San Diego · 35–90ft yachts · Power & Sail
You own the boat.
Now let's help you
handle it.
One-on-one training, maintenance support, and hands-on guidance — built around your boat, your goals, and your schedule. No courses. No classrooms. Just the right skills, on board.
FIRST MATE
/ fəːst meɪt / · noun
A steady hand. A qualified second.
The person the captain relies on.
On a working vessel, the First Mate knows the systems, anticipates the problems, and keeps things calm when conditions change. They're the sounding board, the backup plan, and the person who's seen it before.
That's the role you deserve someone to play for you. That's what First Mate Yacht Club exists to do.
I'm here to help you avoid the mistakes that cost yacht owners
in operations, maintenance, and budget.
What we are
A training and support club
for owners who want independence.
We work with owners of large recreational yachts — 35 to 90 feet — who want to operate and maintain their vessels with genuine confidence. Not just get by. Not just pass a course. Actually understand the boat, handle the situations, and stop second-guessing themselves every time they leave the dock.
How we do it
Fleet of Familiarity
Boats I've actually worked on.
Every boat here is one I've personally trained on, maintained, or delivered. This is what experience with your size and type of vessel actually looks like.
4 of 55+ vessels —
Common questions
What owners usually ask first
Free tool
The pre-departure checklist
The same 10-point check I run before any boat leaves the dock. Free, no sign-up, and it works on your phone at the helm.
Open the checklist →From the training log
Real sessions with real owners.
Every case here comes from a real day on a real boat. What the owner was stuck on, how we worked through it, and what changed. Read the ones that sound like you.
Handling
Leaving the dock single-handed
Spring lines, prop walk, and a method that holds together when it is just you on the boat.
Handling
Twin-engine handling in wind
Retire the wheel, split the engines, and make twenty knots a training day instead of a stay-home day.
Crew
Family confidence aboard
Simple jobs, calm communication, and a partner who actually wants to come back out next weekend.
From the maintenance log
Boat problems, worked through.
The alarms, leaks, and odd noises that show up on boats every week, and how they actually get sorted. Written so you understand your boat better, not just fix the one problem.
Engines & fuel
The overheat alarm after kelp
Kelp blocks the cooling water, the alarm sounds, the engine protects itself. What it means and the ten-minute fix.
Deck & hull
Finding a cabin leak
The water is never where it comes from. Salt or fresh, dry it out, then test one suspect at a time.
Ready to start
Tell me about your boat.
Send me the basics — boat type, size, where you're based, and what you're trying to get more comfortable with. I'll come back to you with a straight answer.
Or email directly: luke@firstmateyachtclub.com