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John Dodge
Go for it!!!
My Wife just took the couse two weeks ago in Annapolis. She loved it. She came back filled with lots of correct information and excitement and questions about our boat. It was money well spent for us.
My Wife just took the couse two weeks ago in Annapolis. She loved it. She came back filled with lots of correct information and excitement and questions about our boat. It was money well spent for us.
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Bill O'Donovan
Ditto
I teach on the side and have heard nothing but good feedback on the Annapolis women's program. Teaches not just skills but self-confidence.
I teach on the side and have heard nothing but good feedback on the Annapolis women's program. Teaches not just skills but self-confidence.
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Al Lorman
Try J World
I believe that a recent Practical Sailor review did not rate them highly (some students loved it and some hated it). My wife and 13 year old daughter took an intro course at J World in Annapolis this weekend and their (female) instructor could not have been better.
I believe that a recent Practical Sailor review did not rate them highly (some students loved it and some hated it). My wife and 13 year old daughter took an intro course at J World in Annapolis this weekend and their (female) instructor could not have been better.
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Joe Barrett
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Mark Burrows
A differnt point of view
As my wife and I have learned to sail, she has considered Womanship and Women4Sail. I thought it was a good idea that she learn from one for the female-centric approaches. Meanwhile, I have done training with other companies. We both can bring these different perspectives to the table and learn from each other. Markdb
As my wife and I have learned to sail, she has considered Womanship and Women4Sail. I thought it was a good idea that she learn from one for the female-centric approaches. Meanwhile, I have done training with other companies. We both can bring these different perspectives to the table and learn from each other. Markdb
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Skip
Been there, they're not good instructors or sailors
A number of years ago (10 years?), shortly after Practical Sailor gave them a top two rating, I took their "couples" course with my girlfriend at the time. I already knew how to sail, but all my experience was on smaller boats (max 22'), and my girlfried had no experience. We spent 5 days living on board an ODay 32 with the instructor on the Chesapeake. I learned very little. A bit about navigation, but I could have learned that all in a couple of hours with a good navigation book and some practice. Other than that, the course was a waste for me (nice sailing tho, went to St. Michaels!) My girlfriend learned more of course, but a month or two later we went sailing on my dad's 22' Venture, and she wasn't able to do many basic things like raise sails, which I felt wasn't covered well as we took the course. The ODay had cockpit led lines and cabin top sheeting, when the configuration was changed, the girlfriend wasn't able to deal with it because variations hadn't been addressed. Finally, I thought the instructor was borderline competent as a boater/sailor. Two specifics still stand out to me. One was a docking manuever where she was demonstrating the "correct" technic, which involved having a dockline tied off to one of the lifeline stanchions (!) and motoring against it to bring the boat along side the dock. As the manuever went bad, to "fix" it, she just throttled up, and the boat came penduluming around that dock line and crashed broadside into the dock. (It was quite dramatic; I was impressed with the sturdiness of the ODay to survive; it didn't have the stanchion ripped of or the hull cracked!) The other was teaching us how to make a bowline, which she made up "sideways" (I don't know how to describe it...the rabbit didn't run around the standing part of the line, but instead around the other branch of the loop). I spent a good deal of time trying to get her to tie it right, and more importantly to show my girlfriend right, but she never believed me, and in the end, of course, the girlfriend couldn't tie a bowline. Since then, Practical Sailor has given them rather bad reviews as well.
A number of years ago (10 years?), shortly after Practical Sailor gave them a top two rating, I took their "couples" course with my girlfriend at the time. I already knew how to sail, but all my experience was on smaller boats (max 22'), and my girlfried had no experience. We spent 5 days living on board an ODay 32 with the instructor on the Chesapeake. I learned very little. A bit about navigation, but I could have learned that all in a couple of hours with a good navigation book and some practice. Other than that, the course was a waste for me (nice sailing tho, went to St. Michaels!) My girlfriend learned more of course, but a month or two later we went sailing on my dad's 22' Venture, and she wasn't able to do many basic things like raise sails, which I felt wasn't covered well as we took the course. The ODay had cockpit led lines and cabin top sheeting, when the configuration was changed, the girlfriend wasn't able to deal with it because variations hadn't been addressed. Finally, I thought the instructor was borderline competent as a boater/sailor. Two specifics still stand out to me. One was a docking manuever where she was demonstrating the "correct" technic, which involved having a dockline tied off to one of the lifeline stanchions (!) and motoring against it to bring the boat along side the dock. As the manuever went bad, to "fix" it, she just throttled up, and the boat came penduluming around that dock line and crashed broadside into the dock. (It was quite dramatic; I was impressed with the sturdiness of the ODay to survive; it didn't have the stanchion ripped of or the hull cracked!) The other was teaching us how to make a bowline, which she made up "sideways" (I don't know how to describe it...the rabbit didn't run around the standing part of the line, but instead around the other branch of the loop). I spent a good deal of time trying to get her to tie it right, and more importantly to show my girlfriend right, but she never believed me, and in the end, of course, the girlfriend couldn't tie a bowline. Since then, Practical Sailor has given them rather bad reviews as well.
