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

At Sail2Learn, we provide 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.

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!

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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

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.