Choosing a Sailing School! Help!

[sck5]

re: learning on the boats you will sail - not necessarily. I first learned to back into a slip at the Maryland School of Sailing on an Island Packet. Everything else seemed easy to maneuver after that.

[Snore]

A few thoughts.

First do NOT learn on a big boat. If you learn on a 27-35' boat you will get more feedback from the boat and the rudder. More importantly you do not run the risk of getting hurt by a 5/8" jib sheet. The bigger the boat the bigger the forces. Even in a 103 class, I have students with sloppy winch habits, placing fingers where they should not be. On a 31-35' boat it is dangerous. On a 40-50' boat, one can loose or definitely crush a digit. If you learn the basic physics of sailing and can sail a smaller boat single-handed (my students routinely come about on their own), you can manage a much larger boat with a crewman.

Second- as others have said, the instructor is the key. There is good feedback on various websites about different sailing schools.

Finally, as you probably saw in 101 you get out of the ASA classes what you put into it. So be sure to study ahead of time.

[s/v Moondancer]

I cruise a 55 ft boat and it is a terrible boat to teach beginners on...you need to learn on a much smaller boat.

Learning in the Caribbean is a soft option...learn in Maine in Fall where they have winds and tides!

[Martinrab]

BVI is a perfect location for learning with dependable trade winds. We chartered bareboat with Sunsail and we're very pleased. Winds were steady 12-18 knots each and every day (July), dropping in the evening... perfect!

[snort]

Five grand? Does that come with an after-sail massage?

[Mithril Bham]

Managed largest sailing school in the San Juans and had a school in BVI. Found Horizon to be great. Do all the reading before stepping on boat.
RYA is best.

[chuckr]

We have no recommendations BUT we did ASA and with only 2 of us on a 35' boat (I think) and the instructor made us work as a team - at times she had the helm and I was crew and other times opposite - he worked hard to make sure we were a team and not a capt shouting orders to a crew -

after 10 years underway we still act that way - example -when we pull into an anchorage we look and talk about it and where we want to anchor and how we are going to do it -

There are times we may disagree and I have the last word but still we discuss it -

ALSO not sure what the Colgates off as a certification nor what your long term plans are but in some parts of the world where you may want to charter or sail to they will want to see certification and our ASA works great for that and people know it

have fun and become a team

[Shawn0900]

Originally Posted by JMS_Charlotte

I am at a crossroads. My friend and I both have our ASA 101 and would like to do either ASA 103/104 or the US sailing equivalent. We'd like to do this "live aboard" style down in the Caribbean (thinking BVI).



I'm looking at two schools: 1.) Steve & Doris Colgate's Offshore Sailing School (US Sailing); and 2.) Horizon Yacht Charters (ASA). Both programs are 7 nights/8 days and would allow us to Bareboat Charter.



Offshore is recognized as a leader in the industry and seems to put a lot of attention into their program including a final day of solo sailing. 1 instructor per 4 students on a 55 foot monohull. ~$5,300.



Horizon would be me chartering the yacht (likely a 33-40 foot Bavaria Monohull - my choice) and hiring the instructor. Therefore, it's 1 instructor dedicated to the 2 of us. ~$3,300.



Originally I was leaning towards offshore given their reputation and longevity but that's a big enough price difference to make me think twice.



Anyone have any experience with either school? Thoughts?

I've done all my training with Offshore, including the bareboat course with The Moorings in BVI. Yes they are expensive, but their curriculum is excellent. I was impressed with all of their instructors. Had a great time as well. Don't hesitate unless money is the issue.

[RickG]

I missed the original post, but I wrote up my experience with Rob Swain Sailing School on Tortola. First two days were on an IC24, local version of a J24.

Traveltalkonline: Rob Swain Sailing School 1/11-1/20 2013

Cheers, RickG

[annualLeave]

Hello,
I will join other members and recommend that you have a look at RYA's courses, probably starting with the Day Skipper. The theory can be done online before the practical part, giving you time to go through the material at your own pace. The practical part usually involves 5 consecutive days onboard and covers most of the essential skills to start cruising.

Hope this helps
Home - HitTheDekk

[LTDsailing]

Great to see a few endorsements for LTD Sailing! Thanks guys!

There is a lot of good information in the previous posts. I totally agree with the importance of the instructor. Also that learning on a smaller boat is a good idea. 55' seems like a lot of boat for teaching new sailors...

I would also recommend looking for independant reviews. Trip Advisor is a great source - take a look at our reviews if you are interested: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...h_Grenada.html

We would be happy to help you with your sail training. Let me know if you have any questions.

[annualLeave]

Hi,
Any particular reason why you are looking for ASA courses? RYA ones (e.g. day skipper) cover lots of important topics and may be an option. There are many people offering these courses in the Caribbean. With a day skipper you can charter a bareboat in most european countries (you get the ICC directly if you have the RYA-DS).

Cheers,
Home - HitTheDekk

[JMS_Charlotte]

I wanted to follow up on my earlier post to close the loop for anyone also searching for a sailing school in the Caribbean.

My friend and I ended up booking with LTD Sailing out of Grenada and just got back from completing our ASA 103 and 104. Thank you guys for suggesting LTD! We ended the week with added confidence in our sailing ability.

Everything about our trip was top notch - the brand new boat, the itinerary, the food, and most of all the people. LTD was the perfect mix of learning, adventure, and a relaxing vacation. We had a great time and will be doing our catamaran certification with them sometime in the near future. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to sail!

[Shawn0900]

I did my USS basic cruising and bareboat charter certification with Offshore in Tortola at the Moorings base. It was a liveaboard course. Loved it but it was expensive. For Coastal Nav, Coastal Passagemaking and Offshore Passagemaking I have switched to Swain Sailing School in Newport RI. They also have a base in Tortola and offer ASA and USS programs. Swain is much more affordable and worth checking out. You can also try Bluewater Sailing and Black Rock Sailing.

[LTDsailing]

Originally Posted by JMS_Charlotte

I wanted to follow up on my earlier post to close the loop for anyone also searching for a sailing school in the Caribbean.

My friend and I ended up booking with LTD Sailing out of Grenada and just got back from completing our ASA 103 and 104. Thank you guys for suggesting LTD! We ended the week with added confidence in our sailing ability.

Everything about our trip was top notch - the brand new boat, the itinerary, the food, and most of all the people. LTD was the perfect mix of learning, adventure, and a relaxing vacation. We had a great time and will be doing our catamaran certification with them sometime in the near future. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to sail!

Thank you so much for the endorsement! I am glad to hear you had a great learning experience and enjoyed your time sailing with LTD!

We are excited to hear you are thinking about coming back for the Catamaran Cruise and Learn course! Let us know when you are ready to come back to the islands!