Duration:
Operated By:
Our professional Skippers will quite literally show you the ropes so you can help sail our 24ft yacht.
The 1.5 hour experience is a great way to have a taste of sailing to see if you would like to do more and spend some time on stunning Sydney Harbour.
Come on your own or with some friends. We offer great discounting for groups of three or more and we have great family pricing too!
Includes:
1.5 hour experience
Experienced sailing instructor
Short safety briefing and sailing lesson
Small group experience (between 2 and 4 guests per boat)
Lifejackets
From $120/person
What to bring
Soft soled shoes, loose fitting clothes
Sun protection, sunglasses and hat
Water bottle
Parking can be tricky in Manly. Please leave sufficient time if driving to find a spot.
Note: Session will only go ahead if there are two or more individual participants enrolled. Should there not be enough participants to run a course our staff will contact you and offer you an alternative date.
Important Information
Scheduling: Please arrive in sufficient time to change and be ready for the start of the scheduled session time ~ 15 minutes.
Waiver: Each participant will be required to complete a waiver before participating in a course/experience. This can be done online or at the office.
Location: Sessions will start from Manly Sailing. Our office is located on the wharf level underneath Many Yacht Club. When in Manly, facing the Manly Ferry Wharf, turn left and follow the path around past East Esplanade beach until it ends. A short 10 minute walk.
Parking: Parking is difficult in Manly and all parking around us is on street and limited to two hours. We recommend you park in one of the council car parks where you will get two hours free and pay for additional hours thereafter or park a little further away in Little Manly where parking for longer periods is permitted.
Food/water: Please feel free to bring snacks and water bottles with you.
Footwear: Old trainers or soft soled shoes to provide protection from sharp objects.
Hat: A secure hat that can be tied on is recommended.
Clothing: Loose fitting pants/active wear which will allow you to move around the boat easily. A long sleeve t-shirt or top for sun protection.
Warm Top: Such as an old polar fleece, or a light wind jacket is advised to add that extra layer if it’s chilly.
PFD (Personal Floatation Device): We supply PFD’s for all participants. Anyone declining to wear their PFD will not be allowed to participate.
Sun cream: Participants should bring and use sun cream, preferably Zinc or at least factor 30+.
Dry clothes: Participants may get wet during the session so a set of dry clothes for afterwards is advised.
Refunds and changes: Please see terms and conditions.
Weather: Please see terms and conditions.
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Highly recommend this sailing venture Finn, Nicky & Toby manage professionalism and fun at the same time. Everyone was offered a chance for a turn at the helm.
Well done, Finn & company sail on.



I booked the 1.5 hour tour and as I was in a single kayak, trying to keep up with the doubles, I think this was long enough for me! Thoroughly enjoyed the experience though and it was great to see the views of the coast and the boats from the sea.
The rest on Quarantine beach where you could grab a drink at the cafe was a nice touch and there was just enough time for a quick dip in the sea.
Would definitely recommend!



The private charter was arranged through the Capella Hotel in Sydney, who did a wonderful job of arranging the trip and coordinating the details. While they offered several variations for the sailing, we opted for the two hour trip that included champagne and charcuterie. Finn, the skipper, had a helper (Bella), who saw to our every need during the trip—-music, snacks, taking a turn at the helm; they were wonderful and extremely friendly.
The boat itself was very nice—-so well maintained and luxurious. The views from the water were extraordinary. And we were very happy with the time we had; we departed from the Darling Harbor side of the Sydney bridge, broke out the sails halfway up the harbor, then sailed nearly to Shark Beach and turned around for the trip back. Can’t say enough about this very positive and fun experience!



Good : The boats are well cared for and in good nick.
Better: the owners are close at hand and take a personal interest so clients and staff know they are supported.
Best : The approach to social sailing and the adaptability to sailors needs physical mental and psychological is better than all nearby clubs. Many sailing set the benchmark.

It was an excellent experience and highly recommend if you are visiting Sydney to book with Manly Sailing either as a solo or group adventure .
The Yacht was presented in immaculate condition and very well looked after. Southwinds was beautiful to look at and very fun to sail.
Finn included everyone in sailing the Yacht and we got hands on experience. He did a great job at coaching everyone and made it fun. Other crew members onboard also friendly and welcoming.
Overall It was a fun, enjoyable and relaxing experience sailing out in the ocean, we even spotted a whale. We were lucky to have great weather, perfect seas and wind as we sailed through the heads and out to sea.
Thank you for a memorable day!


We were picked up from the wharf in front of our accommodation which was an ideal start. A tender shuttled us to Southwinds.
The skipper and his crew made us feel very welcome. We had chosen to 'self-cater' and our wines and nibbles were served in style, making for lovely sundowner drinks.
It was a calm day with hardly any wind, but that did not bother us. It made for a very comfortable cruise with great photo opportunities and we even had some playful dolphins on the bow.
Very memorable experience for our family. We hope to be back in board in the future.

Nicola was amazing throughout the entire process. She sent us all the necessary documents, handbooks, and quizzes to study beforehand, ensuring we were well-prepared for the day. On Saturday, she expertly guided us through both the theoretical and practical aspects of boating. Her teaching method, which balanced practical and theoretical sessions, made learning both effective and enjoyable. Nicola was always available to answer any questions we had, demonstrating patience and a deep knowledge of the subject.
We highly recommend Mankly Sailing for anyone looking to get their boat license. The professionalism, thoroughness, and dedication we experienced were truly top-notch!
We can't wait to rent a boat and enjoy a day trip on the water this summer :)


A thoroughly memorable experience and so professional executed!!!
We’ll be back!


Very impressed with the club/instructor as well for tailoring the course to the participants’ experience levels too.








Lewis, our guide, was very knowledgeable and helped create an awesome experience for us. He had answers to all our questions and shared many interesting facts with us. He made our tour way better and made sure all of us had an awesome time!
The beaches were awesome and it was fun to go to more exclusive areas in the harbour.
Make sure to wear sunscreen!!
was very well organised and covered every thing to competently start boating thanks to the young experienced guy who taught us on the day.
Went into service NSW today and now have a boat licence.
I highly recommend Manly sailing boat course
it was a birthday trip for me, so it really meant a lot, as someone who had done a lot of water sports this was a walk in the park, but my partner who was a bit scared of open water was rest assured very well - a wonderful experience and would definitely recommend!
Please let the Canadian and the English instructor know that they did a good job.
All the best from Austria.
I'm sorry that I forgot your names ????????

You can fully participate or watch and good for a family or friends
Special thanks to Olivia who is a very talented young lady and excellent sailor


Highly recommended tour.




A free sun tan and a pod of Dolphins thrown in.
Thanks again to Nicola and Sol for all their help leading up to the party and for answering all our questions so patiently (there were a lot of them) ;)


Excellent experience! We all had our turn to do helm, main sheets, tack, heave 2, watched Dan gibe the boat.

We spent 3 hours on the water learning, with a very smooth and charming instructor.
Hands on experience!





We also had another instructor, Nicola, join us on the boat who was also extremely knowledgeable about sailing and shared her local knowledge of the region around Manly Harbor.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and would recommend this business for anyone looking to learn more about sailing while exploring the Harbor.
Gear and boat in great conditions.