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Tom S.
My girlfriend went through Colgates course
and really loved it. She said she learned a lot and after taking it felt really comfortable singlehandling the 26' Daysailer they have. It was a 4 day course (4 days in row or 2 weekends) and they had 4 (or 5?) woman to one instructor. They "made" everyone singlehand to complete the course. As far as basic sailing skill's on a small displacement boat I think they did really well. They even made them try and sail the boat without the rudder with just the sails. After the class she was *really* pumped about sailing and wanted to enter races and such... From what I understand they did just the basics for navigation, but thats to be expected with only 4 days and I think her time was better spent on the water. All in all I would give Colgates high marks in teaching a neophyte about sailing and getting them to command a small displacement boat in a short period of time. ps....I haven't heard "glowing" praises about womanship. I even sat in on a seminar at the the AC sail Expo and wasn't impressed. Some information on subjects were questionable, not that the info was totally wrong, but I think that the way it was explained could be misleading. It seems like they were more concerned with coddling the woman and making them feel accepted, then making sure everyone gets the information 100% . I guess they would be a good choice for a woman that sails with their significant other and either hates or is terrified of sailing. Womanship might be good for these people to get them to actually like sailing and get positive experiences. As for teaching sailing I think they not the best out there PS....the other good thing about Colgates is they are spread around quite a few places...CT, NY City, BVI's, RI Florida, etc
and really loved it. She said she learned a lot and after taking it felt really comfortable singlehandling the 26' Daysailer they have. It was a 4 day course (4 days in row or 2 weekends) and they had 4 (or 5?) woman to one instructor. They "made" everyone singlehand to complete the course. As far as basic sailing skill's on a small displacement boat I think they did really well. They even made them try and sail the boat without the rudder with just the sails. After the class she was *really* pumped about sailing and wanted to enter races and such... From what I understand they did just the basics for navigation, but thats to be expected with only 4 days and I think her time was better spent on the water. All in all I would give Colgates high marks in teaching a neophyte about sailing and getting them to command a small displacement boat in a short period of time. ps....I haven't heard "glowing" praises about womanship. I even sat in on a seminar at the the AC sail Expo and wasn't impressed. Some information on subjects were questionable, not that the info was totally wrong, but I think that the way it was explained could be misleading. It seems like they were more concerned with coddling the woman and making them feel accepted, then making sure everyone gets the information 100% . I guess they would be a good choice for a woman that sails with their significant other and either hates or is terrified of sailing. Womanship might be good for these people to get them to actually like sailing and get positive experiences. As for teaching sailing I think they not the best out there PS....the other good thing about Colgates is they are spread around quite a few places...CT, NY City, BVI's, RI Florida, etc
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carisea
womanship stinks
My wife took the course in Annapolis about 7 years ago, so this may be different know but it was terrible then. 1. Sent her to the wrong dock 2.Nobody was there at the "right dock" for 2 hours after the scheduled start time. The boat was in terrible condition and broke down. Lost an entire day of the course. The next day they changed captains in the middle of the day and she taught somethings totally different than the first instructor. My wife was totally dissapointed and felt it was a complete rip off.
My wife took the course in Annapolis about 7 years ago, so this may be different know but it was terrible then. 1. Sent her to the wrong dock 2.Nobody was there at the "right dock" for 2 hours after the scheduled start time. The boat was in terrible condition and broke down. Lost an entire day of the course. The next day they changed captains in the middle of the day and she taught somethings totally different than the first instructor. My wife was totally dissapointed and felt it was a complete rip off.
