Nautilus Sailing
Nautilus Sailing is an ASA-certified sailing school offering week-long liveaboard courses in six global destinations, teaching beginners and intermediates to earn ASA certifications aboard modern catamarans and monohulls, supplemented by an online masterclass and an alumni community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCrested Butte, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Nautilus Sailing does
Nautilus Sailing LLC is a privately held, ASA-certified sailing school founded in 2007 and headquartered in Crested Butte, Colorado. The company offers week-long liveaboard sailing courses aboard modern catamarans and monohulls across six flagship destinations — Grenadines, Sea of Cortez, Bahamas, Tahiti, Mallorca, and Croatia — teaching beginners through intermediates navigation, docking, anchoring, and seamanship while awarding internationally recognized ASA certifications (101, 103, 104, 114). The core platform pairs in-person immersive instruction with a proprietary pre-course digital preparation system: the Catamaran Masterclass, a library of 30+ professionally filmed and illustrated video lessons, supplemented by shipped study materials (books, practice rope, reading assignments). The portfolio extends beyond initial certification through The Tribe alumni community, which organizes flotillas, offshore passages, webinars, and sailing events, effectively converting one-time course customers into a recurring engagement layer.
Nautilus Sailing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nautilus Sailing
- Legal name
- Nautilus Sailing LLC
- Website
- https://nautilussailing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Nautilus Sailing is an ASA-certified sailing school offering week-long liveaboard courses in six global destinations, teaching beginners and intermediates to earn ASA certifications aboard modern catamarans and monohulls, supplemented by an online masterclass and an alumni community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nautilus Sailing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sailing Education Services
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM)
Keywords
Where Nautilus Sailing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Crested Butte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nautilus Sailing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Liveaboard Sailing Courses: Week-long liveaboard sailing courses that combine instructional content with real-world sailing experience across six global destinations. Students earn ASA certifications (101, 103, 104, 114) upon completion. Liveaboard course fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Liveaboard Sailing Course (Week-long) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Nautilus Sailing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nautilus Sailing operates week-long immersive liveaboard sailing courses where students live aboard modern catamarans and monohulls across six global destinations (Grenadines, Sea of Cortez, Bahamas, Tahiti, Mallorca, Croatia), earning American Sailing Association (ASA) certifications in navigation, docking, anchoring, and sail handling. The offering is supplemented by an online Catamaran Masterclass of 30+ professionally filmed video lessons and pre-course preparation materials shipped to students.
Product overview
Nautilus Sailing offers a liveaboard sailing education platform centered on immersive week-long courses in exotic destinations worldwide. The core offering includes liveaboard sailing courses aboard modern catamarans and monohulls, supplemented by an online Catamaran Masterclass with 30+ video lessons. Students earn ASA certifications (101, 103, 104, 114) that enable them to charter boats globally. The product portfolio extends through The Tribe alumni program, which provides ongoing flotilla adventures, offshore trips, and sailing events for graduates. The school operates a fleet of premium vessels including Excess 14 (flagship catamaran), Lagoon models, Bali models, Elba 45, Astrea 42, and Dufour monohulls, with courses offered across six flagship destinations: Grenadines, Sea of Cortez, Bahamas, Tahiti, Mallorca, and Croatia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Liveaboard Sailing Courses Week-long immersive sailing courses where students live aboard modern catamarans and monohulls, learning navigation, docking, anchoring, and sail handling in exotic destinations while earning ASA certifications (101, 103, 104, 114). Available across six global destinations.
- Catamaran Masterclass
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,000+ students successfully taught to sail
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Nautilus Sailing
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Nautilus Sailing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Nautilus Sailing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Dream Yacht ChartercoreNautilus Sailing is the official and exclusive sailing school for Dream Yacht Charter, the world's largest sailing company with 1,200 charter boats across over 55 countries. This partnership provides Nautilus graduates with exclusive discounts on Dream Yacht Charter bookings worldwide, creating a seamless pathway from certification to independent sailing. The relationship positions Nautilus as Dream Yacht's preferred training partner, giving students confidence that their certifications are recognized by the largest global charter operator.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights10 records
Nautilus Sailing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- J/World Sailing School: J/World operates performance-oriented sailing schools in Annapolis, San Diego, and the Caribbean offering ASA certifications, including catamaran courses. It competes with Nautilus for the same beginner-to-certified adult sailing student segment.
