Open Classes

There are plenty of apps devoted to marine weather observations and forecasting. Let marine forecaster, Mark Thornton, help you to sort out the strengths and weaknesses of several popular marine weather apps.

Stretching from Lake Ontario's Murray Canal in the west to the City of Brockville Ontario on the St. Lawrence River in the east, the Bay of Quinte and 1000 Islands areas offer some of the finest cruising on the Great Lakes.

This series starts January 09, 2025 and there's a new webinar presented live each Thursday evening for the next four weeks! Get all five in this one package! Beginning in March 2025, you can view the recording of these webinars and be ready to begin your "Gitche Gumee" adventure.

This webinar will take you from the Sault Locks at the lake's eastern end, west along the lake's Michigan and Wisconsin southern shores, up Minnesota's northwest lakeshore, and finally along Ontario's breathtaking north and east wilderness shores before closing the circle in Whitefish Bay and the Sault. Lake Superior may be vast, but when understood, it provides unique and breathtaking cruising, historic destinations, interesting ports of call, pristine waters and secluded sailing and anchorages. Updated for 2025 and presented by Dave Carr.

Lake Superior's South Shore is often a first time Lake Superior cruiser's introduction to the lake's expansive and varied cruising areas. Join GLCC Past Commodore Niels Jensen in this webinar updated for 2025, as he explores one of his favorite cruising areas.

From major cities to quaint fishing ports, from island anchorages to first class marinas --- the 2nd largest concentration of boaters in North America already know about Lake Erie's charms. Do you?

Grand Traverse Bay is one of the most beautiful regions of Michigan known for its lakeshores, cherry orchards, vineyards, and boating. Not only will the scenery amaze you, but there is also much to see and do as you cruise this area of Northwest Michigan. This webinar highlights anchorages, harbor towns and marinas available to cruisers.

Wilderness cruising at its best! Scattering of Islands, boreal forest, towering shorelines, abundance of wildlife, protected anchorages, parks with hiking trails, great fishing, secluded anchorages, and many areas of interest. This section of Lake Superior is worth the experience. Updated for 2025 and presented by Dave Carr.

Georgian Bay is well known as a cruiser’s paradise for good reason. From the cliffs of the Bruce Peninsula to the busy harbours of off Severn Sound to the winding Small Craft Route up the eastern shore, Georgian Bay offers variety, scenery and adventure for the cruising boater. This webinar explores Georgian Bay’s beautiful anchorages as well as the towns and small settlements that serve the boating community along its shores.

This package first covers generation of power giving you a solid understanding of solar power systems and how to design an appropriate system to meet run your boat's electrical requirements. The second webinar dives into Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries that are a huge leap forward over conventional batteries for marine electrical systems.

Having plenty of electric power on board while cruising can make the difference between a fantastic experience and a marginal one. Solar energy is an excellent source of electrical power for the cruising sailboat or power boat. However, figuring out the size of solar panels you need and matching them up with the various accessories required for a complete high-performance system can be a daunting task.

The yachting center of Lake Superior combines over 600 square miles of pristine, protected, National Park island cruising with extensive services in several nearby towns, marinas, and the largest charter fleet in the Great Lakes.

This seminar will cover the area of Northern Georgian Bay from Byng to Killarney. The area is largely wilderness, has a variety of wonderful anchorages and is unique in the Great Lakes as many of the waters are unsounded. You need a sense of adventure to cruise here.

It’s time to replace your batteries again. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO or LFP) batteries can be pricey but are they the best long-term investment for your power needs? Many experts say yes! What is this battery technology all about and how do I determine if it is the best alternative for my boat? This seminar will address LiFePO4 battery technology and how to design a battery bank to meet your power needs.

Isle Royale represents the ultimate in wilderness cruising. Join Niels Jensen as he explores its wondrous anchorages, hiking, fishing, and wildlife.

Looking for a serene inland cruising experience? ... Or a shortcut from the upper lakes to Lake Ontario? The Trent Severn may be for you!

If you are planning your first or twenty-first cruise to the North Channel, you are sure to appreciate this thorough look at Anchorages of the North Channel. This updated webinar will provide a detailed look at both the well-known and the little-visited anchorages of the North Channel has to offer. Join Dave Spencer as he shares his many years of experience in this wonderful part of our Great Lakes.

