FAQ
Documents and reservations
Our goal is to provide training and education in sailing and seamanship. We offer the hight standard education on the Black Sea in Varna in one of the nicest city for holiday and weekend break in Bulgaria.
We are the one sailing schools that offers advanced sailing courses and issues skipper certificates.
Also, our prices are ridiculous low in compare to other countries.
At all levels you will be taught by instructors who are not only expert sailors, but expert teachers and very positive and responsible person.
Please call us of send us an email with the course you’d like to take. Tell us the dates and the number of people. We will confirm availability and then send a link to an online registration form.
If you cancel a reservation you have made with us the course fee are non-refundable and cannot be applied to another course or date or person, except: If cancellation occurs at least 60 days prior to the scheduled departure date.
No. Because we work in a semi-private format.
To start the ISSA Inshore Skipper Course we need only your Personal ID.
To start the Bulgarian 40BT Skipper Course you’ll need to prepare:
- Special medical certificate and personal ID.
- Secondary education Diploma.
Yes. Please don’t forget your passport or personal ID.
The school carries full public liability insurance for its students, however personal travel Insurance is strongly recommended.
Our prices include: instruction job, e-text book, boat and running expenses, and ISSA certification fees.
There are charges for issuing 40GT Bulgarian Skipper certificate to Bulgarian Maritime Administration.
No. We don’t offer the yacht for sleep.
No. We don’t provide any accommodation.
No. We don’t provide any meals on board. We provide drinking water. But it’s allowed to bring your food.
Yes, for consumption only after the anchor is down and the instructional day is over.
There is a large, paid car parking here in the marina where you can leave you car for the duration of your course.
Whilst there is 24hr security and CCTV in the car park.
It costs approx €0,6/h.
We cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to cars or their contents.
The International Sailing School Association is an association of sailors, professional sailing instructors, sailing schools and charter companies. The ISSA is dedicated to promoting safe recreational sailing in the around the world by administering an internationally recognized education system.
ISSA certification provides:
- Internationally recognized certificate
- High Standard of education
- Quantity educational materials
- Professional instruction
- Specific goals and training for each level of the program
Once you have completed your certification, you will receive an ISSA certification card! The card has details of your certification level and date, along with you and your instructor’s name and number.
The time depends on ISSA paperwork. But usually it comes to us up to 30 days via post.
Your ISSA certification and Bulgarian 40GT certificate do not expire. If you haven’t been sailing in a while and wish to refresh your sailing knowledge and skills, we will glad to offer you Back to Basics course.
Every charter company has their own standards to qualify prospective charterers. Some may accept the ISSA Inshore Skipper certification or Bulgarian 40GT alone but most will also ask for resumes of experience. The ISSA Inshore Skipper certification will show the charter company that you have received formal training and have passed a rigorous program with specific standards.
Charter companies look at a variety of variables in qualifying a charterer: experience, certifications, size of boat being applied for, charter area and conditions, and the experience and certifications of crew members.
The highest-level course you could take in Good Captain sailing school with no experience at all is the ISSA Inshore Skipper course or the Bulgarian 40GT. The course cover a lot of material to learn in a 2 week period. We’ll send you course e-textbook in advance.
If your won’t take the Skipper certificate but want to begin your sailing adventure under the direction of a Skipper, the ideal course for you is the ISSA Yacht Crew course. It is the course for the absolute beginner to learn the basics and enjoy the delights of sailing. At the end of this course you will have become a confident and competent member of crew. After you may to expand this knowledge and skills to the Skipper level.
If you want a break from everyday life, come along for a week or weekend sail. You do not need to be doing a particular course to come out sailing with us.
It isn’t obligation but study before the Skipper course start bring more benefits for you and make easy understand your Instructor.
There are three parts to becoming a certified Skipper: knowledge development, on-water practice, and final exam.
Independent study using Skipper digital learning program takes about thirty (30) hours. On-water work, can be completed in just one week.
The Good Captain Skipper course is flexible and performance-based, which means you progress at your own pace.
Once you and your instructor feel confident that you’ve mastered a skill, you’ll move on to the next one. If you want to try the new skill a few more times, that’s okay too.
The goal is for you to learn how to be a safe, confident sailor and feel comfortable during yacht cruising.
The minimum age is 18 years old to be certified Skipper.
For sailors who are younger than 18 but no less 14 may earn the ISSA Yacht Crew competence.
We take a maximum of 4 students per yacht on Skipper sailing courses.
Our boat are capable of taking more than eight people.
You will be sailing in the Varna coast which is the ideal training ground for sailors of any level.
No.
If you know you are susceptible, then it is worth buying some motion sickness tablets from the chemist and bringing them with you.
Sailing lessons usually run from approximately 9am to 5pm.
Our main goal is to sail and to teach sailing. If time and weather permits, we may have time in the schedule to swim. Swimming from the boat in the morning before class or at the end of the day is another option.
Depending on weather and course material, a day may start earlier or run later. If time and weather permits, we may have time in the schedule to swim or to have a break. Evenings are yours.
Our yacht is a common sailing cruiser yacht, which charters companies offers around the world.
