Blue Water Sailing School |
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| Reviewers Male / Female | Recommend Yes / No | Number of Reviews | Classes & Instruction | School Facilities | Boats & Courses | Cost | Total Average Rating |
| 38 / 5 | 37 / 6 | 43 | 8.94 | 9.02 | 8.94 | 8.64 | 8.88 |
| Date Submitted: | April 15, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 10 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 10 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Awesome Gulf Crossing I chose Blue Water for my advanced coastal cruising standard specifically to experience a gulf crossing at night, and it did not disappoint! My captain hd 21 years experience teaching these standards, and his knowledge was second to none. The experience of sailing from Florida to Bimini was one of the highlights of my saling career. I will never forget it! Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Joe Pratt 52 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Chico, CA |
| Date Submitted: | April 8, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 10 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 10 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Great Week of Sailing in the Virgin Islands Three friends and I spent a week sailing around the USVI's with Molly Winkelman taking the ASA 101, 103, and 104 courses. We all had a blast, and learned a lot along the way. It was great having Molly for an instructor, so my girlfriend wasn't stuck on a boat with a bunch of rowdy boys for a week. I got everything I'd hoped for, and more from the trip. I'd sailed a fair amount as a kid, but had never been in a role where I was responsible for a boat and her crew. The course gave me the knowledge and confidence to be comfortable bareboat chartering. I can't wait for our next trip to the Virgin Islands on our own boat. We'll be sure to track down Molly and Weatherbird next time we come down. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Jay Goodell 26 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Merrimack, NH |
| Date Submitted: | April 5, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 10 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 10 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | St Thomas USVI Just returned from a week at BWSS St Thomas. Had a wonderful week taking ASA 101, 103,104. The knowledge, experience and instruction of Captain Miles was unbelievable. Make sure to do your prep work before you go. The course and curriculum were challenging but the structure and foundation set by Captain Miles made learning a great experience. I would highly recommend this school, this facility, location and for sure Captain Miles. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Cutter 55 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Burlington Ontarion Canada |
| Date Submitted: | March 20, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 10 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 10 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Experience of a life time. For anyone looking for the kind of week that you will never forget I can not say enough on the Bareboat A+ at BWSS. The material covered is complete, but presented in a way that was never overwhelming. On that note the trip would have not been the same without our instructor/captain/friend Molly Winkelman. Molly not only has the resume and skill to match the course, but a demeanor that made ever moment so much fun the only part of the course we all hated was walking off the boat in St. Thomas and going back to the real world. Sailing in the USVI with Molly will make you not only check rates for chartering a bareboat down there the second you are done, it will make you safe and confident that you can step on a boat anywhere in the world, and have a safe and fun time. Thank you Molly! Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Sean Dunleavy 26 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Ft. Lauderdale, Fl |
| Date Submitted: | March 19, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 9 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 9 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Can't say enough good things about BWSS Growing up sailing, we thought we had a pretty good idea how to handle a big boat, but Captain Rick taught us so much - and with such patience and humor - that we cannot wait to take the next class in the program. I already bought the next book! Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Dan 52 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Pipersville, PA USA |
| Date Submitted: | March 18, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 9 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 8 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 7 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Vacation and Learning Combined Being the representative of the youngest of three generations on the sailboat, our instructor managed to train me from almost no knowledge at all to being fully confident on a boat. Thanks to Blue Water, I feel perfectly able to join up with other sailing enthusiasts and charter a boat. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Nate 19 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Virginia |
| Date Submitted: | March 17, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 9 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 9 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Learned a lot - surpassed expectations Sailed on Third Wish with Captain Rick and could not have asked for a better training and learning experience. Far surpassed my expectations. Looking forward to next trip to the Bahamas. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Ben 44 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Philadelphia, PA |
| Date Submitted: | March 16, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 9 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 9 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 8 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 9 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Great experience Had a great experience this winter with BWSS and Molly down in the VI- would definitely recommend the school and Molly to others. Now I just need to build up some experience. :) Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Anon 35 year-old :: Female Reviewer :: US |
| Date Submitted: | March 16, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 10 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 7 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | A+ Course 101, 103, 104 An excellent experience! Had a great time becoming more accustomed to practical sailing functions as well as theory. Captain Molly made sure we were all safe and got the crew taking responsibilities right of the bat. The boat functioned beautifully, no problems, and the teaching was impeccable. The social atmosphere is very caribbean, i.e laid back, although respectful of the dangers involved with sailing large vessels. Molly makes a great potato salad and the knowledge and experience that she brings to instructing is vast and invaluable! Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Greg Rickard (The token Canadian) 19 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Canada, Burlington Ontario |
