sail to learn

The goal of Sail to Learn is providing learners with progressive, effective independent performance in critical basic skills - AND in them understanding the rationale and physics that underlie those skills.

A black and white nautical compass rose diagram showing cardinal directions North, East, South, and West, with additional intermediate directions.
We'll often see dolphins, manatees and other marine life during lessons.

Learn With Us

Sail2Learn provides beginner to intermediate sailing lessons throughout Sarasota and Bradenton, FL. Our approach is simple: learn by doing. Every lesson is hands-on, active, and designed to make you a confident, capable sailor.

As a small, local business, Sail to Learn focuses on personal instruction and close guidance. We ensure that every student receives individual attention while learning essential sailing skills on the water.

Whether you're completely new to sailing or looking to strengthen your fundamentals, Sail to Learn offers a supportive and engaging way to experience the beauty and excitement of sailing in Sarasota Bay.

Steve Bonham, your Sarasota sailing instructor. Out on the water with a blue sky and some clouds in the background. Sailing lessons Sarasota, Fl.

Meet Your Teacher

Steve Bonham

A calm, patient, experienced (50+ years sailing) and friendly skipper.

Bonham is a certified ASA (American Sailing Association) instructor for; ASA 101 - Keelboat Sailing, ASA 203 - Coastal Cruising, and ASA 204 - Bareboat Cruising. Bonham is also a US Sailing certified Windsurfing Instructor.

Bonham is a former college health & kinesiology professor, an NCAA division I Men's Gymnastics coach, and an instructional systems designer/faculty developer. He believes that for learning to *stick* it must be hands-on and immediately relevant.

 Class Information

Everything you need to know to come aboard.

Info

 Gallery

See some of the beauty of Sarasota sailing!

Gallery
My Carolina dog, Carter keeping an eye on the channel markers.
Sunrise on beautiful Sarasota Bay.
Sailing south along Turtle Beach - almost sunset.

 Nautical Information

Eager to learn? Set sail by exploring common nautical terms and jargon before you arrive.

Learning Materials

  • "This was absolutely, unequivocally the best instruction I have seen on the water. Steve is a great teacher, taking time to explain the tools, boat and the how it works part of sailing. "

    - Daniel Jeffs, Former Customer

  • "I just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed yesterday. It was one of those events that will be a life memory for us all. I want to commend you on how professional yet casual and friendly the instruction was. It is clear to me that you are a well seasoned sailor and have the ability to clearly and effectively impart to your students the information they need to know to be successful. I, for one, learned a wealth of great information and was able to put it to good use. When any occasion arises that I can recommend a sailing instructor, you can be sure that yours is the name I will mention. Thanks again for a wonderful day and a terrific learning event for us all.."

    —Former Customer

  • "Sail2Learn is the best approach and the best instruction. He always had more to teach us, and he planned each daily adventure to be different. He puts in a lot of extra time beyond what you're paying for, that's for sure. It's a retirement labor of love for him, and it shows. Steve was always patient and eager to sail, even after three days on the water with us! We were always at the helm with Steve as our patient coach. This is experiential education at its best! "

    -Seth Farmer, Former Customer

  • "If you are looking for a good time and an incredible learning experience, Sail2Learn is ideal. Breezes! "

    - Annabel Severns, Former Customer

  • "I can’t tell you enough how glad I am that I picked up the phone that day to explore this wild-haired idea of mine! It turned out perfect and exceeded my expectations! I hope I’ve been successful in letting you know how cool this was for my guys – they are still high from the experience!."

    —Former Customer

  • I had never sailed previously, and Steve made the learning very enjoyable. Between his time, patience, and the sailing knowledge shared, it was an incredible learning experience. I learned so much and truly appreciated all the effort he put into making the experience enjoyable and informative.

    -Peggy Boutelle, Former Customer

  • "My sailing experience with Steve was exactly what I was looking for — personal, engaging, and with someone who truly knows their craft. You get an active sailing experience with hands-on time on the water, plus classroom instruction covering wind theory and boat rigging. Steve is knowledgeable, responsive, and shares fantastic footage afterward as keepsakes. His southern charm makes the experience even more enjoyable! I highly recommend Sail 2 Learn for anyone looking to have fun while expanding their sailing skills."

    —Former Customer

  • "Please know that I will put the word out to my friends and convey to them what a peak experience this was for us all! Thanks for taking great pictures!"

