A Serious Sailing Event

Once my wife and I took possession of our dream boat, a Pearson 365 Ketch, we were left with the problem of getting it moved about 136 miles down the rugged and often desolate California coast from Santa Cruz to Avila Bay.

Prior to buying THIRD DAY, we had been sailing for about two years on a 26ft MacGregor mostly close to shore and only going out in fair weather. Knowing that our trip would entail sailing through an area of 83 miles with no marinas and only fair weather anchorages, we would have to be prepared for a serious sailing event in a 36ft blue water sailboat, something that, frankly, worried us both.

Get the boat home; learn on the way We also wanted to take some more advanced ASA sailing classes to hone our skills, but with time being short to get THIRD DAY moved, we were leaned towards hiring a delivery captain for the trip.

But then we found Capt Dan Ryder.

From his initial response to my introductory email, I knew we were in good hands. Safety issues and boat readiness took center stage with him. After further discussions and after he found out our needs, we were able to work in some ASA instruction along with the boat delivery!

It was the best case scenario: have personal sailing instruction on our own boat for some ASA coursework and get the boat safely moved 136 miles south.

A real confidence builder Prior to the move, we spent class time going over the ASA 105 Coastal Navigation coursework and planning for the trip. During the trip, Capt. Dan was not only a great teacher of boating skills, rules, and tips but he was the type of guy you want along on any trip! By the end of our second day, which started at 0900hrs on Thursday and ended at 0415hrs with us safely at anchor on Friday morning, Capt Dan was like part of our family. While I grabbed a few hrs of sleep up in the V-berth, Capt Dan helped maintain night watch while my wife was at the helm for the first time ever on a 36ft boat at night!

The confidence building alone was worth the cost of his services, not to mention all the skills and boating experience we gained along the way. Every once in a while you run across someone that should be held up as a shining example of his profession. Capt Dan is such a person.

I would recommend Capt Dan to anyone seeking top notch ASA Sailing instruction or Yacht delivery services. I'm sure we will have the pleasure of sailing with Capt Dan again.

Fair Winds,

Rich and Lori Boren
S/V THIRD DAY
Port San Luis, Ca.

First Overnight

Captain Dan Ryder, my wife Michelle and I decided the day after Christmas would be the perfect time for our ASA 104 certification aboard our Catalina 387 sloop R Escape.

I would love to tell you that our trip started with nary a flaw but even after two weeks of planning Michelle and I were running behind schedule. At 0930 hrs I was the proverbial headless chicken when the Captain came strolling down the dock, "Good morning shipmates" he called out with a smile, "How are we doing this fine morning?" I thought I was going to be sick, I muttered something about a cold shower as we passed each other on the dock. The Captain gave me that classic puzzled look of his but shrugged his shoulders and figured he could always use another cup of joe while preparing our navigation briefing.

I soon returned from the shower, smelling better but still displeased with my lack of readiness. By the time we finished the nav briefing, double checked the boat and warmed up the engine we were an hour behind schedule...and we still needed to stop and take on diesel.

As we made the boat ready, "Captain" I said, "sit back and relax, Michelle and I have got this covered," right! Our casting off procedure has Michelle throwing off all the lines except for the starboard aft, my line, my only line. I need only tell that the only causality was my ego. Dan smiled and gave me a wink but I still felt like a rookie. We somehow managed to successfully clear the slip and ASA 104 had officially begun.

Arriving at the fuel dock, my ego was to take its second hit. I had misjudged the wind and my perfect landing fell short. If it weren't for some fancy line work by the Captain, the crew would have had to endure another feeble attempt. Apparently Dan had seen his share of bolters on the carrier and knew a second landing would have been iffy at best. As we fueled Dan mentioned I seemed to be trying too hard and that this trip was meant to be fun. He was right! I didn't need to impress the Captain, we were there to have fun, learn new skills and challenge ourselves just as we had done all along.

