YELP REVIEW’S:
November 28th, 2023
This experience exceeded my expectations in every way. The instructors were passionate and knowledgeable, and they created a stimulating and supportive learning environment. The atmosphere was both challenging and rewarding. I would highly recommend this school to anyone looking for an enriching and transformative learning experience.
July 26th, 2023
I completed the ASA101 certification class with Pacific Sail over the last two weekends – it was a wonderful experience. Both our instructors Richard and Jeff had decades of sailing wisdom and it was an incredible learning experience. If you are looking to get into sailing, I would highly recommend going with Pacific Sail – they have several options to get started.
July 17th, 2023
My son and I completed the ASA 101 and 103 certification class at Pacific Sail last week. We had an absolutely outstanding experience. Our instructor Richard was a great teacher and a lot of fun to be around. Couldn’t recommend this program more.
GOOGLE REVIEW:
I’ve been bareboat chartering with Pacific Sail for a year. They offer an excellent variety of very well-maintained sailing vessels. Staff is also very friendly, responsive and helpful.
TRIPADVISOR REVIEW’S:
have & would continue to recommend Pacific Sail to others wanting to experience sailing or improve their existing skills. We had a variety of skills, background & practice in our class. The instructor was able to help everyone learn something new in a positive environment.
I have previously gone through their intro & then the ASA 101 & now ASA 103. Different instructors, all encouraging & knowledgeable. We were able to try out the different boats in their fleet & interact with enthusiastic sailors ! Loved it. Highly recommend. Thank you, Pacific Sail, for all your help !
I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful experience of the 8-day sailing class I took with last month. That was, first of all, one of the best vacations I have ever taken, and second, one of the proudest accomplishments I’ve had. I just received my ASA certifications and I look forward to earning more.
Let me compliment you on your instructors. They were all extremely knowledgeable and competent. I was truly impressed by the broad range of their experience. I would be proud to sail anywhere any time with any one of them. Before this I had no sailing experience, only time in powerboats. It seemed to me to be an awful lot to learn in a very short time but your instructors covered it all at an easy comfortable pace.
I’ll be seeing you again for the 4-day offshore class sometime in the not too distant future. And I’m looking forward to again seeing your people who I now consider my friends.
Mike Nolan
I just wanted to let you know that I had a great time during my maiden voyage in the bvi’s over Thanksgiving. It was absolutely the best vacation me and my family have ever taken. Everything came off without a hitch. I chartered a 3 month old 40′ Beneteau. I was totally comfortable and confident with skippering the boat thanks to the great training I received at Pacific Sailing. We had 15-20 knot winds and 4-5 ft seas for most of the week. We sailed from Tortola to Cooper, to Virgin Gorda (just couldn’t bring myself to leave Saba Rock for a couple of days), then hit Foxy’s at Jost van Dyke, to Peter Island, then back to Tortola. Dropped anchor one night at Peter Island and caught mooring balls the other nights. Going where you want, when you want, then snorkeling, fishing, taking the dinghy ashore and exploring is hard to beat. Can’t believe I waited this long in my life to do it.
To prep for the trip, I had my wife take the introductory class at the sailing school 2 miles from my home. I went with her to get some time on the water working together. Let me just say that the quality of instruction and boats that you offer is far, far superior to what is available at my own backdoor. I could site a dozen examples off the top of my head but I’ll leave them out for the sake of brevity. I’m really glad I got my bareboat certification at Pacific Sailing. Tell Frank and Ken they did a great job transferring their knowledge and enthusiasm for sailing.
Keep up the good work. Hope to see you back in Santa Cruz soon.
Kent Perry
Everything you told me over the phone is true or better! I thank you for giving me such a real welcome in your harbor, for “giving” excellent, capable, and patient instructors, and most of all providing me with such a relaxed feeling in this country where the palm tree meets the pine! Most importantly: I learned so much about safety and caution that it will not only help me on board a boat, but in everything in my life. Thank you and your staff again.
Els Sweeney
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the outstanding program you offer to sailors. I found it to be very beneficial and enjoyed the time I spent with your staff. As leaders in the marine industry, we appreciate you offering this service to the sailing community and I will recommend this program to all West Marine associates.
