Testimonials

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
A superb program run by top-tiered people. The level of experience and abilities of the instructors was palpable and definitely what you want in the team facilitating such a course.  Well thought out and well executed. 5 stars!
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Sam 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
I had an amazing experience sailing for a week with Morse Alpha Expeditions!  This was a very hands-on course and allowed me the freedom to focus on topics I really wanted to dig into, such as navigation.  The instructors Ben and Sockeye were terrific and so much fun!  No matter how many times I screwed up they remained kind, patient and willing to teach.  Rocinante is a fantastic boat to learn on with the right amount of sails, rigging and equipment to gain a solid education in the mechanics of sailing the boat, without being so much as to be overwhelming.  Coastal Maine is unbelievably gorgeous and made for a beautiful backdrop to our expedition.  I absolutely plan to sail with Morse Alpha again next year.
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Scott Robertson 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
The Morse Alpha Expedition that I was on was from 7/21/24 to 7/26/24. It was an offshore sail from Rockland, Maine to Newport, Rhode Island. My overall opinion on this expedition left me very satisfied. The instructors attempt to cover as many topics as possible during your trip. Some topics are covered numerous times and some topics are barely touched upon. This is because of the nature of sailing itself where sometimes you must have the situation occur to properly instruct on certain items. Our instructors, Tara and Sockeye, were top notch professionals that we learned to trust very quickly. They asked every day about your goals and they would do their best to try to help you achieve any goal that was set. My top four items learned on this trip are chart navigation, sail handling, mooring and anchoring. I recommend this course for anyone wanting to increase sailing confidence under the watchful eye of professional captains.
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Lawrence Hoppius 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
I can’t recommend this course highly enough 5 starts all the way! Amazing boat and instructors! I have never sailed for more than a day at a time and never offshore.  My family and I have dreams of becoming a cruising family. It was so helpful to be able to cruise offshore, get an introduction to the skills needed and see if it’s something we actually want to do. It was great to be able to do this trip prior to doing American sailing courses. Now I know I want to invest the money. I will do AS with confidence and get my rating for bareboat sailing so we can do a charter as a family. I also feel like I know the areas I need to work on and improve sailing my own boat. Again, amazing trip, incredibly qualified instructors, fantastic future networking and opportunities to learn with Morse Alpha. Ben, Teresa, Tara and Sockeye have so much experience to share. Thank you for a formative and empowering sailing expedition!
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Grant Berger 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Hands down the BEST sailing course EVER. We did a week as a family in preparation for beginning our cruising life and feel so grateful for the useful and relevant training in navigation, weather reading, seamanship, and more. We learned more than we humanly thought possible and had the best time doing it. Great instructors, great food, great attitude and approach- we felt thoroughly  grounded in not only the “what” but the “why” of different sailing choices, which will much better prepare us for the inevitable changing circumstances we will face going forward. Thank you Morse Alpha!!
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Learning Together 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Long overdue review! Morse Alpha Expeditions... In a word FANTASTIC. I participated in a five day coastal expedition. The overall experience was comprehensive and most of all enjoyable. Every aspect of what duties one needs to perform in order to execute a coastal passage was succinctly taught in a calm and professional manner. Line handling, anchoring, sail trim, traditional navigation, preventative maintenance, watchstanding, safety, and a night passage. I came into this course not knowing what to do first with regards to sailing and now I am fully prepared to handle my own boat. A great time was had by all. If you're thinking about it just do it!
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Murky 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Just came back from my first Morse Alpha expedition, and it was exceptional. I’ve had prior sailing experience, but my knowledge improved significantly during this adventure. All I can say is that this is professional, well run, tight ship! I would absolutely do this again without any hesitation. Can’t wait for the next one…
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Ariel Shlien 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
This was an amazing experience. The instructors were knowledgeable, responsive teachers and all around fun people. The course focused on developing practical skills and creative problem solving in context. We faced some challenging conditions especially with navigation in heavy fog and the instructor helped us to gel as a team to overcome those challenges. I'm an experienced kayaker with only a little sailing experience, but my wife is a more experienced sailor and we both found this to be one of the best courses we've ever taken. Thanks Ben, Sockeye, and Morse Alpha for a fun week full of learning.
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Kerry Browne 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Great experience; Ben and Tara were very knowledgeable on so many facets of sailing, boat handling, and weather. Large focus of expedition (for me) was on the big picture; the where's and how's of planing a voyage. Scaled the information to fit my understanding; left with new sailing skill sets, memories and had plenty of opportunities to practice. 10 out of 10.
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Nate 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
I absolutely reccomend sailing with Morse Alpha! The booking and planning process was seemless and the precourse communication from Ben and Teresa was informative and thorough, making the day we climbed aboard worry-free! The trip itself was fantastic. As someone who always wanted to learn to sail but joined this expedition with absolutely no experience, I wasn't sure what to expect. Ben and Tara were exceptional teachers. They approached the week by giving you upfront lessons on important skills or knowledge and then filled the days with hands on experience. The freedom and space you have to learn by doing and by sailing with your crew was incredible. You sail A LOT, all day, with very little down time, and it's amazing! By the end of the week there is almost no hands on intervention and you're really able to test your skills and build confidence in what you've learned. Oh, and of course, the food was amazing, the company was even better and you can't beat the views on the Maine Coast. If you're even considering this trip...do it!
  
