OUR FLEET
Best Sailboats and Powerboats to Learn On
Offshore Sailing School takes great pride in providing the very best sail and power boats for all of its sailing lessons and powerboat lessons. Steve Colgate wrote the parameters for the perfect entry-level sailboat trainer – the Colgate 26 – which is used at all Offshore Sailing School locations for Learn to Sail, Performance Sailing, and sailboat racing instruction. The cruising boats you learn on are picked for performance, ease of handling and comfort. The sailboats and powerboats that are currently in our fleet are listed below. The types and sizes of sail and power cruising yachts and locations where they are based are subject to change without notice. We move our Florida-based yachts around. Whichever location you choose, you’ll love the course regardless of which boat you are on. Some of the boats in our fleet are pictured here. Please refer to the Our Course page for more images of what you will learn on.
Beginner Sailing Courses to Cruising Certification Courses on Beautiful Sailboats and Powerboats Provide 3 Certifications in One Week
Colgate 26
Unlike many other sailing schools that make you take two separate courses on small and medium sized sailboats to obtain Bareboat Cruising Certification, Offshore Sailing School gives you Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising Certification in a single course on 40’ to 45’ catamarans and 40′-50′ monohulls. When you graduate from our Fast Track® to Cruising Course you actually earn three certifications starting with Basic Keelboat 101 on the Colgate 26, then Basic Cruising 103 and Bareboat Cruising 104 Certifications on a monohull. If you take this course on a sail-catamaran you also earn Catamaran Cruising Endorsement 114. This couch-to-cockpit course gives you the skills and confidence to sail cruising yachts up to 50’ with confidence.
Colgate 26 Keelboats
The Colgate 26 is the perfect mid-sized sailboat for training, day sailing and racing. Designed by Steve Colgate and noted marine architect Jim Taylor, the Colgate 26 debuted in 1997 and immediately won the coveted Cruising World Magazine Boat of the Year Award in the Pocket Cruiser Division. The U.S. Naval Academy bought 12 more Colgate 26s in 2015 to augment their existing fleet of 42 C26s as of 2020. The Coast Guard Academy and Maine Maritime maintain Colgate 26 fleets for training plebes and cadets. The Colgate 26 has the largest cockpit of any tiller-driven training boat, and a separate area for the instructor to stand, with dual mainsheet controls. It is very safe, will not sink or tip over, has ergonomic seating, and a host of sophisticated gear and adjustments, making the transition to larger sailboats easy. The Colgate 26 is used at all Offshore Sailing School locations for Learn to Sail, Performance Sailing and Racing Clinics, and team building sailing events. It is also available for purchase – new or used. Please call Steve Colgate at 239-218-0471 or Randon Finkelstein at 281-622-5728 if you are interested purchasing a new or used Colgate 26.
Jeanneau 440 Monohull
Jeanneau 440
Known as the Sun Odyssey 440, built by Jeanneau, this sporty 44′ monohull is truly fun to sail and an absolute blast to learn on. Designed to handle any sea conditions, its overall stability and secure cockpit create ultimate comfort aboard. Our 440, named OFFSHORE High, arrived in the Offshore Sailing School fleet brand new in December 2022. It is a four-cabin yacht with two heads (bathrooms) and a beautiful light wood interior. The main salon has a large galley, comfortable seating for at least 6 around the dining table, lots of storage and a spacious navigation station. Topsides the walk-around decks are great, as is the large cockpit with dual steering and all the electronics you need for navigation and high performance. It has dual rudders and is powered by a 45HP Yanmar engine. For docking you are going to love the bow-thrusters, and for sailing OFFSHORE High’s classic mast and genoa configuration will really get your adrenaline going in a stiff breeze. In light air, this lovely yacht glides along effortlessly. The Fast Track® Live Aboard Cruising Course on this new 440 is the right choice!
Lagoon 40 Catamaran
Spacious and comfortable, this spirited 40’ catamaran built in the renowned Beneteau shipyard, arrived in the Offshore Sailing School fleet brand new in January 2023. We named this 4-cabin, 2-head yacht Hydro Therapy because it has so many easy-to-sail and new advanced performance features. Its the perfect boat for the Offshore Sailing School Fast Track to Catamaran Cruising course, with an ergonomic helm station is accessible from the cockpit and deck with easy communication between the helmsperson, instructor and crewmates. There’s a spacious swim platform between the aft transoms, allowing simple access to the dinghy. The high aspect mainsail captures airflow better than many cruising cats, with a rig positioned for comfort in big seas. Large hull windows and integrated portholes in the cabin provide natural light with great views. The spacious main saloon has a large table and seating for the entire crew, plus a fun galley for creating great meals aboard, and comfy navigation station. Hydro Therapy is powered by two 45 hp Yanmar engines, and has all the instruments you need to learn how to use for easy navigation and yacht performance.
Leopard 40 Catamaran
Leopard 40
In Florida we have another 40′ catamaran – a Leopard 40 named Legacy. Tjos four cabin ensuite yacht has four heads/showers, a spacious main salon and lots of deck space. Legacy is perfect for Offshore Sailing School’s Florida Fast Track® to Catamaran Cruising, Live Aboard Catamaran Cruising courses, and special Catamaran Refresher clinics. Large sliding glass doors open to the aft cockpit, providing panoramic views with pleasant indoor/outdoor living. The large hardtop is a great sunshield when learning in Florida sun. The main saloon has a large forward-facing galley, comfortable settee for dining and lounging, navigation area and lots of storage. Powered by two Yanmar 29 hp engines, the Leopard 40 has generator powered air conditioning throughout the interior.
