Tampa Bay · Sarasota
Dual ASA sail and US Powerboating school serving Sarasota, Bradenton, and Tampa Bay, with boats based at Regatta Pointe Marina in Palmetto. Classes cap at four, on a fleet from a 13-foot dinghy to a Catalina 36, or aboard your own boat.
The unusual thing here is the two curricula under one roof: ASA sail certifications from Basic Keelboat (101) through Advanced Coastal Cruising (106), Cruising Catamaran (114), and docking (118), alongside a full powerboat track certified through US Powerboating and the RPBA. Few Gulf-coast schools teach both, and for a household split between a sailor and a powerboater it solves a real scheduling problem.
Owner Captain Michael Yonker holds a USCG 100-ton Master’s license, ASA instructor certifications across the pathway, and a Florida yacht broker’s license, with two more USCG-licensed captains teaching alongside. Classes cap at four students, run private or group, and can be taught aboard the student’s own boat.
The sail fleet steps from an AMF Puffer dinghy through Catalina 22, 30, and 36, based at Regatta Pointe Marina in Palmetto on the Manatee River, with teaching waters spanning Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay, and the Gulf. An ASA affiliate since 2019, the school also arranges the International Proficiency Certificate for chartering abroad, plus captained charters and deliveries.
Featured Tampa Bay · Sarasota
Founded by Olympian Steve Colgate in 1964 and relaunched in 2026 under Seaworthy Academy, teaching from the Quay in Sarasota and the Vinoy Marina in St. Petersburg. NauticEd pathway from Learn to Sail to Bareboat Charter Master, on 40 to 48 foot monohulls and catamarans.
Tampa Bay · Fort Myers Beach
Small instructor-led NauticEd school sailing from Matanzas Pass at Fort Myers Beach on a Beneteau 323. Certify locally through Bareboat Charter Master and the SLC license, then apply it on the school's week-long international flotillas.
Tampa Bay · Punta Gorda
US Sailing-certified school out of Burnt Store Marina on Charlotte Harbor, running coastal cruising, liveaboard, and offshore courses on a fleet that includes Beneteau Oceanis monohulls and Excess catamarans.