| Date Submitted: | March 16, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 10 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 10 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Great week at Blue Water Sailing School Took the A+ course with BWSS out of Ft. Lauderdale, a great educational experience.The boat(Third Wish)was of quality, the crew fun and interesting, and Capt. CJ is as knowledgeable and capable sailor you will find, his instructional methods are first class. I recommend BWSS to anybody who wants to learn to sail or learn to sail better. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | JC 42 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Durango, CO |
| Date Submitted: | March 16, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 9 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Great course and instruction. Earning my sailing certifications was a rewarding experience. The instructor, Molly Winkelman, worked hard to make sure we were competent. The entire course was well-designed and took a no-nonsense approach. I would definitely recommend it to anyone wishing to own or charter his or her own boat. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Steve 60 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Salt Lake City |
| Date Submitted: | March 16, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 8 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 9 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Awesome experience I had an awesome time getting my Sailing Certification. The instructor, Molly Winkelman was the best. She taught me a lot and made sure it was enjoyable. She mixes some killer cocktails on request! The course was in the BVIs. The scenery was stunning. Molly was very knowledgeable about the local area. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Alfie 30 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Chicago |
| Date Submitted: | March 15, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 9 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 8 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 9 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | BWSS St Thomas I took the course A plus 101-104 Bareboat Chartering out of St. Thomas. Molly Winkelman was a fantastic instructor, with a great teaching style. We had 4 students with some to no experience and she did a great job with all of us. We not only learned the skills, but the reasons behind them. Living aboard the boat was one of the reasons I chose BWSS and I am glad I did. Also the location is wonderful, we anchored or moored on a different island every night, and Molly was very knowledgeable about the area. I would highly recommend BWSS to anyone who would like to learn to sail or improve their skills. I am already looking forward to the Advanced Coastal Cruising Class. Comments [ 1 ] |
| Submitted by: | Nathan Brandt 40 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Milton, WI |
| Date Submitted: | March 13, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 10 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 10 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 10 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Great sailing school, learn it the right way! Blue Water Sailing School is a professional sailing school that focuses on teaching the ASA standards from the ground up without cutting any corners. I have taken all ASA classes from 101 to 108 at BWSS and really enjoyed every one of them. Their teaching methods and standards really make you a better and more confident sailor. The boats are functional and in good teaching shape. The class material is submitted in advance and questions before, during and after the classes are addressed promptly. All their captains (I know all of them) take great pride in teaching the ASA standards along with sharing their experience as long time sailors. You will learn why it is done a certain way. The experience part is really where the value is. I am highly recommending Blue Water Sailing School to everyone that values knowledge and confidence and wants to become a better sailor. This is time and money well spent! Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Axel Fisser 40 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Cleveland, OH |
| Date Submitted: | January 11, 2010 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 9 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 9 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 8 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | I've taken three courses from BWSS - all great! I first went to BWSS in 2001 for the week long trip that combined 101, 103, & 104 courses, and it was great! The instructor seamless integrated the material, experiences, and testing for these courses into one adventurous and meaningful experience. Two years later, I did the 105 & 106 combined in a similar week- great stuff again, and this time with a different captain, who was also a fantastic and inspiring sailor and instructor. Then two years after that, I took the combined Celestial Navigation 107 and Offshore passage-making 108 classes, a three week adventure from Ft. Lauderdale to St. Thomas, which inspired me to make sailing a part of my profession, as well as to buy a boat. I have recommended Blue Water Sailing School to several friends, and family too - everyone who has gone on my recommendation has had a great experience, and I will continue to send them business. I'm contemplating going to BWSS for some additional private instruction soon. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Drew 45 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: North Carolina |
| Date Submitted: | December 30, 2009 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 9 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 9 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 8 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Learned so much AND had a lovely time Our instructor (Capt. Rick) was fantastic -- incredibly knowledgable and took the time to make sure everyone understood the logic/rationale and could use that information to make sound decisions aboard. The boat was great, provisions and meals were a fun part of life on the boat, the other two "students" were wonderful people and fellow sailors, and all in all we had a totally lovely time. The only disappointment was occasional lack of wind. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | Cynthia 33 year-old :: Female Reviewer :: New York, NY |
| Date Submitted: | December 29, 2009 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 10 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 9 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 9 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 9 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | Yes |
