Certification

ACE
Since the early 1980’s Offshore has been the only sailing school in the United States qualified to offer courses recommended by the American Council on Education for college credit. The three courses that qualify under ACE are Learn to Sail, Bareboat Cruising Preparation and Performance Sailing. No other sailing school has passed the rigorous standards that make this possible.

ACE certification is location and course-specific:

Learn to Sail with ACE certification can be obtained only at the New York, New Jersey, Captiva Island, Florida Keys, St. Petersburg and BVI campuses.

Bareboat Cruising Preparation and Performance Sailing courses with ACE certification can be obtained only at the New Jersey and Captiva Island campuses.

How ACE Certification Works:
You must receive pre-approval from the college of your choice. Then, sign up for your course at one of the approved Offshore campuses listed above. Upon successful completion of your Offshore course, you must submit all your paperwork to your pre-approved college of choice.

Colgate Certification
Before US SAILING and other certification systems popped up over the years, there was Colgate Certification, dating back to 1964 when Steve opened one of the first sailing schools and became the pre-eminent sailing educator in the United States.

US SAILING Certification
We offer US SAILING certification in addition to Colgate Certification because that's where Steve gave his valuable time and expertise when they asked him to help develop a system that would hold schools to a higher standard.

RYA Accreditation
The 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. Offshore is recognized by the RYA to provide three practical levels of certification for recreational sailors.

About prerequisites and certification:
It is clearly stated on the website of The Moorings, the largest charter company in the world, that certification is not required to charter their boats.

It all boils down to the caliber of education you receive, and at Offshore Sailing School you are guaranteed to receive the absolute best – ready for confident boat ownership or chartering with The Moorings after just two courses.

You do not have to be certified to take any course at Offshore Sailing School, and are not required to take the certification exam at the end of a course. All we ask is that you have the proper prior experience and skills for the course level you choose.