I started a basic sailing class recently in Santa Barbara. It is an American Sailing Association accredited class called, Basic Keelboat Sailing or ASA101 for short. It is the first of 3 classes required to get a certificate to allow you to charter a sailboat without the need for a captain (or crew) all over the world.

So far, it has been great to spend a lot more time out on the water. There is only one other person in my class so we each get more time with the boat than we would if there were the usual 4 students in the class. The instructor is from the Boston area and now living in Santa Barbara. He's really nice guy, very patient and very knowledgable about all aspects of sailing; I'd highly recommend Santa Barbara Sailing Center to anyone wanting to learn how to sail.

The first day out we learned how to maneuver the boat under power and cruised up and down Santa Barbara Harbor. There are some HUGE boats there and some famous owners as well. I took a couple of photos with my phone. There were a couple of nice boats still in the harbor:
A beautiful ketch rigged sailboat in SB HarborA huge yacht parked in SB HarborCloseup of the huge yacht parked in SB Harbor

There are two more classes left, including the exam. It should be no problem to pass as I am definitely getting the hang of it quickly. I'm looking forward to moving on to the next class.