- Home
- About Us
- Sailing Courses
- SLC - Sailing License
- Sailing Vacations
- Sailing Schools
- Practical Courses
- Boating Knowledge Base
- Fighting Childhood Cancer
- Free Courses Signup
- Gift a Sailing Course
- Sailing Opportunities
- Sailing Licenses and Certifications
- About the Sailing Certifications
- Sailing Blog & Helpful Articles
- NauticEd Podcast Series
- Yacht Charter Resources
- School Signup
- Instructor Signup
- Affiliate Signup
- Boat Sharing Software
- Sailing Industry Services
- Support & Contact
- Newsroom
- Privacy Policy
Introduction to Sailing | Online Course
If you're just getting started in sailing and want to dip your toes in, then this course is for you. We'll "show you the ropes" so to speak - but actually, we'll show you a lot more than just the ropes.
NauticEd’s Introduction to Sailing Course is designed to teach the fundamentals of sailing, including how sailboats work, how to sail, and important safety skills, all in an interactive online course format. Whether you're a beginner just starting out or someone who wants to refresh their knowledge, this course is perfect for you. Upon completion of the course, you'll receive an acknowledgment of completion certificate, which can be shown to your practical on-the-water instructor to sign off on your practical training certificate.
This four-hour course covers all topics related to sailing, making it the perfect starting point for those with limited sailing experience. Once you've completed the course, $20 of your course fee can be used to upgrade to either the NauticEd Skipper Large Sailboat or the NauticEd Skipper Small Sailboat courses.
So, if you're ready to take the first step towards becoming a competent and confident sailor, enroll in the NauticEd Introduction to Sailing course today!
Topics covered in the online NauticEd Introduction to Sailing Course
- Terminology and Communication
- Directions
- Parts of the Boat
- Sailing the Boat
- Raising and Lowering the Sails
- The Rules of Giveway
- Maneuvering the Boat in the Marina
- Knots
- Anchoring
- Navigation
- Weather
- Safety on Board
We guarantee both your satisfaction AND Lifetime access to any sailing course you buy from us
More about this online Introduction to Sailing Course
- Available immediately online
- The Introduction to Sailing online sailing course teaches beginner sailors how to sail.
- Essential basic knowledge for sailing at the beginner level for keelboats 21 ft (6.5 m) and above
- Contains interactive animations, and high-quality photos and graphics
- This sailing course takes approximately 3 hours of total time to complete
- Take as long as you need to complete
- Return as many times as you like to review
- Adds the Basic Sailing Course Endorsement to your Sailing Certificate
- Free eLogbook and sailing resume-building tool included
- View Introduction to Sailing Course excerpts
This is an ONLINE course and the test is immediately viewable in your browser window.
Today's Investment: $35 Price: $27.50
Some more complex topics like navigation and tides are left to our more advanced courses. But for now, the information covered here will give you everything you need to know to get out on the water with an instructor or friend/partner/spouse to get you going.
Once purchased, $20 out of the money you have invested in this course can be used to upgrade to either the NauticEd Skipper Course or the NauticEd Skipper Small Keelboat course.
By Grant Headifen
NauticEd Global Director of Education
View Introduction to Sailing Course excerpt
Student Reviews
Bill I.
2023, 24 Nov. 17:16
Breadth of subjects.
Eric F.
2023, 05 Oct. 14:23
Great basic information look forward to learning more.
Eric W.
2023, 09 May. 00:34
Comprehensive course but easy to understand while emphasizing the importance of repetition. Amazing instructors who take the time to make sure you comprehend the details. Great course.
Nick B.
2023, 24 Feb. 05:13
An excellent course to introduce the fundamentals of sailing. I would highly recommend this course.
Margaret-Anne L.
2023, 17 Feb. 22:25
Easy to understand and follow. Great visuals. Organized information and tests.
Jeffery R.
2022, 27 Oct. 21:05
Easy to follow Thorough Complete
Hugh Texas M.
2022, 05 Aug. 21:58
Great introduction to sailing!
Isabell S.
2022, 10 Jul. 13:56
Once again, great course. It covers the fundamentals of sailing. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to start learning about sailing.
Rene N.
2022, 25 Jun. 10:05
Good beginner's course that covers the "need to know" stuff.
Jacob H.
2022, 23 Jan. 03:56
Great basic information - I especially like the links to more in-depth Blogs & videos.
Showing last 10 reviews.
List Price: $35.00 Price: $27.50 You Save: $7.50 (21%)
Excerpt from the course
Expand Excerpt from the courseTypes of Sails
Most likely, initially, you will be dealing with a headsail and a mainsail. The interactive image below shows both typical sails on a sailboat, the Mainsail and the Jib (aka headsail). The image also shows the attachment points to the sail - the head, the tack, and the clew for each of the sails. Tap on the letters to reveal the name - tap again to hide. Test yourself on what you can remember!
Sea talk testimonials
I've sailed for the last 30+ years on my own boats and I have a 50 ton Masters credential. I'm constantly learning something new or forgotten from NauticEd.