Best Websites for Beginner Sailors
The best Websites for Beginner Sailors should give you thorough guides, tips, and courses so that you don’t get lost on the sea, Or stuck on the land. So, to make your life easier here, we got a nice list of the best available options.
Nautilus Sailing
Nautilus Sailing is a sailing school with offices in Colorado. They aim to be dynamic when teaching, offering you the best possible holiday during your learning.
Also, they have excellent instructors; they received the ASA Outstanding Instructor Award in 2015, 2016, and 2018. They organize trips in unexplored waters to maintain the spirit of adventure. If you prefer, you can call and indicate your chosen destination, and they will schedule a trip oriented to that. With them, you will be able to obtain the licenses:
- ASA 101
- ASA 103
- ASA 104
- ASA 114
The prices of trips have an initial cost of 4975$ per person. This includes all meals during the week of the course, including dinners on land (local food). Travel expenses such as berths and fuel are also included. And, of course, the price includes your instructor/captain fee and insurance for the ship.
Comments from previous students show that this sailing school is reliable. For example, on TripAdvisor, their rating is 5 out of 5 stars. And their instructors’ rating guarantees you will have a good trip while learning.
Pros
- ASA-certified and award-winning instructors on safe and well-maintained ships.
- Trips are oriented toward both learning and fun.
Cons
- You need excellent retention to learn everything in just one week.
- If you like improvisation, your correct travel itinerary may not be for you.
This is a sailing school dedicated to offering a complete experience while learning to sail. Besides, they are members of Dream Yacht Charters, with whom you can also organize your first trip as a skipper.
BoatU.S. Foundation
This is a non-profit organization with a commitment to helping you navigate safely. That’s why they offer safe surfing courses by state (not available in all states).
Through this online platform, you can take an online safe surfing course for free. You can also opt for some private or volunteer organizations courses where you pay only for the material used. You can even get your boat inspected by the Coast Guard.
This is a non-profit organization. So the online courses they own are free. But to stay in operation since 1984, they have established some strategies:
- Renting out safety equipment for boats and people.
- They receive donations in money.
- They accept donations of safety equipment and boats.
This organization also sells boat insurance. In other people’s opinion, this insurance is worth it. Some organizations offer courses here, and the thought about them varies. Some students praised the period, and others complained about how poorly organized they were.
Pros
- You can get free courses on safety and different ones at a low cost.
- You can make an appointment for the Coast Guard to inspect your boat from their page.
Cons
- Materials offered by third parties may not be of the same quality.
- It would help if you studied very well to learn about safety when surfing an online course.
This organization is committed to making the waters safer and cleaner by educating you. They are a good starting point for acquiring the knowledge necessary for navigation. And you will be able to get the safety information that applies in your state.
Sailing Europe
Sailing Europe is a charter agency for yachts and sailing boats mainly operating in Europe. They have an agenda where you can decide on the most attractive destinations in the old continent. Or you can contact them for a personalized trip.
You can enter your destination, the type of boat, and the date for your holiday on the website. In addition, you will get a list of suggested boats, the trip’s price, and other details about the trip. They also have a blog where you can find useful information about sailing for free.
- The prices of a vacation are between 900€ and 10500€ in their boats.
- You will also have to pay transfer fees ranging from 150€ to 230€.
- And also one-way rates from 350€ to 900€.
Without overlooking the security deposit, other things that influence the price are:
- Type of boat
- Destination
- Date of travel
- Additional staff such as cooks, captains, or pet fare, among others.
The opinion of other customers shows that their services are reliable. For example, they claim to have provided travel on more than 12,000 occasions to Croatia, Tahiti, and Cuba.
Pros
- They specialize in routes across Europe.
- All prices and rates are well established from the beginning.
Cons
- The prices of third-party boats can be higher.
- Third-party experience may not be the best.
This travel agency offers holidays worldwide, mainly to European natives. With great respect for quality and customer orientation, they strive to present you with all rates and tariffs, subject to discounts. They also have a very informative blog.