Cruiser Sailing Yacht Beneteau Oceanis 331, 2003, (10m), up to 10 persons on board.
With 3 cabins, kitchen, small refrigerator, hot water boiler, WC and shower, deck shower.
Our yacht fully comply with the code of practice for small commercial vessels and meet all requirements as set down by the Maritime Administration and Coastguard. All boats are checked before and after each course and all safety equipment is serviced on a regular basis.
There is a toilet and shower onboard the yacht. When you are in a marina you can also use the shoreside facilities available.
Smoking is permitted onboard, however as it is in close confines with other people we would ask that you have consideration for your fellow crew and only smoke at the back of the boat and downwind. Of course it would be polite to ask your fellow crew first.
Due to the nature of sailing and the weather, we do not cancel classes nor are we able to provide refunds for bad weather. But We reserve right to reschedule our lessons.
Please, only Soft bags!
Summer conditions: Sunglasses, sun cream, covered all body from sun clothes including hat, sailing gloves your wash kit and a towel.
Winter conditions: warm clothes including hat, scarf, sailing gloves and thermal underwear. It is better several thin layers rather than two thick layers.
Please, No heels! Sailing boots are advisable along with deck shoes or non-marking trainers.
You can bring your mobile phone. We would ask that phones are turned off to avoid distraction.
You will take full responsibility (if any) for falling mobile phone or your any other belongings out the yacht.
Absolutely! This type of service is totally custom please contact us to discuss options and pricing.
As always, a gratuity is entirely at your discretion. However, it is standard practice in the industry to pay a gratuity to your instructor. A typical tip would range between 10% – 15% of your course fee.
The option might be discussed before departure and only if there is an available seat on the yacht. You can invite your spouse with you and he/she can get a 50% discount.
We can only take a limited number of people on the yacht.
Good Captain Sailing Academy Registration and Cancellation Policy
To ensure a safe, enjoyable, and fair learning experience for all our students and instructors, Good Captain has established the following policy. Participants are required to review and agree to these guidelines when enrolling in Good Captain classes. Any questions regarding this policy can be directed to ahoy@ggsailing.com.
Selecting the Appropriate Course
Good Captain’s sailing curriculum comprises 14 sessions categorized into two progressively challenging courses: “Crew” and “Inshore Skipper” by ISSA. Detailed information about the topics and skills covered in each level is available in the course outlines on the website: ggsailing.com. Students should choose the most fitting course based on their experience and the guidance provided.
For those with limited sailing experience (most students), starting with “Crew” is recommended to establish a solid foundation in the fundamentals before advancing to more complex courses. Students with previous sailing experience outside of Good Captain seeking a more advanced course may opt for “Inshore Skipper.” Those wishing to repeat a course are welcome to register for a class they have previously taken.
Students should not register for advanced classes solely to expedite the curriculum or due to limited class availability. To ensure a safe and positive experience, Good Captain reserves the right to drop a student from a class without a refund if their skills are found to be inadequate for the selected course.
Any student struggling to determine the appropriate class should contact the Good Captain Instruction program at ahoy@ggsailing.com before registering.
Class Pre-Work / Prerequisites
All students enrolled in any Good Captain course must fulfill the following requirements before the first class:
– Complete the Good Captain Pre-Sail Orientation (PSO) online course
– Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of sailing and sailing terminology by providing documentation of completing the NauticEd online course and passing the test (Note: This course is registered for separately at nauticed.com and has its own fee).
More information about these requirements is available on the website ggsailing.com. Students who do not complete the necessary pre-work before the first class will be dropped from the class without a refund.
Pacing Courses Appropriately
Students are intended to progress through each course in order – “Crew,” “Inshore Skipper” – as their skills evolve through practice on the water. While students wishing to advance more quickly may register for multiple courses in the same season, registering for two classes with overlapping dates is not allowed. Good Captain reserves the right to drop a student from a class if they have scheduled themselves for a class inappropriately.
Dropping a Course
To optimize the use of limited class seats, students are encouraged to make every effort to avoid dropping a course, especially close to the class dates. Students may request to drop a class by completing the Drop Class Form. If the form is received one month or more before the class start, the student will receive a full refund less a 150 euro administration fee. If the form is received less than one month before the class start, the student will not be entitled to a refund.
Students cannot offer or sell their seat in a course to someone else. All dropped seats will initially be offered to those on the course waitlist and then to the public.
Weather-Related Cancellations, Make-Up Classes, and Refunds
Any class session will be canceled if the instructor deems it unsafe or against Good Captain rules to sail under current weather conditions, regardless of the impact on course scheduling or the number of previous cancellations.
To mitigate the impact of class cancellations, each course schedule will include six class dates and an additional date reserved as a tentative make-up session. The seventh make-up class will only be conducted if any of the initial six classes is canceled, with no further make-up classes arranged.
A course completing at least five out of the six scheduled class dates is considered concluded and is not eligible for any refund.
Similarly, a course completing at least four out of the six scheduled class dates is considered finished, issues the Crew member license (with the fee included), and is not eligible for any refund.
For courses with fewer than two completed class sessions due to weather-related cancellations, a full refund (excluding the 150 euro administrative fee) will be issued.