Seeking Sailing Instructor Recommendations in Florida

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Lance Monotone

...

I have no plans to charter a boat. I plan on living on my own boat

Chartering a boat gives you experience on living on a boat and trying out a variety of boats before you buy one.

There are some horror stories on CF regarding people who just bought a boat without sailing knowledge, experience, and just jumping in too quick.

Originally Posted by Lance Monotone

You're asking my question back at me. How will I know? I am hoping the recommendations of folks reading this thread will inform me. That's why I posted it.

Questions are to get you to think.

Taking sailing classes are well worth the money and hard work. They classes where you live on the boat while you study and learn to sail are even more educational.

Originally Posted by Lance Monotone

Thank you.

Welcome.

Later,
Dan

[Lance Monotone]

Originally Posted by dannc

There are some horror stories on CF regarding people who just bought a boat without sailing knowledge, experience, and just jumping in too quick.

Which is why I'm looking for sailing lessons.

Originally Posted by dannc

Questions are to get you to think.

Trying to get me to think is a lost cause!

Originally Posted by dannc

Taking sailing classes are well worth the money and hard work. They classes where you live on the boat while you study and learn to sail are even more educational.

I don't deny any of that, but respectfully, it's not what I asked. I asked for specific recommendations of quality sailing instructors or schools in Florida who teach non-cert sailing classes, with the hope of saving some cash.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Lance Monotone

I don't deny any of that, but respectfully, it's not what I asked. I asked for specific recommendations of quality sailing instructors or schools in Florida who teach non-cert sailing classes, with the hope of saving some cash.

There's plenty of cowboys ready to take your money but honestly, any quality instructor is with an ASA school.. and in the long run it's cheaper than an unaccredited instructor.
If you don't want a Certificate take the course and fail..

[Lance Monotone]

Originally Posted by boatman61

There's plenty of cowboys ready to take your money but honestly, any quality instructor is with an ASA school.. and in the long run it's cheaper than an unaccredited instructor.

That's why I'm asking for recommendations!

[Scott Berg]

Let me give it a different take; I do a lot of teaching, deliveries, and captains' gigs for private owners. I don't do ASA, RYA, etc but do refer them to clients. I try to teach 'real world' cruising including lots of close quarters boat handling, lots of anchoring, lots of watch keeping / equipment tracking. If you can sign on as unpaid crew on a few deliveries. You'll stand watch, cook meals, fix heads, etc. If you survive that you can then challenge the low level tests and take a class from a good program for the higher level ones. I just sent a colleague to Chapmans for his 100t license; he'll start there and work his way up but he has 15K miles of real sailing under his keel and that's a nice start. Many delivery captains take crew as do many racing sailors on 'beer can' round the buoys racing... great way to learn.

[bensolomon]

Mark thompson from
YachtingEducation.com.

He's fantastic!

Ben

[Lance Monotone]

Originally Posted by Scott Berg

Let me give it a different take; I do a lot of teaching, deliveries, and captains' gigs for private owners. I don't do ASA, RYA, etc but do refer them to clients. I try to teach 'real world' cruising including lots of close quarters boat handling, lots of anchoring, lots of watch keeping / equipment tracking. If you can sign on as unpaid crew on a few deliveries. You'll stand watch, cook meals, fix heads, etc. If you survive that you can then challenge the low level tests and take a class from a good program for the higher level ones. I just sent a colleague to Chapmans for his 100t license; he'll start there and work his way up but he has 15K miles of real sailing under his keel and that's a nice start. Many delivery captains take crew as do many racing sailors on 'beer can' round the buoys racing... great way to learn.

I love this idea and it's similar to what boatman61 said earlier. The challenge is finding someone to take me on. I posted to Crew Available but got nothing, and Crew Wanted seemed to be mostly for longer passages. I'll expand my current query in this thread to any captains looking for crew, although as I said upthread I'm balancing a 9-5 with this sailing dream and I can only spend a week away at any one time, which seems to limit my options.

[sailorman7225]

I endorse Colgate. I took a half dozen classes out of their Captiva Island office and it was the best thing I could have done to launch ocean sailing adventures.

[conchaway]

You may contact Capt. John Virginio in Fort Pierce at john.viginio @gmail.com.
He has excellent credentials.

[EarlWer]

Originally Posted by Lance Monotone

I love this idea and it's similar to what boatman61 said earlier. The challenge is finding someone to take me on. I posted to Crew Available but got nothing, and Crew Wanted seemed to be mostly for longer passages. I'll expand my current query in this thread to any captains looking for crew, although as I said upthread I'm balancing a 9-5 with this sailing dream and I can only spend a week away at any one time, which seems to limit my options.

Crewing Available is very slow right now. I've also been trying for a few months, here and on other sites... Still stuck in the cold Canadian winter.

Personally, I have some experience and know how to sail, but even then, it's been difficult to find someone who needs crew and not someone to contribute $$$ for their lifestyle.

As far as learning, I am completely self-taught. My friend and I bought a beach cat 35 years ago, and I'm still sailing it. Over the years, I offered to crew various boats and gained more experience.

It's really not complicated. Basic physics. You point the boat in the direction you want to go and adjust the sails to make them as efficient as possible ;-)
Some directions are easier than others, so you may have to adjust your direction temporarily...

Now, it seems that the best way to go cruising is not to depend on others to need crew...

PS: If you are ever in Montreal in the summer, let me know and we can go out in my catamaran. I'm assuming the borders will be open...

[martin sailor]

I strongly suggest Windward Sailing. They are located at Fernandina Beach, Florida, just north of Jacksonville, Florida. Windwardsailing.com. I took a lesson from Tony a few years back and was very satisfied. From his dock you can sail on the ocean, the river, or the intercoastal. He offers certified and non certified courses. To save on motel charges, you can spend the night on the boat which is docked at downtown Fernandina Beach..

[dhenline]

I used Colgate sailing school. It was a good experience and having a certificate made renting a bareboat in the Caribbean a breeze with the Moorings.
Given you 9 --5 work schedule and thus the need for a set course, I would go with a school.
Best of Luck

don

[Seighlor]

I would like to recommend Eric West in Daytona Beach, Florida. Not a close personal friend but I've know Eric for a good many years and used to compete against him in our local racing activities.

At one point in his life, Eric was employed by a sailmaker. In more recent decades he has chartered his boat, Eagle, for day-sails and also offers sailing instruction to individuals and couples.

You can contact Eric at eagleyachts@gmail.com

[searoom]

I taught with Steve Colgate in the late 1970’s when he first started in City Island, New York. We had a fleet of 27’ Solings and offered a 3 day into to sailing class flying chutes on the last day! Always exciting in a blow under the Throgs Neck Bridge. I’m not sure if they still offer this short program, but always a lot of interest.
Good luck!

[George DuBose]

I needed to upgrade my German sailing license to be able to sail in Croatia.

I took a week and did an online course with NauticEd as their charter boat Captain's license is accepted by the Croats. As an American, one doesn't need to have a license to sail one own's boat, but the Croats think differently.

After completing the online course with NauticEd and also taking the Florida Boating safety course that was required, I took a six hour sail on Tampa Bay with their examiner, Bennie Ficarotta.

I have been sailing for 62 years, got a license to navigate German rivers and learn what European navigational signage means. I still learned something from the NauticEd course and learned more about "ramp etiquette" and righting an upside down jet ski than I need to know.