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Language Courses and Seminars  
Kathy Parsons, author of SPANISH FOR CRUISERS and FRENCH FOR CRUISERS, regularly speaks at boat shows and other gatherings of boaters.
Kathy's "Cruiser Spanish" classes in Margarita (Venezuela)

Kathy Parsons will give a 'Women & Cruising' Seminar at the 37th Annual SCCA Melbourne GAM - December 7, 2012

To request more information or to arrange to have Kathy Parsons speak to your group, email her at:

Scroll down or click on any seminar below ...
Online Spanish Course:
SPANISH FOR CRUISERS E-Class
Women and Cruising
Proper Provisioning

Cruising the French and Spanish-speaking Caribbean
What Works: Tips and Techniques for Long-Distance Sailing
Through the Bahamas to the Caribbean: Successfully Sailing South
Spanish for Cruising Mexico

Cruising the French Canals


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Online Spanish Course: SPANISH FOR CRUISERS E-Class

Description of E-Class

Spanish is the most common language (after English) that you will encounter cruising. A basic ability to communicate in Spanish along with an ability to recognize and speak cruiser-related vocabulary and phrases will make your time in Spanish-speaking countries easier and much more rewarding.

This webinar is designed for the person with little or no Spanish who wants to be able to communicate in Spanish in the typical experiences a cruiser encounters.

You will be learning in the most efficient way possible: Every lesson is built around cruising scenarios.

You will learn to recognize and respond with the exact words and phrases you will be using to clear in and out of port, make radio calls, communicate with marinas, boatyards and repairmen, provision in local markets, etc.

Here are some of the skills we will cover in these 8 sessions:

  • Basic Cruiser Survival vocabulary
  • Conversational Skills - How to Chat up the Locals
  • Understanding spoken Spanish and responding
  • Pronunciation
  • Describing your boat and crew
  • Clearing In and Out and Dealing with Authorities, Crew Lists
  • Dealing with Money and Numbers, Shopping
  • Techniques and Vocabulary for Finding Your Way Around – ashore and on the water
  • Radio Communications
  • Boating and Maintenance vocabulary; finding boat parts and arranging repairs
  • Using sentence and question starters to easily build your own sentences

There will be handouts and between class assignments to help you develop the skills covered in the class.

You will develop custom dialogues for describing your boat and crew, personalized crew lists, and practice listening to boating-related audios by native Spanish-speakers..

You will get personal feedback on your assignments so that you can feel confident that you are communicating what you mean to communicate.

To make the most of this webinar, you should have available a copy of Kathy Parsons' book SPANISH FOR CRUISERS: the Boater's Complete Language Guide for Spanish-speaking Destinations. (It is not required but recommended for practice outside of class.)

You may buy the book in many marine stores or online, or contact Kathy Parsons at kathy@forcruisers.com

We are also going to have a lot of fun in this class, because it's the best way to learn. Kathy Parsons has often told cruisers: "Get over thinking that you are going to fool the locals into thinking that you are a native speaker. Instead, consider it your mission to amuse the locals with your attempt to speak their language."

More information
Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

What some recent attendees are saying:

“Thank you so much for the wonderful classes. You've given us such a great start on learning Spanish and we are determined to continue working with all the super helpful materials you've provided. That last class was amazing - it's like a light bulb came on when you showed us how to put the verbs together with the mini-conjugations we had already learned and open up a whole world of being able to communicate in sentence form!”.


“I can't even begin to tell you how fantastic I think you are for all the effort you are putting into teaching us Spanish. To say you are going above and beyond all expectations I had for the class would be a terrible understatement. We are very excited about the opportunity to continue to work on our Spanish language skills.”


“You have a knack for making it easy to pick up and learn the language.”


" You are a terrific teacher and we look forward to seeing you share your vast knowledge in future SSU classes.  I can hardly wait until we have some experience under our belts too! ."


“This has been a terrific class. I hate to see it end.”


“Muchas gracias para (por) enseñarnos español. Me gusta mucho sus clases. “


“ Great class. Your style and method is fantastic. Tom, thanks for steering SSU to explore new classes like this. ”


“It was such a great class and the last class was so informative. “

More information

Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

 


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Seminar: Women and Cruising
  Seven Seas Cruising Association Melbourne Gam - December 7, 2012

More information on the "Women and Cruising" website

 


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Seminar: Proper Provisioning
   

 


Description
Provisioning, trivial ashore, becomes a key skill for successful cruising.

