You can charter a boat, sail or power, anywhere in the world. You can charter bareboat where you and your crew take full control of the boat and operate it as you see fit. Or hire a Captain to be in charge and direct you and your crew in operating the boat. Or hire Captain and Crew to operate the boat while you sit back and relax. Or add a cook to the crew to provision, cook, serve and cleanup after meals. But let's bring it all down to earth and say you are looking at bareboat chartering a 40 foot sailboat, monohull or catamaran, in the Caribbean or Mediterranean; what are the things you should know in advance, what preparations should you make before deciding on boat type, where to charter, who to charter with, who to include in your crew/family members, advance study of the area you will be sailing, navigation preps and much more. So, join us for a chat as we explore these and many other question on chartering

We will offer both Coastal Navigation (ASA105) and Celestial Navigation (ASA107) online courses during the Winter of 2026 on Zoom Webinar by Captain Tom Tursi and a live student body talking directly to each other. Each class will be conducted over five half-day Saturday sessions meeting from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Eastern Time. Coastal Navigation course starts on Saturday, January 10, 2026, and Celestial Navigation starts on February 21, 2026. This video describes the setup for these courses, books included, registration procedures, Zoom requirements, and ASA certification testing which you may take at your home. Also, refer to our website for details: http://www.mdschool.com/Navigation.htm

Circumnavigating the DMVA peninsula is a 450-mile cruise that many intermediate sailors consider as a rite of passage before turning perpendicular to the coastline to do a serious blue water cruise. This cruise includes a variety of challenges for the aspiring cruising sailor including nighttime transits in the restricted waters of Chesapeake Bay and open waters of the Atlantic Ocean while contending with navigation, watch keeping, ship traffic, fishing vessels, shoaling, crab pots, a variety of weather conditions including sun, rain, strong winds and no wind, plus squalls and lightning, and much more. The Maryland School has completed more than 100 DMVA training cruises over the past many years and has developed a training regimen that progresses a student from a bay-sailor to a near-coastal ocean sailor. Come and join us for a chat on this timely topic by the Captains who have done a lot of it

Discussion of anchoring techniques, equipment and precautions

Two experienced ocean sailors discuss some of the offshore emergencies that kept them awake at night, how they analyzed the probability of these emergencies happening, and what they did in advance to reduce the seriousness if they did happen. Email office@mdschool.com for a copy of the spreadsheet referenced and also find the more detailed discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnnBBRFPJ_0&list=PLDjZqs-Y1cMxwLP7A24uRWj7KhXkfy_3d&index=11&t=1756s

A discussion of what to look for when going to an unfamiliar marina, and support services that you should expect to receive from the marina staff. Attend our Chat Nights every first and third Tuesdays of the month. The schedule is on our website here: http://mdschool.com/Chat.htm

Summer squalls often form over water in hot, humid, sultry weather when the air is still with little wind blowing. They usually form in later afternoons and can be spotted as turbulent clouds rise to great heights and begin to rotate into a localized squall characterized by a rapid increase in wind speed, often accompanied by heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. They often appear as a dark cloud line on the horizon, quickly passing through an area with strong gusts and downpours, and they most commonly occur during summer months due to increased atmospheric instability. In some cases they pack strong winds of 50 knots or more that can catch unsuspecting boaters by surprise and cause capsizing, dismastings, groundings, lightning strikes and more. In this video we discuss preparations that prudent mariners should take to prepare for and survive this intense squalls. Attend our Chat Nights every first and third Tuesdays of the month. The schedule is on our website here: http://mdschool.com/Chat.htm

A discussion of a catastrophe at sea on a 66 foot sailing vessel enroute to Nova Scotia where two people lost their lives due to apparent mishandling of the boat under stormy conditions. Attend our Chat Nights every first and third Tuesdays of the month. The schedule is on our website here: http://mdschool.com/Chat.htm

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video... We'll be sailing from Portugal to St Thomas in the Caribbean in November 2014 aboard MONTAUK LIGHT, a Skye 51 ocean sailing yacht as described in this video

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video in which Maryland School of Sailing (http://mdschool.com/) held an online Webinar on Dec 7, 2024 discussing methods for creating up to date PDF navigation charts using the NOAA NCC custom chart Application, and the importance of basing navigation planning for a cruise on both the paper charts and onboard electronics such as GPS and chart plotters. Also discussed were methods for using the free NOAA ENC chart database in conjunction with navigation software on computers and mobile devices.

Date correction: Webinar date is Dec 7, 2024 not 2025. This video announces a Free Webinar on Saturday, December 7th by Captains Tom Tursi and Frank Mummert discussing the changes that are taking place with NOAA paper charts and electronic charts and the USCG Light List, Local Notices to Mariners, and Broadcast Notices to Mariners and how mariners can adopt these improvements into their own cruise planning and underway navigation. Register by sending an email to office@mdschool.com

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video which shows sailing in Delaware Bay in 25 knots of wind

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video which describes MOB recovery methods from close hauled sailing; tacking and backing the genoa to stop boat close to MOB; furling genoa and dropping mainsail; starting engine to maneuver back to MOB; mayday call over VHF; MOB pickup.

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video... The traveler is an important piece of the sail trim puzzle. Often overlooked for its real purpose, it tends to get misused as an emergency control device. If you have ever wondered why a cruising boat has a traveler, this video explains its purpose and use. For more information on how to get practical training, contact the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship at office@mdschool.com

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video which shows a do it yourself calibration method for your speed and distance measuring instruments.

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video which describes a near-miss nighttime encounter with the broken pipe stumps of the base structure of a destroyed Light showing at or below the water surface, and the USCG's reporting of this hazard.

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video which shows setup and use of a bridle combining the spring line and bow line into one unit for use in parallel docking of a 40 foot sailboat.

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video... Webinar discusses the types of fires that may be encountered aboard recreational sailing vessels, the types of extinguishing agents available commercially, and some of the firefighting and fire prevention procedures that can be employed

Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video... In this video we offer a brief demonstration of marine electronic navigation charts and software currently available. This is essential knowledge for all sailors and navigators. Join us for ASA 105, Coastal Navigation ONLINE class beginning January 11, 2025. Register soon! More information can be found here: http://mdschool.com/Navigation.htm Our full youtube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@mdschoolofsailing/videos Call us at (410) 639 7030 or email office@mdschool.com with questions.

Join us for our LIVE ASA 107 Online Class starting in February 2025 with Captain Tom Tursi! Contact us at office@mdschool.com if you have questions about this video... This video demonstrates the detailed calculations needed to convert a celestial shot of the Sun into a line of position for your navigation plotting sheet. It follows a sample problem contained in our Celestial Navigation for Sailors textbook, and provides detailed, step-by-step descriptions and graphics illustrating the process.