Discover Sailing Today

Course Objectives

The Discover Sailing Today program is designed to give the participants useful sailing knowledge, theory and practice.

At the end of the course  participants of the Discover Sailing Today program will be able to:

• Tie at least 3 of the most used knots on sailing
• Recognize parts of a sailing boat, sails, ropes and tools on board
• Understand the wind dynamics that move a sailboat
• Raise and Lower the sails
• Understand the rules of the road while navigating on a boat
• Recognize the different points of sail
• Keep a designated course
• Approach and tie to mooring lines

Course Participants

Course is designed for 1 and up to max 4 participants.

Price

$395 (US Dollars). Cost is independent of number of participants.

 What is included

• Offshore US Coast Guard Approved Life jackets
• Gloves
• 3.5h Instruction aboard SV Luna 
• On board safety equipment (Epirb, fire extinguishers, etc.)
• Water + Fruit

Luna is 40 foot (12 meters) long, fabricated in the United States by Endeavour Yatchs in 1982;  is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of polyester resin and fiberglass . It has a center cockpit, masthead sloop rig, with aluminum spars, a raked stem, a reverse transom with custom swimming platform, a skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a wheel and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 25,000 lb (11,340 kg) and carries 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) of structural lead ballast.

Luna has a draft of 5.00 ft (1.52 m) .

Luna is fitted with a British Perkins Engines 4-108 diesel engine of 50 hp (37 kW) for docking and maneuvering.

For sailing the mainsail has a mainsheet traveler at the aft of the center cockpit, two winches for the genoa sheets and one for the mainsheet, plus two winches for the main and genoa halyards. The boat is equipped with a topping lift and slab reefing.

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 126.

Luna’s history goes back a few decades ago. It is uncertain where or how the beginning of the boat was but on some old registers it is known for having many names, owners and ports.

Luna is a Bonaire resident vessel. Registration number B-494. Has a long history under her belt and has sailed around the caribbean. Despite the size it is very easy to maneuver even for the beginner sailor which makes it an ideal boat for a first experience.  Has a motion comfort ratio of 34.5, a very stable boat at sea.

Since 2016 Luna has been going into a renovation process. It has been long but time and effort have paid off. Luna is back in the water since 2018, the systems for navigation and safety have been completely renewed as well as the standing and running rigging.  Luna has been granted in 2019 both NATIONAL SAFETY CERTIFICATE and NATURE PERMIT  required by the local authorities for  boats  operating commercially in the waters of the Bonaire Marine Park.

The NAJAD 34 was the first model to be launched by the Swedish quality shipyard on the boatbuilder’s island of Orust in 1971. It was a top seller and remained in the program until 1983 (in total aprrox. 350 units were built). Very solid polyester, traditional construction (actually certified by LLOYD’S) and excellent seakeeping especially in uncomfortable conditions (ballast ratio: approx. 42 %). The design with semi-long keel (s-shaped hull) and rudder on skeg gives good course stability and smooth, dry sailing. Jolana is hull #19 and built in the year 1974.

Jolana is a center cockpit, Olle Enderlein (also designer of Hallberg Rassy) design, with a masthead sloop rig. It has been refitted with a brand new keel stepped aluminium mast and brand new Sole engine (mini33). It is being re -designed for single handed sailing which will allow students to learn how to control and maneuver the boat by themselves from the comfort of the cockpit. It is currently undergoing further restoration in order to make it one of the most seaworthy vessels on Bonaire and we hope to have it available by the beginning 2022.