Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Cohen.
Derek, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I took early retirement with the goal of sailing around the world. I got as far as Canada before my wife noticed I was missing and called me to come home. So I was back in Miami with a boat and nothing to do. Since I love teaching, I was a high school math teacher for fourteen years, and love sailing, I decided to teach sailing; an activity I had been doing unofficially for thirty years.
Has it been a smooth road?
Besides getting certified as a sailing instructor and licensed by the Coastguard to be a boat captain, I had to find my niche. Starting my own school allows me to teach the way I believe sailing should be taught and price my time so it is affordable.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Britannia Sailing School story. Tell us more about the business.
I specialize in teaching adults who are thinking of buying a boat and going cruising. Besides teaching students how to sail, we talk about the type of boat they should buy. We also discuss maintenance, repairs and living aboard. By the end of the course, they have a realistic expectation of what is involved in boat ownership and cruising.
I can teach one to four students; they can be couples, families or friends. If they are from out of town, they have the option of sleeping on the boat.
The most popular course is bareboat charter certification. This prepares you to captain a boat nearshore in daylight. For sailors with some experience, this can usually be accomplished in six days. I recently taught a student who spoke English but struggled to read it; we managed to complete the course in ten days.
The lessons can be done in a block or spread over a number of weekends. I tailor the course to your needs.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
With global warming and the rise in sea level, I would think everyone would want to learn to sail; my favorite movie is “Waterworld”.
Boats are being made that are much easier to handle with modern electronics and power systems that make docking less of a challenge.
Contact Info:
- Website: WWW.BritanniaSailingSchool.net
- Phone: 305-710-7909
- Email: [email protected]
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