Bad boats + bad management = bad experiences They sent us out on a boat that the motor leaked oil all over the engine compartment with smoke and potential fire and will not provide any refund partial or full. That's what the agreement says so don't expect any consideration when they send you out on faulty boats. The only reason we were on that boat was because the one we wanted and had reserved didn't have insurance. So we are punished for their poor management of insurance and engine maintenance. read more

I am a boat owner in Long Beach marina sailing, so my evaluation is based on how well Michael Darr, Chris and their team maintain the fleet of sailing vessels, interact between the owners and those chartering my vessel. I have been affiliated with MS Long Beach since 2005 -- so now going on 20 years. A great organization and a great way to get out on the water, learn to sail, take a boat to Catalina, or just sail around LB harbor for the day. Come by and charter my Leopard 45 or Dufour 470. Both top notch vessels. You will love your experiences working with the team at MS. Michael and Chris will not let you down. Also, if there is an issue, let them know and they will work to resolve the problem. The management is top notch and working all the time to improve the customer sailing experience. Give them a try, get on the water, take a sailing lesson or upgrade your sailing resume by taking advanced courses. Again, you will not be dissapointed. read more

Marina Sailing - Quiver and Sacha Maria at Long Beach Marina Sailing. Looking for a catamaran or a larger monohull that sleeps 10-12 come by Marina Sailing. - Boating Near Me - Long Beach, California

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I have been renting sailing boats from Marina Sailing for quite some time. I completed multiple amazing trips to Two Harbors and Avalon. Marina Sailing has some very very nice Beneteau boats (and others), a lot of them are in a great condition and almost new, definitely would recomend to check out this club and join as a member. read more

This place has a huge upgrade since the change of Management! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The boats are nice and clean and we look forward to the days we get to go sailing with them. We highly recommend Marina Sailing. Our kids love our families outing around the bay. Shoutout to the new manager Michael Darr what an upgrade you did to this team. read more

Took my family on a charter to Catalina this past summer, and had a blast! Chris, and team, did a fabulous job helping us get set up, and were a pleasure to work with. Grateful for the memories! read more

Do not rent here, they have major safety issues with the boats and frankly don't seem to care too much. We were out and the rudder LITERALLY came off the boat while we were sailing. We lost control of the boat(obviously) and did a 180 degree spin in the middle of the harbor. Fortunately there were no boats in the immediate are but it was very dangerous and frankly pretty scary. I've been sailing for 30 years and have never had that happen before. Needless to say, we immediately brought in the sails and motored back in. We were only out for about 45 minutes when that happened and lost the rest of the day. After telling the staff about what happened, they just offered a half sincere apology and told us we were "all set to go". I asked "um, we lost a half day of sailing because of this, could we get some sort of discount?" The guy at the desk kindly declined any refund and said they "might give a discount the next time". Thank you, but there won't be a next time...ever. Find another place to rent from. You might not have any problems here, and it might be uncommon or rare, but if something happens you won't get any sort of customer service or credit against a lost afternoon. I'd say this was by far the most expensive and disappointing 2 hours I've ever spent on the water. read more

Marina Sailing - Don't come here. Seriously!! - Boating Near Me - Long Beach, California

Boats are not maintained good enough and every time we have chartered one, there is something wrong. We no longer belong because they are so poorly run. read more

Just return from a spectacular weekend in Catalina on-board one of their spectacular boats. Ours was beautiful and SO comfortable! My friend, who is a member, had been a member at another sailing club and the boats we used there did not compare. Our boat was named Merry Time. And it was! You can go anywhere for a getaway but there is nothing quite as soothing and relaxing as hearing the water gently slap against the boat as you lounge like a slug while being gently rocked on-board. Hard to stay awake. I thought I couldn't live without the internet so I was taking my iPad Pro. I carry it in a case that also held my passwords to almost everything. Credit cards, banking, everything! Yes I'm stupid. When I arrived in Catalina it was nowhere to be found. I decided to not let it ruin my weekend. Then my friend called Marina Sailing and there it was. One of their wonderful people had found it on the dock and brought it back to the office. I was stunned! They said it would be safe and held it waiting for our arrival on Sunday. On Sunday we left a little late but Marina Sailing said they would stay open until we got there. And they did so my weekend was 100% perfect! I since have found out they have 6 locations so just know these are good people! Enjoy your sail wherever your destinations and rest easy on the boat knowing that these people are there for you. read more

