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Sailing Club of Washington


LEARN TO SAIL

We offer training to SCOW members only


Due to high demand, we cannot guarantee training slots to members


For more information, contact SCOW's Training Director at training@scow.org

Join SCOW and improve your sailing skills with special training offered only to members.  For more information on how to become a SCOW member visit the Join SCOW section of the Website.  Please note the blue highlighted disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

No prior sailing experience is needed to take the basic sailing training. Significant prior sailing experience is required to take the cruiser training- e.g. taking the basic sailing training and then skippering the Flying Scots for a year, or significant cruiser experience, etc. Applicants applying for the cruiser training must submit a brief summary of sailing experience to the Training Director for review. If you are not a Flying Scot skipper you will be required to demonstrate your sailing skills through an on-the-water assessment. Contact the Training Director for more information.

SCOW Training is conducted in accordance with the SCOW Training Policy.  SCOW is not an affiliate or concessionaire of the NPS and SCOW training fees are set so that when combined with the membership fee, will be at least as expensive as training fees charged by the WSM.  For WSM training offerings click HERE.


Basic Sailing  

Our Basic Sailing course consists of classroom instruction in conjunction with hands-on training using the club’s 19' Flying Scots. There are four nights of classroom training and six on-the-water sessions. The goals of the SCOW course are not only to teach the fundamentals of sailing but also to prepare students to take and pass SCOW’s Flying Scot skipper examinations and thus become qualified to take out the club’s boats on their own. The Flying Scots used in the course are the same boats that SCOW members use to race on Wednesday nights during the season and that are used for Thursday night social sails. Once SCOW members earn their Flying Scot skippership they may reserve these boats online for SCOW events or for personal use.

Please see below for 2026 Basic Sailing training dates. Water classes normally run 4 hours with start times at 8am, 10am and noon. We make an effort to schedule students in accordance with their preferences. If you are interested in signing up please monitor your email inbox for announcements about how to sign up.  You may need a registration code to enroll in a class.  

Makeup dates are tentative and depend upon weather, as well as student and instructor availability.  Generally they are only used for rescheduling classes that are canceled due to inclement weather, not for classes missed due to other reasons.



BASIC SAILING - SPRING 2026

Registration Begins in March

Online Land Training


Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21, 28 - via Zoom

Currently Scheduled to start at 7pm

Water Training

Saturday/Sunday  April 18/19, 25/26 and May 2/3


*Tentative Make Up Days:  May 10, 16, 17



BASIC SAILING - SUMMER 2026

Registration Begins in March

Online Land Training


Tuesdays, May 26,  June 2, 9, 16 - via Zoom

Currently Scheduled to start at 7pm

Water Training

Saturday/Sunday  May 30/31,  June 7, 13/14, 21


*Tentative Make Up Days:  June 27, 28,  July 3, 5



BASIC SAILING - FALL 2026

Registration Begins in March

Online Land Training

Tuesdays, July 28,  August 4, 11, 18 - via Zoom

Currently Scheduled to start at 7pm

Water Training

Saturday/Sunday  August 8/9, 15/16, 22/23


*Tentative Make Up Days:  August 29, 30,  September 6, 12, 13


*These are tentative make-up class dates and will be scheduled at the time,    if necessary, based on weather and instructor and student availability.  

Cruising Sailing

The Cruising Sailing course is taught on the club’s three 25' Catalina Cruisers.  The main purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the three different club boats, as well as SCOW’s policies and procedures regarding the cruisers, so that they are prepared to take and pass the club’s comprehensive cruiser skipper written and water examinations.  Once SCOW members become Cruiser Skippers they may reserve the boats online for personal use.  SCOW cruiser training is focused on the particulars of SCOW’s three cruisers and relevant local sailing knowledge and requires that a student already has significant prior sailing knowledge and experience, such as at least a year as a SCOW Flying Scot skipper or relevant keel boat sailing experience elsewhere. The course includes two land classes, three days of on-the-water hands-on-training, and one evening of night sailing.  The course is typically followed by some tutoring to practice for the water checkout exam.     

