Cruising Courses

The ultimate dream for most sailors is to cruise to exotic islands – to see the world under sail and go where the wind takes you at a pace set by the rising moon and setting sun. This is the cruising proficiency that Offshore delivers in its grand selection of seven different options for cruising courses, from Bareboat Cruising and Fast Track to Cruising to the advanced Coastal Passage Making experience. Cruising courses are taught aboard 36 to 50-foot monohulls and 42 to 47-foot catamarans, depending upon course and location.

Bareboat Cruising Preparation
Go beyond Learn to Sail to build confidence, skills and techniques for chartering or handling cruising boats up to 45 feet.

Live Aboard Cruising
Hands-on sailing lessons help you master skills to cruise or charter with confidence while living aboard a 38 to 42-foot Moorings yacht or 46-foot Hunter yacht.

Fast Track to Cruising®
The fastest way to get certified to cruise. Combine three-day basic sailing lessons with Bareboat Cruising Preparation or Live Aboard Cruising course at extra savings! This Colgate sailing school course combination takes you from beginner to ready to cruise in just over a week!

Private Cruising Course for Two
Our new Private Cruising Course for Two is for those who plan to cruise as a “twosome”, giving you the confidence to share all tasks aboard and individually take command with confidence and skill. It is taught on a brand new, incredibly spacious two-cabin Hunter 41-foot sailing yacht.

Catamaran Live Aboard Cruising
Now our Live Aboard Cruising and Advanced Live Aboard Coastal Navigation courses are available on Moorings Catamarans. It's a great way to get twice the fun and knowledge normally learned in these courses plus you'll gain the skills specific to sailing a cruising catamaran!

Catamaran Live Aboard Navigation
Welcome to the next level following Live Aboard Cruising or Bareboat Cruising Preparation. This course is offered exclusively on Moorings 42 to 47 foot catamarans. You'll sail in more challenging conditions with emphasis on safety and navigation and earn US SAILING Coastal Navigation certification. Guaranteed to increase your confidence as a catamaran sailor in a variety of situations.

Coastal Passage Making
Our most advanced cruising course. A blue water cruising experience that includes sailing at night, standing watches, cooking underway, landfalls and much more.

Colgate Offshore Accelerated Sail Training (COAST)
This is the fastest and most economical way to master sailing. Takes you from novice to skilled passage maker status under a four-step curriculum that includes course tuition for five US SAILING certifications. Lock in and protect your tuition while you earn the equivalent of a master’s degree in sailing in less than two years.

Ocean Passage Making
The deep blue sea calls out to those of us with sailing in our souls and can’t seem to get enough of it. This course concentrates on blue-water ocean sailing, and might be described as a metaphysical pilgrimage that encourages you to take a second look at the values that steer your life.

Celestial Navigation
This valuable navigation course is particularly for those preparing for the Offshore Passage Making course, and for coastal sailors who just want to have the knowledge of Celestial Navigation. This course teaches how to use a sextant to calculate a sailboat's position based on the sun, planets and stars.

Fast Track to Ocean Passage Making
The best way to combine both Ocean Passage Making and Celestial Navigation is with Fast Track to Ocean Passage Making. Simply take Celestial Navigation just before the Ocean Passage Making course for the most thrilling offshore adventure you’ve ever had.

RYA Certification Courses
The prestigious 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. It is considered the gold standard in worldwide yachting certification. Offshore is recognized by the RYA to provide three practical levels of certification for recreational sailors:
           
Competent Crew covers basic seamanship and helmsmanship. This course is very similar to Offshore’s Learn to Sail course but taught on a larger yacht.
            
Day Skipper includes basic piloting, boat handling, seamanship and navigation. Suggested prerequisites include the Day Skipper course and a minimum of five days of sea time, 100 miles or more and at least four nights aboard under sail.
            
Coastal Skipper covers passage planning, piloting by day and night, boat handling, safety and emergency situations. Suggested prerequisites include the Day Skipper course or equivalent training and at least 15 days of sea time, two days as skipper with 300 miles and eight night hours under sail.