
The program begins in a classroom and quickly moves to extended on-water instruction aboard a Nimbus 305C based in Cap Sante Marina, blending system orientation, coastal navigation and practical boat-handling drills over three days and two nights. Students practice overnight anchoring, spend a night on guest moorage, run through safety and rescue protocols, and conclude with a written exam to certify qualified candidates.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who gets the most from this intensive cruising course.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The course runs three days and two nights.
The program begins at 3116 V Place, Anacortes, WA 98221 at 9am for the initial classroom session.
Training occurs aboard a Nimbus 305C based in Cap Sante Marina and includes navigation, anchoring and safety drills over multiple underway days and nights.
After the on-water agenda participants complete a written exam; the plan is to return by 4pm on the third day.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the AB 103/104 course?
The course runs three days and two nights.
Where and when do we meet to start the course?
The program begins at 9am in the classroom at 3116 V Place, Anacortes, WA 98221.
What vessel will we train on?
On-water training is conducted aboard a Nimbus 305C.
What practical skills will we practice onboard?
The syllabus includes powerboat systems orientation, coastal navigation with DR plotting, anchoring and docking exercises, and emergency procedures such as man-overboard and distress handling.
Do participants receive certification?
Participants who complete the course and pass the written exam can earn AB 103 and 104 certification.
Will there be overnight stays?
Yes: the plan includes anchoring out one night and spending the other night at guest moorage during the course.