We will discuss provisioning from start to finish, beginning with factors that affect what you will (and won't) want to take: where you plan to cruise, how you cruise, your eating and entertaining style, your boat, storage space and equipment (e.g. refrigeration and freezer space or lack of).

You'll learn how to avoid LOB (lost on board) with strategies and systems for organizing, stowing, and inventorying (manual, computerized, and app-based). Find out how to preserve what you have aboard (vacuum sealing, drying, storage containers and systems). Kathy will discuss reprovisioning in foreign countries: making use of local products, major reprovisioning areas and what you can get where.

There will be lots of useful handouts and downloads to help you get started including provisioning lists of food, supplies and spares, multilingual reprovisioning lists, etc.

More information
Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

 


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Seminar: Cruising the French and Spanish-speaking Caribbean
   

"Cruising the Spanish and French-speaking Caribbean" seminar poster

Description

The French and Spanish-speaking countries of the Caribbean provide rich and varied cruising opportunities.

Yet boaters hesitate, faced with language and cultural differences. With photos, hand-outs, and personal stories, author and cruiser Kathy Parsons shows why and how to fully explore these areas.

More information
Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

 

 


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Seminar: What Works: Tips and Techniques for Long-Distance Sailing
   

"Cruising the Spanish and French-speaking Caribbean" seminar poster

Description
Sometimes it is the little things that make all the difference.

With decades of cruising and tens of thousands of miles under their keels, cruisers Pam Wall and Kathy Parsons have learned lots of little things that make cruising safer, more comfortable, more successful. In this quick-paced seminar, they will share some of their favorite tips, techniques and gear.

They will cover the full gamut of cruising: from passage-making, boat-handling, anchoring, line-handling, provisioning, stowage and boat systems, safety, communications, finances. You are bound to learn new ideas to improve your cruising.

More information
Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

 


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Seminar: Through the Bahamas to the Caribbean: Successfully Sailing South
   

Description

How do you plan for the popular route through the Bahamas to the Caribbean?

We will take you from your jumping-off point in Florida, through the Bahamas and its many delightful anchorages, on through the Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgins, and the Eastern Caribbean.

We will discuss practicalities: charts and cruising guides, availability of provisions, parts, fuel and water, timing, weather and planning ahead for hurricane season. Kathy Parsons will share some of her favorite “don't miss” anchorages as well as strategies for making the most of that first season in the Caribbean.

Attendees will receive a Resource List full of information to help you plan your passage south

More information
Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

 

 


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Seminar: Spanish for Cruising Mexico
   

 



Making a little Language Go a Long Way ...


Description

To make the most of your cruise to Mexico, you'll want to be able to communicate with the people you meet—from port officials to repairmen, market vendors and fishermen.

In this seminar Kathy Parsons will give you techniques and strategies that help you communicate with everyone you meet ashore and on the water.

Participants will learn techniques that ease communication, how to avoid common cultural mistakes, and will receive handouts covering Spanish for provisioning, clearing in, conversation, and other essentials of international cruising

More information
Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

 


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Seminar: Cruising the French Canals
"Canal du Midi" lock

Description

Cruisers are becoming more and more interested in traveling the French canals and rivers.

The 5000 miles of French waterways offer us the ability to shop in rural markets, cruise through areas designated as World Heritage sites, tie up in ancient villages and cities, along fields and vineyards, and even in the center of Paris.

Through photos, hand-outs and personal stories, Kathy Parsons provides an introduction to the French canals, the options for cruisers wishing to explore them, and a host of practical information.

More information
Email kathy@SpanishForCruisers.com

 


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Kathy's "Cruiser Spanish" classes in Margarita (Venezuela)

Kathy Parsons will give a 'Women & Cruising' Seminar at the 37th Annual SCCA Melbourne GAM - December 7, 2012

To request more information or to arrange to have Kathy Parsons speak to your group, email her at:

Kathy Parsons has spoken at Strictly Sail Chicago, Strictly Sail Pacific, Strictly Sail St. Petersburg, Strictly Sail Miami, the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, the Seven Seas Cruising Association Gatherings in Annapolis and in Melbourne (Florida), Borders Books, West Marine and Downwind Marine.

She also gives SPANISH FOR CRUISERS classes to boaters in ports where they congregate.

In 2004, she worked with Alliance Française of Grenada to develop a FRENCH FOR CRUISERS class for visiting boaters.

 

More about Kathy Parsons ...

Kathy Parsons' mission: learn the language (and teach it to cruisers) ( Women and Cruising website)

PODCAST: Listen to Author Kathy Parsons online on the Furled Sails website

 


 
 
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