Courses for Every Sailing Level

Our commitment to teaching sets us apart. Over 400 students learn with us every year, making the BSC one of the top adult sailing schools in the country. Yet classes on the water are always small, so you'll receive highly personalized instruction.

Our main courses are Learn to Sail, Advanced, Cruising, and Coastal Passage Making. In addition, we offer courses to build your navigation range. Qualified adult sailors can sign on at any level. We also offer series of courses packaged together in our Macro Programs. For our course progression chart, please visit our Getting Underway page. This will help gauge where to start. 

Our Main Course Offerings:

Certified Emblem-01

Learn to Sail

This is the most thorough and effective adult beginner's course in New England. Whether you're a complete beginner or a sometime sailor, this course will teach you to sail safely and confidently.
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ASA 101

Qualifies you for:

Next Course to take:

ASA Certification:

  • ASA 101 Basic Keelboat

Advanced

Increase your confidence with advanced instruction in close quarters maneuvering under sail and power, tuning, anchoring, navigation, and an introduction to spinnaker handling.
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ASA 103

Qualifies you for:

Next Course to take (either):

ASA Certification:

  • ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising

Cruising Course

This course teaches all the fundamental skills needed to charter and cruise successfully, including entering unfamiliar harbors, anchoring, sail handling and dinghy use, mechanical and electrical systems, day and night navigation, and docking under power.
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ASA 104

Qualifies you for:

Next Course to take:

ASA Certification:

  • ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising

Coastal Passage Making

Learn the skills required for making longer passages in coastal waters. This 5-day liveaboard course teaches advanced navigation and seamanship and covers GPS, diesel engine troubleshooting, day and night watches, nighttime landfalls and heavy weather skills.
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ASA 106

Qualifies you for:

ASA Certification:

  • ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising

Additional courses:

Night Sailing

An evening sail for hands-on practice dead reckoning, position finding, interpreting running lights and applying the rules of the road. This course is ideal for Mid-Range members who want to be qualified to sail at night but don't want to take the Crusing Course.
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Navigation range:

Coastal Navigation

Classroom sessions cover all the important navigational skills such as chart reading and piloting, dead reckoning, position finding, course plotting in the presence of currents and more.
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ASA 105

ASA Certification:

  • ASA 105 Coastal Navigation

Racing Course

For sailors with little or no racing experience, this course will teach you the racing rules, boat handling, spinnaker skills and boat speed needed to be competitive.
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Not sure where you fit in? Let's get you sailing.

If you are unsure which course is right for you, please give us a call or send us an email. We find that a conversation with our senior staff is often the best way to match your sailing skills and interests with our programs.