Blue Water Sailing School

Did the Bareboat Skipper the week of Thanksgiving. Highly recommended if you want to learn to sail. We spent a week with Captain Duane on a 53′ 14 ton monohull with 5 staterooms /​5 heads, 4 students. Was a great time and also learned a ton of stuff. I highly recommend studying your ASA books a lot before you go, and also there is an iPhone app «sailing quiz» that helps you study too. The tests aren’t too difficult but it is just a lot of information for one week to cover. Capt Duane is a great sailor and a fun guy and has a lot of experience he will teach you. Was so hard to fly back to cold Nebraska after that, but makes me want to take more sailing classes now, and some day sell all my stuff and go live on a boat!

There are things in life I wish I did earlier; however, they only become disappointments if you never do them at all. I’m so happy I met the people at Blue Water Sailing School, who have offered adventure, beauty of our environment and their love of sailing in one giant package.
This is not boring classroom experience, you learn from hands on technique from experienced vetted professionals. I was lucky enough to have Duane as an instructor and have the classmates that I had for this seven day odyssey from Ft. Lauderdale to the Florida Keys in a 43′ Leopard Catamaran. Their were three others with different skill and motivational levels. Duane was able to pass along his knowledge, the ASA’s knowledge with humor, concise information and a sailors skill.
The mix of just plain fun and the learning experience had a symbiotic relationship with one another. The desire to learn the next day’s lesson plan was eagerly awaited.
I can assure you and myself that I did get a lot out of this class and look forward to the next level of the «Passage» class.
Dave, although I never met you, you run not a tight ship, you run a great ship.

Great instructor and didn’t slack off on the drills. We sailed Biscayne Bay and anchored off of President Nixon’s place on Key Biscayne. Sailed around stilts ville which is an area where these old houses are on stilts between the bay and the Atlantic. The boat had some brown on the hull from the waterway (am told) but the belowdecks and topside were in fine shape. Our skipper was a great cook which I am told is not the norm, so lucky there I guess.
The boat was pretty spacious and equipment worked. Didn’t heel as much as I thought we would. The two wheels were a nice touch as it lets the instructor guide you through tacks and jibes.
Highly recommended!

My experience sailing with Molly Winkelman of Blue Water Sailing School in St. Thomas was nothing but positive. She delivers her expert knowledge with focus, authority and good humor, and caters to individual students’ needs whenever able without detracting from the other students’ experiences.

As I am now suffering through sub freezing temperatures, I am thinking back to the amazing experience that I had in Janauary (almost a year ago…:-() my how time flies. Wish I could go back for an anniversary sail. Last January, (for my b-​day) I was given the opportunity to spend a week on Weatherbird learning how to sail. Lesson 1, Molly (captain) has the patience of a saint, lesson 2, practice makes perfect!, not that I am perfect, but I’ve had a lot more practice. Lesson 3, this is not a vacation, but is an amazing experience for those who truly want to learn to sail! Molly handles the boat like its a toy (which is comforting for those of us who don’t), and her knowledge and experience gave me the confidence to know that she wouldn’t let me fail, but if I did, she would be there to make sure that I didnt do anything terrible. That was incredibly confidence inspiring. Wish I was going back in January (hint, hint to my boyfriend), but very fond memories and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend to a friend… or a stranger!

I took the bareboat course down in the USVI and had an amazing time. Even though it is a course where each day you are building on existing skills and learning new ones I would also put it as one of the greatest vacations I’ve ever had. The Weatherbird was a great classroom. Some may think at first that it’s an older boat, but in reality it’s in great shape. Considering how each week a new group of students of varying skill come aboard its as good as any boat you can ask for. I’ve been able to put my bareboating class to use already and the Weatherbird is equal if not better to what you will find in the chartering world. Though the boat is good I owe my great time to my instructor Molly Winkelman. Molly provided a fun and safe learning environment where we could easily take in the course. Molly is highly skilled in the art of sailing and incredibly fun as an instructor. She also provided an invaluable tool in demonstrating how to be the captain, teacher, and friend all in one. It’s not a skill that you appreciate till you charter your own boat and take people you have known for years on your own cruise. Now consider taking 4+ random people and getting them to gel in a day and by day 7 all know how to be a skipper and good crew member. Molly nailed it for our group. By the end the crew were friends who had 7 awesome days on the water. For those considering this course I strongly recommend BWSS and Molly as your instructor. Keep in mind that it is a classroom, your home, and your adventure. Your attitude and what you put into it will ultimately provide what you come away from it all with.

I took the basic courses from this organization. Old boats, the electronics did not work terrible instructor… some guy with just initials. I just took my advanced course at Modern in Sausalito — like night and day. BWSS simply sucked in terms of customer service and quality of boats.