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| Frequently Asked Questions
Which course should I take?
How many students do you teach on a boat at a time? Just four - plus your instructor of course, whether you're aboard our Colgate 26s in Learn to Sail or on our larger boats in the Bareboat Prep and Live Aboard Cruising courses. One exception: In our most advanced course (Coastal Passagemaking) there will be a maximum of six students and two instructors aboard, with three students assigned to each instructor. "Offshore's small class size and patient instructors made for 3 days of learning and enjoyment. For short vacations, it was time very well spent." Carl Sandal, Papillion, NE Do we sail in rainy weather? We sail rain or shine, in light wind and heavy wind - in just about everything but a hurricane. All of the boats we use are safe. We teach you how to make a boat move fast in the lightest of winds, and how to shorten sail and maneuver a boat for comfortable sailing in heavy winds. In locations where it's apt to be cold and rainy, we either supply loaner rain suits (known as "foul weather gear" among sailors) or ask you to bring your own. When you learn in difficult conditions, you'll be able to handle whatever comes your way after the course. If we have to cancel a sailing session (which is extremely rare) because of dangerous conditions, of course, we'll do all or most of your classroom work on the bad days and make up the sailing the next day when the weather calms down. Will I live aboard the boat in the Learn to Sail course? No, you will learn on one of our award-winning Colgate 26s, designed specifically for training and chosen by the U.S. Naval Academy to train their midshipmen. The course is available at all of our branches, where you will either
commute from home or live ashore at a delightful destination resort.
Learning on a Colgate 26 insures the skills and confidence to handle
a sailboat up to at least 30 feet in length in all but the most extreme
conditions. If you ask any of the America's Cup racing skippers, or
seasoned instructors, what size boat you should learn on - they'll all
say, the smaller the better. The Colgate 26 has a large, ergonomically
designed cockpit with plenty of room for everyone to have their own
space. "We arrived with no knowledge of
sailing and left confident and enthusiastic to take the next step."
With the confidence you gain in learning to handle a 26 footer, you're ready for the next step - Bareboat Cruising Preparation or Live Aboard Cruising or Performance Sailing or the Racing Course. What's the difference between Bareboat Cruising
Preparation Content and number of students aboard (4) are the same; pre-requisite (Learn to Sail course or its equivalent) is the same; size of boat, location, and cruising experience differ: Bareboat Cruising Preparation • Sailing is aboard a Hunter 36. "The thought of sailing a large boat was overwhelming before this course. I stood at the helm on the last day with confidence and pride in my achievement." class="bodytextbold"> We're thinking of buying a cruising boat or maybe chartering in the Caribbean; what's the quickest way to get up to speed? We're thinking of buying a cruising boat or chartering in the Caribbean; what's the quickest way to get up to speed? Take the Fast Track to Cruising® course! "I did this so my wife would feel
more comfortable. I learned a lot and feel I am a better sailor."
Can I customize a sailing course to my needs? We certainly will try! We'll do our best to help you out if your schedule makes taking a full course difficult. We can set up a private lesson at one of our locations on our boat, if you don't have the time to take the full course. If you want a "private" course, we can arrange this for you and your friend, family or spouse. We do not suggest bringing small children or infants, or friends and spouses that have no interest in learning. Our Private Courses for Two and Families are designed to make you all feel confident in each other’s ability to handle whatever occurs. Our instructors are there to teach all of you. Will you teach me on my boat? Yes! We have a wonderful program called the “Boat Owner’s Performance Course” for Sail and Powerboat owners, customized to your skill level, your boat and your goals. Our instructors – the best of the best – will teach you how to operate your boat in various conditions. From the basic theory of sailing and power vessel operation to short and long term cruising techniques we teach you how to safely and consistently get the most fun out of your investment.
