Women's Course

We believe in the importance of women seeing women doing the things they love and succeeding at it. If you've ever felt frustrated in a co-ed sailing environment, we understand, and we have the solution...

Cruisers Academy's Women's Cruising Courses are for ladies interested in levelling up their sailing skills in a curated environment designed to fit their learning style.

In addition to training in the fundamentals of sailing, exploring boat systems, and learning about weather and navigation, we also discuss what it looks like to be a female sailor. What are the unique situations we might encounter, and how can we best deal with them? How can we ensure that the role we take onboard is what we want? With the right leadership, we believe you can reach your sailing goals!

Captain Heather Richard is the real deal when it comes to female skippers. Her life long sailing career started at 8 years old. Since then, she has established her own norms as a female sailor and built serious sailing chops in a variety of settings: coaching racing at the prestigious Saint Francis Yacht Club, designing a sailing program for the US Navy in Japan, Captaining the 100' Tall Ship Matthew Turner, and living aboard her sailboat with her three kids!

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“I had to very, very consciously decide that I was capable of becoming a captain of a big boat and running a boat myself and running a crew and, you know, just wearing that hat. It was a very conscious moment where I was like, no, I'm not gonna just gonna be stuck in the female role forever.”

But beyond being a sailor, her role as an artist, teacher, community organizer, woman, and mother have all played a role in making Captain Heather Richard who she is today. Her squeaky clean safety record, salty charm, and love for the ocean, makes Cruisers Academy’s Women's Sailing Courses in the Sea of Cortez something not to be missed. Learn more about Captain Heather’s sailing journey here.

Hear straight from Heather how her Women's Cruising Courses on Lintika are going...

"Women came with more knowledge than they thought, and were hungry for more. There were “ah ha” moments for everyone—for those with experience sailing, for those that had never been on a boat before, and for those who had watched how to do something but had never actually done it themselves. These women didn’t just try to go through the motions of learning, they asked the 'why' behind everything."

"Learning from one another, knowing that they shared this drive for knowledge and empowerment, meant that much more. And it wasn’t just with sailing, it was with boat systems—the mechanics of electrical, plumbing, engines, and so on. All of their experiences amounted to a new found confidence that, individually, they could live offshore, disconnect, enjoy isolation in nature and address a problem with the boat—with the help of a manual or other tools—on their own. Teaching that, was incredibly rewarding."

Every trip is designed to give a generous window of time to pick the best weather for sailing conditions. This means that outside of sailing, a portion of the trip will also be dedicated to experiencing the cruisers lifestyle by snorkeling, paddle boarding, relaxing at anchor or exploring the cultural hubs that Mexico has to offer.

The trip includes your personalized instructions, accommodations aboard including all food and bev., safety equipment, and course materials. We asks students to board Lintika by 12pm the first day the course begins.

January temps range from 77°F to a low of 52°F.

Apply for this trip today to hold your spot, no commitment necessary!

Hear from an alumni who partook in this exact course in 2023:

Leah Cooper ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

"I had a great experience on my week-long Women-Only sailing course with Captain Heather. I had already taken several ASA courses and wanted to solidify my knowledge and get more hands-on experience without my husband on board. Heather is a badass captain with a lot of experience. She was very patient with the new sailors and gave thorough instructions on everything from engine maintenance to sail handling, to safety in emergency scenarios. We learned how to use both navigation technology as well as paper charts. We got hands-on experience anchoring, even in the dark. Overall I would do it again and recommend it to other women. I gained a lot of confidence and Heather will be a great resource for me in the future. Plus, Lintika is a beautiful boat!"

Karen Harris ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ "Captain Heather and Cruisers Academy provided an excellent learning opportunity during the Women’s Cruisers Course out of Loreto Mexico in December. This is the perfect and comfortable environment for anyone that wants to hone their sailing knowledge and skills. Captain Heather is the epitome of a calm, encouraging, and expert instructor. Plus the location of Sea of Cortez is breathtaking. I highly recommend this course! Thanks again Captain Heather and the CA Team!"

Celene Stamper ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

"My husband and I have been sailing for a few years with intentions of living on our boat and cruising the world with our family within the next few years. I’ve never been a strong sailor and as much as my husband tries to teach me it usually ends up with him getting impatient and me getting defensive. I always knew I wanted to take a sailing course at some point so when I heard of the Women’s Sailing Course by Cruisers Academy is signed up and I’m glad I did! Captain Heather was extremely knowledgeable, patient, approachable, kind, and fun! She taught us what we wanted to learn which not only was included sailing, but ended up being a lot about diesel mechanics, electrical systems, and boat safety - all critical things for living on a boat. And the best part was she made it interesting and easy to understand. Not only did I learn a lot on the course it was also a lot of fun and the Sea of Cortez was beautiful. The course was empowering and I feel much more confident on my own boat and feel I can contribute much more now! I highly recommend the Cruisers Academy Women's Sailing Course with Captain Heather!"