I've taken several Marina Sailing courses and I have been certified with ASA 101, 103, 104, and 114. The instructors are highly knowledgeable and allowed no cost repeat of courses where you feel you need more time to pick up a skill. Gary is great, always helpful, and you have options to take courses from all their Marinas which is very convenient. Their fleet is quality as well which makes learning that much smoother. It's essentially a one stop shop to get you on your feet, and competent on the water. read more

Marina Sailing has great selection of sailboats and locations. We sailed out of Long Beach to Catalina. Molly was super helpful with the checkout and return process. We selected 'A Little Endeavor', and it was awesome, everything working properly, well maintained and a pleasure to sail. We enjoyed hanging out at Shoreline Village during the sleep aboard the night before and the mooring in Avalon main harbor provided a beautiful view of the city. We went at end of April, weather was nice, was easy to get a mooring, the only disappointment was the wind was light and we ended up doing more motoring than would have liked. Overall it was a fantastic trip, many thanks to marina Sailing! read more

Hi Gary and Marina Sailing Team, Just wanted to let you know that Angela did a fantastic job teaching us over the weekend on the 104/114 class! We all learned a ton and definitely enjoyed learning on the 40' Leopard! Thanks again! read more

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I've had a great experience learning and chartering from Marina Sailing. I got my ASA certifications and have been chartering boats for day sails and trips out to Catalina Getting out on the water is a phenomenal way to spend a weekend, and chartering boats works out way better than owning a boat. Marina has been great to work with, you can see what boats are available online and the fleet has great options for big groups or just a couple people. Having multiple harbors to choose from is a great plus read more

This organization does not treat its customers fairly. They will ignore emails and voice mails if it is not related to new members or new rentals. They seem desperate for funding, so be careful with deposits for new memberships. Don't get stuck holding the bag! read more

Mai Tai, Marina Sailing's Lagoon 40, was sent out in dangerous condition just last year (2015) One of our crew members fell through the trampoline, which showed signs of wear and was repaired previously. Nobody told us to stay off of the damaged area, which showed the repair. Fortunately for us, the accident happened at the dock and not on the way to Catalina Island which could have led to serious injury and or death for one or more of our crew. To make matters worse, I saw that same vessel in Avalon, sent out again with yet another repair made to the trampoline! I noted the unsafe condition to the USCG, which happened to be on Avalon's Green Pier that day. The Guardman said that he would note and report it after I showed him pictures of the dangerously unsafe condition of the boat that Marina Sailing keeps/kept sending out! Be very careful when chartering any charter boat from any charter company, especially this outfit if you are willing to take chances with your life or those of others. read more

American Pride Daysail Last weekend my sister and I had the best time on the American Pride Daysail sponsored by Marina Sailing. First let me say that Paula, from Marina Sailing, was a wonderful host. She was so friendly when we arrived and checked in with us several times during the sail to make sure we were having a good time. At the beginning of the sail, Paula introduced herself and Marina Sailing and also had us introduce ourselves, which was a great ice breaker. It was a beautiful, warm day and there was enough wind for us to help the crew raise all sails. And once we got underway everyone got to know each other. There was a BBQ on board and the food was surprisingly good. The American Pride has a Touch Tank and, during the sail, the ship's crew gave the kids a lesson on sea life. Overall it was great fun, but the real highlight of our sail was when a pod of dolphins swam along the starboard hull as we carved our way through the water. The pod tracked us for quite a few minutes giving everyone a chance to take photos. During the rest of the sail we kept our eyes on the sea, in the hopes of spotting a gray whale. No gray whales on this trip, but we did see a few sea lions on one of the buoys just inside Queens Gate. Overall, it was a terrific day and a wonderful experience. Thanks, Marina Sailing, for hosting such a great event! read more

