Great Escape Sailing School and Yacht Charter

We did the 6-day:  Learn-to-sail then sail-yourself adventure in July 2020 having no previous sailing experience. It was the best thing we did - ever! Julie is a great teacher and we learnt so much. Sailing ourselves around the islands on the last 3 days was an incredible experience that we will never forget. Highly recommend Great Escape!

My partner and I recently did the 'Six-day learn-to-sail then sail-yourself adventure' and we were absolutely blown away by this epic experience!Our exposure to sailing prior to the course was very minimal, but we both now feel far more confident in our knowledge and understanding of the general principles of sailing and would happily charter a boat of a similar size in the future.The boat we stayed on was a Noelex 25 which had everything that we needed for our adventure and was incredibly comfortable for the two of us. All of the learning material we were provided on the course was incredibly helpful and was a great point of reference whenever we weren't sure on something. Our instructor, Martin, came from an extensive sailing background and was an incredibly friendly and supportive teacher.The two night solo sail was an unforgettable experience, especially in the beautiful Bay of Islands, where there are so many stunning beaches and bays to explore. It also really cemented all of the skills that we had been taught during the first three days of the course with our instructor.The owners, Julie and Bill, were both incredibly friendly and organised professionals and made you feel very supported throughout the experience.This is a great foundational beginner's sailing course and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants to dip their toes in. We will definitely go back again ourselves in the future to extend our learning or just for another epic charter adventure :)

We have just spent 5 days aboard the Great Escapes 30 foot Nolex and hade wonderful time in the Bay of Islands. This was our second time with Great Escapes and they continue to prove themselves, organised, professional, friendly and totally competent. We loved the patience and skill of our instructor, Josh, who taught us for 3 days, and then the days we spent sailing by ourselves. Thanks to Bill and Julie. What a team.

This was a really enjoyable experience. My wife and I spent a lovely weekend together getting our level 1 sailing certificate. The style of teaching was very friendly and stressfree, and as a result we enjoyed our time plus learned a heap.We also got to visit and swim in a stunning Bay of islands location we never knew existed. It was also a fun experience to moor up then use the dingy and row in to Russell for a coffee and pastries!The course itself was well put together, the owners and staff were all great to deal with, our instructor Laura was fantastic, the bay of islands was a stunning location for it all, and the whole weekend was just really enjoyable. Even if you're not sure you'll be a lifelong sailor, this experience will be enjoyable. Highly recommended.

My husband and I just completed Great Escape’s 5 day learn to sail course and can’t recommend them highly enough. We learnt so much in only 3 days with Darryl & Bill and are now hooked on sailing and booked in for more! Very professionally run operation with Julie & Bill at the helm. What an asset to our NZ tourism industry, both domestically and internationally. Thanks so much.Tasi & Adrian Hill, Auckland NZ.

Without any prior experience in sailing, my girlfriend and I initially booked a 2-day course, and booked two further days later on. We enjoyed our time with the Great Escape team very much, and we are taking wonderful memories back home.Julie is a superb teacher, she is demanding and emphatic. We had a very steep learning curve, and after 3-4 days of guidance I feel quite comfortable to sail a boat without a teacher on board.Beside learning how to sail, we had a wonderful time enjoying the beauty of the Bay of Islands. From aboard, we saw New Zealand's iconic little penguins, a whale (!!) just 5m from our boat, lots of sea birds, and of course the picturesque coasts of many islands.

This is an amazing sailing school and sailing boat charter business located in one of the nicest places in the North Island! The owners are super nice and welcoming, the boats are neat and tidy, and the prices are affordable. We'd been through the 6-day sailing/go on your own course in 2022, and it'd been so awesome, we came back again. This year (2023) we had to shift our original booking due to the stormy weather and our request was accommodated and we have had another amazing holiday on a charter boat from the Great Escape. I highly recommend this place! Thanks Julie and Bill!PS we rented the Davidson 20 boat and though some other reviewers found it to be slightly underperforming in sailing to their taste, we found it to be perfectly fine and there was nothing major to make us unhappy about it. Possibly the more experienced sailors should consider the bigger/better equipped boats the GE team has on offer, but for the beginners, the boat we rented was just spot on.

Just did a 5 day sailing course with 3 ladies. We're all in our 50's and wanted to get some experience without male partners on board. Sailing with GE is an amazing experience. Julie and Bill are super organised and friendly. They go out of their way to make you feel supported and confident. I've experienced training from 3 of their instructors who are all top notch and great at sharing their huge wealth of knowledge. They all have their own style and were all exceptional teachers. The boats are simple to handle, well kept with all the basics on board and of course nothing beats an after dark skinny dip in the phosphorescence under the milky way listening to the kiwi in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Our second trip with Great Escape. Took out a larger boat and had a great time. Josh was on deck to help us out with a few issues we had but was great to deal with. Great friendly people to deal with who go the extra mile to make sure you have a great time. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience sailing with Great Escape. Julie was a wonderful teacher, and the boat we hired was well equiped and comfortable. Look forward to another trip.