SEATTLE SAILING FIELD GUIDE
Coastal Passage Making from Seattle: earn your CPM while sailing tidal, wind‑scoured water under real‑world conditions
A 5‑day overnight US Sailing course out of Shileshole Bay Marina that teaches planning and passage skills for tides, currents and winds and leads to CPM certification.
Coastal Passage Making from Seattle: earn your CPM while sailing tidal, wind‑scoured water under real‑world conditions.
This intensive, five‑day overnight course teaches the navigation, seamanship and decision‑making required for safe coastal passages. Students live aboard and practice planning and executing passages based on tides, currents and winds, building the competencies recognized by US Sailing’s Coastal Passage Making (CPM) standard.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Tidal, current and weather‑based passage planning
Instruction focuses on planning trips around tides, currents and winds so you can execute safe coastal passages and make operational decisions as skipper or crew.
CPM credential that demonstrates advanced cruising skills
Completing the course and its assessments results in CPM certification, signifying a substantial set of cruising skills and demonstrated performance in challenging conditions.
Practice in all hours, visibility levels and weather
Training occurs aboard an inboard‑auxiliary cruising sailboat during passages on coastal waters, including instruction and practice in all weather, all levels of visibility and both day and night.
What the day feels like
What the course feels like at sea
Over five consecutive days you live aboard and move through a sequence of coached passages: plotting tidal windows, executing sails and engine passages, standing night watches and refining navigation under instructors’ supervision. Expect an intensive rhythm of planning, running passages, debriefing and repeating until the competencies are demonstrated.
THE SKILLSET
Tidal, current and weather‑based passage planning
Instruction focuses on planning trips around tides, currents and winds so you can execute safe coastal passages and make operational decisions as skipper or crew.
THE CERTIFICATION
CPM credential that demonstrates advanced cruising skills
Completing the course and its assessments results in CPM certification, signifying a substantial set of cruising skills and demonstrated performance in challenging conditions.
THE CONDITIONS
Practice in all hours, visibility levels and weather
Training occurs aboard an inboard‑auxiliary cruising sailboat during passages on coastal waters, including instruction and practice in all weather, all levels of visibility and both day and night.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this course is made for—and who should seek alternatives.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
This is a five‑day overnight course conducted aboard a cruising sailboat; pack personal gear suitable for living aboard and for all‑weather sailing (layers, foul‑weather gear, personal toiletries and any required medication).
Training occurs aboard an inboard‑auxiliary cruising sailboat with onboard accommodations for multi‑day passages; expect overnight watches and living aboard during the course.
Participants must hold the listed prerequisite certification so arrive prepared to demonstrate and build on those foundational navigation and cruising skills.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the course?
The course is a five‑day overnight program.
Where do we meet for the course?
Participants meet at Shileshole Bay Marina in Seattle, WA.
What certification do I earn on completion?
Successful completion leads to US Sailing Coastal Passage Making (CPM) certification.
What are the prerequisites?
The prerequisite is US Sailing Bareboat Cruising and Coastal Navigation.
What conditions will we train in?
Training includes passages on coastal waters in all weather conditions, all levels of visibility and during both day and night.