Captain Dan was terrific. We did a scattering of our families ashes and Dan handled everything well. He is friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Would definitely use him again for any sailing in that area... Thanks Dan! read more

Sail Channel Islands captain & crew are knowledgeable, excellent teachers! Dan trained my father with specific regards to our Catalina sailboat... he also provided us with helpful suggestions for making our vessel more prepared. Will definitely use him again in the future for further training, i.e. spinnaker, etc... read more

What an experience!! Capt Dan provides a quite an adventure sailing around the Channel Islands. From his pristine boat to his gourmet chef, Capt Dan provides a once in a lifetime experience. I myself am an experienced sailor, and this was full of excitement. He truly caters the experience to what you want to get out of the trip..... kayaking, hiking, whale watching, or just staying on the open ocean, he creates a trip to remember. I give him my highest recommendation. So don't think twice, get onboard with Sail Channel Islands!! read more

Capt Dan is the sh*t. Not much more to be said. Great experience and sailing.

We had a wonderful time for our mini family reunion, ages 11-61. The ride was relaxed and our hosts were personable and friendly, sharing information, answering questions, and teaching us about the art of sailing. Lunch was delicious and they helped us get some great photos which we will treasure. Highly recommend! read more

Our sail was great! Enjoyed a lovely evening with captain dan! Highly recommend it!

Captain Dan is a great and patient sailing instructor who works one-on-one with you to teach you everything you need to feel confident to eventually man your own boat and crew. I look forward to my continued lessons to gain additional ASA certificates! read more

Cpt. Dan was phenomenal. His knowledge and experience are second to none. He is calm, insightful, reassuring yet confident and directional. The BEST traits one could ever ask from an instructor. After a weekend of him aboard, we are Soo Blessed to have enhanced confidence in our coastal cruising abilities but also to have someone new we count as a friend... Abigale too. read more

Had a great sail on the way out with family and Captain Dan. He is a great host and captain. Very laid back and shares his knowledge of sailing and the Channel Islands. Liked being able to kayak off the island and explore. Wind died on way back but hung out on the front of the boat for a pleasant return trip. read more

We took a 3 day trip to Santa Cruz Island with Captain Dan and his First Mate Dennis and had the time of our lives. Santa Cruz island is even prettier than Catalina and teeming with wildlife- we saw Humpbacks, Blue whales, dolphins and Island Fox. We did some snorkeling, kayaking and hiking. The Sancerre is a beautiful and comfortable sailboat and you are in capable and knowledgeable hands with Dan and Dennis, who are also fun and have lots of interesting stories. You'll enjoy five star dining courtesy of chef Dennis in the tranquility and peace of the many hidden anchorages they know from over a decade of cruising experience in the Channel Islands. Treat yourself! It's worth every penny. read more

This was soooo fun! Capt. Dan is wonderful. I liked it all so much, I decided to get married BY Capt. Dan on the boat in October. He's big on safety and having grown up around the boat business, I know how essential that is. You will love it!!! read more

Cap'n Dan is a ubiquitous presence in the Channel Islands Harbor, typically with a boat full of satisfied sailors either on a charter or a lesson. He knows his stuff -- stick near him long enough, and some of it's bound to rub off. read more

I highly recommend a sunset cruise or longer trip with Captain Dan on his Catalina sailboat "Wiley". Capt. Dan is very knowledgeable and fun. He shares his experience by allowing you to be part of the sailing action if you so desire. My husband was eager to learn what he could about sailing while aboard Wiley. Capt. Dan was relaxed and reassuring while he gave my husband (a 1st timer)instructions. I just kicked back with a beer and savored the stunning island views. There happened to be another couple booked on this trip and and the 5 of us shared a ton of laughs as well as a magnificent sunset. read more

Dan was great! Just got back from our very first sailing lesson, it was an absolute pleasure to be introduced to the wonderful world of sailing by Captain Dan. He was funny, personable, explanatory, and had a great deal of experience to share. And, he still gets excited about dolphin and sea lion sightings, always nice to have somebody genuinely excited about what they do show you the ropes (pun intended). read more

