New York Sailing Center

04/03/2026

Is spring sprunging? It’s all over the place, but the blooming’s begun. Birds are chirping, fish must be spawning, and it’s time to go sailing.

Our first classes begin on April 11, and while we’re fully booked for weekends through mid-summer, we’ll be able to add an occasional extra schedule based on instructor availability.
Weekdays are always an option and we schedule those based on demand, so don’t worry about what’s on the web site. Just contact us.

We’ve moved! Just to the next dock over at Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club. Same sh*t; diff dock. Also, I’m now semi-retired and Alex Mallari, an excellent instructor who jumped ship from another school last season to join us, is taking over. Plans? Don’t c**k it up, and expand capacity incrementally.

Sheepshead Bay YC is more similar than different compared to our former host, Miramar YC. Despite having a larger membership to begin with, SBYC wants to grow both the gen-pop and in particular its club-boat program. This serves the school’s interests, and yours if you’re looking to sail with us this season and keep sailing after you learn.

Check it out! Be in touch about swinging by for a visit. Who knows… you might even get to hop on a boat briefly, and having a drink at the bar with some water views is fun too.

Here’s a link to our site to get started…
https://newyorksailing.club/

Cheers
Steve

In this pic: excellent example of a very nice boat. Shannon ketch, cutter rig, at the docks of Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club. This is an ocean-capable cruising boat. I have a lot of time on one; not this specific beauty. Not sure if this was a transient or a local, but if local, that makes at least two Shannons at Sheepshead!

02/12/2025

Wanna come tie one on?
KNOT CLINIC! March 2, 11-2

Come down to the water’s edge at our homeport of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. We’ll be cozy indoors so weather won’t stop us. If weather allows, we might venture down to the docks to see how to tie up a boat, or even go out for a quick spin on our Carolina Skiff. Either way, we’ll learn how to tie a bunch of knots (which often means forming rope into a bunch).

Knot types will include stoppers, hitches, loops and bends. Want to learn the ONE fishing knot that covers it all? We can do that too.

Coffee/tea provided, and there’s a great bakery across the street! So is a deli for lunch stuff.

$25 clinic fee, paid in advance (credit/debit, Venmo, Zelle or PayPal)

For more info or to sign up, reach out to us through our web site: https://newyorksailing.club/
And, note our note at the bottom of the photo below…

12/24/2024

Our latest Blog Rant is out - You Never Forget Your Sail Number! The Dockmaster remembers two of his and shares some stories that go with them. Plus, pics and links of course.

Great video that just dropped about 2 weeks ago:
OF A LIFETIME

The De Le Rue family (Mila, Victor and Xavier) literally SAIL to Antarctica to explore some life-changing lines, and they’ve explored many of those before. If you like any of these - sailing, skiing, snowboarding, wildlife, cinematography, a good family story - this movie’s for you.

Link to our Blog Rant from our site; there’s a top-menu link.

OF A LIFETIME: here you go…

“Of a Lifetime” a film by Jérôme Tanon, is a celebration of discovery, adventure, and the passing of the torch to the next generation against the breathtakin...

12/03/2024

Cold snap! Time to learn how to navigate. Join us on December 7 & 8 in Park Slope, Brooklyn for a fun and efficient course in coastal navigation.

No experience necessary; no preparation to do before the course. Just show up, get an overview, and dive right into all things plotting.

- Learn what everyone needs to know about charts.
- Plot courses, position fixes, etc with high quality tools.
- Get back on track when you find you’re off course.
- Learn traditional techniques and modern hacks
- GPS! But never to be over-relied on.

Hours will be 10 to 5 with a lunch break and a short “coffee achiever“ break or two.

Here’s an oldie-but-goodie clip from a cruising course where we’re nosediving into navigation while sailing alongside Shelter Island from Greenport. Students are working out a course to steer…

One of our Basic Cruising courses aboard a J-28 out of Greenport, Long Island. As we sail along Shelter Island, students handle the boat and get an imprompt...

