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?
So not just online.
Not in a seminar room.
Not in a single motorboat lesson on the nearest lake.
Instead, out on the sea on a sailing yacht
You don't learn sailing in a classroom
Sailing is practice.
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.
Formally, 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 led to the creation of the Manatee Academy. After all, sailing is not a theoretical subject that can simply be learnt by heart.
To become a confident 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 sailing courses focus primarily on the first point.
However, we believe that sailing can only be fully appreciated when all three aspects come together. This is precisely what happens through practice, repetition and joint action.
Learn to sail on the sea
When you're on a sailing yacht, your knowledge suddenly becomes tangible.
Navigation is no longer a mathematical task, but rather a question of: Where are we right now? And where do we want to go?
Weather is not a graphic in a textbook, but a cloud front on the horizon. Maneuvers are not frantically shouted, memorized commands, but rather 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 everyone works together.
Many people have sailed with me, including friends who had never sailed before and people I have met while sailing. Spending a week on board brings people together: you get to know each other, discover each other's strengths and weaknesses, share responsibilities, and grow as a crew.
Sometimes you steer.
Sometimes you navigate.
At some point, you realize that sailing is a real adventure for generalists.
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 enthusiasm for sailing in the process. Some love the challenge, while others simply enjoy being out at 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
Many of the people who go sailing with me have demanding jobs. Their everyday lives are dominated by appointments, meetings and computer screens.
The way things work at sea is not the same as on land.
The wind sets the pace. The course is determined through observation and decision-making. Sometimes, the day simply ends wherever there is a sheltered bay.
This calmness has an impact.
You learn to observe more closely, to question things, to make conscious decisions and to keep a clear head, even in unfamiliar circumstances.
You will find that you are developing skills that extend well beyond sailing, such as attentiveness, composure, responsibility and teamwork.
Perhaps these are precisely the things you take back with you from your time together at sea into your everyday life.
Our concept
The Manatee Academy was born from a simple 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 set up Manatee Academy as a small, personal sailing school. I see myself as both a trainer and a 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.
The Manatee Academy's approach is therefore very personal:
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
The driving force behind Manatee Academy is a straightforward concept, fueled by an individual's genuine enthusiasm for sailing.
If you would like to learn more about the founder Markus and find out who your skipper on board is, you can find more information here:
