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what it’s all about

In one word, sailing.  That’s what we do at Go Sailing Chicago, we sail and we want to show you how.  We have recruited the best and brightest instructors the city of Chicago has to offer.  Our top-notch staff are not only certified instructors, they are also US Coast Guard Master Captains.  You can count on our over 100 years of combined sailing experience to show you the way.  

Below you will find all the information you need on our boats, schedule, curriculum, class size, cancellations, rescheduling, discounts and more.  Don’t forget you can now text us your reservation request to 773.710.7245 (SAIL).

sailing 101 - introduction to sailing

If you want to test the waters, brush up on your basic sailing skills or begin the journey of a lifetime, this is the course for you.  We will show you all the basics of sailing from sail trim and shape, taking the helm and keeping a course, rules of the road, parts of the boat, proper seamanship, basic must-know knots, sailing terms, and more. 

Our philosophy is that if we show you the basics on one of our boats, you will have the ability to take this knowledge and apply it to any boat on the water.  After all a halyard is a halyard, a sheet is a sheet, a stanchion a stanchion.  Don’t know what these things are?  Don’t worry, you will as soon as you complete our sailing 101. 

Once you have completed this course you can move up to our sailing 202 - intermediate sailing.

sailing 202 - intermediate sailing lessons

Expand your horizons by building on your basic sailing skills.  Advance your knowledge of sail trim, develop a deeper understanding of how a boat moves through the water, balancing weight, keel, rudder and sails, boat handling under power, anchoring and mooring, more rules of the road, introduction to weather, and more.

You will walk away from this class with a greater sense of confidence on the water and a deeper appreciate for the elements.  If you finish this class and are ready for more and want to take your sailing eduction to the next level, sign up for sailing 303- advanced sailing lessons.

sailing 303 - advanced sailing lessons

In this course you will be challenged with many more skills to prepare you for a lifetime in sailing.  Learn to fly a spinnaker, heave to, master the man overboard drill, solidify for life the rules of the road, know every part of the boat, master your knots, emergency radio operation, and more.  We will work with you in other areas you want a better understanding of as well.

Upon completing sailing 303- advanced sailing lessons, you will be at a level where you can go pretty much anywhere in the world and bareboat charter a sailboat.  What do we mean?  Basically, you can fly to the Caribbean or the Med, charter a boat and take off for a week.  You will have the sailing skills to get you where you want to go!   We strongly recommend consistent practice and taking a class on navigation before attempting a bareboat charter.

schedule

sailing 101- introduction to sailing

Lessons are from 9am-noon and run Saturday, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday for two consecutive weeks. 

Course 1 - May 12,13,19, 20

Course 2 - May 26,27, June 2, 3

Course 3 - June 9, 10, 16, 17

Course 4 - June 23, 24, 30, July 1

Course 5 - July 7, 8, 14, 15

Course 6 - July 21, 22, 28, 29

Course 7 - August 4, 5, 11, 12

Course 8 - August 18, 19, 25, 26

Course 9 - September 8, 9, 15, 16 

sailing 202 - intermediate sailing lessons 

Lessons are from 1-4pm and run Saturday, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday, for two consecutive weeks.  The schedule follows the 101 courses and start on July 7.  

sailing 303 - advanced sailing lessons

Advanced sailing lessons are scheduled as needed and will consist of 12 hours of instruction.

Sailing Lessons with Go Sailing Chicago!

class size

We keep sailing lesson’s class size to a maximum of four.  If you have a group or family larger than four, and no larger than six, we will accommodate you.  Minimum class size for any sailing lesson is three, so if we cannot fill a class with at least 3 people we will have to reschedule your class.

Please note: No persons under the age of 18 allowed on any sailing lesson unless as part of a family group lesson.  Please call with any questions. 

the boats

Sailing lessons are taught on 3 different boats ranging in size from 30-34 feet.  Our varied fleet is utilized to ensure we enforce the skills you use on one boat, you can use on another.  This is what sets Go Sailing Chicago apart from the crowd. 

The equipment onboard is oversized to make handling lines much easier.  We meet and exceed every safety standard set out by the US Coast Guard and constantly upgrade both our gear and our knowledge. If you have any questions, one of the knowledgeable staff members of Go Sailing Chicago are here to help.

costs

The cost of any course is $450.  Each course provides 12 hours of instruction.  Book your course by April 1,2012 and get $50 off your lesson!  Sign up for two classes and receive 10% off.    Sign up for all three courses and receive 20% off.

Tipping is customary and and ranges from 10-20%.

deposits, cancellations and rescheduling

1.   There is a 10% deposit required for each course.
   

2.   If you sign up for more than one course, you will need to put a deposit down for each one.
   

3.   Cancellations are only allowed 2 weeks in advance or more.  Should you cancel less than two weeks in advance of the first scheduled class of your course, you will be charged the full amount of the course.  No exceptions.
   

4.   You are only allowed to reschedule one time per course and must be done more than two weeks in advance of the first scheduled class of your course.  Any attempt to reschedule less than two weeks in advance will be treated as a cancellation and you will be charged the full amount of the course.  No exceptions.
   

5.   If extreme weather conditions or major mechanical problems exist we may have to cancel and reschedule an individual class within a course.  If so, we will schedule a make-up class.
   

notices and suggestions

1.   You will need to come prepared for the weather the day brings.  If it’s cold, windy and rainy, please come prepared.  
   

2.   You may want to bring a bottle of water to keep hydrated.  On hot summer days you can become dehydrated quickly. 
   

3.   Please come with some food in your stomach.  Sailing can be hard work at times and you will need the energy to raise and trim sails.  
   

4.   We strongly suggest purchasing sunscreen of at least 30spf if you do not already own some.   
   

5. You will need to wear non-marking, light colored soled shoes during your sailing lesson.   You will not be allowed to participate in the lesson if you do not have the appropriate footwear.  Flip flops, bare feet, and dark soled shoes are not allowed. 
   

6.   We provide sailing gloves and PFD’s during you lessons.
   

7.   No glass of any kind is allowed during any sailing lesson.
   

8.   Do not show up intoxicated in any way.  If an instructor or any of the staff of Go Sailing Chicago suspects substance use prior or during a sailing lesson you will be asked to leave.  You will not receive a make up class or a refund of any kind. 
   

Please visit our faqs page for answers to more frequently asked questions about sailing lessons and sailing charters. 

Now let’s Go Sailing Chicago!