Hi, We are Bob and Maureen Remsing, the Chicago and Winthrop Harbor SailTime base owners. We discovered a way to share our excitement and passion for one of life's greatest pleasures: boating on Lake Michigan. Our own experiences learning to sail, then finding, purchasing and maintaining "the right boat" led us to look for a better way to enjoy life.

SailTime is that better way. We provide experienced trainers that will guide you through your desired ASA Certification level: Basic Keelboat to Advanced Coastal Cruising.

Please see the other tabs to learn about our local harbors, our sail and powerboat fleet, and our ASA-certified sailing school.

-SailTime Chicago Staff

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There are few things better than sailing in Chicago.   Our fleet is kept on fresh water Lake Michigan, on what we call the Third Coast.  And the backdrop to our adventures is the world's most gorgeous skyline.  But few Chicagoans actually get out on the water.  SailTime is here to change that! 

Burnham Harbor  

SailTime Chicago has selected Chicago's safest harbor as our primary sailboat location.  Burnham Harbor is located within walking distance of the Chicago downtown area and is situated on the Museum Campus. The Museum Campus is home to the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. Soldier Field is on the northwest side of Burnham Harbor and McCormick Place is to the south. SailTime Chicago's fleet is located on L, M, and N docks, just South of the Harbormaster's facility on the West side of the Harbor. Parking in the Burnham Harbor parking lots is provided free to our members for every sail.

In June 2005, a temporary, yet state-of-the-art concert venue was built at the northern end of the island. The 7,500 seat Charter One Pavilion hosts concerts from some of today's most popular artists along with family matinee events. The Pavilion also boasts an awesome view of the city skyline. A favorite past time for many SailTime Members is to anchor out just off the Charter One Pavillion and listen to the concerts while enjoying their favorite sport; sailing.

Winthrop Harbor

Quiet, serene and safe, North Point Marina offers the relaxation you expect being in a 4,160acre state park.   It is the largest Marina on the Great Lakes with 1500 wet slips, charter fishing, restaurants and a beautiful Yacht Club. Over 1,000,000 visitors travel to the marina each year. 

At the north end of Illinois Beach State Park, North Point Marina is a secluded spot far removed from the hustle and noise of the city.  It is a perfect spot to clear your mind of daily stress.

A full range of recreation opportunities complement the expansive shoreline of Illinois Beach State Park.  Stretching leisurely for six and a half miles along the sandy shore of Lake Michigan in northern Illinois, Illinois Beach State Park encompasses the only remaining beach ridge shoreline left in the state.  The park, consisting of two separate areas, offers ample opportunities for swimming, boating, picnicking, hiking, fishing, camping and just appreciating nature.  Illinois Beach is a unique and captivating natural resource for all to enjoy.

SailTime members also love the fact that Winthrop Harbor is still within easy sailing distance to so many ports.    It’s only a 2 ½ hour sail to Kenosha WI, which has a beautiful downtown harbor and is great for lunch.   Racine, Milwaukee, and Chicago all are only half a day’s sail away.

Weather Mark Tavern

1503 South Michigan Ave

Chicago's only family nautical tavern - The Weather Mark Tavern has a shape and design that captures the spirit of Chicago's lake fleet. Floor to ceiling sails hang along one wall creating semi-private casual areas with couches and cocktail tables. An outstanding destination for lunch and dinner, Weather Mark Tavern's atmosphere is upscale fun for sailors and non-sailors alike. The food is delicious and the company even better. It's a great place to meet up with your friends and tell sailing tales.

West Marine

627 W. North Ave, Chicago

1707 7th Street, Winthrop Harbor

West Marine is America's largest chandlery, with stores nation wide.  They sell nearly everything that you can use on a boat.  There are six West Marine locations in the Chicagoland area, and the two we use the most are listed above.  The selection seems endless and the friendly staff is always ready to answer your questions.

Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club

1 Yacht Club Drive, Winthrop Harbor

Located in Northpoint Marina in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, just south of the Wisconsin-Illinois state line, the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club (WHYC) is positioned centrally Milwaukee and Chicago. The club was founded in 1995, and a beautiful new clubhouse with a commanding view of Lake Michigan was built in 2000.  WHYC has a large active membership base and they're very welcoming of new comers.

Charter One Pavillion

1300 S. Lynn White Dr, Chicago

Charter One Pavillion has outdoor concerts all summer long.  Smart boaters never have to pay for a ticket though.  Every show, dozens of boats will anchor just off the Northely Island shore and listen for free.  If the wind is right, we can even listen to the music without ever having to leave our slips in Burnham Harbor.

SAILTIME UNIVERSITY

SailTime Chicago is an ASA Certified instructional facility. Our greatest strength is the group of Instructors we’re proud to employ. They are very experienced sailors on Lake Michigan, and will exceed your expectations for professionalism, personality, and instruction. Our Manager of Training, Captain Jim Stewart, has been sailing for more than 25 years; has chartered boats throughout the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean; and has been training others to sail for more than six years. Captain Stewart has a 50-ton master’s license and is certified to teach ASA 101 through ASA 105 (Basic Keelboat through Coastal Navigation).

