Mates: I'm curious about what listers are seeking out of a sailing school? This topic is going on over on another Catalina list I belong to so I thought I'd throw it out here. A number of years ago, when I got back into sailing and realized I didn't remember anything and knew I needed instruction, I researched a number of schools in the LA area. I discounted the ones that told me that after a couple of hours of instruction I'd be competent enough to take a 30 footer to Catalina island!! Not knowing what I really wanted out of a sailing school, I picked what I thought was a good one in Newport Beach and it turned out OK. I took every class they had - from beginner to expert ( the expert was 4 nights from 4PM to 10PM and all off shore), anchoring, systems, navigation. You name it and if they had it , I took it but if you don't know what your doing I could go out every night and I still would not know what was going on. The problem was the main reason I really got into their program was to learn to efficiently and properly sail a boat using all the sail trim controls for the main and jib. Unfortunately, that goal was not realized. I could not read the wind and had no idea what the instructors was even talking about. They used terms that were way beyond me like twist and draft position and plus and minus wind forces on the sail. I'd look around at the other people in the class and they are all nodding their heads in agreement so I thought I was the only idiot in the class that didn't get it. Come to find out they didn't know crap either. On my final check out there were 3 instructors I could have picked. I picked the toughest of the 3. The other students thought I was nuts but I hate kidding myself. The other two instructors would has passed me in a heart beat. Actually, I did great at the dock and backing the boat, and flaking sail but when we got under sail and he said to tack the boat I really didn't know which way to turn it. I guessed the right way but he picked up on it immediately that it was just a guess and he then asked me a couple of questions and my answers just confirmed what he already knew. The test ended right there but he agreed to teach me. After 4 hours of private lessons, which were presented in plain English and easy to understand, it finally started to make sense and the lights started to come on but I still had a long way to go. Knowing what I know now, my sailing school search would be a lot different. I know what I'd look for in the curriculum. Additionally, a lot of the overall sailing school stuff can be learned by simply reading. Sailing schools, most of which also charter boats, don't make a lot of $$ on the school itself. Where the money is made is on charter so they want to get the student into the charter as soon as possible. Sometime the quickness of the class gives beginners a false sense of security, which they find out the first time the situation gets a little hairy.