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November/December
2001 |
Sailing schools:
Confidence builders
This sailing school combines
gourmet dining with
solid sailing skills

Author Cathy McIntire learns to use the sextant
"Imagine Joshua Slocum as a patient tutor and Martha Stewart preparing
delicious meals on deck, and you have the beginnings of an appreciation
for shipping out on the Samana."
That's what one of the email testimonials said when I checked out the Web site for The School of Ocean Sailing as I searched for the "right" sailing school to meet my needs.
I was introduced to sailing by my husband a few months before we married 10 years ago. Each of us survived divorces and was eager to develop a new and better life. Fortunately, Ken had sailed for years,
so a better life included the purchase of a 25-foot Columbia. After a few years, we bought a 30-foot Baba and made serious plans to move aboard. As we sold our house and spent a summer preparing for living aboard, it occurred to us that, while Ken had obtained his bareboat certificate via a sailing course on the Great Lakes, I had never attended any formal sailing school. We decided it would be prudent for me to develop my navigation skills. Ken encouraged me to take a course simply to bolster my confidence.
Since the purpose of this instruction was to prepare me for coastal cruising along the Atlantic seaboard, it seemed appropriate to consider courses set on the coast. On the Internet I found a long list of sailing schools offering a bewildering array of course schedules and levels of instruction.
That's what one of the email testimonials said when I checked out the Web site for The School of Ocean Sailing as I searched for the "right" sailing school to meet my needs.
I was introduced to sailing by my husband a few months before we married 10 years ago. Each of us survived divorces and was eager to develop a new and better life. Fortunately, Ken had sailed for years,
so a better life included the purchase of a 25-foot Columbia. After a few years, we bought a 30-foot Baba and made serious plans to move aboard. As we sold our house and spent a summer preparing for living aboard, it occurred to us that, while Ken had obtained his bareboat certificate via a sailing course on the Great Lakes, I had never attended any formal sailing school. We decided it would be prudent for me to develop my navigation skills. Ken encouraged me to take a course simply to bolster my confidence.
Since the purpose of this instruction was to prepare me for coastal cruising along the Atlantic seaboard, it seemed appropriate to consider courses set on the coast. On the Internet I found a long list of sailing schools offering a bewildering array of course schedules and levels of instruction.
Some were ASA-certified courses, meaning their content was approved by
the American Sailing Association.
Most of the sailing schools offered day instruction only, with three- to seven-day courses available. Only a few offered live-aboard courses, and they were relatively expensive. I whittled
the list down to a handful of schools offering live-aboard classes focused on coastal cruising. A stand-out
One sailing school stood out from the rest: The School of Ocean Sailing in Portland, Maine. Their Web site <http:// www.sailingschool.com> was well organized and provided information on the course offerings, instructors, and daily schedule. I learned that the school has been in operation since 1975.
Students live aboard the Samana, a 52-foot steel ketch. Larry Wheeler is the captain and a Coast Guard-licensed merchant marine officer holding a 100-ton sail auxiliary and unlimited radar endorsements. He retired not long ago after more than 20 years as a mathematician and professional teacher. His wife, Letty, is a Dutch citizen and experienced sailor who came to the U.S. in 1972. Together, they offer classes in ocean sailing, advanced coastal navigation, and celestial navigation. They also offer an introduction to offshore passagemaking.
Most of the sailing schools offered day instruction only, with three- to seven-day courses available. Only a few offered live-aboard courses, and they were relatively expensive. I whittled
the list down to a handful of schools offering live-aboard classes focused on coastal cruising. A stand-out
One sailing school stood out from the rest: The School of Ocean Sailing in Portland, Maine. Their Web site <http:// www.sailingschool.com> was well organized and provided information on the course offerings, instructors, and daily schedule. I learned that the school has been in operation since 1975.
Students live aboard the Samana, a 52-foot steel ketch. Larry Wheeler is the captain and a Coast Guard-licensed merchant marine officer holding a 100-ton sail auxiliary and unlimited radar endorsements. He retired not long ago after more than 20 years as a mathematician and professional teacher. His wife, Letty, is a Dutch citizen and experienced sailor who came to the U.S. in 1972. Together, they offer classes in ocean sailing, advanced coastal navigation, and celestial navigation. They also offer an introduction to offshore passagemaking.