What followed next where three glorious days that Michelle and I will never forget. We had grins from ear to ear as we battled twenty-five knot winds on the way to Yellow Banks. We practiced single and doubled anchoring half dozen times, all without a hitch. We watched beautiful sunrises while enjoying breakfast in the cockpit. We saw spectacular sunsets while sharing a wonderful bottle of wine. We marveled at dolphins, sea lions and to all of our surprise, bald eagles. During our circumnavigation of Santa Cruz we poked our nose into over twenty anchorages, promising to come back and explore each and every one of them in the coming months and years.

As you might guess, I'm a big fan of Captain Dan Ryder. If you are an ole salt, I'll bet he can teach you a new trick or two. If youre brand new to the sport he'll take you from newbie to skipper before you know it.

Sail with confidence, sail with passion, sail with Captain Dan Ryder, he is Sail Channel Islands.

Rob & Michelle Walton
S/V R Escape
Channel Islands Harbor

Shakedown Cruise

I had always heard stories about the beauty of the Channel Islands, the excellent sailing, spectacular anchorages and the all-around great cruising grounds they offer.

Being new to the Central Coast and getting a new boat, a Tartan 37, I was anxious to set sail and explore these islands. Although I have owned several cruising boats and have a few blue water miles in my logbook, I wanted to explore the Channel Islands with an Insider onboard, one who knew the islands well and could share with me the local weather and sailing conditions and show me some of the less frequented anchorages.  

Well, Capt. Dan was just the insider I was looking for. He has extensive sailing and boating experience, a tremendous amount of local knowledge and a good sense of humor (which is important on a small sailing vessel).

 Capt. Dan made Sherpa?s maiden Voyage of Exploration a memorable one.

My crew, Mack, and I met Capt. Dan at the boat to discuss our intended route, and quickly became friends over a bottle of Zinfandel. Capt. Dan is not only a seasoned mariner, but also a man of the world. So our evening conversations at anchor ranged from Capt. Dan?s extensive experiences in the military to politics to the current state of the economy. Needless to say, we were never at a loss for a topic.  

During our 3 day trip, we circumnavigated Santa Cruz Island, covering over 100 nautical miles, stuck our nose in 11 different anchorages, dropped anchor in four of them, and set both bow and stern anchors in two of them (I needed some refreshing anchoring in close quarters).

Capt. Dan pointed out the best spots in each anchorage and gave us his opinion on the ones to avoid.

We discovered a couple surfing spots on the backside of the island and tracked a pod of Humpback whales.  

All along the way, Capt. Dan added to our sailing and navigation skills, as well as shared local knowledge about the islands. It?s true: "you CAN teach an old dog, new tricks."

We were also able to do a shake down on a lot of new cruising gear I had installed on Sherpa, and Capt. Dan suggested additional improvements that would make Sherpa an even better sailing and cruising boat.  

If you are considering a training trip to the Channel Islands, I can?t recommend Capt. Dan enough. Whether you are a new owner on your first sailboat or a seasoned yachtsman, Capt. Dan will improve your skills and share with you a tremendous amount of his local knowledge of these wonderful islands.

John Gilbert
S/V Sherpa
Ventura Harbor

Capt. Dan Helped Us Learn on Our Own Boat

As I sailed past the East end of Anacapa Island at 7 knots I prepared for my tack back to the Channel Islands Marina. One hour and twenty-five minutes later I reached the breakwater - an average speed of 7.7 knots! There's nothing like knowing your machine, what it can do and then doing it. Full Blast.

That was the best and fastest sail of my life and my first solo in Gailey's Galley, our brand new Hunter 33.

It's feelings and memories of experiences like these that seem to define ones life.

But to experience stuff like this, one has to know his stuff and the boat's stuff. Since I hadn't sailed for 20 years, I needed help.

Thank you Capt. Dan!

My wife and I sailed with Capt. Dan only a few times, but that's all it took to get us up to speed. As he said, "Your hands don't forget."

