Learn to Sail Course Testimonials
Rick was always on time, very flexible. He adjusted the schedule according to weather and wind conditions. He was instructional, encouraging, friendly, knowledgeable, experienced. This was one of the best times we had together as a family. We learned together, streamlined now very clear communication on the sailboat. I can tell my wife and 2 boys understand sailing much better than before. We are all more confident and more comfortable with sailing. (Peter provided a nice video too.)
Peter Pitonak – Tyler, TX
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2014
Mike was a perfect match for my crew. He knew exactly when to encourage and when to let them try and when (rarely) to help. We trusted that he knew what we were doing all the time and let us make decisions with his support. My goal was to have a challenging experience and accomplish something new with my family. We succeeded in that. The on-water time was flexible enough that we learned a lot of new things and practiced the most likely things often enough that we feel comfortable with it.
Simone Miller – Springfield, NJ
Learn to Sail Course – Liberty Landing Marina, Jersey City, NJ – 2014
Instructor (Dave Cranston) knowledgeable, calm, courteous and friendly sailing pro who made the experience a great start for myself and my two boys of 12 and 9. An intense and challenging experience with a steep learning curve for true neophytes in a challenging environment of New York Harbor. But ultimately very rewarding and a great building block to start from.
Ralf van der Sluis – East Strandsburg, PA
ralfvandersluis@yahoo.com
Learn to Sail Course – New York Harbor – 2014
Joelle is an excellent instructor. Good at explaining, stressed safety, answered questions. Great attitude and no downtime. I hope to take a course with her again and have recommended her and Offshore to friends. Very good experience overall. I am looking forward to coming back soon!
Audrey Clark – Chicago, IL
312-752-0257
Learn to Sail Course – Ft. Myers Beach, FL – 2014
Joelle is an excellent teacher, patient and polite, but persistent. It is a pleasure and privilege to take this course with her. Thank you for a wonderful and enriching experience that I now was able to share with my youngest son, as I did with my oldest son 22 years ago.
Winfried Paul – Pittsburgh, PA
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2014
Cory is a great instructor. He was patient and took the necessary time to ensure my brother and I understood what we were learning. On the water, his attention to detail and ability to articulate his answers was impressive. The stories of his experiences on the water made our class even more enjoyable. A great experience and worth every penny. I’m looking forward to the next class with Offshore Sailing.
Alan J. Varlack – Port Washington, NY
Learn to Sail Course – St. Petersburg, FL – 2013
Joelle was truly an excellent teacher and sailor. Personable, knowledgeable, exciting and inspiring. I learned so much about myself with this trip. I will never forget it. Thanks Joelle! This company is awesome, and the people are dynamic and thorough from my first phone experience to meeting Steve Colgate himself. We also had a local TV station interview us and we bought the DVD of it which was fun for us.
Lynn and Gerry Lynch – Newport, New Hampshire
glynchltp@comcast.net
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2013
As an airline pilot I deal with instructors regularly. It was a pleasure to learn from someone technically proficient and able to take the student from the classroom to the water and have the lessons come together for a great learning experience. A wonderful weekend on the water. An outstanding enthusiastic instructor in the classroom and on the water. As an airline pilot I deal with instructors regularly. It was a pleasure to learn from someone technically proficient and able to take the student from the classroom to the water and have the lessons come together for a great learning experience. A wonderful weekend on the water.
Scott Peatross – Fort Myers, FL
glynchltp@comcast.net
Learn to Sail Course – Ft. Myers, FL – 2013
The class I attended was comprised of total novices, experienced beginners (like me) and accomplished sailors who attended to learn terms and techniques. That blend created an environment conducive to learning. We each had our moments of brilliance and trouble. We worked together to learn and to teach. It was a terrific experience – equal parts mental exhaustion and picture perfect sailing.
Steven Robinson (in white) – Franklin, TN
Learn to Sail Course – St. Petersburg, FL – 2013
We are amazed at how much we learned in such a short period of time. We left feeling confident and eager to step aboard again. Rick Hinman’s experience put us at ease. A fun and interesting individual.
Chris and Danielle Steinberg – Georgetown, KY
steiny3rdQ@aol.com
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2013
My experience during the 5-day Learn to Sail course was nothing short of amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone wishing a top-notch education on sailing.
Stephen Walloch – Irving, TX
steiny3rdQ@aol.com
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2013
John was attentive, respectful and courteous. I was comfortable with him. We had a very windy weekend, but I had no doubt he knew what he was doing. I am excited to move on to the next level. I live in an area that could easily accommodate lower cost sailing lessons, but I needed an immersion course, that would take me away from my daily distractions. This fit the bill perfectly.
Alice Buckley – Wakefield, RI
Learn to Sail Course – Pier 25, Tribeca, NYC – 2013
Joelle was very experienced and knowledgeable. I learned a lot from her instruction. I had a great time sailing the Colgate 26 in Captiva. Great location and sailing conditions. I really recommend the Learn to Sail course to initiate in sailing.
Ivan Salinero – Santiago, Chile
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2013
The Learn to Sail course is the best thing I have done for myself in a very long time. I had always been intrigued by sailing, but never had the opportunity to be on the water. This experience was very empowering. I believe attending and passing your Learn to Sail course has provided me the confidence to move forward in my life. I feel stronger and more capable than I have in years. Thanks so much for the experience. Here is a photo of Mark (my instructor) and myself upon successful completion of my course.
