All of our sailing lessons are private or semi-private lessons that are tailored to the unique needs of each student. For beginner lessons, we sail aboard our 19' Flying Scot and depart from Silly Lily Fishing Station- one of The Hampton's hidden gems. Sailing together in the same boat allows students to practice individual skills with an experienced instructor on board.
A typical lesson starts with a safety briefing and a discussion of what the conditions are like that day- wind, weather and tide. We then hold a brief "chalk talk" ashore, during which we discuss the various skills that we will practice on the water. Then it's time to rig the boat, get out on the water and do some sailing! When we return to the dock, we finish the lesson by derigging the boat and having a quick debrief.
We can take up to four students out on our Flying Scot at one time, but we've found that one or two students creates an ideal learning environment that allows for sufficient time for each student to practice what we are learning that day.
Sailing lessons can be purchased individually or in a discounted package of five or ten lessons. We recommend purchasing a package and scheduling weekly lessons, as we've found that students learn most quickly when they take lessons on a weekly or twice weekly basis. This will also guarantee your time slot during our busy summer!
Check out what a sailing lesson looks like for a student who has never sailed before!
Most of our students have the goal of sailing on their own. After a few sailing lessons on our Flying Scot (the exact number varies, but typically three to six lessons) it will be time to sail on your own! For these sailing lessons we meet at the end of Moriches Island Road in East Moriches, where the long and open beach makes a great location for students new to sailing on their own. Most children will sail in an Optimist during these lessons, and bigger kids and adults will sail in a Sunfish. During these sailing lessons, your instructor will coach you on the water from a 13' Boston Whaler. Sailing on your own can be a bit daunting at first, but with the help of our expert sailing instructors, we're confident that you will succeed!
While most boat dealers will lead you to believe that anyone can operate a motor boat with little training, that's far from the truth, especially if you'd like to operate one safely and confidently. During our motor boat lessons, one of our licensed captains will teach you how to operate a motor boat with ease. These lessons are available individually, but we highly encourage new boaters to sign up for a five lesson package. Topics of our five lesson course include safety, navigation, right of way, tide. current, basic maintenance, anchoring, docking, and troubleshooting common issues.
Boaters should note that New York State is phasing in a requirement that vessel operators hold a boating safety certificate. By 2025, all vessel operators must hold this certificate, and depending on when you were born, you may need one sooner. More information can be found on the NYS Parks website. The motor boat lessons that we offer do not help students earn this boating safety certificate; students must hold this certificate before taking lessons with Moriches Island Sailing. Boat US offers a free online course that you can take to obtain your boating safety certificate.