Reviews

In July of 2023 we attended a week of classes with Tony and Jeanne at Sail Haven. Judy completed ASA 101 and 103. I completed 101, 103, 104 and 114. In May of 2024 we bareboat chartered a 46-foot catamaran in the BVI. The training we received at Sail Haven ensured we had all the skills and confidence necessary to have a fantastic week. Because it was our first charter, we had a captain for the first day. Capt. Sam expressed great confidence in our skill set and knowledge even though it was our first day on the boat. While I had some background in monohulls, this was a first time on a cat. Judy demonstrated excellent skills as a first mate and was able to transfer a lot of knowledge to our “crew” comprised of two other couples. The experience was so good that one couple will return with us in May of 2025. Another couple that said they would “never”… is joining us based on everyone’s experience. I should note that our last morning was a sail from Cooper Island to Road Town. Visibility was at most 500 to 1000 feet with rain. We put the cat against the fuel dock without incident. If you’re trained in the yacht basin at Belhaven, you can handle anything. Because of our experience and training, the charter company does not require a check out captain in 2025. If you are on the fence about the training at Sail Haven, I say “jump in.” And no, the man overboard exercise does not require someone to be the “mob.”

Having little direct experience with sailboats, the 1 week SailHaven training following ASA101 (basic keelboat) and ASA 103 (basic coastal navigation) was the perfect way to get our feet wet. Tony and Jeanne were the most gracious hosts and made us feel welcome. Food and Accommodations were top notch ! Sailing on both monohull and cat, including a 2-day on-board sail and berth to Washington NC, really helped us understand the trade-offs between these choices-which will go a long way to informing our own decisions about boats in our future. For those wanting to find out what its all about-this is where to start !

We learned a ton, had a great time and ate like kings and queens! Tony and Jeanne were a joy to be around, great at their jobs and always happy to help us out with anything at all. My wife and I would both highly recommend this experience for anyone wishing to increase their sailing knowledge and have fun while doing it. And, if there is ever a “Sail Haven Cookbook” in the future, I’m sure I’d be recommending that as well. 😀

We had an absolutely incredible experience at Sail Haven! Tony’s extensive knowledge of sailing and sailboats truly impressed us. The Lagoon 380 sailboat was impeccably clean, and the room accommodations exceeded our expectations. The meals provided were nothing short of gourmet, comparable to a 5-star restaurant. Tony’s teaching style made learning sailing drills a breeze and incredibly enjoyable. The test reviews he provided were extremely helpful in solidifying our understanding. We highly recommend Sail Haven to anyone considering ASA classes; it truly is the best place to take your classes. We give it a resounding five-star rating!

Tommy & Miranda

I would have given this all 5 stars but we really had NO wind to sail under for the class. Obviously no ones fault, and we had a little issue with the dingy engine not keeping its prime, but we were warned ahead of time. Other than that it was a stellar class and amazing weekend! We even asked if they could add other classes just so we could go back!!!