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williamtl · 25-02-2017, 08:22

The folks at Emerald Coast Sailing were great. Plus, nothing like seeing the Blue Angels out practicing. Capt Ralf Bush was fabulous. Very knowledgable and patient. http://www.ecsailing.com/ecy_contact_us.htm

Lapincherry · 25-03-2017, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

My wife and I did Fast track to Cruising with Offshore in the BVI. Great people to work with.

Captandrew · 01-05-2017, 14:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

Roy is up north for the summer. He will be back in the fall.

Tetra · 01-05-2017, 15:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankersteve

I'll second SailingFlorida.com. Great people, great location.

I just chartered with Sailing Florida. I found them great to work with.

meltzman · 10-05-2017, 11:42

-WORST VACATION - Island Dreamer Sailing School in Miami
-DO NOT give you money to Island dreamer sailing school
-Complaints filed with the ASA and Florida Attorney General

My family of six (four adults, two children) arrived at the boat to find we had been assigned a boat that slept only four. Knowing that there would be only four pillows on which to lie six heads each night caused immediate tension. Add to it a sullen captain who immediately informed us that he had left his family on Christmas to sail with us, and it was a recipe for disaster.
Days one to three had beautiful blue skies. Boats all around us had their sails out as Captain Jamey Graham motored us around the keys rushing to a place each day where he could drop anchor. He taught my children to tie a few knots and I can only assume he equated that with teaching to sail as he never gave any other practical or didactic lesson for the duration of the trip. At our insistence, he raised the sails two times. Once for 25 minutes, once for 45 minutes. And all we did was move forwards with the sails open. Jamey did not allow us to maneuver the boat under sail AT ALL. Our log books remain blank. No written exam was given. When we complained to owner Harold Ochstein, Captain Jamey Graham sited "family tension" as his reason for not giving us the exam, taking no responsibility for the fact that the lack of sailing lessons, his surly attitude and the inability to sleep six bodies in four beds was the cause of the family tension.
Day three, Captain Jamey told us to get a hotel as it was going to be windy that night and the next day and he planned to dock his boat behind his friend's house along a neighborhood canal with no walking access to stores or restaurants. A last-minute hotel, Christmas week in the Florida Keys. That cost us an extra $2900.
Upon arriving at the hotel, we contacted owner Harold Ochstein about our experience. He suggested we return to the boat, not the next day, but the day after, and on the final day of our trip he could teach us everything we needed to know to get us certified in sailing courses 101 and 103. This, of course is impossible, as you need a certain amount of classroom and practical hours to learn. Hence the complaint to the ASA.
The other remedy he suggested was to return at a later date to try sailing again. This was unacceptable because my family feared being subject to these conditions again, and ruining yet another vacation. Learn from my mistake and do not spend your money on Island Dreamer Sailing School.