- Offshore Sailing School: Founded by Steve Colgate, Offshore Sailing School is one of the largest ASA-certified sailing schools in the US, offering liveaboard and cruising courses in the Caribbean and Florida. It is the most directly comparable ASA-affiliated liveaboard sailing school to Nautilus in scale and curriculum.
- Annapolis Sailing School: A long-established ASA-affiliated school based in Annapolis, MD offering keelboat and cruising courses with vacation components in the Caribbean. It targets a similar adult beginner-to-intermediate audience seeking ASA certification and liveaboard experiences.
- Blue Water Sailing School: Blue Water Sailing School offers ASA-certified liveaboard courses in the Caribbean and US, with a focus on accelerated beginner-to-cruising pathways. It competes directly with Nautilus on destination, certification, and liveaboard format.
Broad incumbents
- Dream Yacht Charter: The world's largest sailing charter operator with 1,200+ boats in 55+ countries and an exclusive training partnership with Nautilus. Comparable as a broad incumbent in sailing vacations, and a distribution partner whose own charter-customer base overlaps Nautilus's acquisition funnel.
- The Moorings: A large international yacht charter brand with bases across the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific. Comparable as a destination sailing experience provider and as a post-certification charter pathway alternative to Nautilus/Dream Yacht.
- Sunsail: Global yacht charter and flotilla operator that also runs its own sailing courses and RYA/ASA training events in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Overlaps with Nautilus on destinations and on the post-certification charter pathway.
Regional players
- MedSailors (formerly MedSailing Holidays): A Croatia-based flotilla and bareboat sailing holiday operator offering week-long skippered and learn-to-sail experiences in the Adriatic. Directly comparable to Nautilus's Croatia destination offering and Mediterranean learn-to-sail segment.
Emerging players
- Sailogy: An online yacht charter platform and sailing holiday marketplace operating across the Mediterranean and Caribbean with some training-adjacent content. Comparable as a digital-first sailing experience provider overlapping with Nautilus on destinations and customer profile.
- Sailing Virgins: A younger, social-media-led sailing school brand offering catamaran and flotilla experiences in the Caribbean aimed at a millennial/affluent-traveler audience. Competes with Nautilus for the same adventure-travel-plus-sailing consumer with a more digital-native positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nautilus Sailing social profiles
Digital presenceNautilus Sailing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nautilus Sailing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Nautilus Sailing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nautilus Sailing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nautilus Sailing
What does Nautilus Sailing do?
Nautilus Sailing operates week-long immersive liveaboard sailing courses where students live aboard modern catamarans and monohulls across six global destinations (Grenadines, Sea of Cortez, Bahamas, Tahiti, Mallorca, Croatia), earning American Sailing Association (ASA) certifications in navigation, docking, anchoring, and sail handling. The offering is supplemented by an online Catamaran Masterclass of 30+ professionally filmed video lessons and pre-course preparation materials shipped to students.
Is Nautilus Sailing a public or private company?
Nautilus Sailing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Nautilus Sailing founded?
Nautilus Sailing was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Nautilus Sailing based?
Nautilus Sailing is headquartered in Crested Butte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nautilus Sailing make money?
One revenue line is on record: liveaboard Sailing Courses.
Who are Nautilus Sailing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are J/World Sailing School, Offshore Sailing School, Annapolis Sailing School and Blue Water Sailing School. Broad incumbents are Dream Yacht Charter, The Moorings and Sunsail. MedSailors (formerly MedSailing Holidays) is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Sailogy and Sailing Virgins.
Does Nautilus Sailing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nautilus Sailing.
What industry is Nautilus Sailing in?
Nautilus Sailing's product category is Sailing Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAJAG, Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails), with a secondary code of THAKAGAM, Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs. Its NAICS code is 48721 and its SIC code is 4400.