The Boston Sailing Center caters to all sailing experience levels, whether you are brand new to the sport, a seasoned sailor, or somewhere in between.
Our main offerings are Instruction, Membership, and Racing.
This page will help determine where you fit in. If you are not sure, please give us a call or send us an email. Sometimes all is takes is a conversation with our senior staff to get you on the water.
New to Sailing?
Jump to Learn to Sail
Already Know How to Sail?
Jump to progression chart.
Racer?
Visit our Fleets Page.
New to Sailing? Start Here!
Learn to Sail is the perfect place to start for folks with little to no sailing experience. This is the course that will start you on your sailing journey.
Sailing offers a whole new world of excitement, adventure, friendships and fun. If you’re a newcomer, here are a few of the ways we can help you get started.
When you’re ready to take the first step, sign up for a Learn to Sail course. We’ve refined our Learn to Sail program over 40 years, so it combines our own proven lesson plans with the best elements of standardized national curriculums, without ever forgetting that we all sail for fun.
The result? You’ll graduate fully prepared to sail here in Boston or your favorite harbor anywhere.
PREREQUISITES:
- NONE!
If you have little to no sailing experience but have a specific long-range goal such as becoming qualified to charter a sailboat in warm exotic places by next winter, then consider our Macro Mid-Range or Macro Cruising Programs.
These programs combine sequential courses to help you reach your objectives, and cost less than taking each component course separately.
PREREQUISITES:
- NONE!
During the season we’re every day from 9:00am to sunset. We are happy to field any questions you may have by phone, and if you would like a tour please contact us with 48 hours notice. Our season runs from early May through October.
We are happy to show you our boats and facilities and discuss which of our courses or memberships would be best for you. Because every person’s sailing experience is unique, we find that a conversation with our senior staff is often the best way to match your sailing skills and interests with our programs.
Already know how to sail?
Join as a member, or continue your sailing education with a higher level course (or both!).
The chart below shows the sequential order of our principal sailing courses, and the corresponding level of BSC membership, navigation range, and charter qualification that each course prepares you for. Qualified members may sign on at any level as long as they already have the sailing skills covered by the courses below. For example, if you feel that you already know the course content of our Learn to Sail and Advanced classes, you can sign up for either a Daysailing or Mid-Range membership, and/or enroll in the Cruising Course.
| Course to Take | Prepares you for | BSC Membership this course qualifies you for | Boats you can sail at this membership level | Navigation Range for this membership level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Daysailing in protected harbors |
Boston Harbor & Islands: Deer Island to Point Allerton |
|||
|
Sailing an outboard cruiser in near coastal waters |
Cohasset to Marblehead, daylight hours only. Extend to Plymouth to Cape Ann by taking Night Sailing. |
|||
|
Sailing past sunset |
Adds night sailing privileges for Mid-Range membership. |
|
Plymouth to Cape Ann, Night Sailing included |
|
|
Cruising and chartering successfully. Bareboat charter in locations like the Virgin Islands, or extended cruises in near coastal harbors. |
Massachusetts Bay: North of Cape Cod to Kittery, Maine. Can be extended to Block Island to Mount Desert Island, Maine by taking Coastal Passage Making. |
|||
|
Cruising and chartering successfully. Bareboat charter in locations like the Virgin Islands, or extended cruises in near coastal harbors. |
Massachusetts Bay: North of Cape Cod to Kittery, Maine. Can be extended to Block Island to Mount Desert Island, Maine by taking Coastal Passage Making. |
|||
|
Chartering worldwide or sailing your own large yacht in most conditions. |
Block Island to Mount Desert Island, Maine |