Cruisers Academy - Tahoe City, California

Sascha Brown

I was so so lucky enough to win the Cruiser Academy annual scholarship for their CA-1 course. I highly recommend taking their CA-1 if you are looking to learn how to sail. Captain Brady and Captain Austin are amazing instructors who can breakdown concepts to make it understandable for even the most novice sailor. We learned sailing language, parts of the boat, points of sail, weather/wind and so much more. If you are in the Tahoe area and wanting to learn how to sail sign up now!

Tim Thiel

I just finished CA-1 with Austin and what an amazing experience!
I strongly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn to sail, is looking into buying a boat, or just wants to have a blast for 4 days on Lake Tahoe!

I have taken other sailing courses in the Bay Area and this was next level! As a lifelong boater, I learned more in 4 days than I have in a lifetime. Austin was amazing, smart, funny, and very safety conscious. The entire course is built for you to succeed and become a solid boater all around. Thank you Brady, Blue, and Austin for creating such an amazing experience. Tahoe in the summer is the perfect place to learn to sail, consistent wind and no swell.
Thanks again and I can't wait to take CA-2!

Jack Gasper

Taking a class or doing a group session with Cruisers Academy is a great way to learn more about sailing and to get out on Lake Tahoe. I took CA-1 last year and recently did CA-2 over Labor Day weekend. Taking the CA-2 class gave me more confidence operating dock lines, mooring, anchoring, and operating a boat in tight spaces. I was happy to see that I retained a lot of the information from CA-1 and the boat handing carried over to the bigger boat. The class was engaging and the practical exercises gave us lots of tiller time. It doesn't get much better than sailing on Lake Tahoe with chill people, highly recommended.

Mike G

CA- 2 with Captain Brady was everything I expected and more. Taking what I learned in CA-1 to the next level. We learned and practiced real life sailing experiences. Anchoring, docking, mooring, route planning, sailing to specific destinations, weather patterns. Highlight of the class was dealing with a storm that was not predicted on the weather reports. Doesn’t get any better than that. Working and dealing with 35 MPH winds. Captain Brady and Captain Austin answered all questions in the classroom. Close over 16 hours of sailing and close to 30 nautical miles in three days. The group learned and grew together day by day. I fully recommend Cruiser Academy. They teach real life sailing and theory. They are not just some ahoy paloy that sailed every summer at the local summer beach house. You learn from real life experiences and from people who have experienced the world thru the leans of a sailboat. I recommend Cruiser Academy for all levels.

M Ghani

I took the fundamentals (CA-1)and CA-2 course as a complete beginner with no sailing experience and learned a ton about all aspects of sailing including sailing maneuvers, understanding weather, navigation using electronic charts, docking, mooring and anchoring sailboats. The instructors (Brady and Austin) are amazing teachers who made understanding sailing concepts fun and easy to understand. I believe that the experience I have gained from the Cruiser’s academy courses has prepared me very well to sail competently on my own or as part of a crew. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in sailing !

Cameron Guinn

This was one of the highlights of my life. Captain Brady taught me more in 10 days crossing the sea of Cortez than I could have learned in a lifetime trying myself. The experience and knowledge he is easily able to pass on in a fun way is a testament to the years he has spent honing his skills. This definitely is an experience of a lifetime. You truly feel apart of a crew and a team while sailing not to mention the sheer beauty you get to witness down in the sea of Cortez. I cannot recommend this enough. Thank you Captain Brady!!

Gino Guidi

Did the passage from Loreto to Mazatlan with Captain Brady. It was an amazing learning experience. Lintika is a fantastic vessel that handled everything thrown at her and is great boat to learn on. Senor Brady is such a great teacher. He explains things but lets you actually do them. When learning from Cruisers Academy you walk away with practical hands on experience and confidence to take on the next challenge on your own. I have learned at many places but CA is by far the best and most complete experience I have ever had. If you get the opportunity to sail with them, do not pass it up! It is a true cruising experience, not just a sailing experience.

ramon grail

The best possible experience I could have imagined. The instruction was exceptional and the time on the water was incredible. If you ever want to learn to sail this is the place. Lake Tahoe in the summer is way better than anywhere in the Bay Area for sure for learning the weather in the summer is just spectacular.