New York Sailing Center

★★★★★Aryana Navarro

Took the ASA 101 learn to sail course with Steve in late June/early July. He’s very professional, has a wealth of experience, and does a great job imparting sailing knowledge while allowing you to develop boat feel. He’s on you from the beginning about the right way to do things, which is good, since you’re able to start developing good habits with an eye to safety/efficiency. If you’re considering enrolling in an introductory sailing course, please consider signing up with the NY Sailing Center.

★★★★★Leo Dalbert

Had an awesome few days sailing with Steve! I hadn’t sailed in 20 years and signed up for the 101 class with a buddy to get back into the sport. The class size was small (just 3 students) and Steve made sure to tailor the class to our various experience levels and everyone had a great time and learned a ton. Steve is super knowledgeable about all things sailing and is a great teacher. Looking forward to taking another class with New York Sailing Center in the future!

★★Katherine Klebek

Overall, I did not appreciate the lack of communication from the New York Sailing Center and I would caution potential customers about booking a course here without taking a CAREFUL read to their refund policy. When I read the reviews and initially spoke to Steve I knew that this could be a great place to gain more sailing experience. However, the way that business is run here has left me disappointed and out of the $1K I spent to learn how to sail. For full transparency, I booked a course for July 2023 which I subsequently asked to change to a later date that season. The policy states that you are NOT entitled to a refund unless your spot can be filled. Luckily, my spot was filled in July and my course was pushed back to Sept 2023. When the date of my scheduled course finally came around I received absolutely NO communication about when the course would start, where to meet etc. Only after I reached out myself did I learn that the course was cancelled since the sailing center did not have enough people to run the course. However, due to the refund policy, I was not allowed to get my money back and was asked to schedule another course in 2024. While it is fair if your spot cannot be filled that you do not receive a refund, in this case the sailing center themselves cancelled the course. So why am I out of the money I paid? At this point, the New York Sailing Center has held on to my money for over a year now and I have received no course or service.

★★★★★Daniel Hawtof

I met Steve while looking for a Yacht Club. I joined a club but went back to Steve to get my ASA certification. I have been sailing for many years so Steve put together a challenge plan where I could sail with him and take the tests. He was very flexible and all worked as planned. I had the opportunity to spend time on the water with Steve. He is very knowledgeable and friendly. While sailing in a group he was very engaging and always pointed out things to learn. Everyone moved forward and learned. I recommend Steve for anyone learning to sail or like me to get your ASA certification.

★★★★★Harvey Lederman

Five stars, hands down. Took the 3-day Basic Keelboat class (aka ASA 101) with Chip and it was terrific. The classroom sessions are low-key but instructive and many of the concepts you learn will click once you step onto the boat. Over the 3 days you'll learn all the basics and you will be on the boat sailing each day. School owner Steve really knows how to run a sailing program. If you've always wanted to learn how to sail, this is the place to do it.