Before becoming a professional sailing instructor, Katrien spent 25 years raising her three children and worked as a coach and ceramic artist. Throughout her life, she has been fascinated by personal growth, creativity and the courage it takes to follow one’s own path.

The sea brought these passions together. For Katrien, sailing is about much more than learning how to handle a boat. It is about building confidence, learning to trust yourself, making decisions and growing through experience.

Katrien is now an RYA Cruising Instructor who offers private sailing tuition aboard her yacht Butterfly - Etap 39s - in Southern Spain.

She specialises in teaching beginners through private tuition for individuals, couples, friends and all-women crews. With a maximum of three students on board, every course is tailored to the individual in a supportive, safe and enjoyable learning environment.

Katrien believes that we are all responsible for steering our own course in life, and that growth begins the moment we dare to take the helm.

📸 Instagram: @sailwithkatrien

📱 WhatsApp: https://wa.me/32487624446

Welcome to the first SheHelms Sailing Podcast.

Today I’m speaking with Sadie Johnson about her journey into sailing, boat ownership, and the realities of learning along the way.

Sadie lives in California and is comparatively new to sailing, having only recently bought her own boat. We talk about the steep learning curve that often comes with ownership, building confidence on the water, and the importance of supportive sailing communities.

My name is JoJo Pickering. I’m a professional skipper, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, and founder of SheHelms Sailing.

SheHelms Sailing ia a women-centred sailing community exploring seamanship, confidence, culture, and life at sea.

Through these conversations I’ll be sharing interviews with women sailors from different backgrounds and experiences, creating space for thoughtful discussion, shared learning, and honest conversations about sailing life.

I hope you’ll tune in and enjoy.

If these conversations resonate with you, please do share them with others, subscribe to the SheHelms Newsletter, and explore the wider SheHelms community.

Very welcome aboard

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Welcome to the first episode of the SheHelms Sailing Podcast hosted by JoJo Pickering.

In this short introduction, I share the idea behind SheHelms Sailing, a women-centred sailing community exploring seamanship, confidence, culture and life at sea, along with plans for the upcoming summer sailing season.

This episode also introduces the first SheHelms Live conversation exploring the RYA Cruising Scheme from Competent Crew through to Yachtmaster.

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