A marina with the best location and infrastructure in the Lisbon area, well equipped boats adequate for learning, and a team of motivated instructors. These are the ingredients we find crucial for a good experience afloat.

West Coast is also  the first school in the Lisbon area to reach RYA recognition and thus offers both the "Sail Cruising" scheme (Start Yachting, Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster) and the "Powerboat" scheme (level 1 e level 2).

Our "Beginner's Courses" in Keelboats work with a student-instructor ratio of 3:1 (and never more than 4:1). In this way we can make sure that each student benefits from individual attention from the instructor and learns faster. Our keelboats up to 7.5m long are a fun, well priced and solid solution to start sailing before getting into "cruising" with larger yachts.

The courses which lead to a "Carta de Navegador" (Marinheiro, Patrão Local - the portuguese licence sytem) have a strong theorectical component and are taught in a room just overlooking the marina. A good knowledge of Portuguese is required for these courses.

Flexible Sailing is our bets solution to keep sailing and learning regularly if you don't have a boat. It works just like a free pass ifor a gym: you buy a pack with 8 outings, call us during the week to book and it's done. 100% flexible and without a rigid course calendar to follow - you only sail when you want to.

The Private Tutoring are also a good option for anyone looking for customized and individual training, either on board your own yacht or our own boat. It is also possible to provide RYA training (sail or power) onboard your boat.

• How to Choose My Course?
• RYA Training?
• Find My Course!

How to Choose My Course?

Find the course that will take your boating skills to the level you aspire, wether sail or power.

To pick the right course it's very important to performa an honest evaluationof your present skills. More important than the certificate, chosing a level that is both a challenge but within reach is crucial for a positive and enriching learning experience.

Some quesitions worth asking yourself are:
 Does a gybe come by surprise for you?
Am I confotable when boat handling under power inside the marina?
Can I trim my outboard engine for speed and safety?
How many nautical miles have I sailed (day/night)?
In which boats have I sailed, where and in what roles?
How many passages have I done where I assumed responsibility as a skipper?
 Do I know my knots, when to give way/stand on?
Am I well aware of boat safety issues when afloat?
Can I use the weather forecast information to build my own forecast and take decisions?

RYA Training?

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) manages a scheme of training and certification in several areas of boating including dinghy sailing, sail and motor cruising, powerboating and windsurf. This is probably the best and most worldwide recognized training scheme in the world.

There are recognized training centres all around the world that respect demanding standard of operation (safety, training, equipments) and are thus authorized to offer a scheme of training and certification of competence which worldwide recognized. West Coast is among these schools and is recognized to deliver both the sail cruising and the powerboat scheme.

Your Advantages:
Get rewarded with a world wide acknowledged certificate;
Apply for the certificate according to your competence (enter the programme at any stage according to your knowledge and experience thus avoid having to go to a low level when you are already experienced);
Get certified in 1 week by spending 5 days sailing around the clock or 2 days powerboating;
Explore the stunning Lisbon coast (including Cascais, Sesimbra Tróia and Sines), and spend a bit of a holiday at the same time;
Sail comfortable, have more fun and learn better on our modern and well equipped yachts.

Visit the Royal Yachting Association website for more information on the RYA.

Find My Course!

Use the table below to easily find the course which is more adequate to your objectives and previous experience:

	I'm looking for an official portuguese boating licence with a course in portuguese that offers me theoretical knowledge and thre required licence to go afloat on my own boat...(in portuguese) >> Cartas de Navegador de Recreio (Marinheiro, Patrão Local, VHF)
	I want to experience sailing. I need a well priced solution to start sailing. >> Cursos de Iniciação em veleiros de cruzeiro até 7,5m (keelboats)
	I don't want to buy a boat but I want to keep on sailing and elearning in a flexible way and with an instructor on board. >> Flexible Sailing (keelboats)
	I want to improve a specific skill like for example the ability to manouver inside the marina... >> Specialty Modules or Private Tuition
	I'm looking for a customized and private training programe with our withou RYA certification... >> Private tuition on board our boats
	I own a boat. I'm looking for a customized programe for me and/or my crew with or without RYA certification... >> Private tuition on board your boat (sail or power)
	I want to experience sailing and life on board a sailing yacht. >> RYA Start Yachting (in English, 2 days on board)
	I want to become an active ccrew member and participate in manuvering a sailing yacht... >> RYA Competent Crew (in English, 5 days on board)
	I want to become a skilled skipper, able to skipper my sailing yacht in familiar waters by day... >> RYA Dayskipper (in English, 5 days on board)
	I want to become an experienced skipper able to skipper a sailing yacht in coatal passages, by day or night ... >> RYA Coastal Skipper (in English, 5 days on board)
	I want to perfection my "skippering skills" and obtain a worldwide recognized certification... >>RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal ou Offshore Exam (exame final em Inglês, 1 dia)
	I'm looking for an introduction to the sport of powerboating (safety, manouvering)... >> RYA Powerboat Level 1 (in English, 1 day)
	I want to become a competent powerboat driver and have an international licence to drive a powerboat... >> RYA Powerboat Level 2 (plus ICC) (in English, 2 days)
	I'm looking for professional qualifications, worldwide recognised. I'd like to work afloat and become an instructor (sail and/or power). >> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You will surely need Cruising Instructor/Yachmaster Instructor/Powerboat Instructor, Sea Survival, First Aid and a Commercial Endorsment.  Who knows if very soon you could be working on one of our boats, crossing the Atlantic on a delivery or working in the Caribbean!