Took intro to sailing class with captain Rorry(not sure if i'm spelling it right), and i loved it! He is skillful, experienced and explained everything that you should know to be able to control the boat by yourself. Now i'm really interested in sailing and want to take the courses. All the staff members are amazing too, Annie was super nice and helpful. We'll be back for sure! read more

Afterguard Sailing Academy - Boating Near Me - Oakland, California

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"I'm deeply concerned after seeing the conditions at After Guard Sailing Academy on Embarcadero st in Oakland, California. The conditions there are truly alarming--dogs are kept in tiny kennels, looking malnourished and on the brink of survival. These animals desperately need care and attention. I hope this review brings awareness and encourages immediate action to help these poor dogs." read more

Afterguard Sailing Academy - Boating Near Me - Oakland, California

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It's like a relationship. Sometimes u have to go with the flow. Hard working people. Way more going on behind the scenes than most people are aware. We are a part of this school and are proud members. If u want snobby go elsewhere. People here are real and Mary is the last of the Mohicans. Her employees always try hard to make all things work out. A+ for effort. Ani keeps gears moving. Thanks for all the effort and ASA classes. read more

I've wanted to learn to sail for years, and finally got the opportunity to take a weekend sailing class with Afterguard courtesy of a discounted Groupon! I took the BK1 class which was led by Alex. I learned so much in the small group setting and while there was some classroom time, we had a lot more sailing time! Alex was a great instructor and super knowledgeable. We sailed from Oakland to the bay bridge, and even got a tour of the sights along the way! I can't wait to get out on the water again! read more

Extremely bad experience here. False advertising! It is clearly stated on their website that quote "Passing this course (ASA101) allows you to rent/charter the boats from our fleet for sailing in the Oakland Estuary." BUT IT IS A LIE!!! I spent hundreds of $ taking their ASA101 course, under the impression that I will be eligible for boat rental following course completion. Then the academy arbitrarily decided to implement a policy change and requires ASA103 for rental, which asks for hundreds of more $$$. What's even worse is the way they process rental appointment is extremely unprofessional. I was denied rental LAST MINUTE, after me and my friends were already on the boat with engine started! And they kicked us out!!! Nobody mentioned the "policy change" when I registered for ASA101, or when I confirmed the rental appointment over the phone. We drove 1h there, signed the rental agreements, and were shown to the boat and preparing for departure, when all of a sudden I was told that I'm not a qualified skipper... Total disappointment and waste of time!!! I also feel slightly discriminated against at this academy. Clearly this new policy (which they claim to have taken effect since July 2020) is not enforced on everyone, otherwise it's impossible for the personnel in charge of appointments to not be aware of this. I can only assume that this new policy is applied to a selected group of students who are deemed "less qualified" than others. This academy completely ruined my interest in sailing. Will absolutely not come back. read more

Afterguard Sailing Academy - false advertising on their website - Boating Near Me - Oakland, California

Recently took the BK1 introductory sail course here after reading the great reviews I knew it would be the perfect place to start sailing. My instructor was Captain Dan and he was fantastic. We started with a short classroom session going over some sailing basics including some terminology and points of sail. After that we got life jackets, went to the dock and Dan began teaching us the process of the bit checklist and explained everything extremely well, answer all questions. He showed us knots, the rigging, the interior and all other components. As 3 brand new sailors we had a lot of questions and luckily Dan had a vast pool of knowledge to answer all of them. The rest of the day and the following day were spent sailing. The wind wasn't always in our favor but Dan made sure we made the best of it. I could not have imagined how great this course would be. I learned so much and felt so comfortable on the boat and handling it. Dan made us all feel very welcome, very comfortable and very at ease even if things came up. If you are interested in sailing go to Afterguard and request Captain Dan (I'm sure all the other instructors are awesome too) and you won't be disappointed! read more

Afterguard Sailing Academy - Sailing the estuary - Boating Near Me - Oakland, California

