Local sailing school expands to NYC

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- A Southwest Florida sailing school says business is booming and their success is attracting visitors from around the country.

Offshore Sailing School has been around for over 50 years, but the owners are now expanding the company to the Big Apple.

Doris and Stephen Colgate started their company, and relationship, just over 50 years ago.

“Fell in love with sailing, fell in love with Steve Colgate and married the school,” Doris Colgate told WINK NEWS.

The couple wanted to share their love of sailing with others.

“When we first started here at South Seas Plantation in 1975, no one knew us.” said Stephen Colgate. “No one knew South Seas. No one knew Fort Myers, it seemed. It’s just built up tremendously since then.

It’s built up so much, the Colgates decided to expand. With the addition of a school in lower Manhattan near Battery Park, the captain and his first mate have eight schools around the country.

“For one thing,” said Doris Colgate, “it’s our reputation. When you’ve been around for 51 years, word of mouth is the biggest way people hear about us.”

The new Manhattan school has sails that advertise Fort Myers and Sanibel beaches. The idea is for people to start their training in Manhattan and finish it up in Fort Myers, where there is more advanced and bigger boat training available.

Through Offshore Sailing Schools, the Colgates have taught more than 130,000 people how to sail. They’re hoping more people will want to learn in Southwest Florida.