Adults who want to learn to sail can join Coral Bay, St. John’s Adults and the Sea program for lessons on 23-foot sailboats called Ensigns.

"The nice things about these boats are they’re very comfortable and won’t tip over," program organizer Marie Naisby said.

The ANTS program is part of the long-running Kids and the Sea program.

Participants have their choice of Wednesdays or Saturdays for lessons. They begin Wednesday and run for the three successive Wednesdays. The Saturday class starts Saturday and runs for the next three Saturdays. The three-hour lessons begin at 1 p.m.

Participants can meet Naisby behind Skinny Legs Bar and Restaurant in Coral Bay.

The cost is $200 for all four lessons. Reservations are required.

The classes are limited to eight participants each, with four people sailing on each of the Ensigns.

KATS, which is a youth sailing and sea skills program, has run the adult classes for several years, Naisby said.

"Their kids were learning and they wanted to be involved," she said of adults who took the class.

The classes include learning the parts of the boat, how to rig the boat and how to sail out of Coral Bay Harbor. Naisby said that by the end of the four classes, participants should be able to sail in and out of the harbor.

"They’ll learn different points of sail for different wind angles," Naisby said. And they’ll learn rescue techniques should someone fall overboard.

According to Naisby, those who have signed up cover a wide range of ages and sailing skills from total novices to those who want to improve their skills.

"And I have someone who’s done a great deal of sailing and wants to get out on the water," she said.

Coral Bay resident Phyllis Benton took the learn-to-sail class twice.

"By the fourth class, the person who had never sailed before brought the boat back in," Benton said.

Benton lived on St. John for many years but had no sailing skills before she took the classes, but said the only way to learn to sail is to do it.

"When you finish you will take multiple tips with you," she said.

The classes will allow participants to meet new people and instill confidence, Naisby said.

"When somebody can sail back into the harbor, that gives them a good feeling," she said.

Anyone wishing to sign up can call Naisby. Since she’s living on a boat, the only way to reach her is via her cell phone. The number is 410-271-1196.