Captain Dan is wonderful! He took my teenage son and I out on his lovely sailboat, Wiley, so we could scatter my late husband's ashes. What could have been a very sad day for us turned out to be a beautiful remembrance and wonderful honoring of my late husband and son's father. I never thought such an experience could fill us with such joy, but it did. Thank you, Capt. Dan, from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion & expertise. read more

Great Captain, Great Boat! A+++++ Dan is not only a terrific captain but an interesting and amazing guy. His local knowledge is tremendous and the boat, Sancerre, is beautiful. read more

What a wonderful day! I surprised my boyfriend with a day trip out to the Channel Islands for his 40th Bday this past weekend and boy did we have a great time. The weather was divine and Capt. Dan was a fabulous individual to have guide us along the way. We set out in the morning and were greeted by Capt. Dan. and set out into the beautiful Pacific aboard his 36' sailboat - Perfect for a relaxing day. We learned historical facts about the islands, enjoyed the wildlife and had a couple of beers over a handmade lunch. We cannot wait to go back. We had an excellent time!!! read more

Put this on your bucket list! The Channel Islands are simply spectacular and Captain Dan is the way to go see them. My family of five enjoyed a three-day, two-night sail to the Channel Islands this past March. It was an experience we will always remember. The islands are pristine and dramatically gorgeous. Hard to believe they are just off the coast of California - I would think the crowds would be there, but happily they are not. We enjoyed seeing whales, kayaking among sea otters (one swam up next to my son for a pet), boating alongside dolphins, and seeing native flora and fauna. My husband and sons enjoyed taking their turn behind the helm and learned plenty about sailing. Captain Dan and his crew Dennis keep their beautiful boat in spotless condition and clearly have vast experience in navigating the Pacific Ocean. They are charming and make the trip even more enjoyable - we have some new friends! We had fine dinners and meals, lots of laughs, and plenty of time both to relax and have adventure. Sail Channel Islands has my very highest recommendation - go for a few hours or go for a few days. Careful though - you may want to run away to the high seas! read more

Great experience for anyone wanting to get out on the ocean and learn some minor sailing points, Captain Dan let us drive the boat pretty much the entire time, was very friendly and helpful with our entire group. Would definitely recommend the experience to anyone in the so cal area! Bring a lunch/snacks and drinks to make the trip even more enjoyable read more

Words can't express enough how wonderful our experience was with Captain Dan. We decided to have a memorial service for my father in open sea. Captain Dan made everything so easy from my first phone call to him to our last steps off the boat. He was kind, knowledegable and understood that although the occassion was sad, we wanted the experience to be one filled with joy. Captain Dan made sure that was exactly what happened. It was only a few hours on the boat, but those few hours helped bring closure to our loss. We are already making plans to see Captain Dan again next year, but this time it will be just for fun. What a wonderful way to say goodbye. read more

We recently sailed to the Channel Islands aboard the yacht Sancerre on a two night voyage. Our skipper was Capt Dan who has been sailing the islands for over 10 years and knows all the anchorages like the back of his hand. His assistant Chef Dennis was expert at creating gourmet meals to keep us tantalized. We departed Channel Islands Harbor about 11AM and motored as the wind was not yet up. As we neared Santa Cruz Island we saw whale spouts and had a great time watching them cavort around us. We anchored at Diablo Cove and after happy hour enjoyed a great meal by Dennis. After a pleasant night's sleep we were up early and on our way to Painted Cave (a few miles west). There is no anchorage at the cave so we launched the kayaks and paddled to the cave while the boat hovered offshore. I had to abort due to a back problems but my son and his wife ventured into the cave and were very excited. We then motored east to Pelican Cove where we dropped the hook and had a delicious brunch from Dennis. (More kayaking and some snorkling there). After brunch we went east to Prisoner's Harbor where we anchored and went ashore to hike in the National Park. A Santa Cruz Islands fox was seen on the hike. We then sailed east to Potato Harbor and anchored for the night. Some wine and another great meal and we drifted off to sleep. Day three we sailed to the east end of Anacapa where the scenic arch rocks (photo op) are. On the way we spotted a huge pod of dolphins and and had a great time mingling with them. After a delicious lunch under sail we headed back to Channel Islands Harbor arriving about 4PM. Capt Dan and Dennis are truly gracious hosts and kept us entertained with great stories and jokes. We highly recommend Channel Islands Sailing - it's a great adventure. read more

