The Learning Environment
Located bayside in Key Largo, this ideal setting at the beginning of the Florida Keys will turn your lifetime "learn to sail" dreams into the vacation of a lifetime! Our competent and patient instructors will carefully walk or sail you through each part of the comprehensive curriculum.
Whether it is in our Tiki hut or the comfort of your own cabin; the lessons will thoroughly prepare you for your advancement to your own Catalina or O'Day 22 for the exciting, on the water part of the course. Just scan through the content for the Basic Sailing Course below to see the wealth of sailing knowledge you will gain from this program.
The programmed learning approach to this course will enable you and your partner to learn from each other as well as gaining from the instructor's extensive sailing and teaching experience. Additional family members may join you two in the course for only an additional $100 per head.
The American Sailing Academy is very proud to have been chosen as the first approved sailing school by the Extreme Sports Institute. This online program will not only enable you to prepare for the course through online learning in the comfort of your own home; but also, award you with a 10% discount upon presentation of your course completion certificate.
Put all of these outstanding learning environment components together on the cool, protected waters of Buttonwood Sound; and, we feel quite certain you will easily see how your "learn to sail" dreams can be turned into reality.
USCG Sailmaster and School Principal
The Sailing Lessons will be conducted by Captain Joe Dyll with a back-ground based on over 40 years sailing experience in both the USA and Australia. A few of the boats he owned included a Thunderbird,range of beach cats, red baron cruising cat, Crowther Impala trimaran(first tri to circumnavigate Australia), Crowther Spindrift 37 and 45, And
Corsair F27 and F31. As well as extensive cruising in multihulls he
has a few Brisbane to Gladstone races under his belt in addition to
several seasons racing in Perth, Western Australia; Sydney, Lake Erie,
Pymatuning Lake (in Western Pa.) and Florida. While in Perth, he
worked with Alan Bond (America's Cup winner). While working for Bond,
he was the Director responsible for starting Australia's first private university - Bond University (just Google Joe Dyll). It was there he originated the idea of the online Extreme Sports Institute as his own business development project. He also hold a USCG Master Mariner's license for coastal work; as well as a sailing and and
towing endorsement.
AMERICAN SAILING ACADEMY
Sailing Curriculum
Components of Basic Sailing Course
- History of Sailing
- How and why do sailboats sail
- Points of sail and sail settings
- Parts of a sailing vessel
- Small outboard motor operation
- Rules of the road
- Safety – dockside and on the water
- Basic VHF radio operation
- Practice reaching, running and sailing close-hauled
- More practice reaching, running and sailing close hauled
- Tacking and jibing
- Man overboard drill
- Docking under power
- Anchoring
- Basic knots
- Proper securing of a sailboat
- How to read a chart
- Sailing story telling
At the end of the Basic Sailing Course; students will be certified to take command of the Catalina 22 and/or O’Day 22 sailing vessels within the Key Lime Sailing Club’s fleet. This certificate may also be recognized by many of the other sail charter and rental companies.
Advanced Sailing Courses
These advanced sailing courses will be available either on an ad hoc basis or specially offered at the best times on our Key Lime Sailing Club events calendar. For example, the children’s summer camp and Catalina tune up clinic will require additional, highly qualified staff; thus, offered according to demand at the times scheduled in our calendar.
- Coastal navigation using both GPS and compass
- Charter boat operation
- Preparing for live aboard life
- Outboard motor tuning and maintenance
- Advanced docking
- Racing school
- Catalina tune up clinic
- Children’s summer sailing camp program
- Multihull sailing
Detailed Curriculum for Basic Sailing Course –
(Note: Because of the variety of days and times this course is given, as well as the possibility of bad weather{rare as it is in the Keys!}; the curriculum below is a general statement of how the lectures and on board lessons will be presented)
FIRST LESSON – SAILBOATS AND HOW/WHY THEY SAIL
The WIND; necessity for good communication(s) at all times; history of sailing; sailing terminology; the sailing circle and basis sailing maneuvers; how design of the boat contributes to a modern sailboat abilities; sailing an A to B to C and back again course on paper; rescuing a man overboard; and, a quick checklist of required and preferred safety equipment.
FIRST ON THE WATER LESSON
Introduction to your Catalina 22; locating, identifying and using required safety equipment; how to start and operate your outboard motor; discussion of parts of the boat, rigging the sails, leaving the dock; sailing the points of sail and executing tacking and jibing procedures.
SECOND LESSON – SAFETY, EMERGENCIES, SAFETY EQUIPMENT, RULES OF THE ROAD/SEA
Review of the proper use of safety equipment (life preservers, throwable device, flares, fire extinguisher); anchoring and docking, dealing storms and heavy wind conditions, grounding, and getting free; Rules of the Road/Sea; other boating regulations; basic knots.
SECOND ON THE WATER LESSON
Sailing the triangular course to put tacking, jibing, the points of sail and sail trim to use to sail from A to B to C and safely return; man overboard practice.
THIRD LESSON – WIND AND WAVES, TIDES AND CURRENT, NAVIGATION
How the wind over open water, shallow water and into currents affects waves and sailing conditions; tide and current; learning the chart symbols, and the navigation chart to find your way and determine your position. Closing discussion of how the wind velocity and direction, the fetch, current strength and directions and points of sail contribute to a sailing plan for the day.
THIRD ON THE WATER LESSON
Marrying the principles of tacking, jibing, running, reaching with positions on the chart (A to B to C). Identifying marks, islands, channels (ICW), landmarks (KLSC’s microwave tower), and other navigation aids. How to secure a sailboat safely.
FINAL SESSION
Taking command of your vessel, sign Hold Harmless Agreement, issue of chart, VHF radio (including its proper usage), where to go to sailing adventures around the Key Lime Sailing Club, then the story telling really begins!
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American Sailing Academy
