Women-Only Courses

Camaraderie, great learning experience and a whole lot of fun!

Several times a year special weeks for women are held at Florida campuses and in the British Virgin Islands. Taught by our expert women instructors, these programs provide a very special camaraderie and learning experience where everyone helps one another achieve their goals in a non-competitive atmosphere.

 "Day one on the water was intimidating; but thanks to our instructors' guidance, patience and encouragement, our second outing was pure exhilaration! I came to your school to gain confidence that I could be a knowledgeable and helpful crew member for my husband and sailing friends – and that was achieved! Thank you for a well-excecuted class and professional organization."
Jennifer Hollander – Durham, NC

Our most popular program for women —
Fast Track to Cruising®

In just 7 days you'll gain the skills to take the helm of an impressive cruising yacht and be your own skipper! Whether you are a complete novice with no sailing experience or have done some sailing but feel a bit rusty, this course provides a curriculum that gives you confidence, self-esteem and the skills to take command.

All Fast Track to Cruising courses start with two days in the Learn to Sail course on a Colgate 26 while staying ashore at one of our destination resort partners below. On the third day you board a 43'-45' cruising boat and learn while continuing to stay ashore (the Bareboat Cruising Preparation course) or living aboard (the Live Aboard Cruising course) while cruising from port to port and island to island. It just doesn't get better than this!

Both cruising courses cover the same material, the same drills and provide the same level of confidence. You will have a classroom session each morning before setting sail. And while sailing share all roles on the boat witih your classmates and new friends. During the cruising course, you will learn on a monohull or catamaran as you'll see below. Just choose your date and come sailing with Offshore! 

Where and when you can learn in 2010

Fast Track to Cruising: Learn on Colgate 26 and our new Leopard 46
Arrive May 21, depart May 29: Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa, Ft. Myers Beach, Florida
Two days of Learn to Sail while staying ashore, followed by five-day Catamaran Live Aboard Cruising course
Single Occupancy $3575; Double Occupancy $3100

Fast Track to Crusing: Learn on Colgate 26 and Moorings Beneteau 43.4
Arrive June 19 and depart June 27. The Moorings, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin islands
Two days of Learn to Sail while staying ashore, followed by five-day Live Aboard Cruising course
Single Occupancy $4195; Double Occupancy $3695

Fast Track to Cruising: Learn on Colgate 26 and 43'-45' cruising monohull
Arrive October 8 and depart October 16: South Seas Island Resort, Captiva Island, Florida
Two days of Learn to Sail followed by five-day Bareboat Cruising Preparataion  course - all while staying ashore
Single Occupancy $3895; Double Occupancy $3195

Catamaran Live Aboard Navigation: Learn on a beautiful Leopard 46 catamaran
Arrive October 17 and depart October 23: Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa, Ft. Myers Beach, Florida
Live aboard this beautiful vessel during the Catamaran Live Aboard Navigation course and really learn what cruising is all about (first night ashore at Pink Shell)
Tack this course onto the October Fast Track to Cruising course above and really set sail for life!
Single Occupancy $2295; Double Occupancy $2000

Make new friends while achieving a life goal

Doris Colgate, Offshore Sailing School's President/CEO and founder of the National Women's Sailing Association back in 1990, started You Can Sail Escapes for Women around the same time. They were a huge success!  At least a third of all participants receive a week of women-only training as a gift from a loved one or friend, others are planning to buy a boat and want to share equally in the responsibilities aboard, some just want to see what learning to sail is all about. "We have a whole lot of fun during these weeks," says Doris. "Everyone achieves high scores on their certification tests and goes home with a skill that lasts forever."

"I could not have imagined that I would make as much progress in four days of classroom and practical sailing training as I did. I loved it that the instructors and my shipmates made making mistakes such an honorable way to learn. It was truly a pleasure to learn with a group of all women adults – enriching in many unexpected ways."
Anne Orban – Lancaster, PA

You Can Sail Escape Week packages include

• Your choice of the courses listed above
• Classroom and on-water instructionSunday while living aboard and/or ashore
• A test sail at course end without the instructor aboard
• Applicable accommodations ashore with tax at the resort where we hold these programs
• Fast Track to Cruising by Steve and Doris Colgate, published by McGraw-Hill
• SAILING: A Woman's Guide by Doris Colgate, published by Ragged Mountain Press, McGraw-Hill
• Welcome party
• Impromptu evening happy hours with a couple of fun seminars
• Graduation party
• Diploma and logbook to record your lifelong sailing ventures

Click here to tell us when you want to go.
Call 888-454-7015 today!

As a participant in the June 2008 Women's Fast Track to Cruising course in the British Virgin Islands, I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful and incredible experience it was for me. While I have sailed for many years in many locations with my husband, I preferred to just 'take orders' and never had the desire to really learn the 'how's and why's.' I took this class not because I wanted to but because I knew that I needed to if my husband and I are going to spend increasingly greater time on the water. Having completed the course, I now have a different mindset. I want to learn more and to continue developing my skills. I attribute that to our instructor, Louise Reardon. Her patient, calm and very organized approach to teaching and ever supportvie coaching motivated me each day. It was clear to our team that she sincerely wanted us to learn and she would raise the bar each day to ensure that we would reach our potential. I look forward to many days of sailing ahead with my new skills and a new perspective, thanks to Louise and Offshore Sailing School"
Caeli Matthews – Plantation, FL