No Compressed Courses. Sure, you can learn something in a long weekend. One month later, you'll forget most of it. You retain and internalize much more if classes are spread out over several weeks. Take the time to learn sailing properly, and you'll enjoy sailing and feel far more confident as a result.

A Unique 'Intro to Sailing' Program. Many schools teach a 15-20 hour Keelboat program, and say you're ready. We first focus on basic sailing skills, such as tacking, jibing, and sail trim, before we move on to more advanced skills like reefing, man over board drills and docking. Intro to Sailing has two 5 hr courses one week apart, to provide a good foundation for beginners.

An Advanced 'Basic Keelboat' Course. Once you can sail, we teach you how to be a skipper. The most difficult part of this is learning how to watch the sailtrim, charts, depth, and look out for other navigation, all at the same time. This takes time and practice, and with 20 hours on the water, you'll get it. We also cover topics most schools don't even touch, like getting ready to head out, running aground and kedging off, anchoring, reefing, and numerous docking drills.

More Instruction Time on the Water We offer more time on the water. Classroom time to review textbook material won't make you a better sailor. At SSC, close to 100% of Intro to Sailing or Basic Keelboat is on the water. Question and answer sessions occur while out sailing. Your (and our) time is valuable, and we work hard to make the most of it. We do expect you to read and study the provided texts in Basic Keelboat.

Fewer Students in the Class. When we started 11 years ago, we had 4 students per class, like many other schools. It's more profitable, and our boats are more than big enough. However, we found student preferred and performed better with 3 students per class. When not at the helm, you'll be working on navigation, sail trim, and textbook questions, but primarily, you'll be watching and learning from mistakes made by the student on the helm before you have a go at it. You'll typically be on the helm 3-4 minutes practicing each drill, like single-handed tacking or reefing. With 4 students, you would be 'off watch' for 9-12 minutes per drill session, which is too long. With 3 students, you'll be 'off watch' for just 6-8 minutes, which makes a difference. Bottom line; at SSC you get 25% more time on the helm.

Singlehanded Sailing. We are perhaps the only school in the county who’s entire fleet is specifically set up so students can easily singlehand them. From Basic Keelboat on, we teach the skills needed to singlehand. Even on our Ensigns, features like the electric motors, roller furling jib and self flaking main with a low friction track system allow them to be easily sailed singlehanded. You can can reef, start and run the motor, tack, roll up the jib and drop the mail, all from a safe seated position in the cockpit within a foot or so of the tiller. Although this requires an investment of over $5,000 per Ensign and some innovative teaching methods, sailing singelhanded is simply the greatest skill and confidence builder there is.

Suitable Boats. Teaching boats should be strong, comfortable, and responsive. Many sailing school boats are impossible to singlehand, too light for docking and running aground practice, or designed for children or racing. Our Ensigns are true classics, easy to singlehand, strong, safe and responsive yet forgiving. Ask any old salt. Even our Advanced Cruising and Ocean Sailing boat, a J44, is considered one of the best boats in her class ever built, and was totally rebuilt for ocean sailing and teaching. Finally compare equipment lists. It's hard to learn about essential gear like innerforestays with storm jibs, SSB radio, weatherfax, or watermakers if the boat does not have them. Even our Ensigns have depth recorders and VHF radios.

Practice Time. Does the school encourage you to take out their boats at the end of the class? Will they let you do it single-handed? At Sound Sailing Center, practice time is included in our Basic Keelboat course. It's interesting that most schools will not let you take out their boats alone after you have completed their Basic Keelboat course.

Location. The Norwalk area provides over 30 islands, sandbars, reefs, tide, and a busy channel - every kind of hazard you might run into. By learning here, you'll be comfortable sailing anywhere. Advanced Cruising adds, for example, night sailing on the Sound, which is difficult even for experienced sailors, while Ocean Sailing includes several days of true, blue water sailing in the Atlantic.

The Instructors. Instructors are our most valuable asset. We get the best, because we pay more and because they like to be associated with a high quality operation. See our Instructors page for detailed information about all our teachers. All our instructors are adults who love sailing and are good teachers. Most have their own boats, are Coast Guard Licensed Captains and/or are certified by US Sailing.

Rigorous Standards. That's also why we've made this the best program out there. Instructors are key, but we also have a great location, ideal boats, and we offer certification through US Sailing, the most rigorous program available.

Student Feedback. Students who really want to learn love us. Eighty-eight percent rated us excellent, and 100 percent rated us good or better.

Approach. No course will make you a good sailor. Sailing entails constantly changing conditions and situations, so common sense and an appreciation of one's limitations and abilities are essential. However, we will give you the information and skills you need. The rest is up to you.

Value. Look at the cost per hour of time at the helm, and the practice time included with Basic Keelboat and Basic Cruising. Our courses are the best value out there. We invite you to come in and look over our detailed analysis of other programs.

Our Philosophy. "I started Sound Sailing to get more people involved in sailing by providing high quality instruction. Eight years ago, I was with a class coming up from Annapolis, and it looked like we were going to hit a line of intense thunderstorms just as we were coming in to Norwalk. I called to see if all the boats were in.

"All were, except for one, a student who was out with his family on their first sail after completing our Basic Keelboat course. We had one boat out looking for them, and I joined the search with my class. The squall line came through with winds over 30 knots and driving rain just as we passed Greens Ledge Lighthouse.

"Twenty minutes later, we found our new sailor. Although the conditions were awful, he had rolled up the jib, reefed the main, and was making good progress, with his family safely in the cabin. I felt pretty darn good to see him doing exactly what he should have done in difficult conditions, instead of panicking.

"We may push you a little, and our classes are not easy, but as a result, you know you will be ready for anything. If this is the kind of professional, high quality program you are looking for, come sailing with us."

- Martin van Breems, founder and owner of Sound Sailing Center

The following benefits and conditions apply to all Memberships:

• Members must be onboard and in command for all their reservations.
• Members can cancel Daysailer reservations without penalty.  Naturally we, and the other members appreciate as much advance notice as possible.
• Daysailers may not be used if winds over 16 knots and/or gusts over 19 knots are forecast. Yachts may not go out in small craft warnings.
• Members can cancel Yacht reservations 2x without any penalty. Additional cancellations will be charged to your account. If another members takes over some or all of the time you had reserved, the charge will be reduced by the amount of revenue SSC receives from the other member. The sooner you cancel, the more likely another member will be able to take over your time. There is no charge for cancellations due to rain, visability under one mile, or small craft warnings being posted.
• 10% off all SSC services such as classes.
• 50% off Ensign racing.
• Exchange privileges at the Boston Sailing Center, on Boston Harbor.

Membership is essentially a boat sharing arrangement, with Sound Sailing Center handling all the maintenance and details.  We never have more that 8 members per boat, so even if you decide Friday afternoon that you want a boat for Saturday, odds are you will have a boat.

Refund Policy: NO CASH REFUNDS. There will be no refunds on credit cards or checks. If for any personal reason a customer decides to withdraw from our services, a credit will be issued with NO EXPIRATION DATE.

"I had never sailed before coming to Sound Sailing Center, but sailing seemed like a good way to release the stress from work. I took Basic Keelboat and Coastal Cruising, and joined the Sailing Club, which I have been a member of for five years.

"Boat availability is excellent. In those five years, I can count on one hand the times I was not able to get a boat. It's also great to be able to share the sailing experience with other club members, and sail on a variety of boats like the Contest 36 and J44. The Ensigns, for example, are comfortable, easy to single-hand, and great for relaxing sails. Soon I'll be buying my first boat, because I know that sailing is right for me."

-- Mark Berns