Tradewinds Sailing School & Club

Great club. Super Friendly and professional staff. I got my ASA certifications here and the instructors are also very well prepared.
The have some of the nicest boats on the bay areas, especially if you are looking for a nice cruising day!

I got my ASA certifications (multiple) at Tradewinds years ago and been frequenting the club since. They have great staff, boats and instructors.
If you are looking to take some sailing classes or rent a nice cruise boat, this is definitely the club for you.

I had an excellent experience with Tradewinds Sailing School a few years ago taking the ASA 101 course (I think it was a groupon deal which they were super cool with). Everyone at the Club was super nice, I loved the sort of funkier feel of the club, and my instructor was great. I came back a few times after the course to take out a boat with another student to work on our skills, and it was really easy and a well organized process.
I would absolutely recommend Tradewinds if you want to learn how to sail, join a club, or become a part of a really cool community of people.

I have extensive (single handed and crewed) experience sailing with both charter boats and my own boats (ultralights). My previous experience with charter boats was not positive. Inevitably they were poorly maintained and equipped.
When I visited Tradewinds, it was immediately clear that here was a company that cared about its boats and its members. Boats were clean, well maintained, and properly equipped.
Their checkout procedure is thorough and appropriate and results in sailors who have respect for the boats, the weather, and the waters.
I have recommended Tradewinds to dozens of people over the years and would 100% recommend them to anyone who wishes to learn to sail and/​or charter boats.
They are a quality organization all the way.

I love this club, great people, always friendly and keen to help! Highly recommended.

Matt and Brandy are simply Incredible people! They are not only friendly and helpful, but truly dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction to their customers and club members. Any time I needed anything from getting my Cal 30 re-​powered to helping me sell the boat which was in their rental fleet at that time, they personally went out of their way and made sure I was taken care of and I can’t thank them enough for being the understanding and caring people they are. The members in the club are are also helpful and willing to share their experiences and help with the other members needs as well. What An Outstanding club and a delightful group of people this place has and that is because the owners Matt and Brandy take personal interest in every aspect of the club, the members and the maintenance of their fantastic fleet of well equipped and maintained yachts, I genuinely recommend anyone wanting a hassle free sailing club to belong to, or those just wanting to learn to sail or try it out. Tradewinds is The BEST in the Bay Area and should be your first and likely your best place for worry free enjoyable sailing in the Bay.

I was introduced to Tradewinds as a guest of a friend on a day charter. I was immediately impressed with the boat club system, the clean and well-​appointed boat, the facilities and the friendly faces. When we arrived back at the dock, I learned everything I could about the club and signed up for ASA 101. I showed up for my first class clueless and wondering if I would EVER be able to skipper a boat — much less after only 3 days of instruction. My instructor, Marianne, was very knowledgeable (she’s literally sailed around the world!), patient and an excellent teacher. After my third day of class, I signed up to become a member of the boat club and started skippering sailboats on the San Francisco Bay — confidently! I went out 3x per week for the next couple of weeks for one (low!) monthly fee. Unlimited sailing! Needless to say, I was hooked. I completed ASA103 with Tony, another amazing instructor, and moved up to the next level in the club that allows me to take larger boats in a larger area of the bay. I still sail a couple of times per week and I am enrolled in courses through Advanced Coastal Cruising that will allow me to sail up and down the coast outside the Golden Gate.
The Tradewinds approach to teaching (almost completely «hands-​on time») is very empowering. The club system of increasing the size of boat and sailing area as you gain experience ensures that you are always in control of your boat and crew — having fun and practicing newly acquired skills no matter the conditions. There is a huge selection of very nice boats that is always ready for you and your crew. I’ve met so many new friends at Tradewinds — the owners, staff, instructors, and fellow students. This is quickly becoming a second family to me (I started sailing in October!) and there is just about no place I’d rather be than on one of the club boats or in the club house taking in pointers or listening to sea stories.
Do yourself a favor and check out Tradewinds!

Without Brandy’s help, my honeymoon would not been as incredible as it could have been. Helping the coordination and wrangling of two cats out of the BVIs; me, my wife and 12 other friends, along with all the provisioning. C’mon, just remarkable!

