PrivateSailing Lessons& Cruisesin Emerald Isle, NC

"Great experience, can’t recommend enough! This is a great part of a weekend at the beach - boat is beautiful and instructor is very knowledgeable snd helpful."

"Zachary is an awesome captain and instructor! He was patient with teaching us novice sailors, knowledgeable, and clearly loves what he does. Would recommend a cruise and/or lessons with him to anyone. My family had a blast!"

"I did both The beginner and the advanced lessons with Zach. I learned so much, Zach was a great teacher, and I am feeling very confident to go sailing on my own! I highly suggest this course to anyone who asks."

"After completing Sailing Lessons 1 & 2, I can confidently say Emerald Isle Sailing was an excellent experience! Zach is a professional, patient, and knowledgeable instructor who helped me go from a complete beginner to feeling confident and capable on the water. His teaching made learning to sail both educational and enjoyable. I highly recommend Emerald Isle Sailing to anyone looking to get started in sailing!"

"My family loved the sailing. Zach was patient, kind, taught us a lot about sailing and made the trip a lot of fun. He made sure all 5 on board got a chance to sail."

"What a fantastic adventure! Zach is an excellent captain and an excellent instructor. He was super patient with us and very knowledgeable of everything aboard as well as around us! We will be doing this again! Highly recommend!"

"We had a great trip on Zach's Hobie Cat through the sound. While we selected the tour, we still got a chance to learn a bit about sailing since it was just us on the boat — we even picked up a good bit of speed (at least for sailing newbies like us) as we were going with the wind! This was a great way to spend a few hours away from the beach on our Emerald Isle vacation. Thanks for the great morning adventure, Zach!"

"While on vacation I booked the Advanced Sailing Lesson to learn specific catamaran sailing techniques since I only sail monohull keelboats back at home. Zach was a great instructor who is knowledgeable and experienced. He tailors the lesson to whatever topic(s) you want to learn and practice on the water. I highly recommend taking a charter or lesson with him no matter what your experience level is. Sailing in Bogue Sound is enjoyable and safe. I will return in the future to continue practice sailing on a catamaran."

"This sailing class gave me the confidence I was missing. I can now go out with my own sailboat and apply the lessons learned. It was fun getting out on the water, it was my first time sailing."

"Our two sailing lessons were the highlight of our beach trip thanks to Zach's enthusiasm and expert guidance. I would highly recommend Emerald Isle Sailing to anyone looking for sailing instruction or just an unforgettable day on the water!"

"Zach is an excellent instructor with a talent for making sailing concepts accessible for the beginning student. After two days of lessons I felt confident and capable on the Hobie Cat catamaran. If you always wanted to sail a small craft, I would trust Zach to guide you."

"Zach was a fantastic instructor. I have sailing experience but none on a Hobie Cat. Zach got me quickly oriented to the boat and to Bogue Sound, and before I knew it I was up in the harness while helming! What a fun afternoon."

"Zach is a wonderful guide and captain. As others said in the review, you can tell he loves what he is doing! My son and I had a great, relaxing few hours learning about sailing and taking in the scenery. 100% worth the couple of hours!!"

"What a fabulous and fun way to spend the day on Emerald Isle!! Zach was a fantastic captain of his sailboat. It was a one on one experience with a local view of Bogue sound complete with birds, shark teeth, and the wind at our backs… Good for families too!"

"Experienced, local guide who led us on a fun and educational sail. Loved seeing the dolphins, shrimp and the beach rest stop. Highly recommend!"

"Highly recommend Zach for sailing lessons at Emerald Isle! He provided great information about the boat, points of sail and drills while giving a tour of the ICW. The dolphins were an added bonus!"

"Awesome day on the water with Zach. He was on time, very competent, super laid-back and fun to be around. The boat is squared away. Fantastic day of sailing!"

"This was great father/son outing with our skipper Zach. We took turns at the tiller and Zach showed us how to navigate the Hobie Cat through the ICW. Zach was a fine instructor and made sure we were kept comfortable during our adventure."

"What a fantastic day to be on the water!! Thanks Zach, I really enjoyed our time together, you're an amazing sailor and it's obvious you love what you do. We'll definitely sail together every time I come back."

"Excellent trip. Saw some dolphins. I brought my wife a 10, 8 and 4.5 year old and had a great time. This is real sailing!"

"We had a great time sailing. Zach is a very capable sailor and his passion for sailing is obvious. My family learned quite a bit and we had a blast in the process. This outing was loads of fun and we plan to do it again the next time we’re in EI."

"This was a very enjoyable introductory sailing class. Zach was friendly, and was very responsive to questions or anything I was unsure about. This gives a great overview of what all goes into the process of operating a sailboat, without being in a stressful environment."

"Zach is great! We had a beginner sailing lesson and we really enjoy it. The sailing boat is lovely!"

"Great time with Zach! He was a real professional and spent more time with me than I anticipated. I highly recommend sailing with Zach!"