Kavas
This charter company of 30 to 61-foot yachts operates exclusively in Greece. Former naval officer Vaggelis Kavas founded it in 1985; today, it owns more than 50 ships.
In addition to renting yachts with captains for Greece’s best places, rent bareboat yachts. They assume you know how to sail, but first, you should read a sailing guide that reminds you of essential information. This guide is structured like this:
- Beginner’s guide to sailing
- The environment
- The basics of sailing.
- Before the briefing
- Navigation
- Mooring and Anchoring
- Problem-solving
- Sailing qualifications
They say they offer the best prices on the Greek market because they are yacht owners. They offer price matching if you get a better offer. Besides, they offer discounts ranging from 25% to 35% during low seasons.
Furthermore, in my opinion, in places like TripAdvisor, Kavas has an excellent rating, with 4.5 out of 5 stars. As usual, some people complained about the staff or the boats. But their overall performance is outstanding.
Pros
- They say they offer you the best prices in Greek waters.
- They offer a free online guide to refresh your sailing skills.
Cons
- Some yachts may not be in optimal condition.
- The crew may be strict about sailing conditions.
Kavas is an excellent Yacht charter service to see the Greek beaches. You can choose to rent with or without a crew and get some discounts. Before sailing, you will get a handy guide with essential sailing, but you must already be good at cruising to go alone.
American Sailing Association
Popularly known as ASA, the American Sailing Association was founded in 1983 to teach safety procedures when sailing. To date, they have graduated more than 536,000 sailors worldwide.
This association develops content for certified schools and has friendly instructors (it is a requirement). In addition to graduating from different levels of sailing schools, you can also take online courses from:
- Your first sail
- ASA Sailing Challenge Application
- Easy Navigation (Video Tips)
- Knots made (easy videos)
- Bite-size lessons
- On-line navigation questionnaires
They have an online store where you can buy everything from sailing textbooks to clothing. Moving on, the ASA membership costs $49 per year. Or you can purchase another two-year membership, although they do not specify the cost of this one. Courses are priced separately.
Opinions about their courses are diverse. Some students say they learned a lot of things and feel it was worth it. Others complained about faulty methods and inefficient employees who mistreated them.
Pros
- You will be able to obtain information about navigation regulations and certification courses.
- They have a section on the news related to navigation.
Cons
- As there are many “partner schools,” the experience may vary in each one.
- The prices of the courses are not truly reasonable.
This is the primary association with authority to accredit you as a sailor in different types of boats. In addition, it has an online shop where you can buy items needed for sailing. You can also keep up to date with the latest rules and news for free.
Courageous Sailing
Conceived as a Courageous Sailing program, it aims to reach young people. They think “every child’s perspective improves by 50 yards at sea”.
It offers low-income children free or low-cost courses outside of school hours. They operate in the Boston area and currently feature interactive videos on their website. Also, you can rent boats or get private lessons.
Knowing the price through the website is difficult. But renting a boat doesn’t seem to be affordable. So they try to offer discounts to generate loyalty. For example, after a 2-hour trip, you get a 15% discount on any item. To buy memberships, you have to pass several courses. The memberships are:
- Core Fleet Membership.
- Half-fleet cruise membership.
- Cruise fleet membership.
There are few ratings on different websites about this organization. However, the rating was always above 4 out of 5 possible stars. There were also no alarming complaints that recommended avoiding this service.
Pros
- Free courses for low-income youth.
- Instructional videos based on engineering and science for people of all ages
Cons
- They only operate in Boston.
- Getting prices is difficult unless you ask for a quote or visit them.
Organizations are socially committed to their community. Their main goal is to help young people gain a positive perspective on their possibilities. They also rent boats, and their online site is very informative.
Learn How to Sail: A Step-by-Step Guide to SAILING
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Yvan Lebrun is a trusted expert in the field of product & service reviews. With over a decade of experience analyzing and comparing services online, he shares his valuable experience with readers at GoodSitesLike so consumers can make educated decisions before making a purchase.
