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.

Mainstay Sailing is a very well oiled machine that has delivered outstanding customer service, communication and support through my sailing qualification needs. I attended the Competent Crew and the Day Skipper courses over a three week period. Both instructors were extremely personable with beautiful yachts in great material state. The food over both weeks offshore was nothing short of outstanding. Whilst I have been sailing since 11 years of age, this 54 year old guy learned a lifetime of skills over this period. The fact that the course is backed by RYA and that the company is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) was very important to me. If I could offer some constructive criticism, I must say there were some minor gaps in what was delivered in the first week’s practical in comparison to the following week. This was primarily due to the incompatible weather. Regardless, a practical syllabus for all staff to follow will ensure this is issue is addressed. Overall, the period spent with Mainstay has been great fun, rewarding and challenging for me. Thanks Terrence, Nick and Ron.

5 stars are not enough to rate these guys, Terrence, Nick and Ron are such lovely and caring people!! Learning always in a fun way, 100% recommended!!

We have done the 1 week RYA Day Skipper pracical course, chartering the Mohawk 40ft just for my wife and myself, with Terence as instructor. From the moment we started booking everything Ron was great. And then our week with Terence was fantastic. Despite lots of rain, he always had a smile in his face and went not an extra mile but 10 extra miles! to make us feel comfortable, looking for the best sheltered anchorages, moorings, and best spots for snorkel (he was a diving instructor too so he knows them all!). He is also a great and patient teacher. And a great cook, I can't emphasize that enough! He is sociable, has great conversation, and a plasure to sail with. We would come back, 100%!

Best course ever, I learned so much. The instructor was very patient, had lots of sailing experience, and was a great cook! I recommend Mainstay for any kind of sailing, great value, lots of joy.

Terence was very knowledgeable on all things maritime and has a wealth of experience to share. Taking part in this training has motivated me to do more. I would highly recommend Mainstay Sailing for your sail and maritime training needs.

Captain Terence is a wealth of knowledge. Definitely huge value for money.

Competent Crew/Day Skipper course 20 – 25/10/24. Terrence and Ron went out of their way to make this course a fantastic experience. Everyone was made to feel very welcome and Mohawk was the perfect boat. Terrence customised the itinerary to suit the crew, which meant that we spent a lot of time at isolated locations and did some adventurous sailing – tacking between Hamilton and Dent Islands was a highlight. Terrence is highly experienced and has a way of passing on his knowledge that is both respectful and easy to absorb. He obviously enjoys his work and takes it very seriously. He is also an excellent cook, whipping up a string of delicious meals in trying circumstances. I learnt a lot on this course – everyone got to have a go at pretty well everything and we all learnt from each other’s mistakes. One of the reasons I chose Mainstay is their range of courses. This is one of the few companies that can take you to Yachtmaster level, but even if this is not your goal, the wealth of knowledge and experience on offer will help you to ramp up your sailing skills. The spectacular backdrop of the Whitsundays was an added bonus. Highly recommended!