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Captain Mary is the finest of a teacher one may find in the business who has a great experience of sailing the wild waves as well as teaching, she's in business for decades & she has sailed almost the entire world she has the finest sailing experiences to share. Afterguard does have a revolving staff that at times may get diverted from their assigned tasks & at times some of the staff may get too personal in forcing their state political views onto others, such political viewpoints forcing gestures of the staff when ignored one may get to know the better side of the staff. Boats used for training & chartering are very well maintained, clean, spacious, easily operable & every skipper is well trained to address any technical or mechanical challenge that may come, there are also spare boats with skipper & crew that can quickly provide a technical or logistical backup on-demand. Every skipper on the training staff have their own styles of doing things including teaching which comes very handy during higher education classes taken here. Study materail is also very well maintained, shared & discussed and ample of examples are provided to the students both by their dedicated teacher & other teachers that students may happen to meet at the school. Teaches are super friendly with a fantastic sense of humor which keeps conversations light, healthy, meaningful & to the point. read more

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I recently purchased a 'TravelZoo' (think Groupon) excursion through Afterguard Sailing. After leaving messages and sending emails for 5 weeks, I have yet to hear back from them. Was more than reasonable, having left at least 48 hours in between my communications. Twice I was lucky to get someone on the phone, but in both cases, the person took several minutes to gather the relevant information from me--this was fine, I am a patient person--but again no call back either time. I went as far as leaving Captain Mary Swift-Swan Founder/Owner a message--her number is published on their website--but she too did not return my message. Tragic way to conduct business. Lucky TravelZoo refunded my money. My friend who we hoped to hire an excursion with had the same experieince. Would not trust my dirty laundry, pet Guinea Pig Larry, nor my beloved box-of-rocks with this organization, let alone my time on one of their vessels. read more

Very pleased with Afterguard, and my first class ASA 101 completed 15 April2018 They explained everything to me before hand. What to bring, how to prep for the experience and what about BATHROOMS? LOL (I have a peanut size bladder) I checked out a couple of other Sailing Schools and Afterguard came in with the best price. Our instructor Kevin was great. VERY knowledgeable, patient, a true asset to the company. I will more than likely pursue the next level up and while I would love to have Kevin as the Instructor, I am confidant all the staff will be great. read more

I am a novice at sailing and thankfully Captain Dan couldn't of been more patient with me learning the ropes. The school and staff have created a very open atmosphere for learning and couldn't be more friendly. read more

Friendly, knowledgeable instructors made us feel comfortable & confident with our new skills. Such a beautiful place to learn to sail :-) We'll be back for practice & advanced courses. Thank you! read more

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these people didn't warn me that their emails go to spam and rudely refused to refund my money when i politely explained that i did not realize the payment had been processed and i had some extenuating circumstances. i wouldn't recommend supporting a company with these values. not the seamanship i am accustomed to and that draws me to sailing. read more

I was out with Captain Mary and two others for an evening sail last night. Mary and I where taking down the sail while someone else was at the helm. We all felt the boat shutter and we realized we had run aground on a sunken boat. The tide was sinking and there was a real chance the hull of the sunken boat would pierce our boat causing significant damage. Mary did a really great job of not blaming the person at the helm. She took responsibility for not warning him ahead of time (though he is very experienced sailor) and told him it wasn't his fault. She also handled the situation well directing us to use and anchor to Kedge the boat of the wreck. We all kept calm and eventually got the boat free. Many other captains would have blown up at someone who ran aground near clear markers. It actually turned out to be a great lesson for everyone involved. read more

AWESOME!!! I've taken 101 and 103 and both are fantastic. The instructors are the bomb - big shout outs to Kevin, Jim & Mary. Everyone who works there is incredibly knowledgeable, makes the novice sailor feel at ease and the price is right. It's a lot of fun. Highly recommend this outfit for anyone interested in learning how to sail. read more