Larry and Letty are both certified by the National Association of Sail Instructors and Sailing Schools (NASISS).
I read about the skills taught in each course and the landfalls for each passage. Some of the skills included in the coastal navigation class were coastal piloting, dead reckoning, sail handling, reaching, running, tacking, and docking techniques, along with using radar, GPS, electronic chart plotting, weatherfax, and single-sideband equipment. The class size appealed to me: six students with two instructors. Two things really cinched the decision. First, the course focuses on preparing students for navigating through fog (with fog likely during the training). I reasoned that real-life instruction navigating along the rocky coast of Maine in fog with 15-foot tides would be far more useful to me than a sunny Florida setting.
Gourmet cuisine
The second clincher was Letty's cooking. The menu for the week is posted on the Web site: ginger chicken over basmati rice, vegetable lasagna, chicken à l'orange. Sailing instruction and gourmet cuisine as well? I was hooked. Accommodations aboard were included in the price, which was under $1,000, so I sent my check to reserve a spot on Samana for the first week of August.
I read about the skills taught in each course and the landfalls for each passage. Some of the skills included in the coastal navigation class were coastal piloting, dead reckoning, sail handling, reaching, running, tacking, and docking techniques, along with using radar, GPS, electronic chart plotting, weatherfax, and single-sideband equipment. The class size appealed to me: six students with two instructors. Two things really cinched the decision. First, the course focuses on preparing students for navigating through fog (with fog likely during the training). I reasoned that real-life instruction navigating along the rocky coast of Maine in fog with 15-foot tides would be far more useful to me than a sunny Florida setting.
Gourmet cuisine
The second clincher was Letty's cooking. The menu for the week is posted on the Web site: ginger chicken over basmati rice, vegetable lasagna, chicken à l'orange. Sailing instruction and gourmet cuisine as well? I was hooked. Accommodations aboard were included in the price, which was under $1,000, so I sent my check to reserve a spot on Samana for the first week of August.
Course Schedule
Course Cost and Avalability Schedule
February 2 - February 8, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
February 2 - February 8, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
February 23 - March 1, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
February 23 - March 1, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
March 16 - March 22, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
March 16 - March 22, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
April 9, 2014 - April 15, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
April 9, 2014 - April 15, 2014
$2,025.00 per person
$2,025.00 per person
Testimonials
Choosing a sailing school is a personal decision, based on individual strengths and weaknesses, the type of sailor we wish to be, the time and money we have to spend and the manner in which we learn best.
I must give high marks to the School of Ocean Sailing and I recommend them to anyone looking for a sailing school.
The School of Ocean Sailing proved to be just that, and more. As a novice ocean sailor, not only did I learn the fundamentals of sailing on the open sea, but also had a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Captain Larry and Letty are exceptional people with plenty of patience to answer the many questions put to them by the beginning, as well as the advanced, sailor. Each day there was never a dull moment as we sailed from island to island, learning hands-on, covering the key points of navigation, setting the sails just right our heading. Each evening at port began with an incredible dinner aboard Samana, followed by sightseeing or just relaxing on deck gazing at a star-filled sky. From start to finish it was an excellent experience that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in learning more about ocean sailing.
A great learning experience. Your emphasis on safety and proper planning reflects your dedication to training students to be contentious sailors. My experiences in the last week have given me the skills and confidence to sail the open seas. The food was not bad either.
I'm at peace with Casco Bay at last! Knowledge always overtakes your fears. I've learned so much about navigating and sailing this past week. I now have the confidence to continue exploring the Maine coast by sail, power, or paddle.
How much do you want to learn about real weather sailing, the sunny, windy, foggy and wet? The challenge is up to you. Larry and Letty share all the knowledge and skills you will need to make it happen, plus excellent food.
I came expecting to learn a bit about celestial navigation and was amply rewarded. What I didn't expect was what was probably the most rewarding of all -- time spent building memories with new friends. I wouldn't trade the time and new friendships for a ransom of gold.







