Narragansett Sailing school

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About Us

Rhode Island Sailing and Boating School

More than Sailing, Cruising!

NSBS (Narragansett Sailing and Boating School)  is a family-owned cruising school based in Rhode Island, one of the world’s premier sailing destinations. More than a traditional sailing school, we specialize in real-world cruising education, teaching everything you need to confidently sail and cruise anywhere in the world.

Our programs include:

Our Mission:

We offer an immersive sailing and hands-on experience designed to build confidence and skills for cruising anywhere in the world.

School Data:

  • Started in 2009, Family owned and independently operated
  • More than 3,000 certifications  ASA ( American Sailing ) delivered
  • More than 270 students per year in the Sailing School  and 100 in boat  maintenance
  • Satisfaction score: 3.95 out of 4 on American Sailing and 5 stars rating on Google
  • Certified ASA instructors, all US Coast Guard Captains
  • 3 classrooms fully equipped  and  Boats from 28 feet to 42 feet
  • Women only classes and instructors.
MEET THE TEAM

We Make Sailing and Cruising Simple

We have spent a lot of energy in coming up with a formula where folks could “DISCOVER SAILING” without having to break the bank. Whether your goal is weekend sailing or long-distance cruising, NSBS provides the skills, confidence, and experience to make it possible.

What You Can Do With Us:

  • Achieve American Sailing Association Certification
  • Join a boating class to learn how to maintain a boat or to learn how boat systems work
  • Discover sailing and Sailing practice in Rhode Island
  • Cruise to nearby Islands
  • Rent a bareboat and sail in the bay

We Are A Hands-on School

Boat Maintenance :

The boat maintenance school is a hands-on school. We teach just enough theory and provide multiple opportunities to put your hands on the equipment (a diesel engine or an electrical system) using the right tools. A unique practical approach.

Sailing and Cruising:

Our courses combine focused classroom instruction (2h per day) with extensive hands-on (about 5 hours per day) sailing. Repetition of key maneuvers builds confidence and turns new skills into instinct, with optional additional sailing time to further develop real-world cruising experience.

Why Are We Different From Most?

  • The method we use to teach : we adapt, we listen, we follow ASA recommendations
  • Hands-on school/class size/number of days : You have a chance to do things by yourself because we limit the number of students. Our ASA classes last 3 days minimum. More than most of the other sailing schools around us.
    Experience and learn with your hands on wheel, on the boats, on the sails or on a diesel engine.
  • Our instructors are experienced and qualified. They know the bay and the boats very well. We have been awarded “ASA Instructor of the Year” for multiple years.
  • Ours boats at the Narragansett Sailing and Boating School are chosen for their appropriate size and ease of use. Find more details about the Sailing School fleet.
  • Sailing in Rhode Island is one of the best experience in North America and very safe in the Bay for Beginners.
  • Our Women Teaching Women program is unique and offers customized lessons for female sailors

Why Choose Narragansett Sailing School?

So you have the itch to either learn to sail or improve your skills!

There are a few good schools around Rhode Island, each with different philosophies and different slants on how to impart the appropriate knowledge and confidence. There are two main accreditation organizations, US Sailing and the American Sailing Association. These organizations do not dictate to a school HOW to teach, they both provide standards of what needs to be covered. The HOW depends on the school itself, and there are a lot of different methods out there.

Here at Narragansett Sailing and Boating School we are an ASA certified facility and teach Coastal Cruising from the get-go. To get you comfortable with a cruising boat faster, we start you out on a 30’ boat with wheel steering and inboard diesel engine which is more intuitive than a smaller boat steered with a tiller. We have created an integrated SYSTEM that not only will teach you how to sail; but will give a variety of boat options to hone those skills.

After instruction you can rent a boat for a day or a week, chartering increasingly larger boats as your confidence and skills grow. You can also join our Flotilla’s renting a cabin for a week with a captain or join our partner Coboaters (Link to Coboaters.com) to crew on another’s boat.