Skipper Small Sailboat | Online Sailing Course

Lifetime access
Rating is 4.92 (based on 930 reviews).

Learn to Sail Small Keelboats

Gain the knowledge, theory, and understanding to safely sail small sailboat ("keelboats") in just 10–15 hours of flexible, self-paced training. This US Coast Guard–recognized online course gives you the knowledge to confidently handle 18–25 ft keelboats—sail trim, docking, outboard engines, rules of the road, safety, and more. Learn at home with interactive lessons and videos, review anytime with lifetime access, and then lock in your skills on the water with an optional NauticEd instructor.

✓ Perfect for brand-new sailors, daysailors who want more confidence and safety, and future skippers preparing for larger-boat training
✓ Recognized by the US Coast Guard as meeting the American National Standards for sailing training
✓ Qualify for certification with experience and on-water instruction
✓ Recognition on your free online resume upon successful completion
✓ Lifetime access, including free course updates
✓ 30-day Money Back Guarantee

Estimated Time: 10 - 15 hours
Price: $39 Today (Normally $45 - You save 13%)
Bonus: All NauticEd sailing students receive the free Basic Sail Trim and Nav Rules courses, free eLogbook and Boating Resume, and special discounts from our industry partners. What's Included >

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What Students Say

✨AI generated from student reviews

Students describe the Skipper Small Keelboat course as clear, comprehensive, and flexible, with an intuitive online layout that fits busy schedules and allows for self-paced review and retaking tests without stress. They appreciate the engaging mix of reading, videos, diagrams, and quizzes—with explanations for wrong answers—which reinforces key concepts, builds on earlier NauticEd courses, and serves as a valuable refresher even for experienced sailors. Reviewers say the course improves seamanship and small-boat handling skills, and several emphasize that both the content and on-the-water instruction gave them genuine confidence that they can safely skipper a small keelboat.

Why Take the Skipper Small Keelboat Course?

If you’ve dreamed of taking the helm sailing, or have sailing experience and want to improve, this course gives you the knowledge and confidence to safely skipper a small keelboat in real-world conditions. You’ll learn exactly what to do from casting off the dock to trimming sails, maneuvering in tight marinas, using an outboard, and handling basic navigation, electronics, and emergencies—so you’re not guessing when it matters most.

Because it’s online, self-paced, and recognized by the US Coast Guard as meeting the American National Standards (theory portion), you can fit it around your life, review the material anytime with lifetime access, and then lock in your skills on the water with a NauticEd instructor. Whether you’re stepping up from dinghies, starting from scratch, or brushing off rust, this is the most efficient, affordable way to build real seamanship and prepare for larger-boat and bareboat training.

As with all NauticEd sailing courses, you can return as many times as you like to brush up on sailing a catamaran skills, and if you're not completely satisfied, we'll happily refund the purchase within 30 days.

This Course is Perfect for You If:

  • You're new to sailing and want the knowledge and confidence to safely skipper an 18–25 ft keelboat on day sails and short trips.
  • You’ve done some basic or dinghy sailing and now want to step up to keelboats, mastering docking, sail handling, and real-world seamanship.
  • You already sail occasionally but feel there are gaps in your understanding—rules of the road, weather, navigation, or emergencies—and you want a solid, structured refresh.
  • You’re thinking about future bareboat or larger-boat training and want a strong, competence-based foundation that proves you can truly handle a small keelboat first.

Your enrollment includes lifetime course access and a complete satisfaction guarantee.

American National Standards - SAIL Approved

This online course is recognized by the US Coast Guard as meeting the American National Standards for sailing training (theory portion). When combined with practical on-the-water training and assessment at any of our qualified NauticEd schools, this course is officially approved as meeting the On-Water Recreational Boating Skills Standard - SAIL developed by the United States Coast Guard. It is the only course in the world approved to this high standard.

 

What You'll Learn in the Skipper Small Keelboat Online Course

Whether you are a beginner or intermediate sailor, you will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to confidently handle a small keelboat in moderate conditions. By the end of the course, you will be able to confidently navigate inshore, maneuver, and dock your boat, as well as respond to any emergencies that may arise.

