Charleston Sailing School

Charleston Sailing School specializes in creating unique yachting adventures. From our location downtown at the Charleston City Marina we offer a fleet of sail and power yachts available for Sailing Lessons, Private Yacht Charters, and Bareboat Charters. Since our inception in 2004 we have grown to provide unparalleled service with the best options at every pricepoint. Have you ever dreamed of owning your own yacht? Our team of brokerage professionals can guide you through the search, purchase, and ownership processes.

Stop Dreaming, Start Sailing!

The American Sailing Association’s curriculum of internationally recognized certifications was created to provide recreational sailors with uniform standards of training. We offer a series of courses that will take a complete beginner through the steps necessary to become a competent sailor.

Each course offered is a prerequisite for the next. Students benefit immensely from the program of study designed and routinely modified by a worldwide network of sailing schools, professional yachtsmen, and charter companies. There is a combination of classroom presentation, on-water training, written and practical testing associated at each level of certification. Theory is taught shore side, practiced underway, then reinforced with testing on the water and in the classroom. It is our objective to teach students how to sail with confidence, as we advance methodically from one course to the next.

Class times are from 9:30am-5:30pm daily (with some exception for wind, weather, & tides). There will be an hour lunch break around noon daily. Students are encouraged to pack a lunch or venture next door to the restaurant on site. Bottled water is provided throughout the day, and feel free to bring your own snacks or refreshments. Come prepared to be outside the majority of the time; Sun, wind and rain protection are key. Don’t forget your camera!

Learn to sail in the US or the Caribbean

The Multihull Company has partnered with ASA certified Sailing Schools in Charleston and Grenada to assist our clients in realizing their dream with confidence.

  • ASA Certified Schools
  • Knowledgeable and Friendly instructors
  • Beautiful and desirable cruising grounds
  • Monohull and Catamaran Sail Training

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Basic Keelboating (101) – 2 Days

The Basic Keelboat Sailing Class is designed to get the new sailor off on the right track. You will learn basic sailing through a proven combination of classroom and on-the-water instruction. There will be 16 hours of instruction over two days. Areas of instruction include sailing theory and extensive practice, terminology, sail trim, points of sail, rudder control & commands, rigging for sail, docking and undocking, basic seamanship, knots, crew coordination, safety skills including rules of the road, federal equipment, lights, crew overboard prevention and recovery techniques.

Cost of Course:

$600 (plus tax) per person; includes course materials, operating expenses, and certification.

Basic Coastal Cruising (103) – 2 Days

Our cruising class opens up a new sailing opportunity. You will be able to cruise safely in coastal waters as both skipper and crew on an auxiliary powered sailboat of 30- 35 feet in length. Classes include 16 hours of classroom and on-the-water instruction over two days. Areas of instruction include advanced sail trim; intermediate boat handling at buoys, docks and slips; anchors and anchoring; small craft warnings and heavy weather sailing; reefing; fog conditions; crew coordination; gasoline outboard and diesel inboard engine operation; fuels & refueling procedures; boat systems; operation of tiller and wheel; compass and chart reading; VHF operation; emergency procedures, flare usage and hypothermia treatment.

Cost of Course:

$775 (plus tax) per person on a monohull or $950 per person on a catamaran; includes course materials, operating expenses, and certification.

Bareboat Chartering

The Bareboat Chartering Class is designed to give the Coastal Cruiser the information and skills to sail a 30 to 50 foot auxiliary sailboat on a Bareboat Charter. The liveaboard course includes limited classroom presentation, with the majority of time spent aboard and underway during instruction over three days. Two nights aboard anchor are included with food provisions. Areas of instruction include: large boat handling and seamanship; voyage planning; packing and provisioning; meal preparation and sleeping aboard; coastal navigation & landfall at sea with bearings, fixes and time/speed/distance calculations; mooring, docking, and anchoring techniques are practiced. Ship’s systems including: plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and diesel engine maintenance & troubleshooting techniques are introduced. Entry into foreign ports and customs procedures, as well as international nautical etiquette are addressed.

Cost of Course:

$1500 (plus tax) per person on a monohull or $1,750 per person on a catamaran; Includes course materials, operating expenses, ASA certification, food provisions, and 2 overnights aboard.

Cruising Catamaran (114) – 2 Days

This is an advanced cruising standard for individuals with cruising experience and must have completed ASA training through the 104 level. After completion students will have the confidence necessary to act as skipper and crew of a 30-50 foot multihull sailboat by day in coastal waters. Areas of instruction include: catamaran specific vocabulary, performance based on weight distribution, use of daggerboards, and sail trim/combinations. Offshore storm preparation, anchoring, and docking techniques specific to multihulls are demonstrated and practiced. The standard includes those skills unique to a 30-50 foot multihull.