Mary and Kevin, thank you for an amazing day out sailing the sf bay! as a native, i've never had the pleasure of seeing the natural beauty of our area and learning about its history so uniquely! the wine tasting was great as well. i'll definitely be back for sailing classes, and i wish you continued success! you offer an amazing service to the community, with your outreach programs and also, of somewhat equal importance, making birthdays absolutely incredible and memorable. thank you! read more

Joe is the best instructor ever. I highly recommend if you take a class ask for Joe he has so much experience and is kind and knowledgeable. read more

Bought this sailing trip through Groupon. It included wine tasting at The Winery SF after the sail, which was a nice way to end the day. Mary led our sail and was a wealth of information about sailing and San Francisco history. She is professional, knowledgeable, and good at managing group dynamics. We helped sail the boat, which was an unexpected thrill. Also, Mary took us close enough to some of the America's cup competitor rigs to get fantastic photos as they practiced in the Bay. This company does a lot of nonprofit work with local kids, so I am especially happy to support it. I will definitely return for more sails with Afterguard. read more

Afterguard truly stands out from the rest. Give them your business once and you will return again and again. My girlfriend and I bareboat chartered a 35' monohull with Afterguard for a weekend. We were struck by the very observable difference in tone at Afterguard versus other sailing schools / chartering companies in the San Francisco Bay area. Afterguard truly is the non-critical, no yelling, no harsh edge sailing school. Mary (the owner) was incredibly knowledgeable, hospitable, and patient to teach us everything we needed to know about sailing in the bay area. She even gave us a lift downtown at the end of our trip! We can't wait for another opportunity to charter from Mary at Afterguard. read more

Afterguard Sailing Academy - Bareboat chartering with Afterguard - Boating Near Me - Oakland, California

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I haven't been sailing since November and was feeling the need to be back on the water! We went from calm seas to 30 mph winds after crossing under the bridge! The SF Bay changes on a dime........ always expect the unexpected! :) What a great little adventure! Afterguard is a very professional and service conscious Sailing Academy! They ensure your experience is an enjoyable one! The RedBull Race Boat zooming past was an added bonus! I was in safe hands with Rory and Dan, Coast Guard Certified! Thank you for a wonderful day on the Bay! I will be back! read more

I'm very shocked at how poorly this business is being run and how unprofessional staff (Ms. Mary, who is taking over while Captain Mary is out sick in the hospital). The company canceled my trip the morning of my sail- Very inconvenient but I was willing to book again. I called a few times to book but the company was unable to book me for those dates for various reasons. Finally, Ms. Mary, frustrated, tells me I should get my money back "because I am clearly too busy". I take her word for it and attempt to do just that after trying to book for over a month and in return spend 4 weeks (another month) going back and forth between Travelzoo (3rd party) and Afterguard to dispute the issue of who initially canceled. I had an email from Afterguard that proved they canceled my trip the day of my sail but Mary at Afterguard insisted on telling Travelzoo that they canceled within 48hrs- A COMPLETE LIE. After showing proof of the cancellation to the 3rd party, staff at Afterguard changed the story to say that I canceled. The story continues with more lies from Afterguard in a very pathetic attempt to renege on refunding me. I can't even type the rest. Just understand this company DOES NOT PLAY FAIR. I was able to get a full refund from Travelzoo after a very hectic few weeks of backing up their lies with hard facts. I would NEVER book again. I'm amazed at how business is being ran over here. This company lied in an attempt to keep my money although it was clear I was not comfortable doing business with them. Very desperate attempts to take advantage of innocent customers. read more

