per person

$550

Learn to Sail

Description

Want to learn to sail or improve on your existing sailing experience? We have a small team of very experienced passionate sailors to help you on your journey. New to sailing, no experience? No problem. Start Crewing is the course for you. It will teach you the fundamentals of sailing, and familiarise you with the responsibilities associated with being a crew member. Worried about capsizing – don’t! The keelboats are designed to stay upright and keep you dry! If you already have some experience, the next step is Start Helming. 

Location

24ft Yacht Tall Ship

Sydney Harbour

Highlights

  • Learn to sail on the iconic Sydney Harbour
  • Lots of time to practice (minimum 2, maximum 4 per boat)
  • Pick any 2 days that suit your schedule
  • Purpose built training boats – spacious cockpit, simple layout to help you learn fast
  • Bonus extra: One twilight race for free to help you practice and consolidate your learning *subject to availability

Good To Know

  • Meet at Manly Sailing. 5 mins walk from ferry wharf.
  • No experience necessary (choose Start Crewing)
  • Small hands-on yacht, but it’s not a dinghy, it won’t capsize!
  • Already have a lot of experience – get in touch to discuss Advanced Sail Training options.

 

Course content:

  • Introduction to keelboats and key parts of the boat
  • Basic sailing terminology
  • Essential safety procedures and equipment
  • Preparing the boat for sailing
  • Roles and responsibilities of a crew member
  • Basic knots and rope handling
  • Hoisting, trimming, and lowering sails
  • Tacking and gybing as crew
  • Balance, weight distribution, and moving safely on the boat
  • Understanding wind direction and basic points of sail
  • Docking and undocking procedures
  • Introduction to basic weather awareness

Optional Extras

  • Sailing gloves

Yacht Specifications

Our 24ft yachts are purpose built training yachts. With a large comfortable cockpit there is plenty of room for the team to get involved and for everyone to be hands-on. Simple, fast and a lot of fun!

Manly Sailing valued customer reviews

Manly Sailing

5.0Out of 5 stars

Overall rating out of 272 Google reviews

Anthony A
6 days ago

Had a great time kayaking around Manly. Being able to access and relax at Store Beach was an absolute highlight.

My family and I recently went on a 90 minute guided kayaking tour with Jackson. We all had the most wonderful experience. Jackson ensured that the tour was fun, educational and personable. We would highly recommend this amazing experience and can’t thank Jackson enough for his skills and expertise.

Amazing experience sailing on the beautiful ketch Southwinds. Our skipper Finn and the wonderful Nicki made it a great learning experience as well as fun. And the effort they went to, to make the trip happen before even got there was most appreciated. I’m keen for more sailing…

Jo Recalde
a week ago

We had an amazing time sailing in Sydney Harbour today! Even though it got quite windy, our instructor, Leuan went above and beyond to make the whole experience fun and relaxing. Leuan was very knowledgeable and great at teaching us the basics of sailing, as well as the structure of sailing in Sydney Harbour, including races, buoys, and handicaps. He also let us be as involve as we wanted. It is a great experience that highly recommend!

Zoe Silver
2 weeks ago

Thank you to Hannah for a great try sailing yesterday morning. Hannah was friendly and chatty, recognised the level of experience of everyone on the boat and offered the right level of helpful instruction and direction given when needed. Hannah made the session fee relaxed and enjoyable and we all had a great time.

TZU YU LAI
2 weeks ago

Our sailing coach, Jason, teaches with great patience and encouragement, and I’m delighted with my first sailing experience in Sydney.

anya
3 weeks ago

Participated in the two-day Start Crewing course this weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our instructor Lucas is very experienced, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic (and patient!) teacher - felt like I really got to grips with the skills even on a more windy day to learn to sail. A highly personalised experience in the gorgeous setting of Manly and Sydney Harbour.

Shin Lin Sze
3 weeks ago

Done a 2.5hours kayaking. It was a great experience and beautiful beach. Jackson is our guide, he is professional and responsible man. Recommended. 👍

Stephanie Lidis
2 months ago

Having previously done sailing lessons with Manly Sailing, I took the opportunity to charter their luxury Southwinds yacht for my 40th birthday already knowing I would be in wonderful hands! The crew were professional, organised, friendly, easy going, and went above and beyond to make sure my family and friends felt safe, comfortable, and relaxed throughout the day. I must give a special shout out to Hannah who took incredible care of us (I'm pretty sure my family have now adopted her), Finn who was at the helm, and Nicola who helped me plan the day and charter logistics from start to finish - I truly couldn't have done it without you! The boat itself was so beautiful, and it was a privilege to be able to explore its stunning heritage features both above and below. With a total of 20 guests and a 7hr charter, there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out, relax and explore, and the day just flew by before rounding out with a magnificent Sydney sunset over the harbour. I was also appreciative of how flexible the charter itinerary was, from start/finish times, using my own caterers, and the activities and locations that were available to us throughout the day. Thank you, Manly Sailing for making my 40th birthday such a memorable occasion! I only wish I had more milestones imminent to take Southwinds out again! This would be an amazing experience for both private and corporate events, and I can only gather that the crew will be flat out with upcoming Xmas parties! I can't wait for all the photos to come through, but attached the best ones I had so far. Thanks again, and all the best for the rest of the year!

Kaitrin Snodgrass
2 months ago

We had a great time kayaking!!! Will was a great guide! We also brought our own goggles and snorkel to the beach (recommend if you’re in to that) and saw some local fish. Will shared local history and it was super interesting! Please check this out it’s a great way to see parts of Manly you don’t normally get to see!

Libby
a month ago

I had such a fun time on the kayak tour! Every beach had its own little story, which made the whole trip feel really special, and the kayaking itself was just pure joy. Honestly, it was one of the highlights of my trip — I’d totally do it again! 한국분들 어서 모여라! 🙂

Gemma N
11 months ago

Such a great experience kayaking from Manly to Quarantine beach. Our guide Izzy was lovely and chatty, and kept the whole thing very relaxed. I booked the 1.5 hour tour and as I was in a single kayak, trying to keep up with the doubles, I think this was long enough for me! Thoroughly enjoyed the experience though and it was great to see the views of the coast and the boats from the sea. The rest on Quarantine beach where you could grab a drink at the cafe was a nice touch and there was just enough time for a quick dip in the sea. Would definitely recommend!

Calvin Koehl
2 years ago

Our group or 9 went on the kayak tour recently and we loved it! We went on the 3.5 hour tour of the harbour with stops at 3 different beaches. Lewis, our guide, was very knowledgeable and helped create an awesome experience for us. He had answers to all our questions and shared many interesting facts with us. He made our tour way better and made sure all of us had an awesome time! The beaches were awesome and it was fun to go to more exclusive areas in the harbour. Make sure to wear sunscreen!!

other experiences

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Tell us the details

Planning an unforgettable event on the water? Share the details of your upcoming occasion, and our dedicated team will reach out to craft the perfect sailing experience for you. Whether it's a corporate retreat, a family celebration, or a fun day out with friends, we cater to all group sizes and budgets. Get in touch, and let's set sail together!