Frequently Asked Questions
For most of our offerings, we recommend bringing water shoes, sunglasses, a hat, towel, water bottle and sunscreen. Water shoes are required for all children who participate in lessons and recommend for adults. A sweatshirt and/or windbreaker is a good idea during May, June, and September and evening lessons or charters; it is always cooler out on the bay than on land!
More specific recommendations for what to bring for each offering can be found in the item description while booking.
The best way to schedule in the Fall is by calling, texting or emailing us to book directly. We close our online booking season to give our customers and staff more flexibility with scheduling in the off season.
The best way to schedule in the summer with us is through our online booking system. Please note that while a credit card is required to book, you will not be charged at the time of booking. Payment is due at the conclusion of your lesson, charter, or clinic, or at the first day of multi-day group lessons. You may pay with cash, check or Zelle, or we can charge your credit card.
If you are interested in a date/time that is not listed, are interested in departing from your waterfront home, would like to use your boat for a lesson or charter, purchase a package of lessons or have any other questions, please send us an email or give us a call at 631-745-8273.
If the weather looks at all questionable the day before a scheduled lesson or charter, we will be in touch to cancel, reschedule, or to make a decision closer to the scheduled time.
That is no problem at all! If you are interested in a Motor Boat Charter, Sunset Cruise or Sail, Swim & Beach day, we will do all of the work! If you are interested in a sailing lesson or motor boat lesson, that is exactly what we are here for! The only prerequisite is that you know how to swim. While it is extremely unlikely that anyone would end up in the water inadvertently, there is always a small chance. Lifejackets must be worn by children under 18 at all times; we have plenty available for your to borrow if needed. For kids, it is preferable that they are comfortable in and around the water. If they are not, we will be sure to take things slowly and our sailing lesson will only occur if the conditions are perfect.
Sailing is a very weather dependent activity; it must be suitable for the student so that the sailing experience is safe, enjoyable, and provides a good learning environment. We monitor the weather closely and will always confirm that the conditions are suitable for sailing the day before a scheduled sailing lesson or bay cruise. We have an AI interfaced home weather station on Moriches Island Road that you can view here and the corresponding SailFlow station which we use to monitor wind speed and forecasts. While we do our best to monitor and predict the weather, mother nature is mother nature, and she requires us to be flexible.
Cancellations Due to Weather: Customers will not be charged if their lesson or charter is cancelled by Moriches Island Sailing due to weather. Please note that Moriches Island Sailing will be the party to decide if the weather is appropriate for our lesson or charter; customers who cancel or reschedule because they believe the weather is not suitable may not be refunded or rescheduled. We will not sail in heavy wind, heavy rain, or thunderstorms. A cloudy day or slight change of rain will not cause us to cancel. While we will make every attempt to inform you as far in advance as possible, we reserve the right to cancel up to 30 minutes before the start of the lesson or charter. Typically we inform customers the day before if the weather may keep us off of the water.
Yes. All of our sailing instructors are certified by US Sailing and all of our captains are licensed by United State Coast Guard, and have up to date First Aid & CPR certifications. All of the charters and sailing lessons offered by Moriches Island Sailing are insured by Markel Marine.
Our lessons and charters are payable by cash, check, Zelle, or credit card. We apprecaite cash payments. While we require our customers to provide their credit card information while booking, your credit card will only be charged if you cancel or reschedule within the timeframes listed in our cancellation policy, or do not pay with cash, check or Zelle at the conclusion of your your lesson, charter, learn to sail clinic, or first lesson of your group lesson.
Generally speaking, payments are due at the conclusion of your lesson or charter, although some of our offerings and promotions require payment in advance.
Our 19' Flying Scot can comfortably fit four passengers. If the group is a mix of kids and adults, or adults are willing to squeeze, we can take up to seven people total (six passengers, one instructor/captain). Our motor boat charters are on EMO Electric's Scout Dorado, which can comfortably fit six passengers, although there is a bit more space to move around with four. Due to USCG regulations, we cannot have more than six passengers under any circumstances.