It is unfortunate that I have to write this review today as I chose this sailing company on the highly positive feedback it had received from others. After trying to bring to Mary's attention the extremely hurtful, discriminatory and unprofessional experience we had she decided to ignore my messages and now I am left with no choice but to write this as a response to their lack of customer service skills and care. I would also like to mention that I am a perfect example of the Canadian stereotype. I am nice, helpful and want the best for every person involved in any experience. I also believe that if anything isn't up to satisfaction that something should be said and the same respect should be treated to the other party vice versa. This was not the case in this entire ordeal. My parents were visiting from Canada and seeing as it was not only their first time to California but also their first time learning to sail I decided to find a company that would take very good care of them. I bought a groupon for all four of us, my parents, fiancé and I for an introductory course to sailing. However when it came time to book I was informed it was only for one hour total on the boat, even though Steve on the phone had told me it was for 3 hours originally before I even bought the groupon.(the one hour was not listed on the actual groupon deal when purchasing) I figured you can't learn much in that time, being it was my parents first experience sailing I wanted something a little more extensive for them, so asked Mary if she could upgrade us for an extra cost. After much negotiating through email and phone(especially due to Steve telling us something differently to begin with), we came to a suitable outcome of 3 hours of learning to sail and I paid the high extra $$. We show up on the day of sailing and our boat is nowhere to be found. 30 min later and nothing. Seeing as we arrived 20 min early as recommended we got antsy. Being there was little wind that day we figured it could just be that the captain got stuck on the way over.I called Afterguard, Mary answered and said he left on time so should be there soon, would check in with Captain and get back to me. She never got back to me. Number one unprofessionalism. We just waited another 15 min and finally saw our boat arriving. Almost one hour late. We then proceeded to watch our guide for the day, make 4 attempts to dock his boat, Should have been the first indicator of our experience we were about to have. Captain Steve doesn't greet us at all. Doesn't tell us if we could get on the boat nor how to get on the boat. Doesn't tell us where to sit nor what to do. Basically he just ignored us. It was awkward and I was slightly embarrassed already as I could tell this wasn't going to be a personable experience on Steve's part. I could see it on my parents and fiancé's face as well. My dad being the kind sociable man that he is tries to make conversation with Steve and begins by stating his career as a former politician. Steve cuts him off and goes on to insult him blatantly on this. (that is the first thing out of his mouth) I see my fathers face falter but he keeps his smile on his face and continues on with his cheery conversation. Steve would continue to not only make insulting remarks about politicians but politics in general in USA and Canada throughout the trip. I was absolutely fuming and insulted at this point that my parents had to experience this rudeness. Besides lack of social skills and customer service etiquette on our Captains part, he also did not share any history, give us any information on the sail nor did he take us anywhere spectacular in the 3 hours. In all fairness the wind wasn't cooperating. To top it all off we didn't learn to sail at all. I didn't know what to do or say I kept waiting for him to take charge and teach us something. I am not sure if it was just lack of organization on Mary's part or lack of decency and experience on Steve's part, maybe he was having a bad day. I have no idea but if I could have given 0 stars I would have. The only thing that made it a bit worthwhile was the adorable dolphins that happened to stop by and say hello. He then seemed to hurriedly return us to our port and even had ME keep track of the time for him to make sure we didn't go over our 3 hours. When we get there he tried 4 times to dock the boat, I can see my fathers face starting to get frustrated because he knows that Steve wasn't overcompensating for the wind which is a basic rookie move. Not only that we were all seriously wound up from the bad experience and couldn't wait to get off of the boat. A kind gentlemen who was docking his own boat over nearby ran over to help and guide Steve so he could get into the dock. When I kindly explained what had happened to Mary she told me that Steve had said all the opposite of me. Basically he lied to her to save his ass. Being he is her husband and what we experienced I didn't expect any less. read more

On a whim, I bought a Living Social deal for a basic sailing class with Afterguard. I really had no idea what to expect, but after two days of learning the ropes with Dan, I was hooked. I took the ASA 101 course with Steve this past weekend, and am trying to juggle my schedule to take 103 with Mary later this month. Everyone at Afterguard has been amazing. I like the laid back atmosphere and never once felt like I was looked down on or out of place because I was a newbie. Everyone was very patient with me and they are SO knowledgeable, I just tried to soak up as much info from everyone as I could and I had a blast doing it. The location is great, too, just off 880 makes it easy to get to and because it is on the South Bay it is usually a little warmer and not quite as windy, making it perfect to practice in. If you have any interest in learning to sail at any level, or just learning about sailing in general, I highly recommend Afterguard! read more

