Frequently Asked Questions

Single-handing is a term given to sailors who sail by themselves - without any crew, or people on board.

You don’t have to have aspirations to single-hand to become a sailor at all! My approach is to cultivate sailing confidence in you, at any level.

Some women want to know they can handle a sailboat by themselves if something happens to their partner; others seek the empowerment to guide a sailboat with their own hands; while others seek a way of rediscovering their hidden capabilities.

Learning from a single-handing perspective gives you a deep appreciation for the depth of your ability. You really can do this!

When you join me to sail, everything is covered except restaurant meals and alcohol.

All food, boat expenses including fuel, and my time are covered.

You will have your own cabin with a comfy memory foam bed, towels and linens. Snorkeling gear is also provided.

We’re women with a whole range of body types. The most important aspect of sailing is mobility.

I’ve tailored my sailing approach to accommodate all skill levels. If you don’t have a lot of upper body strength, we will work with that - it’s never a deal breaker! These are courses for women taught by a woman… I’m here to support you where you’re at!

However, knowing how to swim is a required skill for my boat.

Once you have booked your session I will reach out with a Sea Nixie Packet with all details - including what to bring.

I will be in various locations in the South Pacific as I head west during my circumnavigation. Between the months of August - November, 2025 I am in Fiji and can accommodate one student at a time.

Most locations are no more than a day’s travel time.

Email me if you know the dates you want to sail, and we can review available locations.

ruby@seanixie.com

Since I sail by myself, my safety equipment and practices are always front and center. I cannot underscore that enough.

My sailboat Makani is a 39’ Jeanneau and is equipped with self-inflating life vests, harnesses, EPRIB, an ACR locator beacon, life raft, AIS sending and transmitting, two handheld VHFs and one hard-wired VHF unit, certified fire extinguishers, fire blankets, propane shutoff, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in all living spaces.

Navigation redundancy is three-layered and are always operated together, including chart plotter, Ipad navionics and Open CPN. Makani is NMEA networked, meaning all my electronics and navigation are wirelessly connected.

I have a very strong position on safety. Everything we do will first be assessed from a position of utmost safety. Moreover, safety is part of your training every day.

Yes - for the most part you will have connection via your phone when Starlink (satellite internet service) is operational, or when we’re within cell phone range (depending on your plan).

No need to bring a laptop unless it’s critical to your stay.

Many women share in ownership of a sailboat, but have found it difficult to learn to sail, or to handle the boat due to existing on-board dynamics.

If this is your situation, let me know as we can customize your learning experience to address areas you want to gain confidence in, particularly maneuvers that have historically caused stress. Improving your skills in a positive and supportive space will do wonders!

Each day on board Makani will cover three areas of sailing: theory, practical applications, and specific maneuvers.

For example, every morning we look at the weather - we will interpret the high and low pressure systems, what wind direction is best for a set course, and how we would apply that if we set sail.

All of the practical applications and specific maneuvers we will do together until eventually you may want to do them yourself. You’ll be surprised how quickly you gain confidence in doing something new. You will only do what you’re ready to do… nothing is forced, ever!

But let’s not forget the fun! There will be ample time to snorkel, go for hikes, read, shop, and just take in the scenery!

We will always have three meals with breakfast and dinner together - lunch can be on your own whether with food from the galley or on-shore. Snacks, water and beverages will always be available all day long!

We will share galley and cleaning duties - another part of learning to manage boat motion with food preparation… sometimes a real adventure!

If you have any food sensitivities, please let me know!

Makani is a pescatarian boat, only.

If you are ASA certified, let me know. Often ASA courses are delivered under a compressed time-line in a group setting, so receiving one-on-one sailing experience and guidance isn’t possible, and often not enough confidence is built to handle a boat.

Sailing on Makani will give you hands-on immersive, sailing techniques that you can do yourself… the only way to build confidence and experience.

Warm waters often include blue skies! Every day we will look at the weather -I’ll teach you skills on how to understand high and low pressure, and what they mean when you are picking a weather window to sail.

We never go out if a storm is approaching, and we never sail in big winds. Safety is the priority, and understanding how to read the state of the sea and wind is the first step to ensuring a safe sail.

That depends on you. I teach women to sail, and that means women with different skills, different temperaments, and different ways of seeing the world.

It’s up to you what you will walk away with. My priority is empowering you to sail and to give you the tools to keep your confidence and skills alive and continuously improving!

Those that have sailed with me already, can for additional time which covers more sailing miles, longer stints at sea and more solo hands-on time under supportive and positive guidance.

I have a lot of experience. The last seven years of my life I’ve completely devoted to sailing. I’ve sailed on many different types of boats, all over the world including two month-long ocean crossings and over 40,000 nautical miles.

I’ve experienced a variety of situations from storms to accidents at sea to Chubasco winds at anchor. I’m seasoned and I love what I do.

And, I sail by myself -except when I’m teaching you!

I want to give you solid hands-on experience, one-on-one guidance, and time for you to absorb everything at your pace, so I only take on one person at a time.

If you book time with me, there will be no other students booked. The time is uniquely yours.

Most people know already if they can easily tolerate boat motion. If you get seasick in motion, or even at anchor, I’ll show you some tricks in managing and overcoming seasickness.

Consider medication or patch choices and know their side effects, especially if you’re not sure how you might react to sailing at sea.