Florida Area Sailing Schools

[BamaWama]

Does anyone out there have a recommendation for sailing schools that do 5,7 or 10 day live aboard courses. We've read much and talked to schools but also want to probe the collective wisdom and experiences of this very active forum.

Thanks,

E and T

[jkishel]

water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School Ft Lauderdale

[denverd0n]

I have taken classes, and chartered boats, from this company: St. Petersburg & Tampa Bay - Sailing Yacht, Catamaran & Fishing Charters

Nice location, well-kept boats, fair prices. As usual, the quality of the education you receive will depend to a great extent on the particular instructor that you get. I have never run into a "bad" instructor here. I have had one that I considered kind of mediocre. The others were all excellent. I can give the company a solid recommendation.

[John_Trusty]

I've taken the ASA 106 course from Blue Water SS in Ft. Lauderdale, and found it very good. I caution you about the longer courses, however. You can only absorb so much knowledge in a single go without rest and practice times between. With multiple courses in a single trip, for example starting with no knowledge (ASA 101) and running through bareboat cruising (ASA 104), you are trying to remember how to sail from day 1 when you are learning how to maintain an engine on day 5. Everyone's learning style is different, just something to consider. How much can you absorb at once.

[bjymd]

I have taken 101 103 104 at the OffShore Sailing School out of Captiva.
I spent a week with my son and it was fantastic.
I have since been on one of their 7 day flotillas in the BVI and got to sail with awesome sailors including Fatty Goodlander. I recommend them highly.

[Tetra]

I had a very different experience with Offshore than bjymd. We spent a week with Offshore at their Captiva location this past summer for their Fasttrack to Cruising class. The sales office interaction and classroom/C26 training was great. But, the liveaboard portion was a disaster. Their instructor/captain was a bully and a shouter. He was a former racer that seemed to dislike cruisers and cruising. (Why they selected him to teach a cruising class, I'll never understand.)

The Colgates were very apologetic after the fact and assured me that our experience was not typical. But, I'd advise anyone considering Offshore to avoid their Florida schools until they get this gentleman off their teaching staff. That's my $.02.

[LTDsailing]

We would love to help you organize a sail training course. I would recommend that with any school, you check for independent reviews of the school and their instructors. You can check out our Trip Advisor reviews here:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...h_Grenada.html

Feel free to contact me directly either through Cruisers Forum or by email: Chris@LTDsailing.com

Beam winds!

[svbagus]

Funny you should ask... I live in Florida, and just yesterday, after a month or so contacting schools and comparing prices, etc. I have decided Windward Sailing, in Fernandina Beach (Northeast Florida) will be my school of choice. I contacted Offshore Sailing school and it took them a month to call me as they don't put prices on their website. The lady took my info and said she would email me a quote. A week later I had to call back and request it again. They seem to be more worried about their sales commission than teach you how to sail. I need more info, but my sales person was on vacation...lame! and with their prices well over double than any other sailing school I checked. They were quickly removed from my list. The people at Blue Water Sailing school were real nice but still pricey. I'm taking 101/103/104 as a package deal for $1299. You need to read class description as you only stay on the boat 2 nights for 104-bareboat sailing. For $25 extra a night, you can sleep on the boat while enrolled. It works well for me because it just 45 minutes up the coast from my home. Windward Sailing rates very high as a sailing school. I hope this helps, and good luck.

[pete33458]

there's also the Chapman School in Stuart

Chapman School of Seamanship - Sailing & A.S.A - Objectives

I took one or two ASA courses from them some years ago, they are a proper maritime school (merchant, etc), and did a predictably professional job. Can't give you any current reviews on them, though.

Pete

[GulfportBarb]

His name wasn't Tracey, was it? Similar experience with Captain Tracey at BWSS in Ft. Lauderdale.

[Mrfish]

Originally Posted by Tetra

I had a very different experience with Offshore than bjymd. We spent a week with Offshore at their Captiva location this past summer for their Fasttrack to Cruising class. The sales office interaction and classroom/C26 training was great. But, the liveaboard portion was a disaster. Their instructor/captain was a bully and a shouter. He was a former racer that seemed to dislike cruisers and cruising. (Why they selected him to teach a cruising class, I'll never understand.)

The Colgates were very apologetic after the fact and assured me that our experience was not typical. But, I'd advise anyone considering Offshore to avoid their Florida schools until they get this gentleman off their teaching staff. That's my $.02.

I have a friend who was considering an Offshore class in the Captiva location. As a courtesy to him, I would like to know who this instructor is. Then he can contact the school to be sure he does not get screamed at.

If you feel that you do not want to disclose the instructors name here on the forum, a PM would be greatly appreciated.

[Tetra]

Originally Posted by Mrfish

a PM would be greatly appreciated.

Message sent.

[BamaWama]

Thanks to all for the collective insights and experiences.

Ethan

[sailorman7225]

In 2011 I went with Offshore out of Captiva and had a great experience. Sailed overnight to Key West. The instructor who taught the 4 day navigation class was awesome as were the two sailing instructors.

[tankersteve]

I'll second SailingFlorida.com. Great people, great location. While Skipper Roy has moved to DC, I'm pretty sure he'd come back down for a week-long class.


Tankersteve