I really enjoyed my intro sailing class today. Actually I feel so excited that I am going to take two full days class as well. Maliq explained everything is a simple and easy to understand way. read more

Travelzoo had a sailing + wine tasting deal several months ago, so I pitched the idea to my mom and sister for some fun bonding time (most of our fun bonding time involves alcohol). We arrived at 8:45, were on the boat by 9:00, and our trip was just about 3 hours. The captain and co-captain (David and Mike, I think) were friendly and knowledgeable. David pointed out wildlife (we passed a beach full hundreds of seals, and I think there was a dolphin somewhere) and gave us some history about the area and some info about the the new span of the Bay Bridge. Of course it was freezing, but we wore our layers and they had hot tea and blankets for us and navigated us to Tiburon, the only sunny area in the entire bay. The three of us spent the majority of the trip sitting on the front of the catamaran, quickly lifting our feet every time we hit a bigger wave, but it was a pretty smooth trip. Smooth sailing, if you will. We had a great time! read more

i stumbled upon afterguard sailing academy on groupon. they were offering 2 day sailing lessons and i thought to myself 'that sounds cool- why not?' day 1 started off at 9am with an instructor-in-training teaching us how to tie 4 different knots. then we threw on some sunscreen and headed out to the docks with our life jackets. there we spent another hour and half learning all the parts of the keelboat and what we need to do before we sail off. the co-owner of afterguard, steve jumped into our boat and once we left the harbor, we started getting our hands dirty right away- tacking and jibbing until 4pm. who knew sailing could be such hard work! the next day, it was just me, another student and steve on the keelboat. our instuctor-in-training was teaching on another boat. at first it was intimidating because we had to remember everything we learned from the day before and apply it on day 2. i liked it though because it really enforces what you learned on day 1. (you will be surprised how much you learn from just one day of sailing!) whenever we had questions, steve was more than happy to help us. because we got our feet wet the day before, we made it out on the sf bay much earlier at around 10:15am. as we tacked our way around the bay, steve would quiz us on water traffic, different parts of the keelboat and etc to help prepare us for the optional test we would take once we get back to the harbour. once you pass that test, you can brag to all your friends that you are a competent crew member. how cool is that?! i had such a good time that i am already planning on coming back here to get my asa 101 certification :) read more

Dillion was a wonderful instructor. He did a great job explaining everything from the beginning. WE had a good day sailing. WE will definitely be back! read more

I stepped into a sailboat for the first time last summer. Let's just say it wasn't the greatest experience. Wench? Main sheet? Jib? I was completely out of my element and had no idea what heading into the wind meant. I took my class with Steve who was more than patient and it showed that he really loves sailing. After 2 days of class instruction & hands on sailing, I feel much more comfortable and in control. I still have a lot to learn and look forward to taking more classes with Afterguard. read more

Excellent first sailing experience. Experienced instructor and a very small class size (2). Look forward to progressing to the ASA courses!

This review is specifically about Captain Mary, as I have not met any of the other captains at this sailing school, and I honestly wish I could give her negative stars. To begin with is the typical unprofessionalism you might expect from the the cheaper sailing lessons around, such as pretty low quality boats, and extreme tardiness in starting your lesson which there is not even the slightest chance you will be reimbursed for. Then there was the general frustration of her not really teaching you anything, and more just drowning on about stories that were only remotely about sailing, and very good at putting you to sleep while at the helm. However, those are not my main concerns with Mary. My main concern is with the fact that she was downright mean. On top of learning almost nothing from my sailing lesson, she singled me out (being the quieter and less experienced person in the group) to pick on, and actually make fun of. She would yell instructions that I didn't understand at me, and when I tried to ask for clarification or ask what words meant she would just keep repeating the instructions as though she could will the meaning of these new things into my head. She then laughed and made fun of the fact that I was feeling anxious and frustrated. While some of my friends in the group agreed thought that you get what you pay for, and we should probably have gone for something more expensive, I felt this was too generous. You could not pay me to spend more time with Captain Mary. Do not go to this school! read more