While six is the maximum number of passengers we can accommodate on a boat at one time, some of our offerings are limited to fewer than six students/passengers. Please read the descriptions of our offerings while booking to find out more information.
No. The USCG prohibits uninspected passenger vessels from carrying more than six passengers. Any small vessel that offers to take more than six passengers is likely in violation of USCG regulations and exposing themselves to large fines and penalties. If you have a party of more than six, we may be able to do two trips, or go in two groups on two boats. If you'd like to have more than six passengers on one vessel, you'll have to go to Sag Harbor or Hampton Bays. Other than fishing "party boats," there are no vessels that can legally accomoate groups larger than six in Moriches Bay.
Yes! You buy a gift card for a full lesson or charter, or a dollar amount. Once your purchase a gift card, the recipient will be able to redeem it and schedule their lesson or charter themselves. You can go to the gift card page on our website or click this link to purchase.
The exact start and end dates of our season vary year to year, but typically we begin offering sailing and motor boat lessons and charters in early May. Our season usually ends in late September or early October. Our busiest time of year is from late June until Labor Day. We highly recommend booking early to secure your preferred day and time during this period!
Generally the answer is yes, provided that it is a boat we are familiar with and feel comfortable teaching and sailing on. Please send us an email if you would like a lesson on your boat.
In short, no. Seasickness typically happens on larger boats in the open ocean when a boat begins to roll in the ocean swell. While it could happen, we have never had a guest become seasick on Moriches Bay.
The only reason for concern is if you are extremely sensitive to seasickness and have felt unwell on small boats in bays in the past. Even if you have felt seasick on a large boat in the ocean, it's very unlikely that you'll become seasick on Moriches Bay.
Yes, each student or passenger must submit a waiver, or have one filled out by a parent or guardian if under the age of 18. The waiver must be submitted digitally through Smartwaiver. Hard copies are not available. Please be sure that you and every other person in your group has submitted a waiver. If we do not have a waiver on file for each participant, you will need to fill one out on your phone, which will cut into our time on the water.
We will always be ready to start the lesson at least 5 minutes before the scheduled time; if you are there and ready, we are happy to begin early. Please make every effort to arrive early or on time; due to our busy schedule we are unable to adjust the end time of a lesson due to a late arrival.
Cancellations Due to Weather: Customers will not be charged if their lesson or charter is cancelled by Moriches Island Sailing due to weather. Please note that Moriches Island Sailing will be the party to decide if the weather is appropriate for our lesson or charter; customers who cancel or reschedule because they believe the weather is not suitable may not be refunded or rescheduled. We will not sail in heavy wind, heavy rain, or thunderstorms. A cloudy day or slight change of rain will not cause us to cancel. While we will make every attempt to inform you as far in advance as possible, we reserve the right to cancel up to 30 minutes before the start of the lesson or charter. Typically we inform customers the day before if the weather may keep us off of the water.
Customer Decision to Cancel or Reschedule: Customers who cancel or reschedule their lesson or charter up to 48 hours in advance will not be charged. Customers who cancel or reschedule between 48 hours and 24 hours before the start time of their lesson or charter will be charged 50% of the cost of the lesson or charter. No shows or customers who cancel less than 24 hours in advance will be charged the full amount of the lesson or charter.
Please note that due to our very short sailing season, we treat rescheduling the same as we would a cancellation, as it is unlikely that we will be able to fill the timeslot.
Depending on your location and type of boat, we may be able to help you set up, launch, maintain and haul your boat. When our students reach the point of sailing on their own, we often help them find a boat to purchase and work with them to get it set up for smooth sailing! Please email us at morichesislandsailing@gmail.com if you'd like a hand with your boat.
We love to kite, but we aren't quite ready to offer lessons yet. We hope to start in the summer of 2026. For now, please get in touch with our friends over at Hampton Watersports for kiting lessons. They are located in Southampton and can be reached at 631-283-9463.
We do not rent our sailboats, but our friends at Silly Lily Fishing Station rent Sunfish and Flying Scots, the same sailboats we teach our sailing lessons on! You can book a rental from Silly Lily Fishing Station here. Silly Lily also rents small motorboats, they're a great way to get out on Moriches Bay!