Idea
The best way to learn sailing is on a sailboat
I founded Manatee Academy, a small sailing startup, in September 2025.
The idea behind it was simple:
Can we combine modern learning with a real adventure?
Not online, not in a classroom, not during a single motorboat lesson on the nearest lake. But rather:
On a sailing yacht at sea.
You don't learn sailing in a classroom
If you want to get a pleasure craft license in Germany today, this is usually how it works: First, you learn the theory in a classroom or online, then you take one or two driving lessons, and finally you take the exam.
Technically, that works. However, when you step aboard a larger sailing yacht for the first time, you quickly realise that there is a world of difference between the licence and what comes next.
It was precisely this observation that gave rise to the idea for Manatee Academy. Sailing isn’t a theoretical subject that you can simply memorize. To become a safe skipper, you need three things:
Knowledge – about rules, navigation, weather, and seamanship Skills – Maneuvering, boat handling, and decision-making on board Experience – time on the water
Many training programs focus on the first point. However, we believe that sailing can only truly be understood when all three aspects come together.
That is exactly what we achieve through practice and repetition.
Learn to sail on the sea
On a sailing yacht, your knowledge suddenly becomes tangible. Navigation is no longer a math problem, but rather the question: Where are we right now? And where are we headed?
The weather isn’t an app, but a cloud front on the horizon. Maneuvers aren’t frantic, memorized commands shouted out, but teamwork between people, nature, and technology.
That's why we learn where sailing is truly authentic: aboard a sailing yacht.
The magic of a crew
Sailing only works when we work together. I’ve sailed with all kinds of people, including friends who had never sailed before, as well as people I met for the first time while sailing. A week on board changes things: you get to know each other, discover each other’s strengths and weaknesses, share responsibility, and grow together as a crew.
Sometimes you're at the helm. Sometimes you're navigating. Eventually, you realize: sailing is a real adventure for all-rounders.
One person becomes interested in the weather and cloud formations, another in the onboard technology, and another plays music, cooks something delicious or finds the perfect anchorage. Under a clear, starry sky somewhere between two islands, every conversation eventually turns philosophical.
It is precisely this combination that makes sailing so special.
Many people discover their own unique passion for it. Maybe it’s the challenge, the sense of arrival, or perhaps simply the experience of being out on the sea.
Everyone gains something different from their time on board. This often results in not only new skills, but also soft skills and genuine friendships. Many people come back at some point.
A world that is the opposite of everyday life
Your job probably demands a lot from you, and your day-to-day life is surely filled with appointments, meetings, and screens.
Things are different at sea. The wind sets the pace. Your course depends on your observations and decisions. And sometimes the day just ends wherever you happen to find a sheltered cove.
This peace will change something within you.
You will learn to observe more closely, to question things, to make informed decisions, and to keep a clear head even in unfamiliar situations.
You will find that you are developing skills that extend well beyond sailing, such as attentiveness, composure, responsibility and teamwork.
It is precisely these things that you take back with you into your everyday life from the time you spent together at sea.
Our concept
The Manatee Academy was born out of an observation:
While many sailing schools help large numbers of people pass exams, only a few support them on their journey to becoming true sailors or skippers.
I have sailed thousands of nautical miles, and with each one, I realize how much more there is to learn. As a sailing instructor, I have repeatedly witnessed the significant difference between training and real practice.
That’s why I deliberately set up Manatee Academy as a small, personal sailing school. I see my role as an instructor and coach on board.
You can join us at your own pace, bringing your own questions and experiences. Together, we will organize your time on board so that you can make the most of it through sailing, learning, and enjoying the experience.
That is why Manatee Academy takes a highly personalized approach:
You learn directly on the water You are part of a small crew You will receive personalized feedback And we adapt the pace and content to you and the crew
Rather than receiving standardized training, you will receive personalized guidance as you embark on your sailing journey.
By the week's end, you'll likely have earned your sailing license.
But something else is more important:
You will develop an understanding of what sailing is really like. You will realize that you want more, but also that there is still much to learn.
Perhaps it will be the moment when we leave the harbor together and set sail, and you realize:
Now, the real adventure begins!
Why Manatee, actually?
At first glance, manatees and sailing seem unrelated—yet manatees move through the water much as we do: calmly, attentively, and without haste. They drift through warm, sheltered bays, observing their surroundings, and always appear deeply relaxed.
To me, the manatee represents three qualities that define sailing:
- Serenity – Those who move through the world without stress see it through different eyes.
- Curiosity – The next adventure may be waiting just around the next bay.
- Love of nature – We, too, depend on the wind, the waves, the water, and its inhabitants.
Perhaps that's why the manatee embodies the idea of sailing without haste. Sailing is a way of life, a way of drifting through the world.
Who is behind it
Behind Manatee Academy lies a simple idea and a person who loves to share his passion for sailing.
Learn more about the founder, Markus, and find out who the skipper is on your cruise.
