Swain Sailing School and Yacht Charters 47 Conanicus Avenue, Jamestown, RI 02835

"An unforgettable and highly formative sailing experience! I'm a third-generation lifelong sailor, and learned so much from taking the ASA 106 course in the BVI with Alex. The quality of the boats Swain Sailing uses for their courses is unrivaled: we used a Hanse 54.8, and it felt very spacious and comfortable throughout the weeklong cruise. I really appreciated the thoughtfulness of the instructor, as he went above and beyond in sharing his learnings from decades at sea with the goal of enhancing our seamanship, in addition to the knowledge required for passing the course exam."

"We have had a number of very positive interactions with the Swain School. It all began with my wife, brother in law, niece and I taking the fast track courses to bareboat cruising. Rob Swain was our instructor and each of us saw in him a gifted teacher, patient, with enormous experience and a very easy going style. We left BVI 8 days later, certified (!) and with proper mix of restrained confidence and unbridled enthusiasm for more. Next, my wife and I chartered 'Cool Girl' from the Swain School in Newport. Rob Swain joined us for day 1 - more teaching and helping us get the feel of a monohull. Rob left us after a day on the water and we proceeded to have a fantastic bareboat cruise to places like Block Island and Wickford. Most recently, we chartered a 44 foot Fontaine Pajot Helia catamaran through the Swain school. Rory from swain Sailing took us out for a check ride on the morning of day 1 and with his thumbs up, we left on our own to explore the BVI's. Throughout all my contacts with Swain school, I have found the staff to be very responsive, accurate in their quotes and extraordinarily helpful. Hats off to Gina in particular for her guidance. I would recommend Swain school to anyone wanting to transition from landlubber to sailor, to sailors who want to perfect skills and all other bareboat needs. A hearty 5 stars. Michel Perron Ottawa, Canada"