I just wanted to let you know what an awesome and enjoyable experience I had with Marcus on my two sailing lessons. Both days I learned more than I could have hoped for in both 20+ MPH winds and on a calm 5MPH day. He simplified everything knowing I was a beginner while also fully explaining safety and precautions onboard the boat. You could not ask for a better ambassador for the PJYC!

I am already looking forward to continuing to learn with Marcus next season and introducing a friend to the these sailing lessons as well. I am even considering applying for membership to the Yacht Club and buying my own boat once I get more proficient with my sailing skills. See you guys in the spring…
Regards,

Steve B.

I had a wonderful time taking adult sailing lessons this past season in the 420 dinghy as well as the Hunter 31 Jeremiah.  My instructor Marc is a great teacher and a skilled sailor.  He is patient, thoughtful and careful, always monitoring the weather conditions and determining when we sail (or not) based on our capabilities. 

Marc has taught me a lot, from basic knot-tying skills to an understanding of boat ownership.  He is a good supervisor overseeing our independent sailing sessions with encouragement and assurance that he is always nearby and ready to help with the motor boat.  He maintains continuous communications and great support.

I look forward to continuing adult lessons next year with Marc, and hopefully reach another level of proficiency.  I met a kind and friendly classmate, and this made sailing together a lot of fun.   I will likely recommend this class to other adults in the future.  

Best regards,

Mimi N.

Let me begin by saying that this is only the second review or comment I’ve ever posted but I felt that the excellence in which Marcus executed the sailing lessons I registered for this past season warranted one.

In my late teens I sailed quite a bit but as the story goes, life stepped in. This last summer (33 yrs later) my interest was rekindled. I purchased lessons from the Port Jefferson sailing school and met Marcus soon thereafter. I have to say his knowledge is immense and his comments are precise and purposeful. I once again feel confident on the water and for good or bad I once again have the bug where I can’t wait to see the sail and water as I look to the horizon. I can say confidently that I will continue at the earliest next season arrives and it is my hope that Marcus would once more be instructing as I feel there is much more I can learn from him. I am considering buying a boat (of which Marcus had some insightful comments) for next season and joining the yacht club. The instructor is an asset to your organization and I hope to be on the water next season with Marcus and your school.

Many thanks to the Port Jeff sailing school and especially Marcus

Thank you

Larry S.

I’ve taken sailing lessons at Port Jefferson Yacht Club for the last two summers. This past August, I took lessons with Marcus, and I would definitely recommend him. Marcus is extremely knowledgeable about sailing and I feel that my sailing abilities improved significantly with every lesson. Regardless of the size of boat or weather conditions, Marcus made his students feel safe and confident, allowing them to have a hands-on experience and truly learn the techniques of sailing. Looking forward to future lessons!

Best,

Erica R.

I am a member of the Port Jefferson Yacht Club.  The summer of 2020, I took sailing lessons and enjoyed them very much.  

This summer, 2021, I signed up for a family(group) lesson to share my new found love of sailing.  I grew up as a power boat person and I am on a new adventure with sailing.

This summer, my brother and I took a wonderful lesson with Marcus.  My brother is healthy and a recipient of a successful kidney transplant.  Perry, my brother, grew up in Port Jefferson as did I.  

Marcus was amazing with my brother.  My brother doesn’t need any physical adjustments however, a beautiful day sailing truly helped his spirit.  Marcus was attentive and also had my brother’s favorite music, how awesome is that!

So before I get into the skills involved in the lesson, Marcus set us up for a fun, kind, pleasant, and mannerly experience.

I have a small skill set which I am working on when it comes to learning how to sail independently.

Marcus was patient, explained what was taking place as far as wind, sail directions, and techniques.  He answered our questions completely and with detail.  I had already had the sailing bug, and now my brother has caught it.  He too was a motor boat person and next summer would like to learn more about sailing.  

I will take more lessons next summer and I have a feeling more of my family members will go for it.

I want to say, Marcus was a relaxing and informative instructor allowing my brother and I to have a memory of a beautiful day on the water.

All the best,

Holly H.

I wanted to email and thank PJYC for my amazing sailing experiences this year. I have always wanted to learn to sail and my husband gave me sailing lessons for my birthday last spring. He and I had a wonderful time learning to sail the Hunter 31 with Marcus! The nights were beautiful and Marcus taught us a ton about boats and sailing on the Long Island Sound! But I wanted more and I was thrilled when the adult dinghy class opened up later in the season. I have been a very slow learner (I am blaming it on growing up landlocked) and Marcus has been extremely patient, kind, and helpful. He has taught me how to tie knots, rig a 420 sailboat, safely tack and jib, and so much more. He has been willing to tow me in when I get too far away from the dock and can’t figure out how to sail upwind and get in the boat and sail with me when I have been nervous about sailing the boat for the first time with two sails. He has been extremely generous with his time and his knowledge and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the dinghy class will be offered again next year and that he will be teaching it. Thank you for a fabulous sailing season!!

