Fast Track to Cruising^® – Sailboat Cruising

Offshore Sailing School’s Most Popular Sailboat Cruising Program

Accelerated Fast Track to Cruising® gives you confidence and skills to bareboat chartering in just 7 days!

Fast Track to Cruising® is a unique experience, where you combine Learn to Sail with Bareboat Chartering or Live Aboard Sailboat Cruising on a monohull or catamaran - the fastest and most innovative way to get certified for sailing and cruising. Unmatched anywhere in sailing and cruising training, it combines our Learn to Sail course with your choice of Cruising Course: Bareboat Cruising Preparation or Live Aboard Cruising. Both cruising courses cover the same techniques and skills. If you prefer to live ashore while learning, choose Bareboat Cruising Preparation. If you want to experience the Live Aboard lifestyle, choose the Live Aboard Cruising course.

“We took the Fast Track to Cruising course to build skills and confidence fast.
Since then, we’ve logged over 5,000 miles and visited 50 ports.”
William andSally Lee – San Francisco, CA

Learn on an impressive monohull or catamaran

In this exclusive program from Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School you go from novice to confident, skilled sailing and cruising sailor in a high-energy, fun-filled learning experience. In one week, you are ready for a lifetime of cruising – on your own sailboat or want to do bareboat chartering, cruising in exotic waters. If you plan to cruise as a couple or with family, consider our Private Fast Track to Cruising for Two or Private Family Fast Track to Cruising options.

Featured Testimonial

From novice to sailboat cruising in one week

sailing & cruising with offshore sailing school The first two days of this sailboat cruising course you Learn to Sail aboard an award-winning Colgate 26 sailboat while staying ashore at a seaside resort. The next five days you learn on a spacious 43' to 49' sailboat cruising monohull or catamaran yacht. You may continue to stay at the resort or sail away and learn while living aboard and cruising from port to port, island to island. On your last day you'll set out on the most gratifying part of the course — a 24-hour test cruise on that same big yacht without the instructor aboard.

"If you want to learn how to sail I recommend the Fast Track to Cruising course. My wife and I did a private program which gave the two of us the confidence to now go out and charter anywhere! Thanks Offshore- you are the BEST!"
Tom Haas, Compton, NH

Each day you’ll progress with a "classroom" session and on-water instruction, learning to work with your Sailboat Cruising – Fast Track to Cruising crewmates as a sailing team. Throughout the week, you practice the dynamic responsibilities of a skipper and the rewards of being a knowledgeable crew member. Schedules outlining daily classroom and on-water sailing times for the whole program – specific to each location – are available when you inquire. Click here to see what you will learn in this course.

“I never had the skills or confidence to feel really good about cruising safely with my family until I took the Fast Track to Cruising Course.”
Gabriel Emanuelli – Miramar, FL

No sailing or cruising experience required!

There are no pre-requisites for this sailing and cruising course. You earn Colgate Day Sailing, Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Cruising Certification all in one week, with tests at all three levels administered as you go. At the end of the course you’ll be amazed by the skills and knowledge you have gained; and the incredible confidence you feel when the instructor leaves you on your last day to go off on your own mini-cruise.

You'll graduate a cruising sailor with the skills and confidence to take the next step –– cruising on your own boat or chartering all over the world, with charter discounts from The Moorings when you learn on their boats. When you're ready to charter, just ask your sailing advisor to book your bareboat charter for you.

All inclusive packages

The total all inclusive package includes:

Two course tuitions — Learn to Sail and your cruising course choice
Two nights accommodations ashore with applicable tax if you choose Live Aboard Cruising
Seven or eight nights accommodations ashore with applicable tax if you choose Bareboat Cruising Preparation
Training on a Colgate 26 and a 42' to 49' cruising yacht - monohull or catamaran
Your berth aboard a 42' to 49' monohull or catamaran if you choose Live Aboard
All breakfasts, lunches, snacks and four dinners aboard for Live Aboard course
Exclusive textbooks and three certifications
Logbook and diploma
Test-cruise without the instructor aboard
Exclusive benefit from The Sailing Company - your choice of a year's subscription to Cruising World or Sailing World magazine

Rates are seasonal and based on double occupancy ashore and aboard. Private room and cabin rates are also available. If you take this course in Florida, plan to arrive Friday and depart Saturday a week later. If you take it in the British Virgin Islands, plan to arrive Saturday and depart a week later on Sunday. If you do your Fast Track to Cruising course on the Chesapeake plan to arrive Friday and depart the following Friday afternoon, seven days later. In New Jersey, weekday and weekend starts are available. Whichever location you choose, you’ll graduate empowered to take the helm of a cruising yacht up to 50’ on your own, especially after your practice cruise at the end of the course without the instructor aboard!

More value than you'll find anywhere else!

Offshore Sailing School is known for its informative, comprehensive textbooks, written by the foremost sailing education experts. Your primary textbook is Steve and Doris Colgate's Fast Track to Cruising, published in 2005 by International Marine/McGraw-Hill. This 246-page compendium is an Offshore Sailing School exclusive – the only up-to-date guide there is that teaches sailing and cruising in a step-by-step, easy to read and entertaining format. Our graduates love this book because it takes you smoothly from your first day on a Colgate 26 to graduation on a 43-50' cruising boat. If you'd like to purchase copies for friends just click on the book.

Three certifications achieved

Three Colgate Certifications described above come with this course. If you choose to get US SAILING certification, you will receive three more textbooks to complete your sailing library and prepare you for the US SAILING certification tests: US SAILING Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising. There are no pre-requisites for this Fast Track to Cruising Course Book –Bareboat Chartering course. You learn it all in just 7 days!