Weather and Sea Conditions
  • The Joys of Sailing
  • Waves, Swell, and Depth
  • Understanding Weather Systems
  • Wind
  • Clouds, Fog, Thunderstorms
  • Weather Predictions
  • Weather Warnings
  • Clothing
Electrical and Mechanical
  • DC Panel
  • Bilge Pump
  • Battery Management
  • Electrical Emergencies
  • Outboard Engine
  • The Head
Rigging
  • Standing Rigging
  • Running Rigging
  • Hardware
  • Lines and Knots
  • Sails
  • Winches
Rules of the Nautical Road
  • Navigation Rules
  • Vessel Lights and Shapes
  • Sounds
Maneuvering In The Marina
  • Motor Management
  • Rudder Tiller v. Engine Tiller
  • Momentum
  • Maneuvering in Forward
  • Maneuvering in Reverse
  • Leaving the Dock
  • Returning to the Dock
  • Securing the Vessel
  • Practical Exercises
Sailing
  • Directions
  • Don't Be Scared
  • Points of Sail
  • Wind: Velocity and Direction
  • Tacking and Gybing Maneuvers
  • Heading Up and Bearing Away
  • Raising and Unfurling the Sails
  • Dousing the Sails
  • Sailing Off and Returning To the Dock
  • Sail Trim
  • Reefing
  • Heave To
  • Instruments
  • Helpful Hints about Wind
  • Practical Suggestions
  • The Safety Position
  • Motor Sailing
Communications
  • Non-Electronic Communications
  • Electronic Communications
  • Global Positioning System (GPS)
Navigation Introduction
  • Navigation History
  • Navigation Units
  • Latitude and Longitude
  • Surface Geometry
  • Aids to Navigation (ATONS)
  • Lights on ATONS
  • The Nautical Chart
  • Chart Symbols
  • Familiarization with the Chart
  • Charting Tools
  • The Protractor
  • The Slide Rule
  • The Dividers
  • Navigation Tools
  • Electronic Navigation
Anchoring and Mooring
  • Why Anchor
  • Types of Anchors
  • Rode and Scope
  • Anchoring
  • Multiple Anchors
  • Anchoring Courtesy
  • Weighing Anchor
  • Mooring
  • Mooring Procedures
Safety
  • Safety Briefing
  • Raising the Alarm
  • Safety Equipment
  • Personal Flotation Devices
  • Types of PFDs
  • Crew Emergencies
  • Man/Crew Overboard
  • Equipment Emergencies
  • Fire Extinguisher Requirements and Fires
  • Sinking
  • Running Aground
  • Propeller Entanglement
  • Towing

 

Everything You Get with This Course

  • Learn how to skipper and small keelboats on your own. Extensive and essential knowledge for sailing at the beginner / intermediate levels.
  • Available immediately online: start learning today at your own pace, online or on the App.
  • Duration: Approximately 10-15 hours, self-paced—learn at your own speed.
  • Unlimited Access: Lifetime access lets you review course materials anytime. Course updates are free.
  • Free Stuff: All NauticEd sailing students receive 2 free courses (Basic Sail Trim and Nav Rules), a free eLogbook and Boating Resume, and special discounts from our industry partners.
  • Recognition: Upon successful completion, you receive immediate recognition on your sailing resume that verifies for charter and insurance companies that you've completed the course.
  • Qualification & Certification: This course leads to additional qualification and certification if paired with logged experience (in your free eLogbook) or on-water training with a qualified NauticEd instructor.
  • Convenient Formats: Take the course on your desktop or laptop—and tablet or mobile phone using the free NauticEd App.
  • View Skipper Course excerpts
Price Today: $39 (Normally $45 - You save 13%)
Receive immediate access to this Online Sailing Course >

 

Upon completion of the online course, you will feel confident that you know the theory of what to do when in command of a sailboat. And if you're new to the fun of sailing, you'll look like a pro in front of your hands-on instructor. Upon successful completion of the associated practical training with a NauticEd American National Standards Instructor, and subsequent logging of two days of training in your free electronic logbook, you will receive a sailing certificate displaying the United States Coast Guard VERIFIED COURSE badge.

Are you ready to "get your feet wet" and feel the exhilaration of sailing? Then let's get started!

The test is reasonably simple as long as you have read the material. You can take the test as many times as you like to pass or improve your score without any extra cost. Once passed, the NauticEd Skipper Small Sailboat course will be added to your online sailing resume. And the great thing is, once you've registered, you can log back in for life for FREE to review the material and brush up on your skills. We're constantly updating the course and adding information on new technologies as they emerge, so for just $39 - you'll always be up to date.

If you still have questions about NauticEd, the courses, and/or the sailing certifications, just contact us via email or phone we're happy to help. Otherwise, register for the Skipper Course now!

Learn all the theory of sailing in the comfort of your home at your own pace with NauticEd. Register for the Skipper Course now!