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R.W.Landau
Ran across them in marathon in 2000
We (my dad and brothers) ran across them in Marathon in 2000. They were sailing to Miami. We ran across them at the dock. These women were ready to sail. I do not remember the boat but it's name was Womanship. We sailed out before them and stayed the night anchored outside of Rodriguez Key. The next day was one wonderful choppy windy day. We sailed all day at hull speed. Then took a break out on the reef to fish. We heard over the VHF that Womanship had run aground in Angelfish creek. They were center channel. They had a 5" draft and the hump at Angelfish creek is about 4'10" at high tide. They had gotten there about 20 minutes after high tide. After fishing, we headed to Angelfish creek to spend the night behind Pumpkin Key. We had taken this route south and had leadlined through the inlet on the way down. Well we got there and talked to them as we leadlined it through the channel. They were quite content to wait out the tide. We made our way (4' draft) through angelfish creek and anchored behind Pumpkin key. About 2 hours later, Womanship anchored and was doing well. I thought that they were very smart to wait for the tide. They were center channel and to be honest, we ran aground center channel going into Snake creek on the way down to Marathon. They were in good shape. They had sailed their way north that day and a few of the crew had lost lunch but they handled themselves like like seasoned sailors. From a distance, Womanship impressed me. I wish my wife would go. r.w.landau
We (my dad and brothers) ran across them in Marathon in 2000. They were sailing to Miami. We ran across them at the dock. These women were ready to sail. I do not remember the boat but it's name was Womanship. We sailed out before them and stayed the night anchored outside of Rodriguez Key. The next day was one wonderful choppy windy day. We sailed all day at hull speed. Then took a break out on the reef to fish. We heard over the VHF that Womanship had run aground in Angelfish creek. They were center channel. They had a 5" draft and the hump at Angelfish creek is about 4'10" at high tide. They had gotten there about 20 minutes after high tide. After fishing, we headed to Angelfish creek to spend the night behind Pumpkin Key. We had taken this route south and had leadlined through the inlet on the way down. Well we got there and talked to them as we leadlined it through the channel. They were quite content to wait out the tide. We made our way (4' draft) through angelfish creek and anchored behind Pumpkin key. About 2 hours later, Womanship anchored and was doing well. I thought that they were very smart to wait for the tide. They were center channel and to be honest, we ran aground center channel going into Snake creek on the way down to Marathon. They were in good shape. They had sailed their way north that day and a few of the crew had lost lunch but they handled themselves like like seasoned sailors. From a distance, Womanship impressed me. I wish my wife would go. r.w.landau
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Tom
RW. But what were they teaching on the boat ?
There are all types of sailing classes. Beginners, board sailing, small daysailers, bigger boat cruising classes. All are very good lessons, but I really question 2-3 day cruising classes to teach people to learn how to sail (beginners). You need a smaller more nimble boat with a good feel to see how a boat responds to sail adjustments and helm. The class that they have "Live Aboard Learning Cruises" in my mind are not going to teach beginners how to sail. Many of the classes that have you cruise on a boat might be fun, but I think very few of the people on them really learn anything about the skills of sailing and even fewer might be able to sail a boat themselves after it. They are good for sailors that are good day sailers and need the instruction and experiences to learn how to cruise (Chart reading, anchoring, provisioning, etc)
There are all types of sailing classes. Beginners, board sailing, small daysailers, bigger boat cruising classes. All are very good lessons, but I really question 2-3 day cruising classes to teach people to learn how to sail (beginners). You need a smaller more nimble boat with a good feel to see how a boat responds to sail adjustments and helm. The class that they have "Live Aboard Learning Cruises" in my mind are not going to teach beginners how to sail. Many of the classes that have you cruise on a boat might be fun, but I think very few of the people on them really learn anything about the skills of sailing and even fewer might be able to sail a boat themselves after it. They are good for sailors that are good day sailers and need the instruction and experiences to learn how to cruise (Chart reading, anchoring, provisioning, etc)
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R.W.Landau
Tom,