Kim Moody – Meadville, PA
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2012
This course was a pivotal factor in building our skills and confidence to cruise independently on our newly acquired classic Pearson Trident 28’ keelboat. Instructor Mark Turner was superb – a delight to be with for five days and thoroughly invested in our learning and success.
Charles and Susanne Mann – Falmouth, MA
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2012
Absolutely fantastic experience! Totally exceeded my expectations. My wife and I had never sailed before but now I am HOOKED! Our instructor was personable, professional, and patient. He gave us the encouragement and confidence we needed. We will definitely be taking another course!! His wife Trish wrote: I had never before been on a sailboat on the ocean, or sailed ever. By the end of the course, my husband and I had learned a new language and a new skill with surprising speed and on our test sail on the last day we had a BLAST! We were confident and then DOLPHINS surrounded our boat. Magical!! Our instructor’s knowledge and unflappability put us all at ease. Jacek is a truly gifted and patient teacher!!
Grant Nelson – Prairie Village, KS
Learn to Sail Course – Ft. Myers Beach, FL – 2012
Everything went very well, from checking in at The Moorings to the classroom time to getting out on the water. It was our first time to the BVI and the location alone was fantastic. In a word – faultless!! We will definitely be back for the live-aboard cruising course, probably next spring (but certainly wish it could be sooner!). It was a great experience, especially coming from Newfoundland, where we left for the BVI amid cold rain and flurries. I was a little skeptical at first about how things would turn out, but it was all a top-notch adventure and we’re keen to do more as soon as we can manage!
Darlene Forbes – Corner Brook, NL, Canada
Learn to Sail Course – British Virgin Islands – 2012
The instructor (Brian van Leeuwen) did a marvelous job. His knowledge, presentation skills, patience and teaching skills were very impressive. This was my first exposure to sailing and he made me feel comfortable and confident.
David Gibson, Argillite, KY
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2012
The learn to sail class was an excellent way to spend quality time with my Dad, and learn a great new skill. Barbara made the class easy, efficient and self-rewarding! What a great new way to see and experience New York City!
Brendan McManus – Atlanta, GA
Learn to Sail Course – New York Harbor – 2012
Jacek was a great instructor. I attended this course with my wife and three of our children. He was very patient and made sure everyone understood the material. We all loved the course.
Jeff Breymaier – Maumee, OH
Learn to Sail Course – Ft. Myers Beach, FL – 2012
I was delighted to be a graduate of Colgate’s ‘Fast Track to Sailing’ (Learn to Sail). My father recently passed, and sailing was a way of honoring him. My father and I shared many great moments together day-sailing – often without a word spoken. The mutual peacefulness we experienced required no words. Offshore Sailing’s Cory Crowner helped me regain the confidence to sail again with new adeptness that would surely make my father proud. Thank-you.
Scott Colthorp – Knoxville, TN
Learn to Sail Course – St. Petersburg, FL – 2012
I just completed the three-day Learn to Sail course in St. Petersburg, and we had the best time of our lives. I was a bit nervous, but Cory was just an amazing instructor, and your book was very easy to understand and follow. I had very little experience on boats before, and after taking your course, I feel very comfortable hoisting the sails. I am attaching a picture of me and classmate Brent Jenkins for you to share.
Lisa Shanahan – Clearwater, FL
Learn to Sail Course – St. Petersburg, FL – 2012
I just wanted to take a minute and tell you what an awesome time I had taking your 3 day course in St. Petersburg. Our instructor Cory Crowner was so fantastic and friendly as well. The boat was super nice and clean, the info was so helpful. Just everything about it was great! I am looking into taking the week long live aboard course now and have really fallen in love with sailing. So thank you!
Brent Jenkins – Sarasota, FL
Learn to Sail Course – St. Petersburg, FL – 2012
My family and I completed the Learn to Sail course in Captiva. Our instructor was Jim Marvin who did an exceptional job. It was obvious that Jim was very knowledgeable about sailing but what impressed me the most was his ability to teach. My wife and I have very different learning styles. Jim recognized that quickly and adjusted his teaching so we were both able to grasp the subjects covered and apply them in an actual experience. This was a family course for us, and my two children (9 & 11) were a little apprehensive at times throughout the week. Despite that, on our sail Friday without an instructor, they put what they learned to work and we had an excellent day at sea! It is obvious that Offshore Sailing School puts a lot of effort in their selection of instructors. We thoroughly enjoyed the class and look forward to getting back out on the water with newly gained confidence in sailing.
Kyle Couture – Birmingham, AL
Learn to Sail Course – Captiva Island, FL – 2012
This was a bucket list item for me! My recent retirement has allowed me to realize a dream that has been tucked away from the 60’s when I lived in the Midwest. I have aspired to attend the Colgate school for many years. Bill was a wonderful instructor. He is quite knowledgeable and very patient. I liked the way he would review topics previously covered. The visual aides were very helpful.
Gary Firestone – Ft. Myers, FL
Learn to Sail Course – Ft. Myers Beach, FL – 2012