About NauticEd

NauticEd is the leading provider of modern sailing education, combining online sailing courses with accredited on-water instruction. With over 300,000 students worldwide, NauticEd is the only U.S. sailing body recognized for meeting U.S. Coast Guard and NASBLA standards under the American National Standards for boating education. 

Our online courses pair with on-water training, and your free eLogbook and sailing resume track each milestone. Whether you’re starting out or working toward higher endorsements, NauticEd gives you a clear, standards-aligned way to grow real skills.

Cheers!

 

Instructor Grant Headifen
By Grant Headifen
NauticEd Global Director of Education

 

View Skipper Small Keelboat Course excerpt

Student Reviews

Heather H.
2025, 31 Jul. 02:39

Thorough with some review thrown in

Ian W.
2025, 06 Mar. 00:09

self-paced learning. I can dig in or move on. I can review. I can take the test to assess what I already know and what I need to learn or improve.

Jim F.
2025, 10 Feb. 03:55

took this I think out of order (large keel first) covers so many topics, that will increase your knowledge and seamenship

Tim B.
2025, 27 Jan. 21:31

Easy to read and understand.

William J.
2024, 12 Sep. 09:58

Nice review of small keelboat stuff for me. I've owned a Cheoy Lee 38 sloop for 22 years now, and I almost never sail small keelboats now. Simple stuff, like getting on and off a small keelboat safely. Good reveiw.

David J.
2024, 28 May. 19:33

It helped clarify certain doubts and also repeated/reinforced previous material helping me to feel more familiar with concepts and terminology

Lance C.
2024, 19 May. 20:13

Great test of knowledge and understanding!

Michael P.
2023, 11 Dec. 01:54

Great 2nd step up from basic and/or dinghy sailing course, preparing a student for a day or weekend on a small keelboat

James F.
2023, 01 Nov. 02:11

its delivery method is simple and easy to understand

Gisle H.
2023, 17 Aug. 18:48

Did this after passing for Captain so it was good repetition :-)

Gary S.
2023, 22 Mar. 14:10

A great course layout with the ability to be flexible and base your learning around your life. You can also go back and repeat it as often as you'd like to refresh your knowledge.

Dan W.
2022, 08 Nov. 23:50

Was a while ago, but all of these courses were challenging to me and I appreciate that

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Showing 1 - 12 of last 24 reviews.
List Price: $45.00 Price: $39.00 You Save: $6.00 (13%)
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Excerpt from the course

Expand Excerpt from the course

 

Apparent Wind

Apparent wind is the result of the true wind and your boat speed. Here is an explanation that you easily grasp because it relates to something you experience almost every warm summer's day.

Play with this animation by sliding the slider to speed up the car. Then read the below text and replay this animation.

NOTE: This is best viewed in Firefox, Chrome, or Safari

 

Put your hand outside the window of your car traveling at 60 miles per hour on a still-warm summer day and your hand will feel a 60-mile-per-hour wind coming from the front of the car. That’s apparent wind yet the true wind is zero. What if the car was driving into a 20-mile-per-hour headwind? Your hand would feel 80 mph. Or if the wind was blowing from behind at 20 mph, your hand would feel 40mph.

Now, what about a crosswind of 20 miles per hour? Well, we need to do a little Pythagorean theorem work on this. What is the square root of the sum of 60 squared plus 20 squared? Your hand would feel 63.24 mph and mostly from a direction in front of the car. If the car accelerated to 100 mph your hand would feel 102 mph, again mostly from the front. If the car decelerates to 10 mph your hand would feel 22 mph mostly from the side of the car and if the car stopped you’d feel the full true wind of 20 miles per hour from the side of the car. Whatever your hand feels is the apparent wind. The apparent wind equals the true wind when your car is not moving.

When determining the direction of the apparent wind, the faster the car goes the more the apparent wind direction comes from the direction of travel of the car. Again imagine the crosswind. At 1 mph forward speed in your car and a 20 mph crosswind, the apparent wind feels almost like the true wind from across the car. As the car accelerates the wind feels more and more like it is coming from the front.

This is similar to a boat. The faster the boat sails into the wind, the more the apparent wind speed increases and the more it feels like it is coming from the front of the boat.

So now that you understand the difference – let’s put the practical application to work for you on a sailboat.

...

Collapse Excerpt from the course

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Keep up the amazing work you're doing with NauticED. I'm a huge fan!

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Trusted by the world's leading sailing companies

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