11/22/2024

It’s been a minute! Sorry we haven’t posted in awhile. It’s not like we’re idle with nothing to report.

Quick update, plus a unique boat ownership opportunity!

1. Our sailing course schedule is done for the 2024 season, but weather permitting, we can go out for private lessons anytime. Boats are in the water ready to go. Lessons can be for individuals or small groups.

2. Our next Coastal Navigation course (ASA 105) is December 7 & 8. Not sure if it will be in person or on Zoom; leaning toward in person, but depends on YOU.

3. See our latest Blog Rant about getting a Tartan Ten sloop for free. We’ve used the boat enough to know it’s worth considering. Video clips included…

03/13/2024

Sailing starts this weekend! We're full for the first boat for learn to sail (ASA 101/102).

Not sure if we'll do both days or just one, but starting this early is a gift. We usually don't start until early May. When we do, it's on a strictly private basis for well-vetted clients (meaning they're flexible on dates/weather and can handle the elements if they show up! This time, it was open enrollment, and we have one couple plus one single. (And that's that, as we limit class size to 3 students except for strictly private groups.)

This current week is beautiful. Want to go during the week? So do we. Let us know and we'll group you with another sailor or two. Have your own group? Done!

After this weekend's season opener, we will target late March/early April for our next weekend-days course. It takes three days to learn this; two is a nice introduction, but not nearly enough for beginners. So, it's that much harder to dodge wether, but it's worth it.

Reach out with any questions about how this works, or anything else about what we do. Here's a link to our site to get started!..

https://newyorksailing.club/

01/26/2024

Virgin Islands, anyone? We're planning our next sailing vacay course for the week of April 21-28 in the BVI. Could be the full week or a shorter version from 24-28.

- Open to those who've sailed with us before. (Want special dispensation if you haven't? Message us and we'll discuss.)
- Earn one level of ASA Cruising certification, or ASA 105 Coastal Nav, or just come along for the ride.
- MUST have ASA or US Sailing Basic Keelboat, or comparable experience or skills, to join.
- Great balance of cruising around and play/relaxation.
- Pricing highly contingent on many variables, but is typically $2,250 to $2,500 per person, double occupancy.

For more about the trips, see our Sailing Vacation Course page here...

01/13/2024

New Nav Course!
Our next ASA 105 Coastal Navigation course has just been scheduled.

- 2 Sundays, January 28 & February 4
- 9 to 4 with lunch and coffee breaks
- Sheepshead Bay location
- No experience or prerequisites needed
- $475, all-in. Grads of any of our courses get 10% off

As we're on the water, we can take realistic compass bearings from the pier. And, if weather permits, we'll do this by taking a ride on our 23' Carolina skiff for an ultra realistic experience!

For more about the course, or to just sign up, visit our Start Navigating page here...
https://newyorksailing.club/start-navigating-asa-105/

01/12/2024

Our latest Rant is out:
"102, Where Were You?"
ASA finally got around to creating a 102 course. That's right! From 101 to 102 to 103, etc.
What does that mean for you?

If you already learned to sail with us (101), you already DID 102. Almost everything in ASA 102 was already part of our Start Sailing course (ASA 101, Basic Keelboat - now called Keelboat 1).
(When we say "we give you MORE of what you go to sailing school for," we mean it.)

You can get the actual new 102 certification by simply taking the written exam. (Our book covers most of what's in it, and ASA will be publishing a dedicated textbook for the course soon-ish).

If you DIDN'T learn to sail with us, we expect to be offering 1-day or 2-evening clinics to cover what you missed. We'll have some pre-requisites in the form of time on the water we'll expect you to have before taking this.

If you're simply rusty, and like the sound of what's in 102, then our stand alone 102 is for you.

