Most sailing instruction puts you on someone else’s boat.
That works for learning the basics. It doesn’t work for becoming a confident skipper of your own vessel.
Captain Mike Nyakas offers private sailing instruction in Vancouver BC and the Pacific Northwest on your own boat. Your systems, your waters, your goals — with an instructor who has sailed these waters extensively and knows what BC sailing actually demands.
Why Private Instruction on Your Own Boat
Every boat handles differently. Your keel, your sail plan, your engine, your anchor setup — all of it is specific to your vessel. Learning on a training boat teaches you generic sailing skills. Learning on your boat teaches you to sail your boat.
Private instruction also means the curriculum fits you. If you need to work on docking under wind pressure, that’s what the session covers. If you want to understand tidal navigation in the Gulf Islands, that’s where we go. If you’re preparing for a passage to Desolation Sound, we plan it together.
There are no other students. No waiting for your turn at the helm. No curriculum designed for the average beginner that doesn’t apply to where you actually are.
Session Formats
Half-day sessions focus on one specific skill. Docking and undocking under various wind and current conditions. Anchoring technique and scope calculation. Sail trim from basic to advanced. Spinnaker handling. You pick the skill, Captain Mike builds the session around it.
Full-day sessions cover more ground — boat handling under power in the morning, sailing fundamentals in the afternoon, debrief at anchor in the evening. Good for sailors who want a comprehensive refresh or who are preparing for a specific trip.
Two to three day liveaboard programs are the most complete option. Day one: boat handling under power, docking, maneuvering. Day two: sailing, sail trim, tacking and gybing, reading the wind. Day three: seamanship, BC tidal navigation, passage planning, weather reading. By the end, you know your boat and you trust yourself on it.
Sailing in BC — What Makes It Different
The Pacific Northwest is not forgiving of gaps in seamanship knowledge. Tidal current runs hard through the Gulf Islands, around the rocks of the Inside Passage, and through the narrows that connect the Salish Sea. The same passage that’s straightforward at slack water becomes dangerous with a three-knot flood against you.
Navigation here requires reading the water, not just following the chartplotter. Rocks that are submerged at high water are exposed at low. Kelp beds mark shallow ground. Weather builds fast off the mountains and clears just as quickly.
Captain Mike teaches BC sailing specifically — not generic coastal seamanship that assumes flat water and predictable conditions. If you’re going to sail these waters confidently, you need instruction from someone who knows them.
Who This Is For
New boat owners who bought before they were ready — the boat is sitting at the dock and the gap between where you are and where you need to be feels large. Three days closes most of it.
Returning sailors who haven’t been on the water in years — the skills are still there, they just need to come back. A focused session or two brings everything back faster than you expect.
Experienced sailors who want to sharpen a specific skill — docking a catamaran in crosswinds, anchoring in current, spinnaker technique, offshore passage planning. One targeted session with a good instructor moves the needle more than a season of guessing.
Sailors preparing for a charter — you’re booked for Greece or the BVI and want to make sure you’re ready. Captain Mike knows exactly what charter bases look for and will make sure your skills match what’s required.
How to Book
Contact Captain Mike directly to discuss your boat, your current experience level, and what you’re trying to accomplish. He’ll recommend the right session format and tell you what to expect.
Adjust Your Sails to Adventure.