Mike Edwards
Executive Vice President, West Marine Products
Grace, Jim, Felix, and I would like to thank you and your staff for the excellent instruction that we received during our eight day sailing course (Basic Sailing and Seamanship; Basic and Intermediate Coastal Cruising; Bareboat Chartering). We found the instructors to be well prepared and patient, and they were always willing and able to adapt to our individual needs and skill levels.
Special kudos go to your instructors for their adroitness in teaching and their abilities to explain the whys, as well as the hows, of sailing. I especially appreciate their emphasis on anticipation and preparation. We highly recommend Pacific Yachting and Sailing to potential sailors or to current sailors wishing to increase their skill levels.
We look forward to lots of fun on Monterey Bay and beyond.
Michael Abbett
Aptos, CA
Neither Craig nor I can stop talking about how great the eight-day course was. Both Joe and Barry were perfect teachers. We loved learning from each of them and are amazed at how easily they transferred their sailing skills to us apprentice wannabes. Learning the points-of-sail was fun and I was sure it was going to be impossible to learn. But both Barry and Joe made sure we understood the fundamentals by posing questions and having us demonstrate through sailing. The result is that we have learned a new skill, a new mode of transportation, and have greater self confidence. And you should end up with a couple of new clients who’ll charter a boat from you every now and then. I hope we charter at least once a month.
Of all the things I’ve ever wanted to do, sailing was the one I didn’t think I’d complete. It always seemed too big a hurdle, too expensive, and probably not as prudent as I’d normally like. Neither did I realize how physically and mentally demanding, and rewarding it is to sail. The best part of my sailing experience was found in how quiet our planet became. Without trees, forests, and gardens there just aren’t any chirpers nearby. Equally pleasant was the silence of the animals moving within the water. Occasionally we glimpsed otters floating like little logs, sea lions poking their snouts up just long enough to reposition themselves, and we think we even saw a whale. One day soon I’m going to have to write a short story about this adventure because there is so much to capture. I just didn’t think that a person could go from no sailing experience to proficiency so quickly. You don’t get this idea from reading sailing magazines or talking to people who have always managed to find a boating friend.
Your web site Q & A’s that Monterey Bay provides a better learning experience because you actually feel the ocean swells. We had several days of 4 foot swells. Better to experience this phenomena with an instructor than alone. I could go on and on.
I just want to thank you and your crew for a wonderful adventure that has only just begun.
Scarlet & Craig
Felton, CA
Everything that you and your company promised was fulfilled and then some.The feeling of self reliance that we gained is due to your program, instructors and location. I’ve witnessed instructors in various fields such as horsemanship, computing and sailing who lacked patience and the ability to relate to their students.
Tina Schwendemann and Forest Roberts are absolutely tops. They know their skills and were so willing and patient.They taught us both the “how and why” of things and our trust in them was100%!
I also have to give credit to your location. Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay have to be among the top places for this type of class. How can we truly learn to sail in real ocean conditions by training in rivers, lakes or flat water? The whole experience was exhilarating and rewarding. We heartily recommend Pacific Yachting without reservation.
Jerry Woods
I had the pleasure of taking the six-day course from Pacific Yachting. The lessons were intense, and involved. The instructors were knowledgeable and dedicated to the task of teaching their students how to sail.
I was particularly impressed with their ability to express thoughts in a calm, concise and meaningful way. Having spent many years listening to lawyers, witnesses and others trying to communicate their ideas, I have acquired a great respect for those individuals who express themselves in simple and understandable terms.
The Pacific Yachting instructors did this in an effective manner, making it an outstanding course.
Donald R. Franson
Retired Presiding Justice
California Court of Appeal
Fifth Appellate District
Fresno, CA
The instruction we received was great. The instructors were super at introducing me into sailing “officially.” The overall instruction was super. I quickly understood what to do and when; boat terminology; handling the boat, handling the sheets; and they were very, very, patient in teaching docking. All instructors were easy going and knowledgeable and very upbeat. Not once did I ever feel intimidated.
Our advanced class with Joseph was wonderful. It had to have been my most enjoyable experience sailing. In addition to Joseph being an incredibly patient instructor, his wealth of sailing and local knowledge was fantastic. The stories and history of landmarks, terminology, anchors, boats, and so on added so much value to our experience. I learned so much this last weekend and felt so good about what I was accomplishing, and Joseph was a large contributor to that feeling. He boosted my confidence and had me sailing into the slip after a whole day at the helm. I feel like I got to do everything in one weekend and it was fantastic. I can’t wait to get out there again.