Seasoned pros without being salty. I've done a little sailing here and there, nothing too serious. But most of the skippers I've known have had some attitudes. Nothing I couldn't handle of course, but in every endeavor there are those who want to make sure you know that they know what they're doing and you don't. I'm not sure why I'm going in this direction, but maybe every yachtsman I've ever known is a snob. North Shore Long Island and whatnot. And on the other side of the equation, just about every passenger I've ever gone out sailing with was most interested in booze and chicks, with the exception of those too old to handle the possibility. So in sum, I've had all of my proclivities and leanings toward sailing pushed back over the years through a series of marginal and mediocre experiences. Layabouts and jackholes. It's a nasty combination - spoiled idiots who think the world owes them luxury, and crusty know-it-alls with all the grace of a flipped over crab. I've seen this before. Lots of places. Two heads of the same hateful beast. Nevertheless I decided to take some family out on a cruise around Long Beach and I did my requisite Googling and found a joint. I couldn't think of anything to match the idea of an afternoon of sailing. I found someplace called Pacific something. It took me a while to figure that it had gone out of business. I literally had to drive down to Shoreline Village to find out. I just thought they were being jackholes, and maybe they were, for too long. Fortunately, Marina Sailing was just up the block. Very impressive brochure. It didn't take me long to see that Marina had been doing this for a long time. You don't get that many boats under your command if you don't know what you're doing. And you don't stay in business if you don't satisfy your customers. A brief conversation with the manager let me know I was dealing with experience. More importantly this wasn't just a rental joint, they gave certified instruction and have multiple locations. Good. Our skipper was Andy. You couldn't ask for a mellower more helpful guy. We motored out of the marina and got under sail on a perfect day. He was informative and showed me a few ropes and you could tell he genuinely loved being out on the water, always watching the wind. Our craft was a 30 footer, and out in a 10 -12 knot breeze outside the breakwater, you're not going to be able to drink from a bottle of beer without chipping your teeth. So be prepared for a little rollercoastering. We were thrilled to have the wind, although a couple of us needed some advice. Andy was full of helpful hints. All in all it was a great 4 hours. I dont' think I'll ever be able to just do a simple pontoon or ski boat on Big Bear Lake again. I'm feeling the sailing bug again. Thanks Marina. read more

Pet peeve alert!! I wanted to learn. Found this co online Cruddy website. When i click contact i am forced to complete a form in which i make it clear i prefer email as only contact Guess who woke me on my one day off? Yup. These conch suckers. Dune the wrong thing. I hope they have to endure a sea section... read more

Gary at Marina Sailing helped me immensely when I needed to rent a yacht (we went with the Sea Hawk after much consideration) for my boss and his friends for the day. He guided me through the process, was incredibly patient throughout the entire ordeal (especially because we were planning this through email/phone and I was on the east coast during most of it) and was able to get a skipper with just one days notice. This is a great team of people and a gorgeous fleet of boats. I would recommend using this company to any and everyone! Thanks Gary! read more

II had joined Marina Sailing Club over 15 years ago and I have had many wonderful years of great experiences which has led me to buying a boat of my own. I joined not knowing how to sail and went through their thorough and fun sailing courses including several advanced courses. I Since 1998 until now I have rented about 12 different yachts ranging from 30ft to 47ft Mono hulls from Long Beach, Redondo and Marina del Rey, totaling 140 days on the water, Every one to the boats throughout the years have been impeccably maintained and clean, they introduce new boats into the fleet throughout the years and cycle out the older yachts so you are always sailing on a relatively new yacht. I have also had the pleasure of traveling several time to the Caribbean (BVI, Canouan, St Marteen) with this fun group of sailors for week long sailing adventures. I would highly recommend this club for new sailors, to experienced sailors whether you want to captain the boat, crew on the boat or just enjoy the experience on the water with a group of fun loving scallywags. ARRRRG! read more

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I can't say enough how much we have enjoyed sailing with Marina Sailing Long Beach this summer. Earlier this year, my girlfriend and I decided that we wanted to take up a new hobby and we decided that sailing would be it. Through an Amazon Local deal, we found a two hour introductory class. We would use this to decide if we would like to continue to sign up for the complete sailing course. Bill took us out on our first trip around Long Beach marina, and we instantly fell in love. When we returned back to the shore, we immediately signed up for the Complete Sailing Course where Gary, the manager, offered us the current sale price and even credited us the amount from our introductory lesson. After going though the lessons, we have found what we think will be a life long passion. Each step of the way, the calm, reassuring, and very experienced instructors taught us how to become better sailors. We have learned everything from how to rig a sailboat, to the points of sail, safety, how to work as a crew, and how to act as skipper. Every lesson is hands on and you are guided through activities that reinforce the skills you have learned while introducing new ones. Through this series of lessons we have become confident in taking a boat out, knowing that we can safely navigate around the harbor and out at sea. In addition, we have also participated in day sails with other members that allow us to meet new people and to practice some of our skills on some of the larger boats. We can't wait to start chartering boats on our own and exploring the coastline. If you would like to pick up a new skill, come and check out Marina Sailing. Or, in the immortal words of Christopher Cross: "Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see Believe me" read more

