We guarantee you will learn to sail at ASA 101 even if you've never sailed. If you don't, we'll give you another chance at no charge!
Introduction
You were dreaming about sailing but unsure how to begin? Well, it's all about skills, whether you're a beginner or an experienced sailor, cruiser or racer, coastal or offshore sailor, and whether you're in it for fun or more advanced sailing. Griffin Sailing School can help you make it happen, turning your dream into a lifelong passion.
We can help with:
ASA Courses, certified at all levels
ASA Challenges
Community Sailing
Marine Surveys (any boats)
Sailing Consultation (cruising or racing)
We offer training in inland, coastal, and offshore sailing, providing our graduates with a broad range of sailing knowledge. We are proud to be an American Sailing Association-affiliated school. Under strict ASA guidance, we provide the highest level of sailing education available.
Our Courses page describes all available options, standards, and requirements. Our certification is honored by charter companies the world over. It's your passport to the location and vacations of your choice. It also helps to save on boat insurance, charter cost, and, most important, sailors with ASA Certification enjoy safe and comfortable sailing wherever they go!
What to expect
After you Register for a course, we will make arrangements about study materials. Reading the ASA Textbook before the class is not required, but it will be easier to embrace the course material if you do. It also makes on-the-water training much more effortless. Because we teach above and beyond the course requirements, reading the material beforehand gives you an advantage.
Light rain or showers will not stop us from sailing, so be prepared for rainy conditions and have spare clothing and storm gear ready.
Our three-day courses are ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing, and ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising. We offer them May 1 - October 15, Monday- Tuesday- Wednesday, or Friday- Saturday- Sunday, at our Connelly, NY location. If your schedule does not permit a three-day block, we'll try to fit these courses into your schedule. ASA 104, Bareboat Cruising is a four-day/3 night live-aboard sailing trip. Other courses can be arranged on an individual basis according to student preferences.
Although it's unlikely, inclement weather may require us to reschedule courses such as ASA 101, ASA 103, and Performance Sailing.
Griffin Sailing School policy for ASA 101 and ASA 103 is not to sail in winds exceeding 20-25 knots!
Courses for:
Easy sailing, we offer Introduction to Sailing, which is a trendy 2-hour private sailing lesson on the water for up to two persons (additional persons add only $50.00 each). The instructor will explain the basics of sailing, maneuvers, sail trimming, and steering. If you have not decided whether sailing is for you and you want to try sailing or relax on the boat, this private lesson is for you. There is no need to be an experienced sailor or in learning mode, and you can enjoy sailing with the instructor and enjoy fabulous Hudson River Valley scenery.
New sailors or somehow experienced sailors, we offer three essential courses that will help you build sailing experience and knowledge much faster and safer than on your own. Those courses are ASA 101 Basic Keelboat, ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising, and ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising. Charter companies do require sailing certification at those levels. It is the most popular way to learn safely common sailing skills.
Experienced sailors, ASA 101 Challenge, ASA 103 Challenge, or ASA 104 Challenge, could be the right choice instead of taking the course. The challenge is not for beginners, but if anyone feels like they have sufficient sailing experience and knowledge and comply with American Sailing Association Course Standards, Requirements, and Prerequisites, the challenge is worth the try. The challenge format is pass or fail, and it takes 2-4 hours for ASA 101, ASA 103, and overnight for ASA 104. By taking multiple challenges, only the highest-level written test is required. Passing it will save time and money. If you fail, we will arrange a make-up day or recommend taking the failed course. For more info, please read our Policy. Before challenging any sailing course, we urge you to read ASA Textbook available at GSS or online at ASA. Passing ASA 104 Challenge qualifies students to receive European IPC,
Most charter companies, including the biggest Kirikoulis Charters, accept the International Proficiency Certificate IPC in most of the European and Mediterranean waters and Caribbeans. This certificate is adequate proof of bareboat skipper proficiency. A complete list of the countries that insist on IPCs and requirements for IPC is at www.asa.com/ipc. It should also be noted that the IPC is all-encompassing for recreational/cruising sailors, not just racers. The good news is that the level of knowledge required to obtain an IPC is the same as what is needed to pass ASA’s 101,103,104. Anyone who has received ASA 104 qualification is eligible for the IPC.
