Maine can be a great place to learn how to sail. With more coastline than Florida (its true, look it up). Maine has incredible views and a variety of different locations where a beginner can learn to sail or a pro can learn to sail a different type of boat. What type of instructions or teacher you look for all depends on what you are looking for out of your training. If you want to become certified, make sure you review our check list of things to consider:
1.) Contact The American Sailing Association:
The American Sailing Association is the world’s foremost organization dedicated to training, teaching and certifying schools, sailing instructors and sailing enthusiasts. They have online courses to work on basic skills as well as multiple schools in Maine, including one in South Portland.
2.) Learn the Terminology:
There are a number of ways you can accomplish this. The easiest way would be to take the American Sailing Association's online courses. These will ensure you know the difference between port and starboard as well as all the other critical terms and information you will need to know.
3.) Learn Maine Sailing Conditions:
With more coastline than Florida, Maine can be a difficult place to learn your surroundings. There are a number of place you can use to familiarize yourself with the coast of Maine. We would recommend you first check out Maineharbors.com where they list out forecasts, locations of all buoys, sea temperatures as well as sea conditions.
4.) Know the Basics:
When learning how to sail in Maine, it is imperative that you know the basic drills. Your trainer should cover all the following with you at a minimum:
- Parts of the Boat and Rigging
- Points of Sail
- Tacking and Jibing
- Landing at a Mooring
- Balance and Sail Shape Control
- Rules of the Road
- Man Overboard Drills
- Chart Reading and Navigation
- Introduction to Spinnaker Handling
Most important of all is to have fun! Learning how to sail in Maine should be an enjoyable experience, make sure you remember everything and enjoy your time out on the water!
If you are looking for some new spots to sail, check out out blog on best places to go yachting in New England.