If you are SUPAH rusty, or didn't learn to sail with us, consider taking our Start Sailing (101 + 102). It's not cramming two courses into one. Remember; we have been teaching the same skills and theory for over 50 years as a family. We haven't added anything new. (In fact, we subTRACTED stuff that was superfluous to learn to sail.)

Anyway, here's a link to the rant for more about 102 and our thoughts on it all...

https://newyorksailing.club/102-where-were-you/

12/29/2023

Happy Holidays!

A few seasonal pics here for you, plus a heads up: we have two spots left in our navigation course on January 6 & 7.

This is in-person in Sheepshead Bay. No experience or prerequisites required. It’s fun and very comprehensive, and leads to ASA 105 coastal navigation certification. But, don’t worry… The exam is scheduled later at your convenience after the course, so you can focus on getting the knowledge and skills.

This course is very hands-on and focuses on plotting courses, measuring direction and distance, taking fixes for a proof of position, and dealing with everything that goes wrong in the real world to cause you to be somewhere other than where you had planned.

We will go down to the pier and dock to take compass bearings and, if weather permits, we will take a ride in our Carolina skiff and go out on the water to do that for more effect and fun!

Tuition of $475 is all-inclusive, and you walk away with highest quality plotting tools, which will serve you for life.

For more info, see our Start Navigating 105 page here…
https://newyorksailing.club/start-navigating-asa-105/

11/30/2023

What is this, and why would you care?..
(see pic below)
Tell you in a minute.

First: we're pleased to announce our next live, in-person navigation course. We started them again last winter in Manhattan. Now, we're offering it right at the Sailing Center's home in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn!

Second: we're still offering Zoom schedules as well. Next one is December 5, 12 & 19 (Tuesday evenings), + a morning on either the 9th or 10th (Sat/Sun).

But, back to in-person in Brooklyn...

- January 6 & 7 (one busy weekend)
- 9:00 to 4:00 with coffee and lunch breaks
- ASA 105, Coastal Navigation
- $475, all-inclusive (10% off for our grads)
- No prerequisites or experience needed
- Convenient to public transit and easy parking nearby

As you know by now, we moved to the Miramar Yacht Club in Sheepshead Bay. It's a wonderful, super-inclusive cooperative whose mission is simply to promote sailing and enjoy the camaraderie. The first floor of the Club building is ideal for laying out charts on large flat tables with good lighting, and of course is well heated!

Plus, we're on the water, so we can see a few navigation aids right from the club house. Students can learn how to use a hand-held compass in real life/real time and then plot bearings on a chart back inside.

More about the course...

This is for anyone who wants the skills needed to safely navigate inland and near coastal waters. We start with chart ABC's and quickly progress to advanced plotting of position fixes, current vectors, etc. We simplify and demystify topics like compass deviation and relative bearings. Also, we give you the situational awareness to avoid running aground, and explain why to avoid relying on "Red, Right, Returning."

So, what's in that pic, and why would you care? It's a pelorus. It's used to take "relative" bearings on on object or range of two objects. While it's obsolescent for modern navigation, it will always remain relevant. Why? Radar, which relies on relative bearings, and renders you ridiculous if you don't understand this concept. Plus, it can sometimes be easier to get bearings using a pelorus than a hand held compass, so there's that...

The course focuses on time-tested, traditional techniques. Hence, the watch you can barely see in the pic: noting the time of any observation, and noting how much time has transpired between them. Pencil, chart, timepiece, basic trusted instruments. Plus, GPS of course. Silly not to use it; foolish to over-rely on it.

No, you don't need to have learned to sail or to have taken any other courses before this one. It's helpful to have some boating or paddling experience for perspective, but it's not necessary.

How about math? Don't worry. While much of this is based on math, there's very little to do. We teach you how to "plot the path without the math." It's built in, but usually in the background. If you need help with what little we use, that's our job!

For more info about the course, follow the link below. You can sign up right from the site, or use the contact form in the main menu to reach us with questions...

https://newyorksailing.club/start-navigating-asa-105/