Sailing School: Learning the Basics

Are you looking for a sailing school? Are you looking for a basic, intermediate or advanced sailing school? Do you want some kind of certification? What kind of sailing are you interested in?

If you live in the US, check out the American Sailing Association sailing schools. One of the functions of the ASA has been to develop standardized sailing curricula and certifications. ASA sailing schools offer classes in a sequential fashion; you begin with the Basic Keelboating Standard class and move up from there. In advanced courses you learn how to sail a large boat in coastal waters and how to navigate.

Another organization to check out is the International Sailing School Association, which teaches sailing to over a million people a year. Many ISSA schools also teach yachting and windsurfing.

Did you know you can attend sailing school online? Of course, online sailing schools don't give you any hands-on practice, but you can easily acquire the knowledge you need that way - sometimes for free.

You might consider an instructional cruise, where you live on ship for a period of time while you learn to sail. These sailing schools are very practical, intense and hands-on and most people learn very quickly that way.

How about learning to sail in the open ocean? Several sailing schools offer open ocean sailing classes that include interesting sidebars like maritime history and navigation by the stars.

Whether you just want to learn a little about sailing or you plan to build a catamaran and sail around the world by yourself, there are plenty of good sailing schools to teach you what you need to know.