Tampa Bay · St. Petersburg
Private NauticEd instruction on Tampa Bay from the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina, on school boats or your own. Runs the full rank ladder through Bareboat Charter Master and the SLC international license, taught by a two-time American Sailing Instructor of the Year.
Captain Andy Deen is the school: a USCG 100-ton Master with sailing endorsement and a two-time American Sailing Instructor of the Year who now teaches the NauticEd curriculum, rated 4.99 by his students on the NauticEd platform. Instruction is private and consultation-first rather than calendar-driven, on boats from 32 to 50 feet or on the student’s own boat in their home marina, with boat size stepping up as confidence does.
The credential ladder runs from Qualified Crew through Skipper, Bareboat Charter Master in sail and power, Offshore Captain, and the SLC international sailing license, for which Deen is an instructor and assessor. The teaching water is Tampa Bay out of the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina, on the same downtown waterfront as the city’s sailing center.
The liveaboard side happens in the Caribbean: week-long flotillas out of St. Thomas each winter, booked by the cabin, where the coursework turns into passage time between the Virgin Islands. The school has run since 2021, with brokerage and captain services alongside the teaching.
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.