Learn to Sail

If you've never sailed, have limited sailing experience or haven't sailed in a long time, this basic sailing course gives you the skills and confidence to take the helm. The sailing instruction course content is the same at all locations with patient, caring instructors and classmates with remarkably similar interests to yours. Learn to Sail vacations are co-ed. You learn aboard award winning Colgate 26 sailboats – safe, exciting and ergonomically comfortable. Special women-only sailing instruction weeks are held periodically throughout the year at select locations.

Offshore Sailing Schools
Sailing brings people together and opens a whole new world of lifetime opportunities afloat. It's neither gender nor age-specific. If you like to learn, love the outdoors and being on the water, these Learn to Sail vacations give you a whole new perspective on life.

Where You Can Learn: Learning vacations for all levels are available at our many vacation destination locations and in New York Harbor with New Jersey and New York City sailing bases.

Prerequisite for Course:
None

Certification :
US SAILING Basic Keelboat

Course Texts (2):
US SAILING Basic Keelboat and Colgate's Basic Sailing by Steve and Doris Colgate

Check rates & availability or make a reservation

Textbooks are included with course tuition, or can be ordered here at the Online Bookstore

How Learn to Sail Works | Course Schedules
What You Learn | Locations for Learn to Sail

How it Works
Our Learn to Sail course includes comprehensive classroom and on-water sailing instruction each day. It’s a terrific basic sailing learning experience that epitomizes the beauty of sailing -- intense, fun, challenging, relaxing and rewarding.

You’ll sail the dynamic COLGATE 26, America's #1 training sailboat. This carefully thought-out, award-winning sport boat has a huge comfortable cockpit, many go-fast adjustments, safety features and easy handling characteristics. No more than three other classmates and your instructor are aboard, insuring maximum individual instruction and a job for everyone at all times.

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Learn to Sail Course Schedules
Take the whole course in three action-packed days, or at a more leisurely pace over four to six days, depending on the location you choose. The three-day schedule includes 1-1/2 hours of classroom each day, followed by 6 hours of on-water instruction with a break for lunch ashore.

The five-day schedule (at some resort locations) includes morning classroom sessions and half-days of on-water instruction, leaving plenty of time to pursue other resort activities. On your last day, you and your classmates chart a course and sail on your own, without your instructor aboard. No other sailing school does this at the ''learn to sail' level; it's the ultimate test of Offshore's ability to give you what you came for and then some -- proof positive of your growing confidence in sailing skills.

The more leisurely four to six-day schedules (at some resort locations) include morning classroom sessions and half-days of on-water instruction, leaving plenty of time to pursue other resort activities. Your actual instruction is the first four days of the course.

Every course includes a practice sail where you and your classmates chart a course and sail on your own, without your instructor aboard. If you choose the 3-day schedule, your practice sail is held the last three hours of the course. Longer schedules include practice sail ranging from half days to full day sessions. No other sailing school does this at the ''learn to sail” level; it's the ultimate test of Offshore's ability to give you what you came for and then some -- proof positive of your growing confidence in sailing skills.

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