Sailing Courses Offered

New! RYA Certification Courses
The prestigious Royal Yachting Association (RYA) courses are knowledge-based courses that emphasize a person’s practical ability, experience and know-how on 44-51-foot sailing yachts. It is considered the gold standard in worldwide yachting certification. Offshore is recognized by the RYA to provide three practical levels of certification for recreational sailors:
           
Competent Crew covers basic seamanship and helmsmanship. This course is very similar to Offshore’s Learn to Sail course but taught on a larger yacht.
            
Day Skipper includes basic piloting, boat handling, seamanship and navigation. Suggested prerequisites include the Day Skipper course and a minimum of five days of sea time, 100 miles or more and at least four nights aboard under sail.
            
Coastal Skipper covers passage planning, piloting by day and night, boat handling, safety and emergency situations. Suggested prerequisites include the Day Skipper course or equivalent training and at least 15 days of sea time, two days as skipper with 300 miles and eight night hours under sail.

Colgate Offshore Accelerated Sail Training (COAST)
The fastest and most economical way to master sailing. Takes you from novice to skilled passage maker status under a four-step curriculum that includes course tuition for five US SAILING certifications. Lock in and protect your tuition while you earn the equivalent of a master’s degree in sailing in less than two years.

Learn to Sail
Takes you from beginner through intermediate level on a state-of-the-art Colgate 26 sailing school boat. Sail into a new lifestyle while mastering the most comprehensive learn to sail course there is. Three to six day schedules available. Gives you Basic Keelboat Certification.

Bareboat Cruising Preparation
Takes you beyond Learn to Sail to build confidence, skills and techniques for chartering or handling cruising boats up to 46 feet. Gives you Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising Certification.

Live Aboard Cruising
Hands-on sailing lessons help you master skills to cruise or charter with confidence while living aboard a 38 to 49-foot Moorings catamaran or monohull or 46-foot Hunter yacht.

Fast Track to Cruising®
The fastest way to be certified to cruise. Combine the Learn to Sail course with Bareboat Cruising Preparation or Live Aboard Cruising course at extra savings! This Colgate sailing school course exclusive combination takes you from beginner to ready to cruise in a week to ten days (depending on the schedule you choose)! Gives you Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising Certification.

Private Live Aboard Cruising Course for Two
Take our Regular Bareboat Cruising Preparation or Live Aboard Cruising course and sail into the most unique learning experience afloat with your favorite sailing partner. The only way to build confidence in each other's skills and the satisfaction of handling larger cruising boats as a team.

Catamaran Live Aboard Navigation
Welcome to the next level following Live Aboard Cruising or Bareboat Cruising Preparation. This course is offered exclusively on Moorings 42-47 foot catamarans. You'll sail in more challenging conditions with emphasis on safety and navigation and earn US SAILING Coastal Navigation certification. Guaranteed to increase your confidence as a catamaran sailor in a variety of situations.

Coastal Navigation
For those seeking a solid foundation and certification in piloting, this is the most challenging and rewarding navigation course you'll find. This course earns you US SAILING Coastal Navigation certification and is available as classroom only or with the advanced Live Aboard Coastal Navigation course above.

Coastal Passage Making
Our most advanced cruising course. A blue water cruising experience that includes sailing at night, standing watches, cooking underway, landfalls and much more.

Ocean Passage Making
The deep blue sea calls out to those of us with sailing in our souls and can’t seem to get enough of it. This course concentrates on blue-water ocean sailing, and might be described as a metaphysical pilgrimage that encourages you to take a second look at the values that steer your life.

Celestial Navigation
This valuable navigation course is particularly for those preparing for the Offshore Passage Making course, and for coastal sailors who just want to have the knowledge of Celestial Navigation. This course teaches how to use a sextant to calculate a sailboat's position based on the sun, planets and stars.

Fast Track to Ocean Passage Making
The best way to combine both Ocean Passage Making and Celestial Navigation is with Fast Track to Ocean Passage Making. Simply take Celestial Navigation just before the Ocean Passage Making course for the most thrilling offshore adventure you’ve ever had.

Performance Sailing
Goes beyond Learn to Sail for more on advanced sail trim, boat-handling nuances, extensive spinnaker work and more. Gives you Basic Keelboat Certification.

Performance Race Weeks
The only course of its kind, anywhere – combines expert seminars and video analysis from North U and unique on-water instruction from professional racing instructors.

Women's You Can Sail Escapes
Women-only programs held periodically at several locations – variety of courses to choose from – augmented with additional clinics, evening seminars and networking events.

Corporate Programs
Build confidence among peers and co-workers in tailored programs using sailing to promote teamwork, communication, strategic planning and maximum productivity.