Many of the people that go on these 2-3 day cruise courses, are women that have boats. They are trying to learn about the boats they (with husband) own. I feel that these woman are trying to gain confidence on a larger boat. Part of it is just the thought of being on the bigger boat. Others are probably dealing with wanting to learn from a womans point of view. We men have a drive that sometimes drives women from sailing. I think the women on that cruise learned alot about strong wind, rough water, going aground, anchoring and having fun. We as men are looking for that next tuning issue. I think the women are ( I am not saying all women, I know a women that went and loved the ability to progress as she could. She was not a bad sailor before she left.) just looking for a comfort level about being on board and learning some basic big boat stuff that their husband has not been to patient at teaching them. Heck I know I talk a different language than my wife, and on the boat, I am like an alien. Remember, this is normally the guys dream. The woman is trying to like the guys dream. It looked to me that Womanship was more about confidence. Yes, some of the better woman sailors took their part to learn more than they knew and they had that opportunity. I think every woman on that boat progressed from where they started. I think this is why Womanship is so good. A woman has the potential to learn as much as she wants to learn. Tom you are worried about sail trim and balance. The problem is that many women just don't want on the boat. If they (Womanship) could give my wife the love I have of being on the boat, I don't care if she can trim my sails to profection. I just want my wife to like the boat enough to live aboard. My wife tolerates the boat. She has learned alittle about sailing but has no desire to learn. I single-hand even with my lovely wife on board. She would not come on my last boat but looks forward to weekends on our 25 O'Day. Sailing my last boat was pretty lonely. I think you get my point. It is all what the woman is seeking. As guys, I think all we want is our wives to come on the boat and maybe learn what they have to do to be a good mate. I have learned what I have learned from a lifetime of boating. 3 days will not teach someone to sail to perfection. It is the small steps that matter. Being on the boat is step one. Again, I am not talking about all women, so don't bash me for my statements or male comments. r.w.landau
Many of the people that go on these 2-3 day cruise courses, are women that have boats. They are trying to learn about the boats they (with husband) own. I feel that these woman are trying to gain confidence on a larger boat. Part of it is just the thought of being on the bigger boat. Others are probably dealing with wanting to learn from a womans point of view. We men have a drive that sometimes drives women from sailing. I think the women on that cruise learned alot about strong wind, rough water, going aground, anchoring and having fun. We as men are looking for that next tuning issue. I think the women are ( I am not saying all women, I know a women that went and loved the ability to progress as she could. She was not a bad sailor before she left.) just looking for a comfort level about being on board and learning some basic big boat stuff that their husband has not been to patient at teaching them. Heck I know I talk a different language than my wife, and on the boat, I am like an alien. Remember, this is normally the guys dream. The woman is trying to like the guys dream. It looked to me that Womanship was more about confidence. Yes, some of the better woman sailors took their part to learn more than they knew and they had that opportunity. I think every woman on that boat progressed from where they started. I think this is why Womanship is so good. A woman has the potential to learn as much as she wants to learn. Tom you are worried about sail trim and balance. The problem is that many women just don't want on the boat. If they (Womanship) could give my wife the love I have of being on the boat, I don't care if she can trim my sails to profection. I just want my wife to like the boat enough to live aboard. My wife tolerates the boat. She has learned alittle about sailing but has no desire to learn. I single-hand even with my lovely wife on board. She would not come on my last boat but looks forward to weekends on our 25 O'Day. Sailing my last boat was pretty lonely. I think you get my point. It is all what the woman is seeking. As guys, I think all we want is our wives to come on the boat and maybe learn what they have to do to be a good mate. I have learned what I have learned from a lifetime of boating. 3 days will not teach someone to sail to perfection. It is the small steps that matter. Being on the boat is step one. Again, I am not talking about all women, so don't bash me for my statements or male comments. r.w.landau
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Tom
RW...no bashing. I absolutely agree
Nothing wrong with their courses. It more of a confidence thing. Actually what you posted is pretty much what I was saying. But if a woman want to actually learn how to sail (as opposed to being on a boat and not hating it) Then I think there are better courses out there for them.
Nothing wrong with their courses. It more of a confidence thing. Actually what you posted is pretty much what I was saying. But if a woman want to actually learn how to sail (as opposed to being on a boat and not hating it) Then I think there are better courses out there for them.
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David
If you
are asking about the specific school "Womanship" that sails in the Chesapeake I can report that my wife took the 7 day course about 10 years ago and was disappointed. She states that it must be for the pure beginner as she had a nice cruise but learned very little that she didn't already know. There is one school out of Casco Bay, Maine captained by a Ms Greenlaw that is reportedly very good.
are asking about the specific school "Womanship" that sails in the Chesapeake I can report that my wife took the 7 day course about 10 years ago and was disappointed. She states that it must be for the pure beginner as she had a nice cruise but learned very little that she didn't already know. There is one school out of Casco Bay, Maine captained by a Ms Greenlaw that is reportedly very good.
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