Nautilus Sailing has been a leader for transformational sailing instruction for over 15 years. We pioneered the, now popular, liveaboard sailing course with our intensive 7-day model. It’s proven to be a great experience.
In the past several years we’ve added our online Masterclass as a preparatory method to supplement book learning is best for beginners.
As a result we’ve been voted Trip Advisor’s, Best of the Best 6 years running. See our reviews below and sign up for your transformation to a skipper!
Don’t hesitate. It really is that good!
Our family recently completed the Catamaran Liveaboard course with Nautilus in the Grenadines, and we had an absolutely AMAZING time! Over the trip we sailed between several islands (genuinely in paradise) and finished ASA 101, 103, 104, and 114.
The whole experience was a great mix of learning, hands-on sailing, and just loads of fun. Despite the fact we were complete beginners, the course somehow managed to keep our family challenged and engaged without ever feeling overwhelming.
Our instructor, Tim (TJ), was simply fantastic! Super knowledgeable, patient, and easy to learn from. One of the best parts was hearing his real-life sailing stories and examples, which made a lot of the theory click in a practical way. He kept things fun while still making sure we were progressing and hitting our goals throughout the course.
The Nautilus team was also great to deal with from start to finish. Communication was easy, everything was well organized, and the overall experience really did exceed our expectations.
We left feeling much more confident on the water and can’t wait to get back out sailing again. Highly recommend Nautilus Sailing.
Amazing organization!
Where do I even start with these guys. I’ve been on several Charter trips with a captain over the past few years including Greece, Italy, and Tahiti. Somewhere along the way I thought “Man, Id love to do that!” With encouragement from my wife (selfish reasons I expect) :), I researched long and hard looked at several companies and came across Nautilus. I sure am glad that I did.
I booked this experience without even knowing what to expect or anything about sailing and I can’t be more appreciative of Tim and Doug. They were patient, pushed me when I needed it and just really made me feel great about my decision to do this. I cant wait for my first flotilla!
I cant forget, there was a fantastic couple on my trip that I know will be great folks, I’ll check in with often! And I know that Tim and Doug will be a resource that I can always reach out to at anytime. Thank you all again for helping this guy get through this journey! Next time, rum punches are on me!
Best for Beginners
What Matters
Willingness to be a beginner. This is the single most important factor, and the one most underestimated. Adults who struggle with sailing instruction are almost always struggling with this, not with the technical content. Sailing requires you to be genuinely uncertain, to make decisions you’re not confident about, to get things wrong in front of other people. Adults who can sit comfortably in that position — who are curious rather than defensive when they don’t understand something — learn quickly. Adults who need to appear competent before they are competent tend to miss the lessons that would get them there.
Genuine motivation. A week-long liveaboard sailing course is immersive and physically demanding. You will be tired. There will be moments of confusion and frustration. Students who are there because they genuinely want to learn — not because a partner pushed them into it — manage these moments better. This is not a character judgment; it’s an observation about how learning works under pressure.