"Super fun! Worth every penny! Zach really knows his stuff. He also wants you to have a good experience. In our case, he called to see if we could go a day later because the wind was not going to be good on the day we were scheduled. He gives clear instructions, lets you help if you want to, but also does most of the work if you just want to enjoy yourself. We had a great day on the water. My 11 and 12 year olds loved it. My husband is not a water guy, and he had a great experience. We saw dolphins, which added to the charm. Really worth the time and money. If and when we come back to Emerald Isle, we will probably rebook with him for another ride."

"If you are new to sailing or experienced...DO NOT HESTITATE!! Book a sailing trip with Zach! He is a delight! His love and knowledge of sailing shines through. He is patient, polite, interesting and interested. And, he is a natural born teacher. While I had sailed before, Zach gently guided with just the right amount of instruction and calm guidance. If you are new to sailing, you will be blessed to experience sailing for the first time with Zach . I was overjoyed by my peaceful yet exhilarating morning sail with him. I hope the first of many. Thank you Zach from the bottom of my heart!"

"Wonderful day out on the waters around the ICW.. A big Hobie has access to all sorts of nooks and cranies which proves very useful in the Western end of Bodue Sound. Depending on the wind conditions, the lesson can be calming or exhierating, as you deem fit. Zach knows these waters like the back of his hand."

"Very knowledgeable and pleasant to sail with! Will be going again"

"Zach was a great instructor and host, highly recommended!!"

"Great captain! Great boat! Great fun!"

"Zach was very knowledgeable and he seems to really enjoy teaching people how to sail. I entered this one on one session not expecting to learn a lot because I did not really have a theoretical grasp of sailing going into it. I was using it more as an experience to determine if sailing is something I enjoy. Despite that, I ended up learning a good amount from Zach, and I left with at least a basic intuition for how to operate the sails and the rudders, how to read the water for winds, how to get out of irons, how to tack, and how to stop, among other things. Worth every penny."

"Zack did a fantastic job! It was a REALLY windy day which made for some difficult maneuvering but we were working as a unit under his teaching. He was very good at letting us learn hands on, working each part of the boat. First sailing experience in a Hobie for me and my husband and it was a blast. Thanks Zack!"

"Husband and son went on a Friday morning sailing lesson, they had a great time. Both are totally novice sailors and Zack was a great instructor. The lesson was thorough and they got a lot of practice and learned a lot. Both would like to continue improving on the sport, Zack very encouraging. Highly recommend!!!"

"Zach did a great job. He was very accommodating. My husband had a wonderful time out on the water this evening. Would definitely recommend this."

"Great experience, can’t recommend enough! This is a great part of a weekend at the beach - boat is beautiful and instructor is very knowledgeable snd helpful."

"Zachary is an awesome captain and instructor! He was patient with teaching us novice sailors, knowledgeable, and clearly loves what he does. Would recommend a cruise and/or lessons with him to anyone. My family had a blast!"

"I did both The beginner and the advanced lessons with Zach. I learned so much, Zach was a great teacher, and I am feeling very confident to go sailing on my own! I highly suggest this course to anyone who asks."

"After completing Sailing Lessons 1 & 2, I can confidently say Emerald Isle Sailing was an excellent experience! Zach is a professional, patient, and knowledgeable instructor who helped me go from a complete beginner to feeling confident and capable on the water. His teaching made learning to sail both educational and enjoyable. I highly recommend Emerald Isle Sailing to anyone looking to get started in sailing!"

"My family loved the sailing. Zach was patient, kind, taught us a lot about sailing and made the trip a lot of fun. He made sure all 5 on board got a chance to sail."

"What a fantastic adventure! Zach is an excellent captain and an excellent instructor. He was super patient with us and very knowledgeable of everything aboard as well as around us! We will be doing this again! Highly recommend!"

"We had a great trip on Zach's Hobie Cat through the sound. While we selected the tour, we still got a chance to learn a bit about sailing since it was just us on the boat — we even picked up a good bit of speed (at least for sailing newbies like us) as we were going with the wind! This was a great way to spend a few hours away from the beach on our Emerald Isle vacation. Thanks for the great morning adventure, Zach!"

"While on vacation I booked the Advanced Sailing Lesson to learn specific catamaran sailing techniques since I only sail monohull keelboats back at home. Zach was a great instructor who is knowledgeable and experienced. He tailors the lesson to whatever topic(s) you want to learn and practice on the water. I highly recommend taking a charter or lesson with him no matter what your experience level is. Sailing in Bogue Sound is enjoyable and safe. I will return in the future to continue practice sailing on a catamaran."

"This sailing class gave me the confidence I was missing. I can now go out with my own sailboat and apply the lessons learned. It was fun getting out on the water, it was my first time sailing."

"Our two sailing lessons were the highlight of our beach trip thanks to Zach's enthusiasm and expert guidance. I would highly recommend Emerald Isle Sailing to anyone looking for sailing instruction or just an unforgettable day on the water!"