Sailing gifts, we have available Gift Cards for an enjoyable lifelong lasting sailing experience! It makes an excellent gift for any occasion.
Private classes, we offer Private Sailing Lessons and Sailboat Racing Coaching, which may be done on our or student's boats. We can accommodate all of your sailing needs as requested. Please, call us to make arrangements.
Performance sailors (not necessarily racing, but also!), we offer two days (6 hours each day) of Performance Sailing. It will cover fine adjustments of the sails, understanding sail shape and size of the sails, trimming the sails in different applications, spinnaker handling, hull speed, racing tacking and jibing, and basic racing tactics and strategy. It is an excellent and fun course for everyone.
Docking skills, which is an art form best executed when calm and collected, ASA 118, Docking Endorsement is very practical and will save your boat by eliminating your docking-related aggravations. Knowing how to command the crew, approach the dock, dock the boat, and use the docking lines will help to calm down and safely dock. Don't be surprised when you discover how much easier and safer it is to dock the boat!
Catamaran sailors and owners, a certified ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran course is an excellent option. If you own one or plan to charter one for your vacation trips and want to improve your sailing skills, this could be the perfect choice. We offer a Cruising Catamaran course on 47' Leopard in the USA East Cost, Bermuda, Sint Maarten, BVI, and other Islands. Check our link to www.catcharter.net or Contact Us to learn more about courses combined with your dream sailing vacations.
Offshore and coastal cruising, we strongly recommend ASA 105 Coastal Navigation. It is a self-study course that does not require sailing experience. Also, it can be done when our sailing season is over. It will bring your navigation skills to a much higher level and help you navigate any water. In case of an electronics failure using charts is your navigation plan "B" to return home safely.
Experienced offshore sailors, we offer ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising runs only twice a year on larger sailboats. This course is offshore cruising and often sailed to Bermuda and BVI. Dates TBD.
Our courses can be taken and sailed in the Caribbean during your vacations.
Please call us to learn more about Caribbean's family/friend's vacation and course combo. Read the vital Enrollment Policy and Refund/Cancellation Policy. All information is available on our Policy page.
Also, please remember to Register; your file is needed to secure your enrollment, date confirmation, and receive all updates.
The morning starts with a 2-2.5 hour lecture. Please bring a notebook and a pencil! After that:
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Brief lunch break (bring your lunch or dine at the local restaurants).
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Practice sailing for about 5 hours.
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Day 3: Students will take a 100-question multiple-choice written test. All hands on the water tests are assessed as the course proceeds. We'll do our best to help you get it right.
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We guarantee that every beginning student will learn to sail (ASA 101). If someone fails the written or practical test, we will offer one free make-up during the next available slot in an upcoming class. That's our learn-to-sail guarantee!
Schedule
Classes start at 10 AM and finish around 6 PM. If weather conditions are especially favorable, we may want to sail longer, so plan accordingly. Our instructor will meet you in the classroom to explain your course's schedule and curriculum.
If the weather is too unfavorable for sailing, we'll spend the day in the classroom, and on the following day, we will sail for the entire day.
For ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing, ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising, and Introduction to Sailing, we'll sail on the Hudson River (lighthouse picture) or Long Island Sound. Griffin Sailing Club members will enjoy the Hudson River as well.
For ASA 104, Bareboat Cruising, we'll sail on Long Island Sound or Massachusetts Bay (departing from Boston). For ASA 106, Advanced Coastal Cruising, we'll sail on the Hudson River, Long Island Sound or make a coastal or offshore trip. All of these courses are also available in the Caribbean (sunset picture above).
Custom courses
At Griffin Sailing School, we're happy to customize any of our services to fit the sailing preferences of individuals or groups. Let us know your needs, and we'll make it happen. Whether you're new to sailing or an experienced sailor, cruiser, or racer, you'll benefit from the lectures and the on-the-water training.
We are an actual sailing school!
Sailing life occasionally is stormy; we can help you prepare for any situation, good, bad, or ugly.
We've been there, done that, and learned it all to share with you.
Whatever you choose, you will have a great time and be in experienced hands, getting the best help available.