Love these guys!! All the teachers have been very knowledgeable and patient. Can't wait for our next sail read more

Marina Sailing - We're sailing! - Boating Near Me - Long Beach, California

I was fortunate to find Marina Sailing! I am currently enrolled in the 101/103 course and I have to tell you I LOVE it! The program was set up to work around your busy schedule. I'm taking the course at my own pace and have the most amazing instructor named Natasha Lee Martin. She makes the lessons exciting while focusing on Safety Safety Safety and I sincerely appreciate that. Natasha is AMAZING! I also have to write about the office at Marina Sailing Long Beach. Gary and Michael manage the office and are ALWAYS friendly and eager to answer any questions. Recently there was a class mix up and Gary pulled strings to accommodate me for the following week! THANK YOU GARY! I appreciate you! I highly recommend Marina Sailing ! read more

CHARTERERS BEWARE. This company will takes photos of you and will spy on you while on your charter for perceived violations of their policy. They will then secretly charge you without notice. We had a 6 year old child on board and don't know what other photographs they might have. It is disgusting. PLEASE BEWARE read more

PLEASE LOOK AT MY REVIEW FOR THE REDONDO BEACH OFFICE! DO NOT BOOK THIS COMPANY!!! This is not a case of "sour grapes" This is a consumer who was screwed out of her plans that took a week to plan and put together. Totally unprofessional, unsympathetic and ridiculously disorganized. Wendy K read more

Gary was rude and condescending throughout the entire process from application to rental. If it was my business I would be embarrassed to have him represent me in such an unprofessional manner. Topping it off, the day of the rental their shoddy boat wouldn't start. For two hours their mechanic complained about hating his job and wanting to quit on the spot. Failing at repairs, they downgraded us to a smaller boat and never refunded the difference. Shockingly poor customer service. We tried them because Harbor Island YC was booked full that day in Long Beach. Next time we will wait or call ahead earlier. to another Marina. They are not worth the hassle. read more

We rented a Leopard 40 for Thanksgiving weekend and sailed to Catalina. Great trip and the boat was clean and well prepared for our trip by the charter company. No complaints! read more

So I was looking at things to do for my b-day and I saw some great prices for chartering a boat on the website, at the bottom it said member prices only. So, we went in and the guy working the desk was sooooo snobby. Seriously, a top hat and monocle would have completed the effect. He gave us the once over and then started to try to figure out how to get us out of the office as quick as possible. He took a call in the middle of my sentence, walked out of the room while he was talking to us twice and kept giving us the run around about pricing and sighing when I asked a question like he was so put out. So sorry to try to give you business, eventually he quoted me a price of double what was listed on the website and tried to talk me out of renting a boat at all. Then he tried to pitch me to learn to sail and join the club. No thank you snobbzilla, I'm straight! read more

Hi, This was my first time chartering/bareboating with Marina Sailing and I was truly delighted and impressed. I mostly sail in Boston and Newport RI as I live on the east coast, but I have bareboated out of many other harbors as well. My experience with Marina Sailing was one of my best experiences to date. The staff does an excellent job of matching experience and sail plan to the best boat for your needs. They were all cheerful boat enthusiast that seemed to care that I got the most out of my boating experience. The boats I saw were all very clean and all systems operable as they should have been. The staff did an excellent job of going over the boat I selected at checkout to ensure I knew the intricacies of the boat. I would not hesitate to recommend Marina Sailing to anyone and will encourage everyone at my sail club in Boston to check Marina Sailing out before chartering any boat in Southern California. Thank you Marina Sail for helping to make my recent sailing experience so positively memorable for my family and me. Cheers! read more

Very good teachers at Marina sailing, they make sure you learn everything, and very good charter boats

I just finished the 5-day Ultimate Sailing Course. It was AMAZING! We spent 2 days in Long Beach, followed by a 3-day, 2-night trip to Catalina. We had sunshine and rainy days...and the course was incredible. This is a great way to learn about sailing through pure immersion. Be aware that it takes stamina and a commitment to the topic, but the more you put in, the more you get out. Gary in the office was always helpful and informative and Angela, our instructor was the bomb! She was knowledgeable about sailing and was excellent at conveying the concepts to us in understandable ways. KUDOS to Marina Sailing! read more

