Bluewater Sailing & Charters

I came here to check things out and brush up on my rusty skills with my boyfriend, who had never set foot on a sailboat before the first day of the ASA 101 class. Brian and Lennox were awesome instructors and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Everyone there is super-​cool and there’s no pressure to buy more classes or (eek) a boat, like at a lot of other places. We’re planning on coming back for the coastal cruising classes in the spring, too — we’re so excited! Thanks, Elliott and Amy, you guys run a tight ship! ;)

I just completed my Basic Keelboat certification course. I had no prior experience with sailing, and after 21 hours with great instructors, I feel completely comfortable chartering a boat and sailing on my own. Not only did I learn more than I expected, I had a blast! It was well worth the trip from Arizona, and I’ll be returning often for further instruction. This place is the best!

I just completed their Basic Keelboat course. Let me say that they are extremely professional, concerned about safety as their top priority and have the best instructors. I had previously done classes at another school in the Marina, but the instruction was terrible. The guys at Bluewater are pros. Hands down some of the best instruction I have had when compared to all kinds of courses I have taken over the years (for all my hobbies;).
I highly recommend this school and I am looking forward to all my future classes with them. Now get your landlubber self over to them and jibe ho!

I’ve taken a few classes and charters with Bluewater and had nothing but positive experiences. They are completely professional at all times and their boats are well maintained. The classes are very informative but also a ton of fun out on the water. I cannot recommend these guys highly enough.

I just finished ASA 101 and ASA 103 with no prior sailing experience. Dane and Brian are incredible instructors, and genuinely good guys! In addition to teaching you how to do everything the right way technically, they also teach you to ‘feel’ the balance of the boat. I spent 20 hours with each of them on the water, and it has really paid off. I now feel confident taking my friends out on weekend cruises, which has been a ton of fun. If you describe your personality and learning style, Amy — who runs the office — will pair you with the most compatible instructors. Elliot owns the school and keeps a close eye on things — everything is done at the highest levels. These guys are pros. Looking forward to conquering ASA ¹⁰⁴⁄₁₀₅ this Fall.

My wife and I signed up for a BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat) sailing course at Bluewater Sailing. Multiple sailing schools in the marina declined to give us lessons on our own boat, insisting we use theirs. Lesson here is to never tell a potential customer what you can not do for them, tell them how much it will cost them and let them make the decision themselves.
Elliot from Bluewater was very profession, knowledgable and eager to answer any questions my wife or I had. We were assigned an instructor, Brian for our Basic Keelboat course. From day one Brian was punctual, professional and thorough. Punctuality being my pet peeve this was greatly appreciated. Brian explained to us what to expect over the course, in addition to completion standards. Though 90% of the course is on the water, Brian had us well prepared for the written exam and practical sailing evaluation by the last day. My wife and I passed and have been enjoying our newly acquired sailboat almost every weekend sense we completed the course. We plan to return for more training next year.

Bluewater sailing is my favorite place to charter and take classes. I have raced with Elliot. I’ve taken classes with Elliot. I’ve chartered boats with Elliot. Everything is top notch. I really like his little office right in front of the boats. I would recommend his courses training and boats to anyone.

I have owned a sailboat in the past and I was always afraid when it came to docking and undocking. Additionally, I bought a sailboat and I had zero experience so I did not know what most of the systems on the boat did; everything was trial and some bad errors.
I went to Bluewater sailing because I had a interest in getting another boat. I took the basic keel boat class and then basic coastal cruising course. I must say the classes are more than basic, the gave me a great understanding of maneuvering the craft and many other concepts. The instructors are knowledgable and friendly and you will get lots of valuable hands on training in very nice boats. Part of my training was aboard a Catalina 36. These course taught me things at many of my more experienced friends have not yet mastered. However, it is extremely important to practice these skills either by renting from Bluewater or on your own boat so you become proficient.
I won’t get into all of the things that are taught I will give you two mundane but huge tips:
1. Unplug the boat from the power source at the dock before you unplug the boat. If you drop the boat side of the plug in the water before you remove it from the dock, big problem. I did it the other day but thanks to the training I had already unplug from the dock.
2. Give everyone a job and put the boat away correctly.
I since have purchased another boat and I have been able to thoroughly enjoy the experience because of the skills I was taught at Bluewater and continue to perfect. If you want to learn to sail, charter boats or purchase your own, Bluewater is the place to start. Elliot, Amy, Brian and the crew are real pros. Today I sailed the boat into the slip, just to test the skills I have been taught. Not a big deal to some but from where I started as a sailor, it’s huge.

I finished the Basic Keelboat class today with our awesome instructor, Bryan! I met other staff there too who are all so friendly and experienced: Amy, Ben, Elliott. Everyone is wonderful. I feel completely confident to take out a 22″ boat on our own. «Sailed» through the ASA certification test.

