SAILING LESSONS - COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND PRICING
If you have always wanted to learn to sail, the time to act is now.
Whether you envision yourself vying for 1st place during the weekly Tuesday and Wednesday night sailing races here in Buffalo, or simply spending a relaxing afternoon at the helm of a cruising sailboat with family and friends, it can all begin here with Patriot Sailing. Don’t miss out on your dream to be a sailor.
Patriot sailing offers private and semi-private, lessons along with flexible class schedules. We believe that students learn best when taught in small groups (you will never have more that two other students accompanying you on any of the semi-private “on the water” lessons). We believe that learning to sail does not need to be stressful, but instead should be fun. We also believe that everyone can learn to sail.
Our “Learn to Sail” course will teach you the fundamentals of sailing and will give you the ability and confidence to take family and friends out on the lake to enjoy your new passion.
For those of you who might need a bit more convincing about the joys of sailing, we also offer a single session “Introduction to Sailing” course. This course is an ideal “sampler” and requires only a minimal commitment of time and expense.
Patriot Sailing also offers lessons to current sailors who wish to improve their skills. We are happy to focus on whatever areas of instruction you request.
DETAILED COURSE DESCRIPTIONS, AS WELL AS SCHEDULING AND PRICING INFORMATION, ARE LISTED BELOW:
“Introduction to Sailing” – a single 2.5 hour “on the water” lesson – $95.00
This course provides a cost and time effective way to determine if “sailing” is for you. This course is designed for someone with no sailing experience as a quick introduction. You will receive a brief overview of the parts of the sailboat (as well as a safety briefing) before casting off on your first sail. During your time on the water you will learn how to steer the boat and maintain a course. You will learn how a sailboat harnesses the power of the wind and how to control that power by manipulating the sails. You will also leanr how to change the direction of the sailboat through procedure known as “tacks” and “jibes”.
Finally, please feel free to contact Patriot Sailing via telephone (or email) at any time if you have questions and/or to book your lessons. (Please leave a message if no one answers as that probable means we are out on the boat. We will get right back to you.
(You can book this lesson any day of the week. We can sail during the morning, afternoon, or evening, whatever best accommodates your schedule.)
You can also bring a friend (or two) along for only $20 each (if reserved at time of booking).
If you take the “Learn to Sail” course (later in the same season), you will receive a $50 credit at that time.
“Learn to Sail” (Semi-Private)” – 19 hours of classroom, dockside and on-the-water lessons – $400.00
This course is designed to take someone with no sailing experience and give them the confidence to sail a 20′-25′ sailboat in light – moderate winds by the end of the course. During the course, you will learn sailing terminology (required to efficiently communicate with fellow crew members) and you will learn how to make several types of knots regularly utilized by sailors. You will learn: how a sailboat harnesses the wind; to determine the direction and strength of the wind; and to manage that wind by controlling your sails. You will learn in which directions a sailboat can travel relative to the wind (commonly referred to as “points of sail”). You will learn: how to steer a sailboat by means of a tiller; how to maintain course; and how to change directions by tacking and jibing. You will also learn: emergency procedures; “rules of the road”; as well as the use of navigational aids and charts (a map of the water). Finally , you will learn: how to safely depart and return to the dock under the power of an outboard motor; how to properly secure a boat to the dock; and how to “close up” a boat for the evening.
This course will be taught on a type of sailboat referred to as a “keel-boat”. A keel-boat is designed with a weighted ballast beneath the hull, which provides stability to the boat. This is very different from learning to sail on a “dinghy”. Dinghy sailboats do not have the weighted ballast and are subject to capsizing, should the wind over power the boat before its crew can properly respond. Capsizing while learning to sail a dinghy sailboat is almost inevitable and therefore most schools actually teach students how to capsize a boat and how to recover. You will not need to worry about this during the course.
Patriot Sailing limits on-the-water lessons to a maximum of three students so that you will always be active and engaged during the training. This allows each student to constantly have a job (one to steer and the other two to control the sails). Other schools often allow up to six students on the boat at a time.
While this course will be fun, you will inevitably get out of the course whatever you put in, in terms of effort and attention. Prior to your first lesson, Patriot Sailing will provide you with some reading materials and videos to help you get off to a positive start. We also suggest that you review what you learned after each class. In fact, each on-the-water lesson will conclude with a short debrief, designed to solidify topics we just covered. We also encourage you to continually ask questions as we proceed through the course.
To get a preview of what you will be learning you can go to the “Videos” page for some short videos.
Finally, please feel free to contact Patriot Sailing via telephone (or email) if you have any questions and/or to book your lessons. (Please leave a message if no one answers, as that probably means we are out on the boat. We will get right back to you.)
(Option 1 – Learn in Weekend – Friday 6:00p-9:00p, Saturday and Sunday 9:00a-5:00p)
(Option 2 – A More Casual Approach – Begin with a classroom/dockside class (3 hours), then continue with four or more on-the-water lessons (totaling 16 hours) scheduled to best fit your schedule.)
If you sign up and take the course with a friend (or two), you will receive a $100 discount per additional student.
“Learn to Sail” (Private) – 19 hours of classroom, dockside and on-the-water lessons – $650.00
This course is the same as the above semi-private course, except that you will be the only student on board. This allows you to learn at your own pace and focus on area of instruction most important to you.
Finally, please feel free to contact Patriot Sailing via telephone (or email) at any time if you have questions and/or to book your lessons. (Please leave a message if no one answers as that probable means we are out on the boat. We will get right back to you.)
(Option 1 – Learn in Weekend – Friday 6:00p-9:00p, Saturday and Sunday 9:00a-5:00p)
(Option 2 – A More Casual Approach – Begin with a classroom/dockside class (3 hours), then continue with four or more on-the-water lessons (totaling 16 hours) scheduled to best fit your schedule.)