Markus
Learn to sail from someone who takes responsibility.
Experience and Qualifications
In over 25 years on the water, I have logged more than 5,000 nautical miles in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean, including several years in the Finnish archipelago. I have skippered my own yacht and led numerous training cruises, including as a sailing instructor. I also hold the German sailing licenses:
German offshore license (SSS) German coastal license (SKS) German pleasure craft license (SBF) SRC radio license Lake Constance boat license (BSP) SeaDoc certificate
However, certifications are only a small part of the story. The more important part takes place at sea.
How I teach
If you sail with me, you'll quickly notice that I rarely take the helm.
You take the helm. You navigate. You make your own decisions.
I oversee everything from behind the scenes and always keep an eye on what's happening around us.
That fits the manatee pretty well—it loves to just float along in the water.
Calm at sea
Sailing can sometimes seem hectic.
Wind. Current. Maneuvers. Decisions. Traffic.
Surprisingly, something else is more important than speed in moments like these:
Calmness.
I once received a nice compliment from a crew:
It's amazing how calm you remain in stressful situations!
In my experience, this is one of the most important qualities a skipper can have. If the skipper stays calm, the crew will too. Suddenly, a maneuver that seemed impossible before works:
I didn't know the boat could do that.
A special moment at sunset on the island of Tågholmen in the Helsinki archipelago.
Nordic Sisu
Stoic calm is a trait I developed during my time in the far north. I spent many summers sailing in the Finnish archipelago, often for months at a time. With Ronja Ryövärintytär
, my little yacht, plenty of time, and, time and again, people who wanted to join me on board.
Friends. Acquaintances. New faces, too.
At some point, I noticed something: People just went along with it, and after a few weeks, they suddenly knew how to sail.
“Wow! People are really learning something here.”
Looking back, it was probably during those moments that the idea for the Manatee Academy was born.
Even a robot develops a longing for the water at Lake Mendota.
Between Tech and Sailing Trips
I worked in the startup and tech scene in Northern Europe for many years, primarily in product management for robotics and mobility. My work involved product development, business plans, roadmaps, and turning ideas into products that people use and love.
Sailing was my summer back then.
Together with friends, the concept of Manatee Academy gradually took shape on secluded islands, with Ronja Ryövärintytär
playing a key role behind the scenes.
From a sailing project to a sailing startup.
All those years in the tech world have, of course, left their mark.
Digital learning is, of course, part of Manatee Academy today. That's why we use specially designed learning materials and apps with a great user experience. Our modern e-learning elements complement the lessons on board.
Although you learn to sail on the water, good tools make it much easier.
Three questions for Markus
What about sailing fascinates you?
Every trip is different. You can always expect the unexpected. With each new experience, your understanding of the sea grows.
At the same time, it is tranquility. Nature.
Someone once told me that longing for the sea is often a longing for depth, too. I find this idea beautiful. Perhaps that's precisely why sailing touches so many people.
How would you describe the atmosphere aboard the ship?
When you come on board, you're probably full of anticipation, but also a little nervous. After all, there's an exam at the end of the week.
You may be asking yourself:
Can I pull this off? Can I really moor that steamer? What about navigation? And then there are the knots.I want you to remember why you're here: sailing is fun!
Our trips are active vacations, not boot camps. Humor and relaxation are just as much a part of the experience as maneuvers and navigation. We try things out, make mistakes, learn from them, and grow together as a crew.
What moment on a sailing trip do you like best?
There is that moment at the end of the week when the examiner disembarks, perhaps turns around once more and says:
Good work.He doesn't mean me personally, but rather, he means us as a crew.
Just a few days ago, you were at the helm for the first time. Now, you're maneuvering a 45-foot yacht, guiding us to the next bay, and executing rescue maneuvers.
The evolution from
zero plantooh, this worksis always captivating.It's a bit like a before-and-after photo—only at sea.
Markus explains things with incredible calm, a lot of patience, and, above all, in a very clear and vivid way. [… He] is simply a born teacher!
Big thank you to instructor Markus and our skipper Marie for the great vacation in Croatia, the splendid teaching concept and the lots and lots of fun! It was a blast!
I’d especially like to highlight the instructors and skippers. Their enthusiasm for sailing and teaching was palpable and made learning a real pleasure.
Markus did a great job of presenting and explaining the theory!
Markus is an amazing teacher; he explains everything in a way that’s super easy to understand, and he does it with such calmness and dedication that even I wasn’t afraid to keep asking silly questions.
Your time on board
When you travel with Manatee Academy and me, you learn to sail as part of the crew.
I'll accompany you on your journey, sometimes as a teacher, sometimes as a skipper, and sometimes simply as someone who enjoys sailing.
