annapolis sailing schools

[jimmd]

any opinions on SailTime University, the ASA school at SailTime Annapolis? they charge a littlle more but only have 2 students on a boat at a time instead of 4. sounds like a good thing but only if they offer a good class.

[JimDaddy]

In my own humble opinion, I would put your name on as many crew lists as possible. Its the best way to learn. You get on different boats, have more than one viewpoint, and you get to race. I was racing every weekend on different boats for six weeks until the holidays hit. Everyone needs crew. Thats the best way to learn and its free. A good skipper will let you (after awhile) and the crew pilot the boat to and from the race. I hope this helps

[SailinJay]

I am on the same dock at Jabin's with two Sailtime boats. They're Hunter 36s. Is this the boat they are using to teach sailing? Kind of large and complex for a beginner. I'd recommend either Chesapeake Sailing School (Tanzer 22s) or Annapolis Sailing School (Rainbows). These are small keelboats with good stability and basic sailing controls.

[jimmd]

thanks. they use hunter 216's for the basic course. their biggest selling point to me is class size of 2 vs 4 or more and the ability to pick what 3 days you want. a little more expensive but probably worth it if this really is how it works. any further thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated

[svsirius]

I have recommended and sent several friends through the JWorld courses. They do a great job IMHO - instruction is on J80s.

[SailinJay]

When I took my basic and intermediate sailing courses, there were three of us and the instructor. If I had a choice, I'd opt for the two-person class. More hands-on time when you're doing the on-the-water part of the class.

[Sailormon6]

For basic, entry level sailing instruction, I think you should stick with one of the big, established sailing schools, like Annapolis Sailing School. They have taught thousands of people for many years, and their experienced staff use well developed, standardized teaching materials and methods. The quality of their teaching is reasonably assured by the quality of their materials and methods. The quality of teaching in smaller, locally owned schools is more likely to depend on the quality of each teacher. If you get a good teacher, you'll get good instruction.

If you want instruction in a special area, such as racing or offshore cruising, then there are schools that specialize in those areas and that are much better than the bigger schools that focus on more generalized instruction.

[SailorMikeS]

I can highly recommend Chesapeake Sailing School and the Tanzer 22s they use. I started sailing by taking their weekend basic sailing course over 10 years ago. Until then I had never stepped foot on a sailboat. First morning out we had small craft advisory with 20+ kts wind. Learned how to reef immediately and use the main sheet to control the boat. There were four of us with an instructor, and we all got extensive tiller time. In fact, I don't think the instructor touched the tiller the whole weekend. Great way to start my sailing career. Eventually, I went on to Blue Water Sailing School in Ft. Lauderdale to earn my ASA Bareboat certification. But, Chesapeake Sailing School got me started.

Mike
S/V Carry On
Beneteau 343
Annapolis