Sail Training

Maine Maritime Academy is the only college in the United States with a dedicated sail training program that actually leads to a USCG license as mate on an auxiliary sail vessel. Students may start with no prior sailing experience and graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree, a USCG license, and all necessary certificates. As a student at MMA, you will have the opportunity to develop a network of connections throughout the sail training industry.

You’ll learn to sail on our fleet of sailing dinghies, gradually working your way up to skipper the 35 foot schooner Puritan (a Crocker designed gaff-rigged wooden schooner), then our 50 foot ketch Blue Angel, and finally our 80-foot, 1921-built, wooden schooner Bowdoin. You will work your way through a challenging series of tacks, jibes, heaving-to, anchoring, and man overboard recovery, all under sail.

The Auxiliary Sail Concentration is based on the Small Vessel Operations curriculum, which is a non-regimented program. Membership in the Regiment of Midshipmen is, however, available to all interested students.

Successful completion of the first two years of program requirements, will qualify a student to test for the 200-ton, near coastal mate’s license, and an Able Seaman’s document. With sufficient qualifying sea time under sail, and a sail addendum exam, this license is endorsed for Auxiliary Sail.

Upon the successful completion of the four years of program requirement, a student will qualify to take the USCG exam for the 500-ton or 1600-ton (depending upon sea service completed), near coastal license.

How to become a sailor by Andy Chase