I took the Two-day intro sailing class on my birthday, and it turned out to be a great one. Steve and Maliq are all very patient and knowledgeable. We learned tacking, knots, safety, right of road etc, though a single day is pretty much enough for these to be taught. It would be better if the weekend was not so hot and windy enough to actually sail read more

Had a great time learning to sail a keelboat in two day-long sessions. You learn a ton and definitely feel like you could captain / work a sailboat in an emergency if need be. If you pass your test at the end you are certified as a Competent Crew Member and can rent or work on sailboats. Mary and Steve are true sailors and experts and kind as can be. read more

Vee and I spent an unforgettable birthday sailing with Mary and Kevin of Afterguard. The first time that I spoke with Mary I felt completely at ease. She was very accommodating and helped me schedule a time that worked around our dinner plans. Kevin and Mary picked us up on time and we began our tour of the bay. I have lived in San Francisco all my life and never learned as much about the history of the bay until that day. The experience exceeded our expectations. I will gladly use their services again in the future. I wish the best for Mary and Afterguard. read more

If you want to learn to sail, the Afterguard Sailing Academy is where you should go. Mary is a skilled sailor, a patient teacher, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the local waters in the San Francisco Bay area. No wonder why ASA selected Cpt Mary one of four top sailing educators in the USA to co-author 2 of their textbooks. I like to give credit where credit is due. Overall, an excellent experience. Plus, you can't find a less expensive way to go sailing on the bay. read more

Mary and Steve are fantastic sailors and teachers. They want you to learn and the whole experience is memorable and fun. And after you earn your certificate, you have a very good way to practice skill on the Wednesday night sails. read more

Purchased a 1/2-day sail for my 16 year old nephew who was visiting from the east coast. Mind-boggling experience. I knew I made a mistake when our captain (Steve) walked into the room and shook my nephew's hand and did not even acknowledge I was standing there. Then I was told we would not have time to go out on the bay (ie we would stay in the estuary) even though that is exactly what I had requested when I purchased on phone with owner (Mary). So after a phone call to Mary (who was out on a boat with another client), she asked another instructor to speak with us. I can't remember his name (male, super nice) but he came out to the boat (while Steve was getting things ready). He was very personable - cleared up misunderstandings but then went away and left us with Steve. So off we went with Steve. We sailed around a bit and there was no conversation because Steve was in such a bad mood and made us feel uncomfortable. We also could not find any wind (but can't fault them for that). What I did learn later that day is that, throughout the day, Mary had been trying to reach Steve from her boat but he was not answering her calls. It seemed that Mary and Steve are (or were) a couple and that they had been arguing because Steve had not wanted to work that day... So, while we were on the bay in different boats, Mary called ME on my phone (numerous times) to try to reach Steve. I did not receive the voicemails until after we were back on shore. The first vmail was to tell us that we should not use the jib (or just use storm jib) because the winds were very heavy. Then she called again to say that her boat had found very heavy wind out by Alcatraz and that we should avoid. She called one final time to ask for help because their boat had been having problems (I think they ran out of gas). Note that NONE of these communications were received until we were back in our car. Finally, as we were all coming back in - through yelling and hand signals - our boat was asked to help the other boat (out of gas) get up the estuary and back to their dock. In the process, they managed to get the other boat stuck and slightly damaged, I think. Meltdown between Mary and Steve ensued... at this point we just wanted to get off the boat and let them sort out their mess. In general, bad experience. Not worth the time nor money. Potentially unsafe (due to poor communication, decision-making). Huge disappointment given that this was the one and only opportunity to share a SF bay sailing experience with my nephew. read more