Hilary G.

We had two lessons with Marcus and he really set a perfect pace for us. There is so much to learn and understandably it cannot all be done at once, but he was very reassuring with his plan to get us comfortable with not only the basics on trimming the sails, but also navigating in and out of the harbor with caution and confidence. He spent the time to get to know what our interest in sailing would be and what some of our trepidations were and made sure to address them as the opportunities presented themselves.

We really enjoyed our time on the water with Marcus and are hopeful that he will be available next season. We are currently small boat members of the club but have thoughts of getting a boat of our own in the future and have plans to continue lessons so that we can gain more confidence and learn more about the subtleties and nuances of owning and operating a sailboat.

Each lesson was truly like a mini vacation!

Regards, Andy A.

To potential future sailors,

I can highly recommend Marcus with the PJYC as a sailing instructor. I took lessons with a friend this past summer and he covered everything from basic sailing, parking, navigating safely out of the Port Jeff Harbor, to the more interesting details like how to trim the sails, the limits a boat can be pushed to, etc. We really enjoyed both when we were casually sailing and enjoying a mini-vacation from life and work on land, as well as when we were more focused, responding to changing winds, or tweaking the sails and trying to maximize our speed. I look forward to furthering my knowledge and comfort sailing next summer!

Anonymous

I’m so glad to have Marcus as my sailing instructor. 

As a new sailor with almost zero experience on a sailboat, it could be very overwhelming to get started. Marcus knew how to tailor the pace of lessons based on how I progressed. Our first lesson started on the J29, I learnt how to do unmooring, handling the engine and motoring around in the harbor. Marcus showed me how to read the wind, from the instruments as well as the waves. Once out of the harbor, he showed me how to use the sails. Mostly I just listened and observed in the first lesson, with my mind exploding with all the new information. We were caught in a storm right before docking. It was a lot of fun. 

On my second lesson I was able to do many things hands on, like riffing the mainsail, steering will the tiller, and help with mooring etc. By the third one, I was able to sail under the guidance of Marcus. 

Two weeks later, after I got my own first boat an Ericson 35, and sailed solo for 4 hours in a 25 knot wind close hauled, at the dock I texted Marcus that I made it. By then you would know how good your instructor was, and how appreciative you were for whatever he taught you. Literally your life depends on what you learned. 

Marcus was the only instructor I’ve ever had so there’s no way I could compare him with others. He is very thorough and knowledgeable, not only on sailing, but also on mechanics. He is very intelligent and caring, an honorable and honest young man. I felt lucky to have him, and thanks to PJYC for the wonderful opportunity. 

Best,

Po W.

To whom it may concern;

It is my pleasure to write this acknowledgment of the quality of the sailing instruction I received from Captain Marcus Coleman

I am new to sailing having only recently completed my ASA101 course this past summer.  With a desire to learn more I signed up for three private lessons and I am grateful that Marcus was assigned to me

Marcus was flexible in scheduling our appointments he was on time and always prepared for each lesson. While on the water Marcus was engaging and he found many opportunities for me to become a more competent sailor.  

I highly recommend Marcus as a sailing instructor and I am sure he works just as well with novice and more experienced sailors.

Peter C.

To whom it may concern: 

This summer I signed up for adult sailing lessons for the first time, after having been a small vessel  member of the Port Jefferson Yacht Club since joining in 2018. Participation in the Tuesday night  races as part of the race committee introduced me to sailing, and I was able to meet the other club  members who are all avid sailors. 

Marcus is a wonderful sailing instructor, and I learned by taking the helm from the very first lesson, with important instructions along the way. My sailing lessons with Marcus included the use of other members’ sailboats and the new club boat Whisper. I was also able to take lessons in the harbor on my own 22-foot sailboat that I purchased late in the summer. When I purchased my sailboat, he helped me get acclimated to all the parts, answering all my questions from how to raise the sails to starting the motor and everything in between. I felt more and more confidant with each lesson.

Marcus is professional and knowledgeable. He is very safety oriented and always remains patient  and calm which is a big comfort when you’re a beginner. Marcus is a hard-working staff member  and always willing to help. I’m looking forward to taking more lessons with Marcus next summer to further improve my sailing skills.  

Sincerely,  

Vicki L.

I just wanted to say thank you to the PJYC and to Marcus my sailing instructor.  I had two sailing lessons with Marcus over the summer, and I must say what a great experience it was sailing with Marcus. I learned a lot from Marcus just in those two lessons. Marcus was very knowledgeable about the local waters and he made sure I was safe and comfortable throughout the sailing lessons. 

I’m already looking forward to next year, I had an awesome time sailing with Marcus.

Thank you,

Dan P.

Sailing was something that I always wanted to learn. Marcus came highly recommended and I was not disappointed as he was patient, caring and knowledgeable. Sailing is very hands on and knowing what to do is as vertical as when to do it because the winds can change instantly.

Marcus would explain and show us why as well as how to properly handle the lines to anticipate the changing of the winds.

Zachary R.