Moorings 4000 and 4600 Sail Catamarans
If you’d rather take your Fast Track® to Catamaran Live Aboard Cruising Course in the British Virgin Islands, head to beautiful Scrub Island Resort, Marina & Spa and learn aboard a 46′ or 50′ 4-cabin ensuite sail-cat. The size of the boat depends on boat assignments for Offshore throughout the year. Both have the same ultimate sail-training characteristics. The Robertson & Caine Moorings 5000 has four spacious en-suite cabins with zoned air conditioning, expansive saloon with skylight and large dining/lounging area, large galley with refrigerator/freezer, microwave and more. A door from the saloon provides easy access to the forward seating area and trampoline. The aft cockpit has sliding doors entry from the saloon, and features an electric grill, outdoor fridge, dining table with wraparound seating. There is also an elevated lounge area with seating, sunbed and awning. The raised helm station with full Raymarine navigation electronics round out this yacht with twin 57hp Yanmar diesel engines, generators, solar panels, and inverter for electronic devices among many other features. The Moorings 4600 is also from Robertson and Caine, with all the main features described for the Moorings 5000.
Jeanneau 479 Monohull
Jeanneau 479
This 47 footer, aptly named Breaking Away, is a favorite of our wonderful instructor team, as it is fast and performs beautifully in all sea and wind conditions. The Jeanneau 479 is a four-cabin, four-head, air-conditioned monohull with great handling characteristics and sails that give you the true sense of speed on a big cruising yacht. It comes fully equipped for open water sailing, with lazy jacks and a stack pack, furling jib, bimini, dodger, depth, speed and wind gauges, Raymarine E95 color chart plotter/GPS, autopilot, AIS, marine radio, generator and more. The interior has a full equipped galley with oven, microwave and refrigerator. The large main salon has a comfortable seating area for dining, large navigation station and features a flat screen TV and stereo with Bluetooth. This large monohull is currently available for Sailboat Cruising Courses at several of Offshore Sailing School’s Florida locations as it moves between branch locations.
Leopard 45 Catamaran
Our Leopard 45 catamaran has a forward cockpit, accessible from the large saloon with overhead skylight providing lots of space for socializing and relaxing. In the British Virgin Islands the Leopard 45 catamaran you learn on has four spacious cabins each with ensuite heads (toilets) with showers, and large windows for 360-degree views. In Florida Offshore’s 3-cabin version of the Leopard 45 has an elevated lounge with lights and speakers, wraparound seating and a sunbed on the top deck. On both models, the raised helm station, where all sail controls lead for easy handling, provides excellent visibility with ample seating. The galley has a large freezer, fridge, stove and prep areas. Large sliding doors open to the aft deck with another table that seats eight, a BBQ, swim platform with outdoor shower, dinghy davits and steps up to the steering station. There are two forepeaks off the forward cabins for storage on the 4-cabin Leopard 45. The 3-cabin Leopard 45 has an owners suite, two private double cabins each with private bathrooms, and a forepeak cabin for private instructor occupancy. A generator powers air-conditioning when needed. All electronic navigation aids are aboard, with plenty of additional features.
Moorings 51.4 Monohull and Moorings 46.3 Monohull
Leopard 4500 Catamaran
The monohulls used by Offshore Sailing School through our more than 36 year partnership with The Moorings change periodically. Currently, the Live Aboard Cruising Course on monohulls is taught on the Moorings 51.4 or the Moorings 46.3, depending on availability of one or the other each week. The Moorings 46.3 is a Beneteau Oceanis with an impressive layout, three ensuite cabins with showers, generator powered air conditioning, solar panels, underwater lights, 57 hp Yanmar engine and a bow thruster that make maneuvering when docking so much easier. The Moorings 51.4, has two steering wheels in its spacious cockpit, 6’4” headroom in the main salon where the entire crew can dine and share stories in comfort. There’s a long galley to starboard of the entryway from deck with lots of storage and a navigation station located to port behind the saloon. A 75 hp Yanmar engine powers this impressive yacht. LED lights are throughout the classic wood interior. There is also a complete electronics package with GPS like all other Offshore boats. This fun and fast yacht is easy to sail, with dual helms and excellent visibility, all lines lead aft for easy handling. Designed by Berret-Racoupeau, and built by Beneteau, the layout is spacious with large portholes for lots of light, and generator-controlled, air-conditioned interior throughout. The saloon includes a u-shaped settee that seats up to eight; flat screen TV and a well-appointed galley for easy cooking aboard. Offshore Sailing School’s Fast Track® to Cruising, Live Aboard Cruising and Bareboat Charter Cruising Courses are available aboard these vessel in the British Virgin Islands.
Moorings 464 PowerCat
Moorings 464PC
Offshore Sailing School teaches Fast Track® to Power Cruising courses on the Moorings 464PC in the British Virgin Islands, built by South African builder Robertson and Caine. This four cabin, four head (bathrooms) yacht features generous indoor living space with air-conditioning, a large flybridge with helm station, u-shaped upholstered settee, wetbar, refrigerator and electric grill, hardtop with lighting to protect you from the sun and a whole lot more. The large main salon has dining and sofa seating, a large beautifully designed galley with freezer and fridge, nav-station, front doorway access to foredeck, and rear doors to large outdoor aft dining and covered cockpit. Four air-conditioned cabins and private heads and showers have plenty of storage, queen-sized berths, fans and many other features. Maneuvering this yacht is a joy, with bow thrusters and two Yanmar 320hp engines. With power from an on-board generator (or shore power when available), the Moorings 464PC has a full range of electronics including a state-of-the-art Raymarine Instrument Package, indoor/outdoor stereo system with Bluetooth and USB connectivity, flat screen TV/DVD player. For student groups who wish to reserve a smaller power cat on a “buy-the-boat” basis, the Moorings 4-cabin 434PC and 3-cabin Moorings 433PC may be requested on a space available basis.
