Sailing Schools

[jyoung]

i am new to sailing, only been a couple times, and have decided to semi retire while i am still young enough to enjoy it. by semi i mean my wife and i want to start cruising six months a year and eventually see the world.. i dont have enough knowledge or experience so i am checking into schools...too many to choose..any suggestions?

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by jyoung

i am new to sailing, only been a couple times, and have decided to semi retire while i am still young enough to enjoy it. by semi i mean my wife and i want to start cruising six months a year and eventually see the world.. i dont have enough knowledge or experience so i am checking into schools...too many to choose..any suggestions?

Take a look at Sailing Schools | Colgate Offshore Sailing School

FYI...

[DennisM]

I enjoyed a week of "performance cruising" at the JWorld sailing school in Key West last January. Those little J24s really scoot in a 20-kt wind.

[s/v Beth]

I took a couple of courses from the Bluewater sailing school out of Fort Lauderdale. I thought the instruction was excellent.

[omdufro]

JYoung -

I haven't been yet, but sometime this spring, I'm headed here:

Fair Wind Sailing - sailing school - sailing lessons - sailing schools - learn to sail

It's gotten plenty of good reviews, and I for one think it sounds fantastic.

[MerMike]

San Juan Sailing in Bellingham WA was outstanding.

[chuckr]

not sure where you are but admiral patty and i started to learn to sail in 2000 - dec actually - then in march 2001 went to swfloridayachts asa and spent 4 days with chris on a great boat and he taught us to first sail and second how to work as a team -- he was so good that this year we hope sail over there and say thank you on our boat before we sail off to mexico --
we were in our late 50s and had never been on a boat before - i would suggest you take the 1st asa sailing course and then take the next 2 together - it may not be wise to take all 3 at once as there is just to much info at once --
where are we you may ask - after the lessons we chartered a few times for a weekend and in 2003 bought soulmates - a new jeanneau ds40 - moved to miami for my job and then sailed a lot in biscayne bay and learned to sail - somewhat - we did our 1st bahamas trip in 2005 and then when i turned 60 i lost my job and sold up and sailed out as they say - took a while to sell the house but at 62 i left single handed for my first run up the coast as the admiral was not ready to quit yet - when i got back that nov she quit her job and we have been out ever since - bahamas twice and up the coast to maine and back and this year in the cheaspeake for boat upgrades at deltaville boat yard and then with God's grace to mexico and points south this dec.
anything we can do for you you can pm me and i will do all i can for you

chuck patty and svsoulmates
on the hook solomons md leaving for crisfield in the am

[jyoung]

i appreciate everyones replys, just want to make sure i can get extensive instruction in nav, and procedures

[chuckr]

jyoung -- you got it right - nav is the most important -- i use to teach nav in the backcountry with mountain search and rescue - and was transferable - good asa schools make you plan before you go --
good luck
chuck patty and svsoulmates
on the hook crisfield md

[cuthbert]

I have taken sailing lessons in the US and the UK and must say that I prefer the RYA over the ASA and would recommend you think of rolling it into a trip to the Uk (without all the hotel expenses). Firstly because in the UK variant you can (for the price of the Atlantic hop) get to sail in to different destinations on the south coast of England and appreciate them in a way that a motorist cannot. Sail the English Channel, visit Cowes, Portsmouth. Lots of history great sailing, and plenty of other traffic, serious tides, good pubs. From a structure and content standpoint everything is more practical in the UK variant, from the size of the coursebooks (and their subsequent reference value afterwards) to your fellow students, in my experience in the US you are all of the same level, in the UK, they like to have competent crew through to Yachtmaster candidate on the same boat.

It always seemed that the US measure of ability was excessively performing a quick stop and figure eight MOB recovery with pin point accuracy, when the reality (which I hopefully never have to test) would probably involve the lifesling and the engine.

FYI If someone in the UK was to ask about a PPL flying course I would be singing the praises of Texas and Florida.

[rebel heart]

I used to be able to recommend J World here in San Diego but their new management is about making money not being square with their customers. Sad. Used to be a great place.

[jyoung]

been studying "chapman piloting and seamanship" , for about a year, thinking about thier program..seems i can get it all in one week there.. i'm not so niave as to think i can learn it all in one week, but is it a good place to start?

[jyoung]

everyone in this website has been so freakin awsome, i hope to meet all of you when i get out there

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by jyoung

been studying "chapman piloting and seamanship" , for about a year, thinking about thier program..seems i can get it all in one week there.. i'm not so niave as to think i can learn it all in one week, but is it a good place to start?

It's no big mystery; just keep learning and practicing. Reading+studying and time on the water is the only way to get better. I reference Chapman's a lot for my captain's license studying.

Whatever you do, just keep studying and logging sea time.

[osirissail]

I would recommend highly the Florida Yacht Charter & Sales - ASA Sailing School in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida Yacht Charters & Sales - Sailing School & Instruction
An excellent school that uses Biscayne Bay as their training ground. You almost always have good conditions in the Bay so you can rely on getting your classes completed. And there are places to go and have fun while learning.
- - And the best thing to look for in a school is if they also have a "chartering" business. You need to build a resume of having "bare-boat" chartered and you can rent boats from the school where you graduated for a while. Then you can branch out to bare-boat charter in nearby rental outfits until you can build a resume that outfits like The Moorings and other Caribbean charter companies recognize. You build one thing on the other and going to a recognized school like ASA which also has a chartering division is the place to begin.