Great Captain, great boat! Took the two hour sail to see if me and my son were as interested in sailing as we thought. Captain Dan made the whole trip excellent. read more

Captain Dan is not only incredibly resourceful and insightful but most importantly -- accurate! Before embarking upon my latest trip to the Channel Islands, I tapped into Captain Dan's vast knowledge base of that area and felt confident (with my weak seamanship abilities) to venture up north from Marina del Rey! He's a legend -- someone I'll never hesitate to contact when prepping for my next trip! Captain Dan -- YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Five stars for Captain Dan. He's the best. My friends and I had a great time this last Sunday on the Wiley. It's as if he has so much clout on the high seas that he could order 20 dolphins to choreograph for us. We all look forward to our next voyage soon! I can't wait read more

Great captain, knowledgable, and fun. The boats are clean, and equipped. Cant wait for the next outing with Capt Dan!

Captain Dan took us out on Wiley for a couple of hours to celebrate my husbands birthday. What an amazing day! On this windy day, from the moment we left the dock until the time we came back and parked, my husband was in charge of the wheel. Captain Dan was kind, knowledgable, and full of good stories. We would definitely recommend him and go to him again for future sailing trips. read more

We took a chance and booked a Nov day trip, We could not have planned a better day, the weather was perfect. There were no crowds unless you count the multitude of dolphins that accompanied us on the trip back. Captain Dan and Dennis were fabulous fun and certainly knew what they were doing. The food and wine was wonderful, pate, cheese, smoked salmon who could ask for more? The Kayaking was the icing on the cake. Can't wait to do this again! read more

Had an incredible time on the Sancerre sailing to Anacapa. Capt Dan and First Mate Dennis were absolutely the best: professional, courteous, very easy to hang out with. The boat is beautiful and the lunch the crew prepared was as good as a top hotel. Looking forward to doing it again. read more

Dan is a knowledgable and patient teacher and a whole lot of fun to sail with. His boat is beautiful and we had an amazing day. Highly recommend Dan - great guy and really knows his stuff. You'll be surprised at how much you know at the end of the day. read more

My wife and I had a long-term goal of chartering a boat in exotic far-away warm climates. We received our Basic Keelboat and Basic Cruising training from a club in the San Francisco area that placed emphasis on racing and going fast. We were looking for a different experience with our bareboat training. We contacted Captain Dan Ryder with a mental checklist of what we were looking for: as much wheel time as possible, a trip to a fun location rather than just going around and around in the Bay, some night sailing, comfortable overnight accommodations, practice with anchoring and mooring and a fun teaching/learning environment. I must say that Captain Dan's ASA 104 course met all of these expectations AND MORE. Captain Dan is a former fighter pilot and experienced sailor and has an excellent teaching style. For the most part he stayed back and let us make mistakes- I must admit there was a bit of a learning curve on the anchoring skills . As adult learners, my wife and I learn much better by doing, rather than watching somewhat else do something. Captain Dan was very accommodating in that regard. He was also very generous with his time before and after the class, responding to my myriad of questions. We had some trepidation about spending 4 days and three nights in a small confined area with someone we didn't know. Captain Dan was very engaging and interesting to talk to. The dinner conversation never waned. Captain Dan also was willing to modify the class on the fly, even allowing us a fair amount of night sailing at our request. In closing, if you are looking to take a ASA 104 course with a great teacher in a breathtaking setting, I strongly urge you to consider a look at SailChannel Islands. Based on our course with Captain Dan, we are now looking forward to chartering a boat in the Caribbean in the spring. read more