    - Former Customer

  • "Thanks so much for all the pics!! And, more importantly, the lesson. We had such a wonderful day with you, just letting it all sink in. Please reach out when were able to do it again. I think we caught a bad case of the "sailing bug", so anytime your willing, let us know."

    - Former Customer

  • "I stepped out of my comfort zone and it was the best experience! A great Teacher assists a student with any amount of successful experience!!! We love our videos!!! Thank you again so much!"

    - Former Customer

  • "Captain Steve is INCREDIBLE. This was my first time sailing and I went with three friends. I was nervous to operate the boat myself initially, especially with how much terminology and instruction there is to learn. By the end of the day, all four of us were tacking, gybing, and having an amazing time. He is a great person too - so patient and instructional. He’s also putting together videos for us!!! He took us to the sandbar and a place to get margs/frozen drinks midway, which was so kind and unexpected. ALSO GREAT PRICE "

    -Grace Shoemaker, Former Customer

  • "Thank you so much for a great day sailing! The boys enjoyed sailing so much, and they both said they want to go again! Thank you for making it a safe outing- that's my top priority!"

    - Former Customer

  • "Getting out on the water with Captain Steve was the absolute best choice that my girls and I could have made as beginner sailors! Not only is he extremely impressive within his personal and professional life, but he is also an amazing person and leader. His service was extremely valuable, and our lesson was very multi-faceted. We spent the first half of our time receiving a lecture-style lesson about everything that sailing involved, as well as setting the sailboat up together as a team. Once everyone was feeling confident and ready to go, we hit the water and applied our newfound understanding! Learning to sail was an absolute blast, and I recommend Sail2Learn to anyone looking to walk away with a new wealth of knowledge, skill, and experience in sailing!! "

    -Ashley Osterhoudt, Former Customer

  • "Sail2learn was one of our first stepping stones in learning to sail. Steve was thorough with respect to all aspects of setup and teardown. Checklists, float plan, and good practices while sailing made for an informative and enjoyable sailing experience. It’s a class that will leave you wanting to go again. "

    -Daniel Inderlied, Former Customer

  • "I highly recommend sailing with Steve. You’ll learn a lot about wind, sailing, and boat rigging—both on land and on the water—and it’s clear he really loves teaching. Sarasota Bay is beautiful, and the whole experience was exactly the kind of adventure I was looking for. I especially appreciated how personal and reasonably priced it was. He also sends great footage afterward. "

    -Rachel Wilmot, Former Customer

  • "I would like to thank you for making it so easy for me to plan this. You always replied promptly, gave me guidance, and were always flexible -- all of which was important to me since this entire event was a surprise."

    —Former Customer

Looking east from City Island towards downtown Sarasota
Looking west across Casey Key towards Midnight Pass from Little Sarasota Bay.

Message from Your Instructor:

Ahoy!

So! You've decided to become a sailor. :-)

Christopher Cross got it right. Sailing can be

magical...

Well, it's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
If the wind is right
You can sail away
and find tranquility.
Oh, the canvas can do miracles.
Just you wait and see...
Believe me...

It's not far to never-never land
and reason to pretend
and if the wind is right
you can find the joy of innocence again.
oh, the canvas can do miracles.
Just you wait and see...
Believe me...

Sailing does takes one away. You will soon - believe me!

The decision to become a sailor is something you will be grateful for the rest of your life! Sailing is a recreational activity (soon a passion!) that you can do all life long. You can putter around on inland ponds and lakes... along the coasts, or make passages that could carry you across oceans - or even completely around the world. That is the kind of an adventure that you have begun. Congratulations!

Sailing... the art of moving a vessel across the water with nothing but the wind is simple - and also very complex. To become a master sailor you will be required to know an incredibly wide variety of things. But you don't have to learn these all at once. You'll learn aspects of astronomy, geology, physics, geometry, hydro & aero-dynamics, meteorology, and lots more besides. You'll learn to read the wind, the clouds, the waves, and currents... about the creatures that inhabit the waters upon which you sail. You will immerse yourself in nature in a true physical connection that you have previously never even imagined. It IS wonderful. And it's why I call this experience not "Learn to Sail" but SAIL to Learn!

On hot summer days we'll often drop anchor in the shallows and snorkel to cool off.
A sailboat on calm waters at sunset with a sunset sky in shades of pink, orange, and blue, and a silhouette of a tree in the foreground.

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