In February, I posted a general outline of my plan for 2018.  A couple of months have quietly and quickly passed by.  I guess it’s time I provide an update!

The short version is, I’m on track.

In March, I completed the USCG Master 100-Ton License course at Columbia Pacific Maritime in Portland, Oregon.  The course spanned 10 consecutive days and included several written exams covering Navigation, General Deck, Rules of the Road, and Safety.  I also took two auxiliary exams to earn my Sailing endorsement and Towing endorsement.  The CPM school and its instructors were fabulous and come with my highest recommendation!

Now that I have passed the exams, the last major obstacle between me and the USCG Master License is time on the water, or “sea service.”  I need 360 days.  I’m at 280. 

So, I flew home to San Francisco in mid-March with one thing in mind:  sailing as much as possible this summer.  Not a bad to-do list, right?

Working with the OCSC Sailing School, I’ve expanded my scope as Sailing Instructor (I’m now qualified to teach both Basic Keelboat and Basic Cruising courses) enabling me to load up my schedule – teaching about four days a week.  I’ve already accumulated over 20 days since mid-March.  If I can teach about 15 days a month, I should be easily to reach 360 total days by the end of summer.

In September, I’m committed to skippering the 13-day sailing vacation in Croatia – so that will be the icing on the cake.  I’ll come back in the Fall and file my paperwork with the U.S. Coast Guard.

So, the plan remains as I outlined in February.  I’m slowly making progress against it, one day at a time, one sail at a time.