Will I receive certification with my course? Testing for US SAILING certification is included with most of our courses. You don't have to test for it, but we highly recommend this as over 95% of our Learn to Sail students pass Basic Keelboat Certification with flying colors, as do clients in more advanced levels of certification! What's the difference between US SAILING and ASA certification? Both organizations offer similar levels of certification at least in name, but we subscribe to the US SAILING's certification system because its standards for evaluating the instructor that will teach YOU are not only far higher, but done through a third party system. No school can evaluate its own candidates to become certified. At least one third party candidate must be involved. It takes 2-1/2 rigorous, grueling days to go through the US SAILING instructor qualification program and many candidates leave with a “plan of improvement” or no certification at all. Don’t you want to put your learning experience in the hands of those who must pass a rigorous training and qualification program before they are allowed to take you out on the water? We think so. Another factor you should look for when comparing schools – whatever system they are in – is what investment you will have to make to get to your goal. The Offshore Sailing School Learn to Sail course gives you US SAILING Basic Keelboat Certification and the knowledge to sail a boat up to 30 feet confidently in any but the most extreme weather conditions at the intermediate level. And we do this in three days, nothing less (as some other schools claim). You are no longer a beginner and there are no other courses necessary to get you to that level. Some schools require you to enroll in two two-day courses (twice the commitment on your part) to get to that level. By the time you add the time and cost together, you will have had to spend more time and nearly the same amount of money, without the assurance that you truly got the best instruction. Offshore Sailing School’s two cruising courses –Bareboat Cruising Certification and the Live Aboard Cruising course – give you TWO certifications in five days. You WILL go through Basic Cruising Certification AND Bareboat Cruising Certification in that ONE course. Check out other schools and you will find that they make you take one course for each level – again, twice the time and probably the same or more cost than Offshore. Why? Quite frankly, because many of those schools do not have instructors with the right qualifications or boats large enough to take you to the bareboat cruising level. And that’s where we think you want to be – as quickly as possible. A little history: The American Sailing Association was started in the '70's by a business group in conjunction with a West Coast sailing school owner. Our initial discussions with them left us with the feeling that we should turn to the national authority for certification. Who else could do it better? Other schools thought so too, particularly the larger and better known sailing schools on both coasts. Here's why: US SAILING (the United States Sailing Association) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1897. It is the National Governing Body for sailing in the United States, appointed by Congress to represent our country in the Olympics and fulfill its obligations under the auspices of the Amateur Sports Act. Through US SAILING the definitive national standards for sailing instruction were devised. Steve Colgate, founder of Offshore Sailing School, was asked to head up that committee to ensure that US SAILING would indeed offer the highest level of certification available. Many of Offshore Sailing School’s current and former instructors are actually Master Instructor Trainers, the teachers that train and evaluate new candidates. Offshore Sailing School uses the US SAILING certification system but insists that its faculty and materials go beyond that level to the highest standards you’ll find among any sailing school in the United States. The two log books which you receive – one from US SAILING and another from the International Sailing School Association (ISSA) - reinforce the depth of your sailing knowledge when chartering in the United States and abroad. How long is the course? How much time is spent in the classroom and on the water? The courses range from three to ten days, depending on location and
the actual course you take. "I never sailed before. At age 62
I am instilled with confidence because of your excellent school."
In the three-day course, you spend 1-1/2 hours in the classroom and
seven hours on the water each day. The course content is the same whether
you take a three, four or five day course. The fewer the number of days,
the more intense it is, but we have a successful formula for getting
people out on the water, sailing, quickly and confidently. If you've
got the time, try to take the course in a more leisurely way - at one
of our resort locations, with a little time to sit back and relax or
study between sessions. "The class seemed to go by quickly
as my level of interest was kept to a max both in the classroom and
on the water." What's the difference between Performance Sailing and the Racing Course? Both courses are for sailors who want to tweak the performance of their boat, but the intent and focus differ: Performance Sailing
• Includes safety, more advanced boat and sail handling skills, heavy weather techniques, spinnaker practice • Learn to Sail (or equivalent experience) is a pre-requisite • Recommended preparation for the Racing course Racing Courses • For competitive skippers and crew
Geoff Brook, Roscoe, IL After I graduate, can I rent your boats? We don't have a rental program, but we do have a sailing club in New York Harbor and at some of our other locations. Do you guarantee your courses? Yes, absolutely! After you complete a course with Offshore Sailing School, if you feel the instruction you received was not up to your expectations, let us know right away and we will arrange to give you the same course over again, at no cost to you for the tuition! Of course, we can't be responsible for the weather, incompatibility with your classmates or minor breakdowns in equipment. I love to sail, my spouse is not enthusiastic; can you help me change this? Usually!
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