Yacht Cruising Made Easy
Do you dream of bareboat chartering or live aboard sailboat cruising? Get certified for cruising and sailing in seven days on a monohull or catamaran yacht, and have a fabulous holiday at the same time!
Learn Sailing And Cruising In One Week, No Experience Necessary!
With the Accelerated Fast Track to Cruising® Program, you'll learn everything you need to know for total confidence while learning the ropes of bareboat chartering and live-aboard cruising in one week. Our innovative and stimulating Learn to Sail and Cruise Program offers you the time of your life while you master the fine art of sailing and cruising.
"I have a Canadian Master's Certificate unlimited tonnage and I have been a ship pilot for the past 28 years, so training is extremely important. As a professional mariner for 37 yers I would never attempt to sail a vessel of any size without the proper knowledge and training; it's an accident waiting to happen. I was completely taken by surprise by the quality of this course; I can't stop bragging about it's high standards for teaching someone how to sail. Heather and Brian are exemplary instructors with a passion for sailing." - Capt. Andrew St. Germain - Cornwall, Ontario
No Cruising or Sailing Experience Necessary
"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
How to Get Your Bareboat Cruising Certification
Steve and Doris Colgate's Offshore Sailing School gives you hands-on instruction that's unmatched by any other yacht cruising education program in the world. First you start with two days Learning to Sail on a 26 footer while staying ashore, the only real way to capture the essence and skills of sailing. Then continuing your training for the next 5 days, you can choose to learn on a catamaran or monohull, staying ashore or living aboard, while you achieve your bareboat cruising certification on a 43' to 50' cruising yacht.
Novice to Navigator In Seven Days! 
With either course, you'll get the same complete and comprehensive training. Learn on either a catamaran or monohull. Then go bareboating chartering on yachts up to 50 feet. Colgate's Offshore Sailing School is the top sailing school in the USA - attested to by more than 125,000 graduates and 48 years of teaching non-sailors and sailors the right way! Request a quote from our team to get started today.
"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
A final test cruise says it all
On your last day of the course, you will be amazed by how much you learned when you embark on your test cruise - handling a large yacht with confidence and joy.
Just one week of preparation gets you ready for a lifetime of sailing and cruising experiences. You can learn alone and join others who choose the same week, or come with a friend or spouse, or the entire family. If have special family and friends you want to learn with, our Fast Track for Two or the Private Family Fast Track programs are just right for your needs!
Sailing Certification and Textbooks
Our sailing courses will fully equip you to be both a skipper and a crew member. You may choose Colgate Certification or US Sailing Certification (for a modest extra fee). Regardless you will get Steve and Doris Colgate's 246-page Fast Track to Cruising textbook, published by McGraw-Hill. With US Sailing certification you also get three US Sailing textbooks. Here are the three sailing certifications you'll earn in just one week:
Colgate Certification
- Colgate Day Sailing
- Coastal Cruising
- Bareboat Cruising
US Sailing Certification
- Basic Keelboat
- Basic Cruising
- Bareboat Cruising
You'll be tested and certified at each level as you move forward. We promise that you'll be absolutely amazed at how easy it is to learn and master the necessary skills and expertise to enjoy yacht cruising whenever, wherever and however you wish!
After graduation, you'll possess the requisite confidence and ability to cruise on your own boat or to charter anywhere in the world. As an added bonus, you'll be eligible for charter discounts from The Moorings if you train on one of th
eir boats.
Fast Track to Cruising® Locations:
We offer this course in perfect sailing vacation locations with the most perfect conditions for sailing when you want to learn.
Accelerated Fast Track to Cruising® Packages Include:
- Tuition for two courses: Learn to Sail and Bareboat Cruising Preparation or Live Aboard Cruising
- 2 or 3 nights onshore accommodations (including applicable tax) and five onboard your yacht with Live Aboard Cruising
- 7 or 8 nights onshore accommodations (including applicable tax) with Bareboat Cruising Preparation
- Training aboard the Colgate 26 and a 43-50 foot monohull or 43' to 47' catamaran cruising yacht
- A monohull or catamaran cabin (shared or private) with Live Aboard Cruising option
- All breakfasts, lunches and three dinners aboard plus snacks for five days with Live Aboard Cruising option
- Steve and Doris Colgate’s comprehensive Fast Track to Cruising textbook, published by McGraw-Hill
- Three Sailing Certifications
- Logbook and diploma
- Final test cruise
- A one-year subscription to Sailing World or Cruising World magazines
Rates are seasonal and based on private or double occupancy. Please call for a quote: 888-454-7015 or info@OffshoreSailing.com.
Call us now at 888-454-7015 or Request a Quote to find out how easy it is to learn yacht cruising. Our Friendly Sailing Advisors are standing by to answer all your questions!