| Review: | Excellent Instruction & Fleet; Much Improved Looks like the old instructors are no longer with BWSS. My wife and I took the Cat A Plus course (ASA 101, 103, 104 and 114) with Captain Rick aboard La Bamba, a 41' Lagoon catamaran. We had an absolutely wonderful time and came home feeling confident and having mastered the course work. From what we've seen, BWSS has made major improvements in their fleet and instructors; doing away with some of those who didn't go above and beyond expectations. Our intention is to return for the next round of courses. Comments [ 0 ] |
| Submitted by: | MylesK 34 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: New York City |
| Date Submitted: | November 19, 2009 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 6 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 8 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 8 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 2 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | No |
| Review: | Poor Instructor, Too Much Money Did a course with Blue Water Sailing School in the Caribbean a couple of years ago and had a very poor experience. The instructor was grumpy and ruined the trip for me and my wife. We really didn't need to hear about his divorce and ex over and over again. Made worse by his learing at my wife the entire time -- quite uncomftable on a small boat. Comments [ 2 ] |
| Submitted by: | HobieSailor 46 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: Philadelphia, PA |
| Date Submitted: | August 20, 2009 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 4 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 7 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 5 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 7 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | No |
| Review: | Not Entirely Smooth Sailing with BWSS Like the other reviewer of Blue Water Sailing School on this site, my partner and I had a less-than-desirable experience in the Course A+ with BWSS out of Newport, RI, this summer. The course was a week-long, live-aboard school that led to 101, 103 and 104 ASA certifications. The good news is that all the instruction was focused on the tests for those certifications, and we were adequately prepared to pass the tests. We also gained valuable experience in coastal cruising and living aboard a sailboat. But the overall experience was often unpleasant, and much of what we experienced didn't seem to coincide with what BWSS advertised for this course. Like the other reviewer, we found our instructor often impatient, indifferent, and sometimes even dismissive of our questions. He was obviously knowledgeable about sailing and (I gather) very experienced, and we learned some valuable lessons about sailing and cruising. But he was not at all flexible or accommodating, very rigid in both his thinking and his practices, and rather uninterested in what his students thought or had to say. Moreover, he drank too much. Each evening after we anchored and settled in for the night, he initiated a cocktail hour, which began with some snacks while he prepared dinner and usually continued well into the evening (until 10:00 p.m. or so). He and one of the other students consumed an astonishing quantity of alcohol during these sessions with only modest help from the rest of us, including a half gallon of rum, two bottles of scotch, and 4 or 5 large bottles of wine over five evenings. (The rest of us mostly drank a few beers each evening, so we didn't do much to help consume the harder stuff.) At times our instructor became obnoxious after he was drunk, and one evening he displayed inappropriate impatience toward the students when one of the heads seemed to clog. (It was actually not clogged, which made his mini-tirade even more inappropriate.) He also spent a lot of time telling critical stories of students he had in previous classes. He was unprofessional and generally unfriendly. I would not sail with him again. I'd also add that although the sailing school is intended to be intense and requires students to work, I found it inappropriate and in fact even a bit insulting that we were expected to clean up the dinner dishes each night. At times we were treated like uninformed children who had to clean up before bedtime. I don't mind hard work, but we were told that the fee for the course included instruction and daily sailing exercises, all of which would end by dinner, after which we were on our own. That wasn't the case, and it made for an uncomfortable and unenjoyable time. Luckily, one of the other students was a good guy and very reasonable sailing companion. Otherwise, the week would have been unbearable. The upshot is that I achieved what I hoped to achieve (ASA certification) but I would not sail with Blue Water again nor would I recommend them to other sailors. Comments [ 1 ] |
| Submitted by: | Frustrated 51 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: New York |
| Date Submitted: | March 9, 2008 |
| Sailing School: | Blue Water Sailing School |
| Location: | FL - Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| Classes & Instruction: | 2 out of 10 |
| School Facilities: | 6 out of 10 |
| Boats & Courses: | 5 out of 10 |
| Cost: | 7 out of 10 |
| Recommend: | No |
| Review: | BWSS - Do Your Research Carefully My partner and I attended a 5-day BWSS sailing school in the U.S. Virgin Islands recently. The program led to ASA certifications 101, 103 and 104. We departed St. Thomas and essentially sailed around for 5 days in the BVI and USVI on a Gib'Sea 43. It seems to me when I read consumer reviews (of ANY type) that they're driven either by an outstanding experience or one that doesn't meet expectations. Unfortunately, ours falls in the latter definition. While the boat was in generally good condition and the food was fine, the instructor was clearly below par and the depth of instruction was lacking. A good instructor should have plenty of patience and an inherent desire to teach. Ours had neither. He was irritable, short-tempered, unwilling to divulge clear answers to our honest questions and didn't appear to enjoy teaching at all. His teaching style was more "yelling after the fact" rather than planning and clearly explaining the execution of a maneuver, performing it, then de-briefing after the event. He was unorganized and unpleasant. My research indicated that BWSS had received good reviews in the past and I'm sure they have very qualified, engaging and enjoyable instructors. My advice for those of you contemplating using BWSS would be to ask for some references from past customers, once you find out the name of your instructor. Finally, I would have been happy to provide this feedback to the owner/manager of BWSS directly, but interestingly enough, they never sent any sort of feedback request to us! Comments [ 1 ] |
| Submitted by: | Learning the Ropes 46 year-old :: Male Reviewer :: USA |
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