Serving as an Instructor in Chicago is Captain Jim Steadman. Captain Steadman first sailed in Chicago in 1980, has sailed and chartered throughout Lake Michigan, and the Caribbean. Captain Steadman is a longtime Chicagoan and is certified for ASA101, 103, and 104.

oUR TRAINING PHILOSOPHY

Our approach to sail training is different than most. We restrict our class size to two (or three) on a boat, and we train on cruising class boats, not on small, open-deck day sailors. We believe that if your dream is sail a large boat, you should learn on a large boat. You don’t have to start by using a rudder, doing roll-tacks in a dinghy. Our students tell us they enjoy the comfort of knowing they won’t get wet by capsizing, or run the risk of meeting the boom while tacking. Since all our boats are equipped with roller-furling jibs AND mainsails students will be trained on the modern rigs that are becoming common in the larger charter fleets around the world. 

Having fewer students on a boat makes sure everyone gets plenty of practice time, both at the wheel, and developing crew skills. Our typical training day starts at 10:00 am and goes until 6:00 pm. We train during relatively quiet weekday periods, so you can learn without encountering the weekend harbor traffic. Concentrated effort is put into learning how to handle the boat under power in and around the harbor and slips. These skills then translate into confidence at the helm even on the busy weekends.

“First-mate” training can also be provided. First-mate training will not result in any certification. No exam is required. It is intended for a spouse or friend that will be a frequent sailing companion and it focuses on crew skills for these individuals. 

Since our first year in Chicago (2004), we have instructed more than 150 captains/”first-mates” on our new Hunter sailboats. 

SAILTIME UNIVERSITY LOCATIONS

Located on the west coast of Lake Michigan, the SailTime University Regional Training Center provides cruising class instructions in Chicago, and Winthrop Harbor, IL.  Chicago's Burnham Harbor provides a premier location for our city based training operations.  It offers wonderful facilities and is easy to reach by bike, train, or car.

Northpoint Marina in Winthrop Harbor is the largest marina on the Great Lakes and offers world-class facilities. Located in the Illinois Beach State Park, the facility is easily reachable by the Metra Northern Line, and is but minutes off the Interstate 294. This is an excellent harbor for training purposes. The fairways are wide and calm; a perfect stress-free marina to practice docking.

ON THE WATER CLASSES

ASA 101 BASIC KEELBOAT 

A typical ASA 101 Certification program consists of two days of on-board training, self-directed reading and completion of the written test. 

Course Content: Getting underway, boat balance, docking, securing the boat, points of sail, tacking & jibing, sail trim, controlling angle of heel, heaving to, reefing, crew overboard drill, and a written exam.

ASA 103 COASTAL CRUISING

A typical ASA 103 Certification course requires two full days and one night on the water and completion of self-directed reading. Students will learn the fundamentals of large boat cruising in preparation for extended travel on larger bodies of water.

Course Content: More hands on experience with Course 101 content. Additional content includes the areas of boat systems, rules of the road, sound signals, buoys, lights, use of VHF radio, cruising tips, navigation, safety systems, heavy weather sailing, and a written exam.

Prerequisite: Basic Keelboat ASA 101 (Qualified sailors may test out of 101 by passing the Basic Keelboat written test, and demonstrating on-the-water proficiency. The cost for this is one half of the ASA 101 training fee.)

ASA 104 BAREBOAT CHARTERING

This is a three day, two night live-aboard course - boarding the first day at 6:00 p.m., staying on the boat two nights, and going to 5:00 p.m. on the last day. 

Course Content: The course is structured along the lines of an actual charter. It leverages everything learned in Course 101 and 103. Additional content includes the areas of provisioning, meal preparation, working with charter companies, boat systems, emergency procedures, safety, anchoring, navigation, cruising tips, and a written exam.

Prerequisite: Basic Cruising ASA 103 and Basic Keelboat ASA 101 certifications 

ASA 106 ADVANCED COASTAL CRUISING

Sail across Lake Michigan from either Racine or Winthrop Harbor and arrive in Holland MI. This is typically a three day, two night live-aboard course - boarding the first day at 6:00 p.m., staying on the boat two nights, and going to 5:00 p.m. on the last day. 

Course Content: Proper Selection of Sails, Local Weather in relation to thermal winds, ‘heave to’, towing and using a dinghy, understanding boat limitations, emergency preparedness, nautical customs and courtesies, nighttime man-overboard drills, and a written exam.

Prerequisite: Bareboat Chartering ASA104 and Coastal Navigation ASA 105

ASA 118 DOCKING ENDORSEMENT

This 1 day course is designed to teach basic docking skills for boats with inboard engines. It covers the basic theory and hands-on techniques needed to dock and undock boats in an efficient manner and without damage or injury.

Course Content: After reviewing study materials prior, students will spend an entire day on the boat; first going though theory, then practicing what they learn. Topics to be covered include forces that act on the boat, engine and rudder control, properly securing mooring lines, spring lines, safety, and crew responsibilities.

Prerequisite: None

SCHEDULE

Classes are booked according to student availability, with a minimum of 2 students needed to reserve a set of dates.

CORRESPONDENCE COURSES

ASA 105 COASTAL NAVAGATION

This course is taught in a classroom setting with plenty of chart work to exercise various learning segments. As such it does not provide any time on the water. It is typically structured as a correspondence class with SailTime staff availability for ongoing question/answer resources via e-mail. Two full-day Saturday sessions are used for hands-on plotting instruction and the written test. 

Course Content: Students learn the navigational theory and practical skills required to safely pilot a vessel in coastal or inland waters with a focus on real world, practical navigation. Students progress from dead reckoning to more complicated piloting incorporating current, leeway, and the integration of electronic navigation. Students learn to use tide and current tables, light lists, Chart No.1, Notice to Mariners, and other tools. 

Prerequisite: None

Frequently Asked Questions