Just completed the Day Skipper course with Mainstay Sailing and had a fantastic sailing experience combined with balanced learning. For someone wanting to learn or improve their sailing knowledge this course offers a great sailing location which allows the practical skills to be demonstrated and practiced while receiving thorough instruction. Course content was presented in a way that allowed students at all levels to achieve great learning outcomes. Combine this with delicious meals and tropical destinations, looking forward to my next course.

Thank you to Nick at Mainstay sailing for your expert guidance and patience for our very first sailing course. My husband and I were feeling very confident to take out our own catamaran after our 2 half days of sailing with you. Nick was very patient, never stressed and made us feel confident, safe & capable every step of the way. Highly recommend Mainstay sailing and we can’t wait to come back to complete our skippers course.

We recently completed a one-day basic sailing course with Mainstay Sailing, and it was exceptional. Our instructor, Nick—a former commercial pilot—brought a calm, measured, and quietly confident presence to the day that immediately put us at ease. Despite facing a bit of swell and wind, Nick’s unshakable composure gave us both the confidence to push past our nerves. While I was wide-eyed as the boat heeled over in one-metre waves, Nick remained completely unbothered—clearly trusting in our abilities before we even did ourselves. Over the course, we covered an impressive amount: sailing fundamentals, safety, rights of way, and even a man overboard drill (which turned out to be one of the highlights). When the weather turned unfavourable, Nick didn’t skip a beat—he simply split the course over two half days to make sure we got the most from the experience. Mainstay Sailing delivers top-notch, practical training with a personal touch. Highly recommended for anyone looking to dip their toes into sailing or brush up on the basics. Five stars, without hesitation.

I had a great time on my Competent Crew Course! Ron, Nick and Terrance made it an amazing experience for us and I learned so much during these 5 days! We sailed the Whitsundays at day and night and got to see all its beautiful and iconic places. Besides sailing, the program included opportunities for snorkeling, land excursions and good conversation over food and drink. Can only recommend Mainstay highly and I will soon be back to undertake my Day Skipper with them! :-)

A fabulous five days. Great tuition from the skipper Nick. Easy going but informative you were allowed to make your own mistakes and practice in a safe environment. As much a holiday as a sailing course as it should be. Looking forward to chartering my own boat ideally around the Whitsundays. Cheers. M

Just came off a day skipper course with mainstay sailing. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The instructor Nick was amazing; happy to explain anything I didn’t understand and didn’t rush. Most importantly, we all had a lot of fun and sailed to some beautiful places. The food was also much better than any other charter / course I have been on before - expect to be full the whole time! Thanks very much to Nick, Terence and Ron, from Gina and Lucas.