If you want to learn how to sail, charter boats or go on a flotilla, this is a great place to do it. The staff is knowledgable and friendly, the instructors are excellent and it is a kisck to go on their flotillas which they do to to three times a year to places like The Virgin Islands, Greek Islands, Tahiti, Tonga and other cool places. If you aren't an experienced sailor, they will put you onto a boat with someone who is. read more

Rented a 36 Hunter named Saphire out of Long Beach in August 2011 for four days. Sailed to Avalon in Catalina on a close haul in 20 knot winds and then to Two Harbors later. Back on a nice broad and beam reach. I am a member of an affliate club and was treated like a direct member. The boat was well equiped and very clean. There was a comprehensive explanation of the boat systems before leaving and a short docking check ride. We had a great trip and I want to thank Gary, Larry and the rest ot the staff. Also, thanks to the boat's owner for putting a great boat into the program. The only complaint is about not seeing any dolphins on the trip. Gary needs to have a talk with those dolphins so this does not happen next time we sail out of Long Beach. Work on that Gary! Thanks Steve and Alex read more

We rented the Hanse 40 for a trip to Catalina and back. We could not get the stove to work and the Propane Valve on the BBQ was stripped out so we had to eat all of our meals at the restaurants once we got to Catalina. The battery bank also did not seem to be large enough so we had to use the inverter sparingly. Other than that, the boat was nice and clean and all the hardware worked flawlessly. Yanmar worked like a champ as we motored home. read more

Very professional instructors and very accommodating to the schedule and needs of their students. Boats are generally very nice. I'd recommend them to anyone interested in learning to sail, wanting to improve their sailing skills or for boat rental. read more

My experience with the Long Beach General Manager -- Gary Gilpin at Marina Sailing was beyond disappointing. It was offensive. The General Manager, Gary, was overall just rude but made it worse by having us wait to board for almost 2 hours after all the paperwork was completed. When we tried to wave him down on the docks to inquire about our boarding time, he literally waved his hands at us to go away and wait. I was with a group of very easy going and probably overly polite friends so no one thought to protest indignantly at the time. When we returned, without providing proper protocol for returning the boat, Gary was once again extremely rude and barked orders at us upon our return. Again, we were way too polite at the time. When I finally complained about his unhelpful and rude manner and how offended I was by his behavior, especially in front of our young children -- he yelled, "I got you on a boat didn't I!" I walked down the stairs as he yelled and saw my children looking on. If anyone else experienced incredibly offensive behavior from Gary at Marina Sailing in Long Beach -- I'd encourage you to write the owner at chris@marinasailing.com. We have many friends and colleagues that sail -- some are members at Marina Sailing in Marina del Rey. This behavior is so unlike most in the sailing community. Bottom line -- I would highly discourage anyone from working with Gary at Long Beach Marina Sailing. His crew were helpful but feel sorry they have to work under Gary's management. I'm not sure how Gary decides who to assist properly and who to blow off but the service out of Long Beach seems highly erratic and inconsistent. Take your chances but for $600-1000 on a 24hour charter -- maybe go elsewhere for guaranteed proper service and decency. I wish someone would have warned me. I hope this review is helpful. read more

This is where I learned to sail. Bill is the best teacher in the world.

I was able to book Arrow - the Beneatau 10R - with Nick as our skipper. We left the harbor around noon and spent the day sailing with a group of four. We weren't very knowledgeable when it came to knowing how to sail, and we were able to learn a lot within the time we were out. The company was very organized, very friendly and I can't wait to charter a boat with them again! I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to charter a boat - PLUS they have a ton of boats, so you have options. read more

Another great trip..spent the weekend on a Lagoon 400 at Catalina.Boat was in great shape and ready to go..Gary in the office had everything to go, I was in and out of the office and on my way in a matter of a few minutes...Can't say enough about my club and the people that run it.....HAPPY SAILING read more

I have been renting boats from Marina Sailing for several years and all of the boats are very well maintained. Marina Sailing makes the rental process very easy and fun. I took my first sailing lesson at Marina Sailing with Bill and I have loved sailing ever since. Bill was a super instructor and made sailing fun and exciting!!! read more

I signed up for two introductory lessons with Groupon. I had a great instructor, Natasha. She was knowledgeable, she explains everything clearly, and takes safety very seriously. I would definitely recommend her to anyone wanting to learn how to sail! read more