Why Us?
Welcome to my passion - life on the water! A life I’d like to share with you.
With over forty years at sea, I began my career as a Navigating Officer in the Royal Navy and have spent the past fifteen years instructing as an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Instructor under the Royal Yachting Association. I deliver practical sailing courses on The Solent in the South of England — sheltered waters that are both safe and technically challenging, shaped by complex tides, busy traffic, and a rich variety of ports, harbours and anchorages.
If you learn to sail with me, you’ll be well set to sail anywhere. Fancy sailing with mates or family on a fabulous charter week in the Greek islands or Croatia? Or perhaps even further afield? You’ll need the skills and experience you’ll gain with me. Oh - and I make it fun or else what’s the point?
RYA Accredited Courses
Explore our collection of professionally endorsed RYA sailing courses.
Our Story
Aqua Vitae is one of the UK's leading RYA accredited Sea Schools operating on the picturesque South Coast of England.
We are small enough to make any experience personal to you. We are an RYA Recognised Sea School, operating from our base at Haslar Marina, only an hour from London. We run our courses based around The Solent - a beautifully protected stretch of water on the South Coast of UK and a great place to learn everything you need in order to become a more proficient sailor.
Do something different. Have fun and learn new skills with friends, colleagues or family. Why not bring your own group of up to 6 for an exclusive skippered charter weekend? A trip along the South Coast? A weekend around the Isle of Wight? How about a weekend bird watching from aboard in a local nature reserve? Whatever appeals to you - we look forward to making your day.
Services
All Services
We provide a range of boutique sailing experiences designed to suit all needs and preferences.
We provide a range of boutique sailing experiences designed to suit all needs and preferences.
CORPERATE EXPRIENCES
MILE BUILDING TRIPS
RYA THEORY/PRACTICAL COURSES
OWN BOAT TUITION
SOCIAL WEEKENDS
COWES SPECTATOR DAYS
COASTAL PASSAGE MAKING
RACE EXPERIENCE
TEAM BUILDING DAYS
REWARD DAYS
Join us for Digital Detox on the Water - Unplug and Unwind Under Sail with us
Step away from the relentless demands of the connected world and retreat to the open waters of the Solent and beyond with Gosport-based Aqua Vitae Sailing. A Digital Detox at sea is far more than a simple escape. It is a deliberate return to clarity — a full mind and body reset guided by wind, water and horizon.
Feeling overwhelmed? Is the constant digital noise clouding your clarity?
Here, the noise fades, your thoughts settle, and space opens for calm, focus and renewal. With Aqua Vitae Sailing School on the Solent and beyond, a Digital Detox becomes a refined ritual of restoration — a voyage designed to quiet the mind, revitalise the body, and return you to what truly matters.
Wellness begins where WiFi ends.
Your time with us will offer you an opportunity to step back, gather your thoughts, and reconnect with yourself.
Unplug
Disconnect in every sense — invigorated by fresh coastal air and the quiet satisfaction of hands-on sailing.
Disconnect
An invitation to step away from the noise of daily life — unbound by schedules, uninterrupted by demands.
Recover
A few unhurried hours of sanctuary — reconnecting with the natural world in a calm, effortless marine setting.