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Sarasota
505 Quay Commons, Sarasota, FL 34236
Steps from downtown, with Sarasota Bay and the Gulf passes for open-water practice.
Sarasota & St. Petersburg, FL · Since 1964
727-618-4711Learn on monohulls and catamarans in Sarasota and St. Petersburg, taught by certified instructors at America’s longest-running sailing school.
Three days to skipper a keelboat. Six days to charter on your own. Sixty years of knowing how to get you there.
1964
America’s longest continuously operating sailing school
160,000+
Sailors trained
2 Gulf Coast bases
Sarasota (Quay Commons) · St. Petersburg (Vinoy Marina)
Pick your starting point
Every course is on the water, on a real cruising boat, with an EDU-4 certified instructor. Class dates run year-round in Sarasota and St. Petersburg.
Learn to Sail
Level: Beginner
Build a strong foundation in sailing, including boat handling, sail trim, navigation, docking, anchoring, safety, and seamanship.
Call to bookCatamaran Endorsement
Level: Intermediate
Learn the essentials of sailing a catamaran, including multihull handling, maneuvering, docking, and onboard systems.
Call to bookAdvanced Powerboating
Level: Intermediate
Develop advanced skills in docking, navigation, boat systems, emergency handling, and operating larger powerboats.
Call to bookBareboat Charter Master
Level: Intermediate
Prepare to charter and operate a powerboat independently through hands-on training in navigation, anchoring, docking, and vessel systems.
Call to bookSLC International License
Level: Experienced Sailors
Turn your sailing experience into internationally recognized credentials through theory, practical training, and on-water assessment.
Call to bookCoastal Cruising
Level: Intermediate
Build confidence in coastal sailing through training in navigation, weather awareness, sail handling, anchoring, and practical seamanship.
Call to bookBareboat Cruising
Level: Intermediate
Gain liveaboard cruising experience while developing skills in navigation, docking, cruise planning, systems management, and overnight anchoring.
Call to bookPassage Making
Level: Advanced
Prepare for longer voyages with advanced training in passage planning, night sailing, offshore navigation, watchkeeping, and safety.
Call to bookCustomized Training
Level: All Experience Levels
Build a personalized training program focused on your goals, from docking and anchoring to navigation and overall boat-handling confidence.
Call to bookLearn on the boats you’ll actually charter
Training is on modern cruising boats — Jeanneau monohulls and Bali, Fountaine Pajot and Aquila catamarans — not dinghies. What you learn here transfers straight to the charter dock.
Two bases on Florida’s Gulf Coast
St. Petersburg
Vinoy Marina, downtown St. Petersburg
Protected Tampa Bay sailing with easy access to the Gulf.
On the water. Since 1964.
Sixty years of teaching people to sail
Steve Colgate founded Offshore Sailing School in 1964 and went on to write the original US Sailing certification system; his Colgate 26 became the U.S. Naval Academy’s training boat. He and Doris Colgate are both in the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Today the school continues under Seaworthy Academy with the same standard: real skills, taught on real boats, by certified instructors.
Get the class schedule
Call the school for class dates and pricing, and we’ll help you choose the right course. No pressure.
Call 727-618-4711