Most folks only dream of sailing. At Sara-Bay Sailing School, we can make those dreams come true. Come sail with Sara-Bay Sailing School and Charter on the aqua blue waters of beautiful Sarasota Bay on the west coast of Florida. The winds are usually light from the east until the sea breeze kicks in shortly after noon each day when the winds build to a pleasant, cooling 10-15 knot breeze from the west. This makes for ideal sailing! See the courses listed below:
Basic Keelboat Certification (ASA 101)
A course for beginners. Students are not required to have any previous sailing experience. It is required you have sailing gloves, boat shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat and a “let’s have fun and learn to sail” attitude. Most classes have 2 students with a maximum of 3 — assuring personal attention and lots of hands-on experience during this 2 day – 12-hour course. The written test, which takes about 1 hour, is given on the second day after sailing is completed. Classes are aboard a Catalina 22. We meet at 9AM at our office, sail until noon, and usually come dock for lunch and a break. After Lunch we sail again, enjoying the afternoon breezes and return to the dock around 4 PM. Upon completion of this course, take the Basic Coastal Cruising Certification course, the next step in the ASA’s Learn to Sail program.
Course Materials Include:
- ASA Sailing Made Easy Book
- Official ASA Logbook
- Federal Requirement Booklet
- U.S. Coast Guard Aids To Navigation
Topics Covered Includes:
- Boating safety
- Sailing theory and terminology
- Points of sail, tacking and jibing
- Basic sail trim
- Man overboard recovery
- Six knots
- Basic rules of the road
- Meets USCG Safe Boating course requirements
Basic Coastal Cruising Certification (ASA 103)
A more advanced course with emphasis on the following sailing skills: (this class is two days with 12 hours of instruction with a written examination for certification). Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to day charter a boat without an instructor aboard (see our information on Charters).
Course Materials Include:
- Coastal Cruising Made Easy Book
Topics Covered Includes:
- Docking
- Anchoring
- Reefing skills
- Heaving to
- Knots
- Basic navigation with apps.
- Freeing a grounded vessel
Bareboat Cruising Certification (ASA 104)
An advanced cruising Standard to gain offshore sailing experience and bareboat certification. The individual will act as skipper and crew of a 35′ sloop. The course is a 2-day cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal Waterway and Sarasota Bay. The Standard includes knowledge of boat systems and maintenance procedures.
Topics Covered Includes:
- Provisioning
- Boat systems and maintenance
- Using VHF radio
- Drawbridge protocol
- Navigating passes and intracoastal
- Offshore sailing | GPS navigation
- Tides and currents
- Anchoring
- Avoiding Seasickness
- Rules of the Road
Cruising Catamaran Made Easy (ASA 114)
ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran is a one-day addendum to ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising.
Course Materials Include:
- Cruising Catamarans Made Easy Book
Topics Covered Includes:
- Boat Systems
- Docking In Close Quarters
- Anchoring and Mooring
- Sailing Maneuvers and Sail Trim
- Safety Considerations Under Power and Sail-Crew Overboard and Recovery
Gift Certificates Available from Sara-Bay Sailing School
Procedure for Gift Certificates:
1. Click on the Gift Certificate link (listed to the right)
The gift certificate will appear in a pop-up window.
2. Fill in the text boxes on the screen – along with your gift message.
3. Using the print function (or right click on the mouse and choose ‘Print…’ from the menu) on your computer to print out the certificate.
4. The certificate requires validation. Call Sara Bay Sailing at (1)941. 914.5132 for payment options. Gift certificate is good for 2 years upon purchase and validation.