I just wanted to pass on my appreciation of the time and energy given to us by Joseph. Not only did we learn a lot about sailing, but we also had tons of fun doing it.
Thank you again for providing such a quality program.
Dorothy Caldwell
I took the 8-day-straight, liveaboard class 2 years ago. I had only sailed Lido 14’s before then. The class was excellent. The instructors know their stuff and are keenly interested in teaching. I especially liked the sailing on a variety of boats – I think we sailed on 3 different boats. ranging from 27′ to 34 feet. I was surprised by how quickly I was at the helm of the boats – right from the start we had to back the boat out of the dock and learn to not hit any other boats.
The great thing about learning to sail in Santa Cruz is that you get to sail in the ocean. In our class we experienced everything from flat seas to white caps and rather large swells – it was great training. It was a nice vacation as well. All the boats were in very good condition, and Marc, the owner of Pacific Yachting & Sailing has recently added more brand-new boats to the fleet that I have rented for day-sailing.
Just last fall I took the 4-day coastal navigation course where we sailed from Half Moon Bay to San Francisco Bay, and back to Santa Cruz. This too was taught by a well seasoned, patient instructor.
I guess the bottom line is that through Pacific Yachting’s instruction and rental program, I feel confident enough to rent a boat and take my family out. I continue to rent boats from Marc and look forward to doing it again soon. Marc, is very easy going and honest guy. I highly recommend him and his instructors.
Dale McDuffe
San Jose, CA
I’d like to thank you for my lesson. I was a reluctant student, but you were a great instructor. I really was relaxed and actually having a good time by the end of the lesson. As a teacher and department chair, I’ve done my share of training new teachers. Specifically, I’d like to complement you on the following:
You listened to what I said and reacted to it. I did not feel threatened and was therefore willing to listen. I became a “teachable” student. You did not simply show me how to do something. You made sure I did it myself. You made me do something more than once so that I became more familiar with it. You did not use technical sailing terms when I was not ready for them. Again, I thank you for your lesson.
Martha Hull
Santa Clara, CA
Please thank all of your captains for a very worthwhile and educational experience. All of the instructors we sailed with are awesome in their experience, patience and good humor. While all different, each is a very interesting person and we enjoyed their company. Please pass on a very sincere “thank you” from Mary and I.
Victor T. Petty
San Jose, CA
Pat and I would like to thank you. Our trip was enjoyable and learning packed. We attained our goals. Pat and I learned many skills to practice on our boat here in New Mexico. Our experience with boat life was enjoyable. Another trip to Santa Cruz, and Pacific Yachting and Sailing is in our plans.
Gene Tatum & Pat Hester
Albuquerque, NM
Barbara and I would like to let you know that we had a great time taking the six-day sailing course. All three instructors, Andrew, Keith, and Homer, seemed to have a great amount of sailing knowledge and were very capable instructors. Their styles were relaxed yet structured to give us the most information without being stuffy. We liked having three instructors in that all three had their own styles of handling the boats. It was also nice to have four different sail boats to sail on during the course. This exposed us to different ways a sail boat can be rigged. We appreciate being able to stay on the boat at night for lodging. That really cut the cost of the trip as we are from New Mexico.
Dale Miracle
New Mexico
Ginny and I are glad we postponed earlier as it was a perfect weekend for us and matching us up with Sheila was perfect too. She was terrific to sail with. It has been a few years since we had handled a boat so it was a good refresher. Sheila took a lot of time with Ginny and really got her confidence back up. We’re only a month away from our charter with The Moorings in the BVI and looking forward to the trip with a lot more enthusiasm and confidence.
Ken Duffield
Fair Oaks, CA
The quality of instruction I received from Pacific Yachting & Sailing was excellent. In particular I felt fortunate to have had Joseph Rogers as an instructor, he really knows a great deal about sailing. Also, I got the feeling he had a genuine interest in making me a better sailor. I would not hesitate to recommend Pacific Yachting & Sailing to a friend.
Jake Fleck
Denver, CO
This year I purchased my first cruising sailboat and skippered its delivery from San Diego to Santa Cruz. The past experiences and confidence gained from Pacific Yachting & Sailing were invaluable to making it all happen. Thanks.
Doug Grosjean