Cost of Course:

$950 (plus tax) per person. Includes course materials, operating expenses, and ASA certification


Caribbean Sailing School

The premier sailing school in the Caribbean. Specializing in day tours and week long “Cruise and Learn” vacations. Our instructors are the best in the industry. LTD Sailing is your sailing solution in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. We provide sailing instruction on day trips and on our week long, live aboard Cruise and Learn courses. Learn to sail while cruising the wonderful Caribbean islands of the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Grenada!

Basic Cruise And Learn

Covers Basic Keelboat (ASA 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103) and Bareboat Charter (ASA 104).

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course will take you from the basics through ASA Bareboat Charter certification.

Start living your sailing dreams and learn everything you need to know to charter a boat anywhere in the world.

Catamaran Cruise And Learn

Covers Basic Keelboat (ASA 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103), Bareboat Cruising (ASA 104) and Cruising Catamaran (ASA 114).

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course will help you learn the basics and earn your ASA Bareboat Cruising and ASA Cruising Catamaran certifications.

This course will cover all the material from our Basic Cruise and Learn course PLUS everything you need to know to start living your sailing dreams – if those dreams include Catamarans.

Cruising Catamaran Certification

Covers Cruising Catamaran (ASA 114).

The prerequisite for this course is ASA Bareboat Cruising certification (ASA 104) or equivalent experience.

This course is designed for experienced mono-hull sailors who want to give the world of catamarans a try.

Combine this course with a longer bareboat catamaran charter. Take one of our instructors along for the first couple days and enjoy the rest of you charter on your own.

This course covers all of the sailing and handling intricacies of sailing a modern cruising catamaran. Enjoy the comfort, stability and speed of sailing a cat.

Advanced Cruise And Learn

Covers Coastal Navigation (ASA 105) and ASA Advanced Coastal Cruising (ASA 106).

Bareboat Cruising (ASA 104) and substantial coastal cruising experience are required as prerequisites for this advanced cruising standard.

This course is designed for experienced sailors who want to take their sailing to the next level.

This course explores night sailing, advanced sail trim, heavy weather tactics and coastal navigation.

View the Complete Pricing for Caribbean Sailing School Classes

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We take pride in our happy customers

Your team delivered on every mark. You’ve got an amazing broker in Mark Wattrus and I’m confident you will have continued success moving forward together. He was available 24/7 whenever I had questions. We had a great initial visit on the boat and his marketing plan and photos were superb

— Jimmy

I bought a yacht that I had never seen. I did this because I trusted my broker Andrew Holland. It was not an easy job for Andrew, as I am an experienced boat builder and owner of previous yachts, but work in West Africa. Imagine how hard it was to communicate what I was looking for. Andrew came up with exactly what I wanted. He dealt with time delays, all my questions at odd hours, and was there for the survey. He reported honestly and professionally. After buying the yacht, I arrived at the boat on a Sunday night, after dark, after travelling from West Africa to the Caribbean, and found it was better than expected. He never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. I expected to spend my one month leave working on the boat, but actually spent less than one week, and was able to spend 3 weeks sailing – wonderful bonus.

Thank you Andrew for putting up with all my questions, all my worries and all my crazy out of the time zone concerns – you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka.

 

— Beverly Cory

Outstanding company with professional subject matter experts. If I were to buy or sell cruising sailboat, particularly a catamaran, Andrew would be my go to broker.

— JT

I have been sailing since I was a child and attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy. But when my wife and I began the process of purchasing an ocean cruising/racing catamaran, I realized that this is a world unto itself. Obviously, we needed to find someone knowledgeable to help us make an informed decision. More importantly, we needed someone honest and willing to put our interests before his or her own. I was lucky to work with Phil Berman at The Multihull Company. He repeatedly shunned the fast buck, choosing instead to work the long road to connect us with the “perfect boat”. I would be glad to recommend Phil and his company to anyone planning to purchase or sell a performance sailing machine.

— Eric Boutiette

Andrew Hodgdon was our broker when we bought our 2018 Lagoon 450F in Antigua in April 2922. He provided great service and was very attentive to our needs. We would highly recommend Andrew and the Multihull Company.

— Jim

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Trust & ExpertiseAbout Us

Successful relationships cannot exist without it. At The Multihull Company we base every relationship on a firm commitment to earning and retaining our client’s trust.

Advice of any kind is valuable only when grounded in hard-won expertise. It too, must be trustworthy. Trust and expertise define the heart and soul of The Multihull Company. We are a team of skilled professionals who thrive on providing expert, trustworthy advice and service to catamaran and trimaran sailors around the globe.

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