Graduate Testimonials

Here are just a few testimonies from satisfied Sailboats Inc. Sailing Charter Certification graduates.

“I just wanted to inform you that the sailing class with captain Jack (not Sparrow) Kosten in Manitowoc was a hit!!!!  I went into it with a considerable amount of apprehension and trepidation and emerged with a comfort level, understanding and knowledge I never expected.  Captain Jack's passion for sailing was communicated through his teaching and coaching and instruction.  Both my husband and myself thoroughly enjoyed the entire weekend…Just thought you should know.”

Roberta Godson
Ripon, WI

“It has been a week since I took your sailing class and I do not think I adequately expressed my appreciation for the instruction given by Captain Jack Kosten.   He fielded every question thrown at him both about sailing and the sailboat and followed that up with many practical and personal examples.   I greatly appreciated his instruction and efforts.”

Jim Godson
Ripon, WI

“We just wanted to send a quick email with some feedback on our 3 day basic sailing class in Lake Pepin this past weekend.  We had an unbelievable time!!!! It far exceeded ALL expectations of sailing lessons!!  Jim was excellent - we would highly recommend the course and especially Jim as an instructor! I can't say enough about him.  We hated to leave on Sunday! He was so full of information, history and just fun! He was so personable, patient, and knowledgeable.  Kevin and I both feel we learned so much in the past 3 days and feel very confident to charter a sailboat on our own.  Thanks again for everything…”
  
Laurel and Kevin Kiecker
Brooklyn Park, MN

“Thank you for a wonderful sailing instruction experience!  Carol and I had an exceptional time and learned a lot!  We definitely will be chartering a sailboat in the spring if not sooner in Florida.  TA [Capt. Terry Anderson] was awesome as an instructor too!  Thanks to the whole team at Sailboats, Inc!”

Dave Nicholson and Carol Weis
Maple Lake, MN

“Sailboats, Inc. provided outstanding service, from arranging for an additional class to providing a top notch instructor.  My wife and I couldn’t have been more pleased.”

Jeffrey Girard
Oneida, WI

“The on-the-water sessions were far beyond our greatest expectation.  Our instructor was the finest gentleman, instructor, and entertainer that we have met in a long while.”

Dr. Sheldon Ivers
Great Falls, MT

“The material presented during my on the water instruction was clear, interesting and obviously well organized…I absolutely feel more confident about my ability to handle a cruising auxiliary, without a doubt.”

John Dakins
Hazelwood, MO

“Your sailing class was one of the highlights of my life.”

John P. Graham
Chicago, IL

“I liked the home study program, you can watch it over and over again if you need to.”

Vicky Debre
Antioch, IL

Responses & Comments taken from recent Instruction Program Evaluations:

I was especially pleased by the following… / Comments:

“I have taken an ASA class before and was in knots the whole time.  This class was actually Fun.”

“Our instructor had an excellent understanding of each person’s strengths/weaknesses & comfort level.  He was able to adapt instruction accordingly.”

“Instructor was always calm & just talked you through things even if you were making a mistake.”

“For a complete beginner in sailing, I thought the material & instructors were excellent – I learned a lot in a short time.”

“I feel I learned a lot and I have sailed for 35 years.”

“This course was well worth my time and money.”

“Lots of good practical comments and clarifying questions.”

“Well organized, good teacher!  Thank you.”

“The shear amount of times that each student got to perform maneuvers was the best.”

“Tailoring our instruction to our class.  The class was very complete.”

“Building a basic foundation & the reason why – good process.”

“Clear, clean & concise – very good material.”

“Gave us very good instructions under difficult weather conditions.”

“Attention to detail, consistent coaching.”

“Ensured we knew the basics & safety.  Liked the amount of repetition on tasks.”

“Confidence day over day increased tremendously.”

“The personal attention given to each student in the boat.”

“One-on-one attention, lots of attempts at getting maneuvers correct.  Taught us all the essentials.

“Perfect experience.”

“You’re method of instruction is very good.  On water instructor was very good, very supportive and patient.  Great location for learn to sail.  Great experience all around – thanks.”

“Very cool & calm & highly confidence building.  We feel able to go & charter on our own.  Which was the point.”

“-Terrific instructor – good balance between directing & letting students complete steps of particular maneuver.
-criticism offered was right on track, delivered very contructively
-overall, was a very enjoyable experience.”

“Not a wasted minute.  Even learned things through lunches.”

“His knowledge and expertise – both as a sailor and as an instructor.”

“The on-line pre-study materials was very well put together and hit on the most critical points, and followed the on-the-water instruction very well”

“Instructor lets you use your own judgement and learn from your mistakes.”

“It was very unintimidating & encouraging.  She put everyone at ease and made the whole experience a whole lot of fun!”

“The instructor’s ability to communicate the course material very affective.”

“Learning to chart and the instructor’s patience.”

“The instructor’s ability to teach in a clear, direct & patient manner.”

“Repeating drills enough so that I was able to fully understand all maneuvers.”

“Very thorough and informative; practice and hands on which was great.”

“The website & handout and the CD.  The classroom instruction was great.”

“Very patient w/ all students.  Explained things very well and in an organized manner.  Ensured all students understood before moving on to another topic.”

“Online video was very helpful and learned the most from that.”

“Overall, both the classroom and on-the-water instruction was excellent.  I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 days in Bayfield.  Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!”

“Bayfield sailing grounds are very impressive and a good way to sell this sport by your location here.  The C&C 29 was a very stable platform and lent a feeling of safety to the course.  Good emphasis on safety.”

“*Excellent program – good mix of instruction and hands on experience
* Lots of time on the water
* very flexible”

“Very helpful.  I overcame my fear & Larry helped me become more confident.  Excellent instructor – top shelf.”

 “The videos and all other material was great.”

”I was pleased with the on-the-water instruction practice – we had lots of experience with handling the boat, docking and sailing.”

“Good program – learned lots – feel much more confident on a sailboat”

“Mike is an excellent teacher – lots of patience, very calm & let you know when you did something wrong & when you did a good job.  I feel that I couldn’t have had a better teacher.  Thank you for the confidence you have give me.   The weekend was wonderful.:

“It was a pleasure to sail with Jim – he is a seasoned sailor with a great presence and personality.  Well done!”

“Bayfield is beautiful & our instructor was excellent.  I am very pleased with the whole experience.”