Lanier Sailing Academy

Awesome school with awesome instructors and awesome dockmasters! Very nice people. During my three days, I met two dockmasters; Captain Phil and Captain John were kind and welcoming. They run a very nice and organized club and dock.
I took a 3-​day ASA certification course with a friend who had been afraid of sailing before this course. Captain Tom was our very awesome instructor for the first two days. He was very knowledgeable about sailing and patient with my friend. Captain Tom has a style of teaching that helps you to understand the «why» of a thing. Learning that way eliminates the need for rote memorization, making it easier to assimilate more information in less time. After the first day of all-​on-​the-​water instruction my friend was feeling more confident about being on the water in a sloop. By day 2, we were doing «crew overboard» drills. My friend was feeling very good about parts of the sailboat, points of sale and even rights-​of-​way. Captain Dawn was our instructor for the third day. She was equally knowledgeable and patient, seamlessly continuing our lesson. Cap’n Dawn was able to teach and review us, even with little wind on the lake. We earned our certification on the third day out. I am so grateful that the good folks at Lanier Sailing Academy helped my friend overcome her fear of sailing. If I am still in town when Captain Tom teaches Celestial Navigation, I will be sure to be there. I know that I will learn something good.
I now have two Basic Keelboat certifications (because I attended this course with my friend), and have been a student in 3 other 101 courses. This has been the best – by far. There were things that I had tried to memorize from previous sailing courses that «just make sense» now because of the teaching style at Lanier Sailing Academy. I highly recommend this school. It is also a good place to get introduced to sailing because the winds are not too high, and f you don’t wait until the summer when it is too hot and the winds are too low.
They offer club membership for an amazing value too. You can join up for a reasonable fee, sail boats all year long and meet nice sailors.

I did the intro sailing course last summer, ASA 101 Intro to Keelboats. I had a great time. I loved it! All the instructors I met were really awesome guys, extremely patient, and more importantly, great instructors.
I had a great time and would recommend it to anyone interested. It’s very hands on and you’ll spend the majority of your time sailing the boat each class. You will also definitely have a better experience if you do your homework before each class.
I didn’t join the club because I knew I was moving, but I still enjoy reading their newsletter. They have a great community and the school seems very well run. I had a great time and would do it again for sure. I think next I’m going to sign up for a higher level course, bareboat chartering in Virgin Islands!

My wife and I just got our basic sailing ASA certification from Lanier Sailing Academy. They are a very well run organization, and we were really pleased that we selected them.
After signing up, they mailed us the study materials. If you decide to take the course, make sure you read the chapters they suggest. Being familiar with the terminology allows the sailing time to be much more enjoyable.
This is a very hands-​on class. After an hour on the first day we were sailing. Our instructor, Charlie, was a great guy. He was very thorough, engaging, and entertaining. We learned all about how to maneuver the boat, how to deal with on the water situations, how to respond in the presence of other boats, and the basics of nautical navigation. Since we were complete rookies, the extra topics were very valuable.
They have a club you can join where you can take out one of there many boats whenever you want. Sounds like a good deal and a lot of fun. Have a friend that owns a sailboat nearby, so not sure yet if I will become a member.
I definitely recommend Lanier Sailing Academy. The learn-​by-​doing class structure was a lot more fun than being lectured in a classroom. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Best value, great people, and a wonderful place for family. My wife and I have been members for about a year. It has been among the most positive, rewarding, and enjoyable aspects of life for both of us.
Sailing does not have to be a bank-​breaking activity! This club uses simple keelboats, in good condition, from 22 – 29 feet in length. It has a simple clubhouse/​office on a houseboat platform at the lake. There are no 6-​figure racing yachts here! Instead, there are good boats, good people, and lots of sailing at a rate many people can easily afford.