Marinero › Online sailing course for beginners
Marinero is an online sailing course built for complete beginners. It teaches the theory every new sailor needs — the parts of the boat, the points of sail, the knots, the right-of-way rules, weather and safety — in short, illustrated cards you learn at your own pace, on your phone or laptop. No jargon dropped on you, no four-hour videos, no subscription. Start free and only pay once if you want the whole course.
Half of it, honestly — the half that matters before you ever cast off. Sailing is part knowledge and part feel. The feel — balancing the helm, reading a gust, coming alongside — only comes from time on the water, and no app replaces that. But the knowledge is exactly what beginners find overwhelming on day one: a hundred new words, invisible wind angles, ropes that all look the same. Learn that ashore, at your own pace, and you step aboard already understanding what the skipper is talking about instead of nodding along. That is what an online course does well, and it is what Marinero focuses on.
Every topic is broken into small cards, and each card runs through the same three-step loop so it actually sticks:
To be straight with you: Marinero is not an RYA or ASA certification, and it does not put you at the helm. What it does is make the on-water part far less bewildering — and far cheaper to make the most of. A day of real sailing tuition is expensive; spend it learning to steer, not learning what "leeward" means. Beginners who arrive already knowing the theory get more out of every hour afloat, and often decide much faster whether the sport is for them.
You don't need an account to start. These interactive guides are free and open:
→ the points of sail diagram · the parts of a sailboat · the six sailing knots · and the two-minute sailing test to see where you stand.
You can learn the theory — boat parts, points of sail, knots, right-of-way rules, navigation and safety — completely online, and that is the part beginners find hardest. The physical feel of steering and trimming only comes from time on the water, so the best approach is to learn the knowledge online first and then spend your on-water time practising the skills.
Yes — it is built specifically for people who have never sailed. Everything is in plain English with no assumed knowledge, taught one small idea at a time with interactive diagrams rather than jargon.
As long as you like — it is self-paced. Sessions are about two minutes each, so most people work through it in short bursts over a few weeks. The free tools take only a minute to try.
No. Marinero is not a certification and does not put you at the helm. It teaches the theory so that a real-world course, charter or day out is far less overwhelming — and so you get more from every hour on the water.
You can start for free. The full course — all ten modules and 330+ cards — is a single one-time payment of €34.99, the Capitán tier. There is no subscription and no ads.
Just a phone, tablet or laptop and a web browser. Nothing to install, and no boat required.
Related: the points of sail, the knot guides, the parts of a sailboat, and the free sailing test.
10 modules, 330+ cards, ad-free, yours for good. Start free — no account needed.