Our sailing experience on the Sunset Champagne Sail was perfect. The captain, Rory, and first mate, Yuri, went out of their way to make sure that we were able to relax, see the beautiful scenery of the City and experience the sunset from the perfect vantage point, having the Golden Gate Bridge in the background of all of our sunset shots. They were very easy to talk to and were happy to share their sailing knowledge with us. I would definitely do it again. Mary also did a great job of keeping in touch with us and went out of her way to ensure that we got the most out of our sailing experience. read more

Captain Mary and Captain Kathy both worked to make this class (bk1) informative and fun. First off, I bough a boat from Mary and she was kind enough to give me a great deal on the class. She's very patient, thorough and sweet. Cpt Kathy taught the class and was clear on everything a beginner needs to know. The class starts with land based instruction on all the basics (rope knots, boat sails, presail checklist - all the works). Then you actually get on the water. I've sailed before but remembered little so I needed the refresher. Day 1 we sailed more because there was simply more wind. We learned how to raise and lower sails, tack, jibe and adjust the sheets and halyard. We also learned how to pull away from the dock and how to safely dock again. Day 2 mostly a review. We made it out to the bay though we didn't have much wind. Kathy still took the time to review more trim sail concepts and complex jibing maneuvers. You take a test at the end, and if you pass hen you can sign up as crew for more sailing experience. I highly recommend this class, school and captain. All the best, Danielle read more

I had a great experience learning from Mary. She is detail oriented, but helps make you feel relaxed and can adapt well to different learning styles. I have recommended her to several of my friends and will continue to recommend her. Another bonus: The Wednesday night sails in the estuary...a great way to either get introduced to sailing or to practice up on your skills at a very affordable rate. read more

My husband and I have been doing quite a bit of dingy racing in Europe but since our move to the States we wanted to be able to charter yachts. For lack of personal recommendations, we searched on line for sailing courses in the Bay Area and Afterguard caught our eyes. Not only did we like their association with charities and very compatible prices, we loved their no yelling policy! We are glad we went with Mary at Afterguard for the following reasons: Mary was very flexible to accommodate our time schedule. There was no problem to do the Basic keel boat Challenge on the day we arrived. She adjusted the Bare Boat Cruising Course contents according to what we already knew and added things that were particularly interesting to us. We felt that we got a custom made course that was specifically adjusted to our needs. We liked the course so much that we decided to add the Coastal Navigation and Bare boat Cruising Course! Once again, Mary was very keen to make sure we got the best out of it: mooring, night sail, "pretending that she was not there" so that my husband and I could get comfortable with reefing etc being just the two of us etc. The list is long. We had a whole day docking and anchoring practice with Dan, who explained everything in a very calm and pleasant way. Several exercises left even me and my two X Chromosomes confident in docking even different size boats. We would highly recommend Afterguard to anybody; especially if you want the personal touch rather than a big school and if you have a specific thing you want to tackle. We are sure that Mary could work out a specific program with you. From what we have witnessed: they are great with kids, too. read more

I have been sailing with my husband and friends for about 10 years. I tried to take a class from another school. The first day out was miserable. I was teamed up with 2 young women, and all the focus was on them.I just didn't want to do it again The second day I said ouch when I twisted my knee a little and I was told I could not continue the class. I met Mary at the Strictly Sailing event in Jack London. She spent about an hour talking to me. So, I signed up for the basic class.Mary teamed me up with another woman who was similar to me in skill and personality. It was great. It was the best thing I could have done to bring my confidence up and to build skills. I was so excited when I was able to take the helm and maneuver the boat by myself. It was the best 2 days I have spent in a long time. Steve is a great instructor. If you have ever even thought about sailing I highly recommend this school. They are professional, knowledgeable, and know how to teach. I am so excited that I am signing up for the next class as well. read more