 
 Posted on Google  
 
 
  
 
 Rachel Taylor 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
    
 
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Some Pre-Google Reviews. We’ve been at this a while 🙂

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  I felt very safe on the expedition and appreciated the disciplined approach and repeated attention to detail throughout the day. Both instructors were super approachable and collaborated with students on problem solving well. I loved that I could immerse myself in the program 24/7 and never found myself wondering what to do with spare time.

  Steve, DownEast Maine 2020

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  This is a great experience for sailors of all levels. I learned more than I expected and the sailing venue is spectacular. Both instructors were always willing to answer any questions and there was nothing I wanted to know that they couldn’t explain very clearly and thoroughly.

  Tim, DownEast Maine 2020

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  This was the best sailing experience in my life. Both instructors demonstrated great professionalism and breadth of knowledge. I loved Ben’s sense of humor – it relieved stress and made the learning process more enjoyable. I definitely learned alot!

  Nikolay, DownEast Maine 2020

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  I have a lot more confidence in my sailing knowledge having experienced many practical applications of sailing tactics, navigation and anchoring. Boat handling at the helm really clicked for me when driving the boat hard and changing point of sail often during MOB drills. I’m really grateful for the experience with Morse Alpha.

  Dave, Chesapeake Bay 2019

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  It helped me learn a lot in  short amount of time and put it into practice in a way that will be retained. I liked the small group and feeling of being part of a team.

  Lauren, Chesapeake Bay 2019

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  Both instructors were amazingly patient. When things got a little hairy, if it was me, I would have jumped in. They didn’t, which was awesome. Being able to make mistakes and then talk through them was infinitely more educational than just being taught the material.
  

  Randal, NY – Annapolis 2018

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  At all times I felt that a safe, congenial, and an instructive environment were the top goals. It was a most dense, thrilling, yet calming and instructive class experience. I will be recommending to my friends with the caveat… this is a serious commitment and they may come back a changed person!
  

  Mike, NY – Annapolis 2018

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  I loved the lessons. I was impressed with Teresa’s ability to explain tough concepts in layman’s terms. Ben’s patience and clarity were equally impressive. He demystified several ideas and helped me get past a few major blocks! The curriculum is well structured, the food is great, and the laughs are HUGE!
  

  Mary, Maine 2018

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  Fantastic trip! So much better than ASA and I feel alot more confident in my future sailing.
  

  Jeremy, Maine – NY 2018

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  I am very pleased with my experience. I highly recommend Morse Alpha. This has been an experience I will treasure. You both provide much information outside the scope of the course that will continue to be helpful for me.

  Ken, Offshore 2016

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  We came to learn and gain experience and that is exactly how you both [Ben and Teresa] filled every moment for us. I’m thankful for it. Just as I’d hoped, it woke my senses…and made me feel alive and courageous! Your personalities, teaching styles, communication skills all complement each other well.

  Sharon, Offshore 2016

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  Ben and Arista were great instructors with a great deal of knowledge and patience. Ben’s perspectives as both a sailor and commercial seaman was very informative. The food was great and I learned alot overall, a great experience.

  Warwick, NY – Annapolis 2018

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  Teresa and Ben are sail training professionals! They are kind, patient, exceptionally knowledgeable and epitomize conscientious professionalism. Rocinante is well suited to the training curriculum and is well maintained

  Rich, Maine 2018

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  We learned so much and had a great time! We can’t say enough great things about Teresa and Ben’s sailing, people, and teaching skills, attitude, modeling, easiness to be with, and more. With no exaggeration, this was a life-changing experience for us.

  Dorothy, Private Training 2013