DO I HAVE REAL SAILING SKILLS, OR JUST A PIECE OF PAPER?

Learn how to identify the right advanced course for you

One of the questions we hear most often at the Baiona pier is, “Am I skilled enough to take this course?” And the answer—as hard as it may be to hear—doesn’t lie in your certification. At sea, experience and certification are in completely different leagues.

You can have your PER and still get sweaty palms just thinking about entering port. You can have completed your official training and still look at the anchor with the same faith you’d put in a lottery ticket. Or, on the other hand, you might not have a single piece of paper and still move around the deck as if you were born on a ship. At Julio Verne Náutica, we’re clear on one thing: you learn to sail by sailing.

Quick Guide to Identifying Your Boating Refresher Course

1. Zero prior experience: The “I don’t want to get in the way” level. If you’ve never been on a boat before, or if you feel more lost than an octopus in a garage when you’re on one, this is the place for you. You don’t need to know anything. The goal here is to learn how to move around without falling over, understand what a cleat is, and stop being a “suspicious lump” on board.

• Your Ideal Course: Crew Member Course.

2. Level 1: You’ve sailed before, but you’re missing that “punch.” You’ve gone out with friends and completed your training, but when the boat heels over or you need to make a quick decision, you look to the instructor for guidance. You’re short on helm time and have more than your share of insecurity.

• Your Ideal Course: Monohull or Catamaran.

3. Level 2: The Skipper Who Suffers in Silence You’re already taking on responsibility. Maybe you own a boat or rent one, but the marina… oh, the marina! If docking causes you more stress than moving, you need technique, not luck.

• Your Ideal Course: Mooring Course.

4. Level 3: Seeking true independence. You have your PER, you have experience, and you’ve already rented a boat. But you want to take the final leap: to sail without anyone watching over you closely. You want total autonomy.

• Your Ideal Course: Winter Training.

Your starting point isn’t determined by your degree—it’s determined by how confident you are on board. If you don’t know where to start, write to us and we’ll help you choose without any filters.

Learn to sail with Julio Verne Náutica

At Julio Verne Náutica, we offer hands-on training, small groups, professional instructors, and our own training boats from our base at the Monte Real Yacht Club in Baiona.

The Rías Baixas are an ideal setting for learning and honing your skills year-round: sheltered waters, nearby harbors, accessible anchorages, and conditions that allow you to practice safely.

You learn to sail by sailing. And choosing the right starting point is the first step toward gaining confidence on board.

Check out our calendar!

View the schedule of continuing education courses

Not sure which course is right for you? Write to us, and we’ll help you choose based on your experience, your level, and your goals.

office@juliovernenautica.com
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Iván Pérez-Gándaras

CEO Julio Verne Náutica | + postsBio ⮌

Iván Pérez-Gándaras is CEO of Julio Verne Náutica and the main Director of the company's RYA Training Center. His vast experience is based on the highest nautical qualifications such as Yachtmaster without limits, STCW95 and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement. He has accumulated more than 20,000 ocean miles in deliveries and transatlantic crossings, in addition to 30,000 miles in scientific expeditions, including Antarctica and Newfoundland.

A trainer since 1993 and instructor of nautical qualifications since 2009, his background combines a solid technical background with exceptional practical experience. With a degree in Marine Biology from the University of Santiago de Compostela and World Champion in Dinghy Sailing (1989), his unique perspective ensures that Julio Verne Náutica's articles, training and charter services are delivered with the highest level of technical rigor and passion for the sea.

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