A sense of safety
Calm, responsible leadership and decisions suited to the conditions, the yacht and the crew.
Learn · Discover · Share
Sailing is a way of discovering people, nature and the world.
I help people sail with greater confidence, safety and awareness through private voyages, sailing training, skipper coaching and yacht delivery.
Your experience on the water
What you can gain
Participants most often highlight safety, calm leadership, extensive knowledge communicated clearly, and the opportunity to gain real experience through active and increasingly independent involvement.
Practical knowledge
Clear explanations based on real situations — not only how to act, but why.
Independence and confidence
Space to steer, plan, make decisions and learn under the supervision of an experienced skipper.
A positive atmosphere
A partnership-based approach, freedom to ask questions, respect and attention to individual needs.
About
Practical experience. Attention to people.
My name is Piotr Jurkowski. I am a professional skipper, sailing instructor, sailing educator and Lead Sailing Instructor and Training Supervisor.
I have sailed since the age of ten and offshore since sixteen. Since 2011, I have trained complete beginners, active sailors and skippers preparing for independent yacht command.
My approach combines extensive practical experience on the water with a background in psychology, trainer education and working with individuals and groups. People come first — their needs, abilities, goals and sense of safety.
As a training supervisor, I coordinated multi-yacht courses, supported less experienced instructors and helped maintain consistent standards and safety across several crews.
How I teach
Explain. Let people act. Reflect together.
First, I help participants understand the objective, conditions and risks. They then perform the task — initially with my guidance and, over time, with increasing independence. They make decisions, observe the outcomes and gain experience. Afterwards, we review what happened, discuss the decisions made and draw practical conclusions.
- 01
Understand
The objective, conditions, available options and risks.
- 02
Act
Steer, plan and make independent decisions.
- 03
Reflect
Name the lessons and apply them to future situations.
Safety does not mean doing everything for the learner. It means creating the right conditions for independence while an experienced skipper is ready to intervene when necessary.
Services
Work shaped around your objective
From a calm family voyage to intensive preparation for independent yacht command, the scope is agreed individually.
01
Private skipper
Professional skippering for families, private groups, individual clients and yacht owners, including route preparation, voyage organisation and calm leadership on board.
02
Sailing training and skills development
Harbour manoeuvres, sailing handling, safety, navigation, crew organisation, passage planning and preparation for independent charter.
03
Skipper coaching
Individual support for licensed or experienced sailors who want to improve confidence, decision-making and crew leadership.
04
Offshore training passages
Practical offshore experience including watches, navigation, longer passages, yacht handling, teamwork and real-world decision-making.
05
Yacht delivery
Delivery and repositioning of privately or commercially owned yachts between ports, countries or sailing areas, with optional owner or crew training.
06
Workshops for instructors and sailing schools
Communication, learner-centred instruction, feedback, group work, psychological safety and instructor responsibility.
Tailored assignments · many sailing areas
Your voyage or training — from inland waters to the Mediterranean and beyond
We can meet where you want to sail: on Polish inland waters, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, elsewhere in Europe and, with the right plan, farther afield — from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. Suggest the sailing area, dates, yacht, crew and objective; together we will assess the season, logistics, safety and a realistic skipper or instructor service.
Your sailing area
The Baltic, Croatia, the Balearic Islands, Norway, the Canary Islands or the Caribbean — or another destination we can assess together for season, yacht, logistics and safety.
Your crew and dates
Sail with family, friends or an established crew. You do not have to join a publicly advertised voyage or course.
Your objective
A private voyage, training on your yacht, charter preparation, harbour manoeuvres, offshore experience, or a balance of relaxation and practical learning.
In your first message, include the dates, sailing area, crew size and experience, available yacht and objective. If some details are still open, we can start with the idea itself.
Suggest a voyage or training planExperience and qualifications
Knowledge grounded in practice
Sea, ocean and inland experience
Baltic Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Atlantic coast, Mediterranean, Adriatic and Polish inland waters.
Training and leadership
Instructor since 2011, several hundred sailors trained, experience supervising multi-yacht courses and supporting other instructors.
Psychology and education
Social psychology, transport psychology, trainer education, work with individuals and groups, and development of workshops for sailing instructors.
Qualifications
Polish Yacht Skipper, Polish Sailing Instructor, STCW Basic Safety Training, LRC, SRC and professional skipper/instructor liability insurance.
On the water
Selected upcoming voyages and training
Below are selected current events in which I work as a skipper or instructor. Some are delivered in cooperation with sailing schools and organisers.
Offshore mileage-building and training voyage
5–12 September 2026
Świnoujście – Bornholm – Christiansø – Hanö – Karlskrona – Gdynia
Details, current price and booking are available from the organiser.
Check current terms, price and booking with the organiser . Opens in a new tab Offshore mileage-building and training voyage
12–19 September 2026
September harbours of southern Sweden
Details, current price and booking are available from the organiser.
Check current terms, price and booking with the organiser . Opens in a new tab JSM training · examination after the course
21–27 September 2026
Polish Yachtmaster Offshore (JSM) course — Gdańsk–Sobieszewo
Jmaster.pl organises the course and a separate examination planned immediately after the training. Current availability, price, conditions and booking are on the organiser's website.
Check availability, conditions and booking with Jmaster.pl . Opens in a new tab Offshore voyage / sailing training
3–10 October 2026
Dubrovnik and Montenegro
Details are available on direct enquiry. Sailing Is Learning provides skipper and instructor services on this voyage and does not act as a tour organiser.
Ask directly for details Ocean voyage / sailing expedition
7–21 November 2026
Caribbean sailing with Navigare Charter
Details, current price and booking are available from the organiser.
Check current terms, price and booking with the organiser . Opens in a new tabPublished events are not the full offer. Other dates, voyages, training, skipper coaching and yacht delivery services are available on request or can be prepared as tailored assignments.
Ask about other datesRecommendations
Why participants return
Many participants return for further voyages and training, recommend the experience to friends, and sometimes assemble their own crews to sail together again.
- Safety
- Knowledge shared clearly
- Independence and confidence
- Atmosphere and trust
Participant review: “Knowledge shared clearly, a partnership-based approach to the crew and a good atmosphere.”
Participant review: “Every manoeuvre was explained before it was attempted and discussed afterwards.”
Participant review: “He is calm, decisive and approachable, and willingly shares his knowledge. He supports the crew and creates a strong sense of safety.”
Participant review: “Great atmosphere, professionalism and a very high standard of safety.”
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Philosophy
Sailing Is Learning
Sailing Is Learning is not only about technique and practical sailing skills.
It is about discovering people and places, connecting with nature, exchanging experience, accepting responsibility, working together and continuing to grow. Every voyage can teach something — to a beginner, an experienced skipper and an instructor.
I believe the best voyages leave more than memories: new skills, greater confidence, people worth meeting and the desire to sail again.
Contact
Let’s talk about your voyage, training or yacht.
Tell me the dates, sailing area, yacht, number of people and your objective. Together we can define a scope of work suited to you and your crew.
Request a tailored proposalPiotr Jurkowski
Professional Skipper · Sailing Instructor · Sailing Educator
- Phone
- +48 661 156 616