Below please find the specific steps to take if you are interested in Cruiser Training. If you are interested in Cruiser Training for 2026, please contact the Training Director at training@scow.org. If you are deemed qualified for Cruiser Training as explained above, you will be added to the Cruiser Training interest list. Available slots for spring and fall are filled based on your position on the list, and if demand exceeds the number of available slots, a waitlist will be created.

Makeup dates are tentative and depend upon weather, as well as student and instructor availability.  Generally they are only used for rescheduling classes that are canceled due to inclement weather, not for classes missed due to other reasons.


One -  

You must be a SCOW member to enroll for cruiser training.

Two -  

If you are a member in good standing, please email the Training Director (training@scow.org) to indicate that you are interested in taking cruiser classes along with a completed sailing resume.
Submit a completed sailing Résumé to SCOW's Training Director at training@scow.org    Sailing Résumé
Note that potential candidates may be invited to demonstrate their sailing skills on a sail arranged by the Training Director.

Three -  

When you have been confirmed by the Training Director as a qualified candidate and there is an available spot in one of the cruiser training courses (spring or fall) you will be provided with a registration code via email. If there is no spot available for the current training year you will be placed on a waiting list in case we have a cancellation.

Four -  

When you receive an email with a registration code, follow the instructions contained in the email to register. Before registering, make sure you carefully note the class dates for the course you want to register for. SCOW does not issue refunds for training unless the training is canceled by SCOW.


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CRUISING SAILING - SPRING 2026

Land Training

Class 1 - Monday,  April 13 at Washington Sailing Marina - 6:30-8pm

Class 2 - Wednesday, April 15 - via Zoom - 6-8pm


Water Training


Saturday/Sunday, April 18/19, Saturday, April 25 - 8am-4pm


Night Class - Tuesday, April 21 and/or Friday, May 1 - 6-11pm

(same material is repeated - students are required to attend one but may attend both)

*Tentative Make Up Days:  April 26, May 2,3 

Skipper checkouts tentatively scheduled for May 23, 24, 25, 30, 31

*Makeup dates are only used for rescheduling classes canceled due to inclement weather. 

Training Director will email Registration Link to Trainees


CRUISING SAILING - FALL 2026

Land Training

Class 1 - Wednesday,  Sept. 2 at Washington Sailing Marina - 6:30-8pm

Class 2 - Monday, September 7 - via Zoom - 6-8pm


Water Training


Saturday/Sunday, Sept. 5/6, and Sept. 12 - 8am-4pm  


Night Class - Tuesday, Sept. 15 and/or Friday, Sept. 18 - 6-11pm

(same material is repeated - students are required to attend one but may attend both)

*Tentative Make Up Days:  September 13, 19, 20

Skipper checkouts tentatively scheduled for October 3, 4, 10, 11, 12

*Makeup dates are only used for rescheduling classes canceled due to inclement weather. 

Training Director will email Registration Link to Trainees

Capsize Training

Our Capsize training is taught on our 19' Flying Scots, sometimes with the help of our 25' cruisers. Members learn how to capsize and how to right a capsized Flying Scot. The training is conducted on the water during a morning and afternoon.

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Capsize Training Tentative Class or Makeup Dates: (Specific dates for these classes will be sc heculed and shared with interested mmbes basec on TGrainer availability) 

July 11 or 12

July 18 or 19

August 1 or 2

September 2 or 6

SCOW is not affiliated with the National Park Service or Guest Services, Inc. SCOW offers training to its members as part of our overall sailing program. GSI is the official NPS concessionaire to offer sailing lessons to the general public at the Washington Sailing Marina. For information on GSI's training, visit WSM Sailing Lessons page. For general information regarding the marina visit the Washington Sailing Marina website.

       

Sailing Club of Washington  [SCOW]
PO Box 25884  •  Alexandria  •  VA  •  22313

We keep our boats at Washington Sailing Marina on Daingerfield Island
1 Marina Drive  •  Alexandria  •  VA  •  22314

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