There must be fifty ways to leave your ....sailing organization?

It is with great sadness that I .... aww hell who am I kidding, I'm loving this.

 After years of being extorted, strong armed, intimidated, and otherwise brow beaten into supporting the world's worst run sailing organization, I am free. I am done with being a US Sailing Instructor, Supporter, sailor and any other way I might have to deal with the Official Sailing Organization as deemed by an all too corrupt US Congress. And its none too soon either.

For ten years I ran a non profit dedicated to promoting sailing for inner city youth and families. Not only did US Sailing extort money from us at every turn in certification fees, mandated insurance premiums, membership fees and curriculum costs on annual basis, they did next to nothing to provide support or help in any way, save a few hundred dollars in a grant they offered one year. But they were the only game in town or so I thought, next to ASA, the Kmart of sailing organizations.

Both ASA and US Sailing charge massive fees to instructors, and both have a convoluted certification process where for a few thousand bucks and weekend, you can get a sailing certification. They never mention however that for that $1999 you pay, you will get less than two weeks of actual sailing experience and then you are expected to go buy a boat to learn more. You will have to buy a boat because no real charter company is going to give you a charter when you only have a weekend and a little red book that says you know how to sail.

And you cant really blame them can you? You wouldn't take out a $500,000 boat on the water with only a weekend of experience under your belt would you? So why should they give you a boat with that kind of experience either? And thus we find why the sport of sailing is growing pale and limp in this country.

Because the only way you can get enough experience on the water to feel confident is to buy a boat and only people crazy enough and who have enough money can buy a $500,000 toy on which to learn. And thus is the model of The US Sailing Association and The American Sailing Association.

But fear not my friend, there is a new kid on the block in the world of sailing certifications and this one will teach you to not just get around three buoys really fast and charge you a bundle for the privilege, it will teach you to sail the world's oceans and gain an international certification that is honored by the entire United Kingdom, much of Europe, Asia, South Pacific and Caribbean charter companies as well as many Governments including the United Nations. And guess what? The US Coast Guard could care less about US Sailing or ASA Certification anyway as do most US based insurance companies so why not learn from something that is actually internationally recognized that can also teach you what you need to know. Hmmm?

Sure everyone loves a good old regatta and US Sailing does that better than anyone. But the average sailor is not interested in winning the America's Cup or getting gold in the Olympics. The average sailor wants to sail the seven seas, see the world and drink rum under a palm tree in St Somewhere. And that is not possible with a US Sailing Certification. But it is possible and most probable with the NauticED sailing program and certification series.

www.nauticed.org

NauticED plays into the Royal Yachting Association and the UN's International Certificate of Competency which is respected everywhere but in the US (go figure). What is does is use an online based curriculum, peer review and cloud based tracking to log not just your class time, but also your sea time. And it gives you a track on which to learn and grow as a sailor at your own pace on your own time with the support of instructors who are located everywhere and are part of NauticED community as well. The best part is what used to cost you as much as $2000 per class, and a plane ticket,  and a hotel and a boat rental can be done for less than the cost of a night out on the town. And you can do it in your fuzzy slippers with a a cocktail if you wish with your dog sleeping at your feet. Now isn't that better?

www.crytalcoastmarineconsulting.com

I think it is anyway and so I am putting this out there to all my past, present and future students. Give up the US Sailing model of instruction and come to NauticEd. I can sign off on all your past seatime (FOR FREE!!!) and give you much more credibility as a peer reviewed sailor. You also don't have  to keep that little blue or red book I  charged you $50 to get from way back when. You can enter your own time at www.nauticed.org and just let them know that I was your instructor and I can sign off on your sea time help you learn and go even farther. And the best part is I am sailing the waters of Pamilico Sound out of the sailing capital on North Carolina now where the sun, sait and sand never end and blue water beckons just over the next barrier Island. You can learn to sail with a pod of dolphin swimming by you, a flock of pelican diving in the distance and a sweet little taste of Island culture all just a short ride from the Nations Capital.

You can learn all about it at www.crystalcoastmarineconsulting.com, and I hope to sail with you again soon. Now booking 2017 sailing schedule to Ocracoke Island from Oriental, NC. Fair winds.