Agathe Gaulin, founder and owner of Free Spirit Sailing, is a seasoned sailor with over 30 years of cruising sailboats on the waters of inland lakes, bare-boat chartering in the Caribbean, California and Croatia and, since 2002, sailing the world-famous Canadian West Coast. Agathe has owned and maintained a variety of boats from a Catalina 25 to a Spencer 44. Chartering and working on client boats have given her the opportunity to sail and skipper an even greater variety of cruising sailboats up to 50 feet. Combining her professional abilities in adult education with her sailing passion, Agathe is fully committed to empowering individuals, especially women, to acquire the needed skills to feel comfortable in a cruising sailboat. in 2009, Agathe became certified as an instructor with the International Sail and Power Association, now known as Canadian Recreational Yachting Association (CRYA). For the past 15 years she has operated her own sailing school, originally based in Comox, BC and now on Gabriola Island, BC. Agathe is certified to teach CRYA courses from Introduction to Coastal Cruising to Yachtmaster Offshore. She is a CanBoat/NautiSavoirinstructor and registered examiner for VHF Maritime radio certification and the PCOC, is the Commodore of the Silva Bay Yacht Club and is a member of the Bluewater Cruising Association with a “Doner” award.

Maureen Connelly joined Free Spirit Sailing in 2025, developing the Silva Bay program that focuses on the breathtaking sailing opportunities from her home port on Gabriola Island. Maureen joins Free Spirit Sailing from a career of teaching at the post-secondary level and loves sailing her Beneteau First 285 performance cruiser, Sea Jester.  She has kayaked and sailed dinghies and keelboats for most of her adult life.  As a Canadian Recreational Yachting Association certified instructor, Maureen’s focus is on introducing sailing through gentle experiences around the Flat-Top Islands and gradually working up your skills. With Sea Jester moored at the Silva Bay Marina for the past 5 years, Maureen has sailed 4000+ NM along the West coast from the southern tip of the Gulf Islands and past Cape Caution to Calvert Island. Maureen is certified to teach CRYA courses: Introduction to Coastal Cruising, Competent Crew, Day Skipper, and Coastal Navigation Theory. Maureen is also a CanBoat/NautiSavoir instructor and registered examiner for VHF Maritime radio certification and is a member of the Bluewater Cruising Association.

Prairie Mist

Prairie Mist is a Canadian built 32’ Ontario; designed for performance sailing while offering the comforts of a family cruiser. This classic boat is well equipped to ensure a comprehensive and safe learning environment for both the beginner and the seasoned sailor.

Key features:

• Sloop with full complement of sails including roller furling genoa, traditional main sail with 2 reef lines and lazy jacks, and a gennaker in “sock”;
• 20 hp Yanmar diesel inboard engine; wheel steering & electric windlass;
• Chart plotter, wind instruments and VHF radio in cockpit;
• Large V-berth sleeping cabin for 2 + pull-out double berth in main cabin;
• Galley with propane 3-burner stove and oven; large refrigerated “ice box”; pressure hot & cold water; BBQ on rail;
• Private “head” with sink, shower & toilet;
• 8’ inflatable dinghy with 2.5 hp 4-stroke outboard engine.

Sea Jester

Sea Jester is a Beneteau First 285 which offers all the amenities required for relaxation and coastal cruising. Sea Jester is an agile sailboat, the perfect size to learn to sail, with a full complement of sails and deck hardware for sail trimming and performance.

Key features:

• Fractional rig sloop with main sail, 2 reef lines, furling genoa and working jib, gennaker in “sock”;
• 18 hp Volvo Penta 2002 diesel inboard engine, wheel steering;
• Chart plotter, VHF radio and instruments at helm;
• V-berth sleeping cabin for 2 and aft-berth cabin for 2;
• Galley with propane 2-burner stove and oven, "ice box," and pressure hot and cold water, BBQ on rail;
• Private “head” aft, with sink, vanity, & toilet;
• 8’ inflatable dinghy with electric outboard engine.

Free Spirit Sailing

Free Spirit Sailing’s namesake is a “Spencer 44” purchased in 2013 by Agathe Gaulin & Georgette Duhaime. Free Spirit was an offshore veteran, having been sailed around the world by previous owners.

For 5 years, Agathe & Georgette prepared themselves and the boat to sail to the South Pacific. Members of Bluewater Cruising Association, they took a multitude of courses, including ISAF Offshore Safety and Sea Survival Course, Offshore Weather & Passage Planning, Offshore Medical Preparedness, First Aid and Emergencies at Sea, Single Side Band radio operation, and Diesel engine maintenance. Following a month-long circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in 2017, the “sailing south” objective was put aside, and Free Spirit was sold in 2019.

Agathe’s previous Sailing School, based out of Comox, BC, was called Morgana Sailing and was accredited by the International Sail & Power Association (ISPAssociation). Reactivating Agathe’s sailing school in 2018 involved accreditation with the Canadian Recreational Yachting Association and purchasing an Ontario 32, called Prairie Mist.