If you’ve ever seen someone out sailing, it can seem quite complicated and difficult from afar. There are many things you have to learn, memorize, and continuously check while you’re sailing, so it is natural to assume that learning to sail would be extremely challenging. However, you might be surprised at how easy and enjoyable learning to sail can actually be.
With the necessary resources, learning to sail can be relatively easy and quick. Before you go out on the water, it is crucial to study how the boat you will be captaining operates and basic skills such as finding the wind’s direction, trimming sails, steering, and boating etiquette.
Having the courage to learn a new skill, especially one with so many nuances such as sailing, can be terrifying. But with the right resources, practice, and instruction, you should be able to pick it up pretty quickly and be out sailing on your own (or with other people, if you choose!) in no time.
Let’s just get right into it and discuss precisely how hard learning to sail is, where you can learn, and a few other related questions!
Is Sailing Difficult to Learn?
Sailing is generally regarded as a relatively easy skill to learn. It takes a decent amount of knowledge, instruction, and practice, but most people can pick it up within a few days of focused effort.
Like almost every other sport or hobby, the more you do it, the better you will become. This simply means that, while you can usually learn to sail quite quickly, it often takes years of practice to become an excellent sailor.
When you are learning to sail, there are quite a few nuances, concepts, and skills that you must understand, but four of the main ones are:
- Steering the craft competently
- Trimming the sails
- Tying off the boat at the dock
- Detecting the direction of the wind
Before you even consider going out on a boat or taking lessons, it is a good idea to brush up and learn some necessary skills regarding sailing. Knowing some basic terminology and concepts will make the learning process on the boat go a lot quicker, and you will enjoy the process more.
Best Places to Learn How to Sail
While sailing is pretty simple to learn for most people, you are likely to sink your boat, or worse, without the proper education and instruction. Learning the proper way to sail from someone who knows what they’re doing is absolutely critical to your success and ease of learning.
But where is the best place to learn how to sail?
In the next few sections, I’ll take a quick look at some of your primary options so you can make an educated decision on where you would like to learn how to sail. There are hundreds of places and courses where you can learn how to sail, so make sure to do your research and take the time to find the best fit for you.
Online Sailing Courses
One of the best ways to take your first step towards learning how to sail is by taking an online sailing course. Many people enjoy these because they can give you a small taste of what sailing is like and what you should expect, so you have some knowledge when you decide to take real-life sailing lessons.
There are many online sailing courses out there, but it is important to find reputable ones. Some of the best online courses out there come from the American Sailing Association, NauticEd, or Offshore Sailing School.
Online sailing courses usually cover the basics of sailing to get you familiar with what you are expected to do out on the water. Once you have completed your course of choice, they will refer you or point you in the right direction of an in-person sailing school.
Taking an online sailing course is by no means necessary, but for the absolute beginner, it can make you feel more comfortable once you decide to go out on the water and take physical sailing lessons.
Sailing Schools
Whether you decided to take an online sailing course before doing in-person lessons or not, finding the right sailing school is vitally important to your growth and learning as a sailor.
Once you’re ready to take in-person sailing lessons, it’s time to start looking at potential schools. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of sailing schools out there, so there should be no problem finding one near you that meets all your needs.
These are some of the essential things to consider when selecting a sailing school to take lessons at:
- What curriculum they teach (ASA, US Sailing, RYA etc.)
- Their overall reputation and the opinions of others who have attended
- The length of the course
- The structure and learning method of the course
There are literally hundreds of factors that can go into your decision on what sailing course you should take, including your availability, favored learning methods, budget, goals regarding sailing, and so many more. Take your time, and don’t be afraid to clarify things with the schools or organizations you’re interested in attending.
Some of the best sailing schools, the American Sailing Association and US Sailing, have locations all over the U.S, so there is bound to be one near where you live.
Community Sailing Centers and Local Sailing Schools
Another great place to learn how to sail is at a local community sailing center. These are great places for beginners to learn because they are often smaller, community-focused, and very welcoming to complete beginners.
If you have a local community sailing center, you might already know some of the people who work or go there!
You can find many community sailing centers scattered around the country along coastline, lakes, reservoirs, and other bodies of water where you’re allowed to sail. Sailing centers are often nonprofits, or run precisely like one, which means they usually are pretty affordable.
If you are considering going to a local community sailing center to learn how to sail, a quick internet search will bring up many options near you. You’ll likely find a sailing center pretty close to where you live due to how many there are in the U.S.
How Long Does It Take To Learn Sailing?
How long it takes you to learn how to sail is a complicated question with many variables and nuances. Every person has their own timeline and journey with sailing, so, while you can plan for a specific timeframe, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t pick up certain sailing aspects by then.
You can learn more about how long it takes most people to learn to sail in this article: How Long Does it Take to Learn to Sail?
One of the biggest things that will impact how long it takes you to learn how to sail is the length of your training course or lessons. Sailing courses can last anywhere from two days up to multiple weeks long, depending on the certification you are going for or the particular class you take.
Even if your sailing lessons only last a few days, that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be capable enough to sail by then. While most people can pick up the basics of sailing pretty quickly, others might take more time to become competent at the new skills sailing requires.
There is also a significant difference between being CAPABLE of sailing and being GREAT at sailing. Learning to sail is a lifelong journey for most people because you always learn new things, techniques, and tricks as you continue to go out on the water and better your skills.
Can You Teach Yourself To Sail?
Throughout this article, I’ve discussed some of the questions regarding how hard sailing is, where you can learn to sail, and many more. However, some people prefer to take on the world (I’m mean, sailing!) alone and are probably wondering if they can just teach themselves how to sail.
In most cases, teaching yourself how to sail is not the best idea.
It is usually much cheaper to take an online sailing class or take a few lessons at a community sailing center than learn everything the hard way. Sailing, while it can be pretty intuitive, has some pretty severe consequences if you mess up, so it’s better to play it safe.
Water safety, boating safety, boating etiquette, and many other aspects of sailing affect yourself as well as other people out on the water with you. It is a good idea, for your well-being and others, to take a few sailing lessons and learn from experienced sailors before going out on your own.
For those still determined to teach themselves how to sail, there are many resources available for you to study sailing and learn on your own. However, it is still highly recommended that you take sailing lessons before going out. Many excellent books on the subject can guide you through the basics and fundamental skills you will need to sail out into the water successfully.
It might seem like learning to sail is too daunting, and while it takes a tremendous amount of effort and dedication, it is truly worth your time on account of the countless hours you will enjoy out on the water with the breeze and your thoughts.