The Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship

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The Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship

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"The Maryland School of Sailing & Seamanship boasts an impressive staff of offshore-savvy instructors and is notable for its high level of organization and dedication to real ocean sailing." ~ Blue Water Sailing Magazine

08/11/2026

Chat #21 - September 8, 7:00 PM, ET

In 2011, Captain Tom Tursi posted the first video on our YouTube channel, discussing Crew Overboard - techniques, recoveries and equipment. It has been 15 years - has anything changed? Join Captains Frank Mummert and Tom Tursi for a discussion on what has improved, what has stayed the same and what, if anything, has worsened over the decade and a half since that first video.

You can register here to join the chat on Zoom. - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/MEiENtVWREOBYNuJ--vtzg

05/19/2026

BAREBOAT CHARTERING AND CRUISING

I have said for years that Bareboat Chartering and Cruising (ASA-104) is the point at which the sailor becomes the cruiser. Whether your goal is to do vacation sailing in the Caribbean, assist a friend in moving a boat up the Eastern Seaboard or become a full-time liveaboard, BC&C is where you start to develop those skills.

Recently Captain Gerald van Wilgen with a three-person crew, consisting of father and son, Rick and Matt, and Dave, cmpleted a circumnavigation of Kent Island, with stops at Saint Michaels, Annapolis and the Chester River. In this video, they are anchored in the river as the sun sinks below Baltimore in the distant west.

It really doesn't get much better than this. Ready to give it a try? Contact us at [email protected] and let's get started.

05/01/2026

AN EXCITING NEW ADVANTAGE FOR MDS STUDENTS!

We have formed a relationship with the Seven Seas Cruising Association - the world's oldest and largest organization supporting the cruising lifestyle - to provide a benefit to our Bareboat Chartering and Cruising graduates! If you take our ASA-104 course, upon successful completion, you will be eligible for a free, one-year membership in the SSCA. When Suzanne and I were just starting out in the cruising world - long before we had the boat ready to go - we joined the SSCA. It was a great source of information and inspiration for our cruising dreams and plans. Now, the SSCA and MDS have joined forces to help you make that transition from dreamer to planner to doer!

Contact us for more information on this great opportunity to expand your wings - and sails!

04/24/2026

JOIN US AT THAT ANNAPOLIS SPRING BOAT SHOW!!!

We are at the Spring Show in Annapolis - booth B-29. We are next to our friends from Williams and Heintz and near the SSCA booth, so you can visit us and do some shopping at the same time.

There may even be some "boat show" benefits!

04/16/2026

Classes Available - We have had a seat open up in the May 2/3 Docking Class. Refreshing docking skills in the beginning of the season is always a good idea - so even if you have taken this class before, this is a good opportunity to make sure you are ready to go for the year.

We have one seat available for the Basic Keelboat class on May 25 to 28. This is the start of your sailing adventure. As is so often the case in life, a good start increases the chances of a good ending!

Look out for more information regarding our new relationship with the Seven Seas Cruising Association. Details soon, but if you have ever thought about long distance cruising, you should already know about the SSCA. www.ssca.org

03/31/2026

The weather is turning pleasant - the boats are going back in the water

Now the hard work begins - going through each of our boats and making sure they are ready for when you, our students, show up. We pride ourselves on making sure that our boats are set up and ready to go, whether you are coming in for a one day Introduction to Sailing or a five day Bareboat Chartering and Cruising course. Maybe you will come in the afternoon before and stay aboard the boat during your class.

We still have seats available in May and June for all of our Chesapeake Bay courses - docking, sailing and cruising instruction.

We also have ONE seat still available in our Ocean Passage Making Course, from Mystic Seaport Museum to Norfolk, VA and several seats for the Bareboat Chartering and Cruising class aboard Navigator, as she returns from Norfolk to Rock Hall.

Dates for Introduction, 101, 103, 104 and Docking can be found on our website.

Please email [email protected] if you have questions or are interested in registration.

03/25/2026

Tuesday, April 7, our next chat will be Communication at Sea, with Captains Tom Tursi and Frank Mummert. We will be joined by Captain Chip Lohman, who is, in addition to being an instructor for MDSchool, a ham operator and radio guru. We will be discussing the various communication systems available to the long distance sailor and cruiser. Register at

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7Qb3G9hASX2krxJQ2MkGXA

Or contact me for more information!

03/12/2026

I put on my Keens for the first time this year! This is almost as consequential as the Sock Burning in Eastport or Deltaville! (truly a sailor thing)
If you are like me and the spring is making you antsy for sailing, I need to point out that we have four open seats in our May 4-5 Docking class and three open seats in our May 23 Docking class. Before you start the season, it is always a good idea to brush up on those docking skills, particularly if you didn't get a lot of boat time last year.
If you need to refresh the skills, or want to learn some new techniques, that is the perfect time to go with OPB (other people's boats). We use the solid, heavy Island Packet 32s for these classes, praticulalry because learning docking is a "contact sport" and we want to make sure you can make the mistakes you need to in order to learn in a way that makes you feel safe.
Contact us at www.mdschool.net for more information on all of our courses

03/01/2026

The ice is melting, the birds are returning and it is time to start planning for the sailing season. We have lots of opening in May and June for classes - check them out here - www.mdschool.net/courses

Also, we have two seats still available in our Mystic to Norfolk OCEAN PASSAGE MAKING course and several seats in our DelMarVa CIRCUMNAVIGATION courses.

If you can't find a scheduled class that meets your needs, talk to us about a private class period. email me at [email protected]

I look forward to hearing from you!

02/21/2026

According to my research, the first mass-produced fiberglass sailboat was 25 foot LOA, called the New Horizon and made by a company owned by Ray Green. It debuted in 1957. While there were one-off fiberglass boats before that, Green's company actually built and sold 175 of these.

To my mind, that marks the beginning of the sailing industry as we know it today. Based on that, next year marks the seventieth anniversary of that beginning! Something to celebrate!

Address

22978 McKinleyville Road
Rock Hall, MD
21661

Website

http://www.mdschool.net/

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