This is a webinar series that Great Lakes boaters should not miss. Boating on the Great Lakes requires many skills, but none is more important than a basic understanding of marine weather forecasting.

Marine Weather Basics is the first class in the GLCC School’s four-part Marine Weather Essentials series tailored for Great Lakes boaters and offered for either individual or specially priced package registration.

Join us on a journey from Thessalon to Collins Inlet to experience the amazing North Channel geology.

This second class in the GLCC School’s four-part Marine Weather Essentials series explores the forces controlling the wind, and then examines how Doppler weather radar is an important resource in avoiding a hair-raising encounter with a thunderstorm.

Anyone cruising beyond their immediate home harbor will find this special Jim Zima four-session Diesel Maintenance Webinar Package invaluable. And with Jim's clear, step by step instructions you'll quickly realize that these basic diesel engine maintenance steps are far from rocket science ...

Jim Zima, owner of Great Lakes Diesel in Vermilion, Ohio, believes that by instructing boat owners in basic maintenance, they learn to do daily engine checks and become confident in their ability to perform their own preventative maintenance services. Knowledge in these areas will keep your boat in good running order and will likely avoid costly repairs.

The third session in GLCC School’s four-part Marine Weather Essentials series delves into large-scale surface weather patterns.

Ever had that sinking feeling when your diesel starts to labor, sputter, and finally dies? In the second of his GLCC School diesel maintenance series Jim Zima, owner of Great Lakes Diesel in Vermilion, Ohio, will lead you through a thorough and detailed look at how to prevent diesel fuel issues and what to do when they occur. From his classes at the GLCC School to his classes at the Annapolis Cruisers University, Jim Zima shows us that he is not only a master mechanic but a great teacher. Join Jim for this outstanding webinar.

Learn what anchoring strategies are best to minimize each other’s stress, to maximize restful sleeps on the hook and to stay safe throughout the anchoring process. Discussions will include; choosing the right anchorage, selection and safe use of ground tackle and related equipment, and in particular, crew communication while anchoring. Those new to anchoring will pick up a good foundation of knowledge and those experienced at anchoring are sure to learn a few new things to make anchoring easier and safer through the illustrative slides.

This final class in GLCC’s four-part Marine Weather Essentials series covers thunderstorms and offers a strategy for preparing your own daily marine forecast.

Thunderstorms can quickly spoil an outing in many ways—strong winds, large waves, dangerous lightning, waterspouts, or visibility-limiting rain. This in-depth two-session webinar will examine the various types of thunderstorms and the ingredients that lead to their formation.

Thunderstorms can quickly spoil an outing in many ways—strong winds, large waves, dangerous lightning, waterspouts, or visibility-limiting rain. This in-depth two-session webinar will examine the various types of thunderstorms and the ingredients that lead to their formation.

Making the leap to that first longer-distance overnight passage can be intimidating. It shouldn’t be. From this webinar you'll gain the confidence to undertake longer passages including overnights, sharply expanding your cruising horizons. Plus, you'll find that longer passages definitely add a special dimension to the cruising experience.

Thunderstorms can quickly spoil an outing in many ways—strong winds, large waves, dangerous lightning, waterspouts, or visibility-limiting rain. This in-depth two-session webinar will examine the various types of thunderstorms and the ingredients that lead to their formation.

Cruising Canada's North Channel puts you in one of the top ten cruising destinations in the world. Join Roy Eaton as he shares his local knowledge of and experiences in this wonderful part of our Great Lakes.

An overheated engine is never good, and it always seems to happen at the worst time. In the third of his GLCC School diesel maintenance series Jim Zima, owner of Great Lakes Diesel in Vermilion, Ohio, will lead you through a thorough and detailed look at how to prevent diesel cooling system issues and what to do when they occur. From his classes at the GLCC School to his classes at the Annapolis Cruisers University, Jim Zima shows us that he is not only a master mechanic but a great teacher. Join Jim for this outstanding webinar.

One of the best parts of cruising is sharing a rum drink with friends at the end of a perfect day on the water. For centuries, cruisers around the world have saluted the setting sun, rum glass in hand. How rum became part of this tradition goes back hundreds of years.

In this final webinar in the diesel maintenance series, instructor Jim Zima digs past the benefits of regular diesel maintenance and looks at those subtle and sometimes not so subtle indications that says, "Something is not right!"