"Zach is an excellent instructor with a talent for making sailing concepts accessible for the beginning student. After two days of lessons I felt confident and capable on the Hobie Cat catamaran. If you always wanted to sail a small craft, I would trust Zach to guide you."

"Zach was a fantastic instructor. I have sailing experience but none on a Hobie Cat. Zach got me quickly oriented to the boat and to Bogue Sound, and before I knew it I was up in the harness while helming! What a fun afternoon."

"Zach is a wonderful guide and captain. As others said in the review, you can tell he loves what he is doing! My son and I had a great, relaxing few hours learning about sailing and taking in the scenery. 100% worth the couple of hours!!"

"What a fabulous and fun way to spend the day on Emerald Isle!! Zach was a fantastic captain of his sailboat. It was a one on one experience with a local view of Bogue sound complete with birds, shark teeth, and the wind at our backs… Good for families too!"

"Experienced, local guide who led us on a fun and educational sail. Loved seeing the dolphins, shrimp and the beach rest stop. Highly recommend!"

"Highly recommend Zach for sailing lessons at Emerald Isle! He provided great information about the boat, points of sail and drills while giving a tour of the ICW. The dolphins were an added bonus!"

"Awesome day on the water with Zach. He was on time, very competent, super laid-back and fun to be around. The boat is squared away. Fantastic day of sailing!"

"This was great father/son outing with our skipper Zach. We took turns at the tiller and Zach showed us how to navigate the Hobie Cat through the ICW. Zach was a fine instructor and made sure we were kept comfortable during our adventure."

"What a fantastic day to be on the water!! Thanks Zach, I really enjoyed our time together, you're an amazing sailor and it's obvious you love what you do. We'll definitely sail together every time I come back."

"Excellent trip. Saw some dolphins. I brought my wife a 10, 8 and 4.5 year old and had a great time. This is real sailing!"

"We had a great time sailing. Zach is a very capable sailor and his passion for sailing is obvious. My family learned quite a bit and we had a blast in the process. This outing was loads of fun and we plan to do it again the next time we’re in EI."

"This was a very enjoyable introductory sailing class. Zach was friendly, and was very responsive to questions or anything I was unsure about. This gives a great overview of what all goes into the process of operating a sailboat, without being in a stressful environment."

"Zach is great! We had a beginner sailing lesson and we really enjoy it. The sailing boat is lovely!"

"Great time with Zach! He was a real professional and spent more time with me than I anticipated. I highly recommend sailing with Zach!"

"Super fun! Worth every penny! Zach really knows his stuff. He also wants you to have a good experience. In our case, he called to see if we could go a day later because the wind was not going to be good on the day we were scheduled. He gives clear instructions, lets you help if you want to, but also does most of the work if you just want to enjoy yourself. We had a great day on the water. My 11 and 12 year olds loved it. My husband is not a water guy, and he had a great experience. We saw dolphins, which added to the charm. Really worth the time and money. If and when we come back to Emerald Isle, we will probably rebook with him for another ride."

"If you are new to sailing or experienced...DO NOT HESTITATE!! Book a sailing trip with Zach! He is a delight! His love and knowledge of sailing shines through. He is patient, polite, interesting and interested. And, he is a natural born teacher. While I had sailed before, Zach gently guided with just the right amount of instruction and calm guidance. If you are new to sailing, you will be blessed to experience sailing for the first time with Zach . I was overjoyed by my peaceful yet exhilarating morning sail with him. I hope the first of many. Thank you Zach from the bottom of my heart!"

"Wonderful day out on the waters around the ICW.. A big Hobie has access to all sorts of nooks and cranies which proves very useful in the Western end of Bodue Sound. Depending on the wind conditions, the lesson can be calming or exhierating, as you deem fit. Zach knows these waters like the back of his hand."

"Very knowledgeable and pleasant to sail with! Will be going again"

"Zach was a great instructor and host, highly recommended!!"

"Great captain! Great boat! Great fun!"

"Zach was very knowledgeable and he seems to really enjoy teaching people how to sail. I entered this one on one session not expecting to learn a lot because I did not really have a theoretical grasp of sailing going into it. I was using it more as an experience to determine if sailing is something I enjoy. Despite that, I ended up learning a good amount from Zach, and I left with at least a basic intuition for how to operate the sails and the rudders, how to read the water for winds, how to get out of irons, how to tack, and how to stop, among other things. Worth every penny."

"Zack did a fantastic job! It was a REALLY windy day which made for some difficult maneuvering but we were working as a unit under his teaching. He was very good at letting us learn hands on, working each part of the boat. First sailing experience in a Hobie for me and my husband and it was a blast. Thanks Zack!"

"Husband and son went on a Friday morning sailing lesson, they had a great time. Both are totally novice sailors and Zack was a great instructor. The lesson was thorough and they got a lot of practice and learned a lot. Both would like to continue improving on the sport, Zack very encouraging. Highly recommend!!!"

"Zach did a great job. He was very accommodating. My husband had a wonderful time out on the water this evening. Would definitely recommend this."