Puerto Vallarta Sailing Courses
The Puerto Vallarta area and Banderas Bay are among the largest and most active cruising hubs anywhere on the Pacific coast of Mexico, making them an ideal base for Puerto Vallarta sailing courses.
The region contains numerous marinas, boatyards, marine service facilities, chandlers, and extensive support infrastructure for offshore cruising sailors and long-distance passagemakers.
Every year, large numbers of cruising sailors migrate into the Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay area before continuing on major offshore passages toward destinations such as the South Pacific, Hawaii, Panama, or farther north along the Pacific coast toward the United States and Canada.
Puerto Vallarta and nearby La Cruz de Huanacaxtle have become extremely important staging areas for offshore cruising vessels preparing for Pacific crossings and other long-distance offshore voyages.
The region strongly supports the cruising community and offers an enormous amount of marine-related activity including seminars, cruiser gatherings, educational talks, marine services, sailing events, and extensive networking opportunities among long-distance cruisers and offshore sailors.
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, located on the northern side of Banderas Bay, has become a particularly popular gathering place for offshore cruisers and long-distance sailors. The area has an outstanding marina, strong cruising community, excellent restaurants, marine services, and a very active sailing culture.
To the north of Banderas Bay, destinations such as Isla Isabel, San Blas, Chacala, and Punta Mita are all outstanding cruising locations offering excellent sailing, beautiful anchorages, beaches, wildlife, and authentic coastal Mexican culture.
Expeditions can then continue back south into Banderas Bay toward destinations such as Yelapa, an incredible small village accessible primarily by boat, located along the southern side of the bay.
Careful consideration is required before rounding Cabo Corrientes and continuing farther south out of Banderas Bay.
This is an excellent opportunity to implement weather routing and passage planning practices while preparing for and rounding Cabo Corrientes.
Farther south along the mainland Mexico coastline are destinations such as Chamela, Tenacatita, Barra de Navidad, and Zihuatanejo, all considered fantastic cruising areas with beautiful anchorages, warm water, excellent sailing, and outstanding coastal scenery.
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One of the major advantages of this region is flexibility, with major airports located in Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, and Zihuatanejo. Depending on conditions, we can head north, south, or combine portions of both in order to create the best possible cruising and teaching scenario for the expedition.
During these seven-day and ten-day fully immersive offshore sailing expeditions, students are trained aboard a true Category A ocean-rated blue water cruising sailboat, the Amel Super Maramu 2000, fully equipped with the onboard systems required for extended offshore cruising and long-term life aboard.
Students will gain skills in navigation, nightwatches, sail configurations, downwind sailing, passage planning, weather routing, provisioning, onboard systems management, power management, engine and generator maintenance, watermaker operation and maintenance, anchoring techniques, roll stabilizers, dinghy operation and beach landings, and nearly every major aspect involved in operating a serious blue water cruising sailboat.
One World Sailing Academy offers the most immersive Puerto Vallarta sailing courses in Mexico, focused on real offshore cruising and passage making.
One World Sailing Academy eagerly looks forward to meeting you in Puerto Vallarta and departing together on an incredible journey of adventure, learning, and offshore sailing experience.