If you want to sail, Tradewinds is the place. Great variety of boats to sail on which really made me a better sailor. The monthly «all-​you-​can-​eat» membership plan is the best deal in sailing. I live down the street from Club Nautique Alameda, but drive to Pt. Richmond to sail because the owners are hands on running a sailing club, rather than just trying to manufacture customers for their yacht brokerage like CN was.

This is a review of Tradewinds as school since I’m not a club member. I have taken 101, 103, and 104 and highly recommend them. The instructors are all very different (just as the students in my three classes have been), but all three I’ve had were consistently knowledgable, thoughtful, patient, and thorough. After my first class with Tom, I thought I would request subsequent classes with him but when that didn’t work out in terms of scheduling, it turned out that I personally benefitted from a diverse set of instructors. Although ASA has a specific curriculum, it’s helpful to get exposure to various styles and find your own in there somewhere. The facilities and boats are well maintained, and the office and school management are very friendly and helpful.

I am not a graduate of the school, but I have been a member for almost two years and frequently sail the club’s boats. The boats are well maintained, the availability is good and the booking process is very well designed. Well done Matt and Brandy.

Wonderful, patient and competent instructors! Great school!

Very affordable sailing school and club. Best prices I have seen in the bay area. They have a variety of membership levels and a variety of boats to choose from. Located in Marina Bay, it’s a convenient location for sailing in the bay. They also have a clubhouse with after hours amenities like an ice machine, toilets, and washer machines, and a parking lot. Online reservation system and an App makes it easy to reserve a boat any time. Staff and instructors are friendly and attentive.

Since leaving the Bay Area, I’ve worked with other schools and clubs, and there is simply no comparison. The staff and faculty are the best in the industry, making for the some of the greatest classroom and sailing experiences of my life!

I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect experience. The staff and club members at Tradewinds were warm and welcoming. They made the students feel at home and the atmosphere was perfect for learning this awesome skill set. The equipment and coursework were top notch with a level of professionalism and personality that is unmatched! I highly recommend Tradewinds to any sailor of any skill level whenever i can get someone to listen!

I’ve been a Tradewinds member for nearly 2 years. I love the down-​to-​earth atmosphere; the friendly members; the helpful staff; the top-​notch instructors; the diverse and well-​kept fleet… I could go on. It’s the only club in the Bay Area that brings sailing within reach of just about anyone!

We’ve been members of Tradewinds for two years, and they are a great club. The instructors are friendly and knowledgeable (and patient!), the club boats are in great shape and well maintained.
We regularly take out club boats and always have a great time doing so, Matt and Brandy are also fantastic hosts that are always happy to answer any questions.

Great experience and an excellent value. Rookie or experienced sailors, Tradewinds will meet your needs.

Tradewinds is an incredible, welcoming organization for learning to sail, and belong to as a sailing club. Matt and Brandy, the owners, are never too busy to answer questions, offer a suggestion, or help in any way they can. All the instructors I’ve experienced there are accomplished, knowledgeable instructors that love to sail, and love to see students progress.
I chose TW after talking to the folks at a sailing club/​school at the Berkeley Marina, and the difference was night and day. That, and the high quality selection of well cared for boats made it a no-​brainer to choose them. Since I joined in 2011, I’ve taken Basic Coastal Cruising, Bareboat Chartering, Advanced Docking and Motoring, and done lots of boat checkouts. I’ve had the opportunity to meet lots of other club members during this time, and have had many a fine sail, both as skipper, and crew.
If you want to learn to sail, or just want a club where you can checkout boats for a bay sail, I highly recommend Tradewinds.

I was very impressed with the entire business, Tradewinds does things right. From the school, to the club, to the boats, and their team of instructors, it was top notch.
Marianne was our instructor and she had a very laid back patient demeanor. Also being an instructor with a «boatload» (pun intended) of experience as having sailed around the world; literally.
ASA 101 covers everything a novice will need to know about sailboating and boating in general.
I have looked at other clubs and schools and nothing beats the price /​quality ratio. I look forward to taking coastal navigation and bareboat with Tradewinds.
Do yourself a favor and follow their recommendation to study the material they send you in advance. It will make the class progress much faster and give you more of the invaluable hands on time.