Though the basic skills came back rapidly, there was an encyclopedia of new topics - mostly electronics - that we needed to learn.

We finished all that on what felt like a graduation exercise, sailing completely around Santa Cruz, over to Anacapa's south shore and back to the Channel Islands in a 2 1/2 day, 93 nautical mile adventure.

We learned a lot about cruising with clear skies and winds that ranged from 3 to 28 knots. We also got some very practical radar nav experience when the fog dropped to the deck on the third day.

With these lessons and experiences I feel very confident in my boat and in my own skills. That comfort level, along with a healthy respect for the power of nature, will allow my wife and I to experience a lifetime of adventures that will keep us smiling for the remainder of our lives.

I've Sailed Before, my Wife Never Had.

And we've both thought Captain Dan and Sail Channel Islands are fantastic. Whether I wanted to push hard through sections or to take it slow and easy, Captain Dan was there to support me.

I trust him and his abilities. My wife and I both have enjoyed his company and his kindness, as well as his knowledge and mastery of sailing. He also knows people, and how to relate to them. In this day and age, all those things combined are a rare find, and a treasured one.

We fully recommend him for any chartering or sailing lessons you may want.

–- Topher Means

Capt. Dan Ryder Has Gone Over and Above

To all potential sailors:

This past year my wife and I purchased our very first boat, a Catalina 30. Some individuals suggested we just "take the boat out" and learn to sail, dismissing the need and expense of professional lessons. While I had a couple of sailing experiences in my youth, I really wanted to learn to sail the right way.

Capt. Dan is a thorough, patient, and enjoyable teacher. From my beginning lessons on his 21 footer, to sailing on his Catalina 36, and then lessons on my own Catalina 30, Capt. Dan has been calm and consistent at each level of instruction. I also consider that he has gone over and above in helping me to know my boat and to get the most out of recreational sailing.

On a recent conference/vacation trip to San Diego I was able to treat my wife to a beautiful afternoon on San Diego Bay. The lessons I had with Capt. Dan gave me the confidence and the credential I needed to rent a sailboat (a Catalina Capri 22) for just the two of us.

Returning to the marina I was able to guide our boat to a "princess landing" at the rental dock, prompting the dock-hand to comment "you have obviously done this before."

As I seek to improve my boat handling skills and move to the next level of sailing credentials, I will be calling on Dan Ryder again.

Sincerely,
Don Hagner

From a Harley to a MacGregor

David Lane and his wife Martha recently bought a swing keel MacGregor. Rich Boren, a long-time Macgregor sailor, and I met them in Ventura county's Channel Islands Harbor to familiarize them with the operation of the boat. Frankly, the first couple of hours involved Rich teaching me how to rig the trailerable boat. After that we headed to sea.

The rest is from Pirate Captain Dave.

A New World

Capt. Dan,

Martha and I learned a lot with you. Learning how to sail our own boat was quite an adventure, one we enjoyed fully.

We now feel safe and confident sailing with the skills we learned from you.

And about those "PFD" things (personal floatation device) ... I've ridden Harleys most of my life, and I never wore a helmet anywhere I could get away without it!! I never thought I would put on a sissie "PFD". But I thought to myself: If I fell of my bike I would hit the ground, but in the ocean, NO GROUND, only water and a lot of it!!! WelI I thought after listening to you atop that soapbox you brought onboard, "HOW LONG CAN I REALLY SWIM???

PFD's, at least the auto-inflatables are expensive and a might-bit uncomfortable, but after wearing them all day we actually forgot that we had 'em on.

Looks like you made a couple of PFD converts, Capt. Dan.

Martha and I truly recommend Capt. Dan's sailing school for anyone who wants to learn to sail. He is an excellent sailing instructor and great company.

We also recommend wearing a PFDs! We say Thank You, Capt. Dan. Hope to sail with you soon.

Sincerely, Pirate Dave and Miss Martha

Dave and Martha Lane
S/V The Pearl
Home Port:Anywhere that a road takes us!