I took the Basic Keelboating course at Blue Water Sailing and they were great! Elliot is a great instructor who emphasizes safe sailing. They want you to have fun and know that feeling safe and confident is key. After the course, I felt confident about my skills and that I knew how to safely navigate the water around the marina. The staff is friendly and very helpful!

I just finished the ASA 101 course through Blue Water Sailing and had a great time. The course spanned two weekends (four days) consisting of short lectures (30 to 45 minutes long) and then the remainder of the time spent on the water sailing. Our instructor (Lenox) was very clear and easy to learn from. I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend!

I just finished the Basic Keelboat class this weekend, and am officially ASA certified!
I cannot recommend this class enough. Our instructor was extremely knowledgable, helpful, and a pleasure to work with during the four day (2 weekends) class. When you first start out learning how to sail, with no previous knowledge, there can be a lot if information to digest. It feels a bit overwhelming, but the way this class is taught and the experience you get out on the water, sets you up for success. By keeping the class size small, you get to know the people you’re learning with pretty well, and everyone gets a lot of individual time working and perfecting each part and process of the sailing experience.
I’ve already signed up for the second class, starting next month, and am excited to get out on the water within the next week or so. on my own! Very excited. Thanks Bluewater and Team!

Wow, I was really surprised to read the other reviews as my experience at Bluewater Sailing was incredible! I can only assume that it was a misshapen day and certainly not what my experiences were.
My first group lesson was with Elliot who I found to be both extremely knowledgeable as well as thoughtful and considerate in his teaching methods. He kept the lessons fun and eventful, even taking us out past the harbor. We used two different boats from their fleet, a smaller, lighter craft on the first day, then graduating to a larger size for the two remaining sessions. The boats were very well maintained, much higher than what you would expect from a service and rental fleet.
I went back at a later time for a private lesson to build on my new skills. This time I was paired with Peter, the owner. Again, I had a fabulous experience that was not only fun but gave me valuable learning tools for future use.
I hope to return for more classes and would recommend Bluewater Sailing to anyone.
Melinda

I had the opposite experience to that described in the review by «Mr. C,» — I suspect that’s because of the recent change in management. My experience, as a sailing newbee taking the Basic Keelboat class, was VERY positive in every dimension. First, I was blown away by the quality and depth of what I learned in just two successive weekends. Second, the hands on in-​the-​boat-​on-​the-​water experience, in both 30′ and a 22′ Catalinas was invaluable in making it all come together. Third, the instructor (and owner) Elliot, clearly has a passion for sailing and conveyed it. Fourth, after taking the class I was able to pass the ASA certification test with ease. Fifth, the free ½ day bareboat rental at the conclusion of the course was icing on the cake.
Thus, to sum up, I’m a big fan and will be going back to Bluewater when I’m ready for the next level.

I took sailing lessons at Bluewater. I would NOT recommend it. I was so excited to learn how to sail but the whole experience was so miserable that I will likely not continue. Our instructor was just horrible. His method of teaching included constantly yelling at everyone in the class and using derrogatory and offensive language/​references. I’ve spoken with other people in the area that have learned to sail through other companies and they had a completely different experience. I am so disappointed that I wasted my time and money on Bluewater.

We shopped around the many sailing companies in the area before taking our voyage upon the seas, and found this company to be the most professional. I had a business partner coming in from Japan and wanted to give him a great experience. When we arrived the day of our trip, however, our captain was reportedly «stuck in traffic». We were supposed to leave at 9:00AM and he came in at 9:50AM. First strike. Then they asked us if we wanted to see our boat, and we followed them into the docks. Well what do we find? A lady is toiling and tumbling trying to clean our boat in minutes time. It smelled awful like toxic chemicals, and the outside was barely acceptable (she didn’t have time to get to the exterior). Strike two. What’s upsetting is that, we paid in excess of $ 450+ for our all day captain and 30′ sailboat, to enjoy the peace and calm of the sailing experience. What do we get? They, right off the bat, sour our moods by first, being late, then not being prepared, with a smelly dirty boat. I would have demanded a refund on the spot, but was pacific in front of my Japanese partner, whose culture values holding one’s temper in check. We were looking into getting our sailing license with this company but they have lost out on two potential customers. I was extremely upset, and will never use this company again.

Took ASA 101 and 103 from Bluewater over a 4-​day weekend. I was not impressed in the least. The instruction was sub-​par and the boats are expensive for their condition. Customer service was what really wins them 1 star though — the owner was a bit arrogant, and quite rude. I have not and never will return to these guys. Don’t waste your money here. There are better places to go in the Marina and get quality service, good prices, and fantastic boats.