We booked a sail with Captain Gideon on Lake Champlain on July 27th, and it was the perfect introduction to sailing for our family. None of us had ever been sailing before, and Gideon made the whole experience welcoming, fun, and genuinely memorable. What stood out most was his patience with our three kids (ages 9, 11, and 13). He didn't just let them watch -- he showed them how to untie and coil the ropes, raise the sail, and take turns at the wheel. Watching them work together, encourage each other, and take real ownership of "helping sail the boat" was such a highlight of the day. As parents, we couldn't have asked for a better first sailing experience. Gideon's knowledge, hospitality, and attention to detail made us feel completely at ease on the water, and the views of Lake Champlain were beautiful. Here's what our kids had to say: Vivien (13): "He showed us all the parts of the boat and how to work them and he also showed us how to set up the boat. He was also very understanding and patient with us when we were tying the ropes and driving the boat." Eva (11): "You should definitely sail with Gideon because it's super fun, you get to help out on stuff and he's really nice, patient and fun." Roan (9): "You should definitely go sailing with Gideon because you get to steer the wheel, he offers you nice drinks and he let's you help if you want and teaches you stuff." We highly recommend Let's Go Sailing for anyone -- especially families -- looking for a fun, hands-on, unforgettable day on the water. Thank you, Gideon, for such a special trip! read more

My husband and I enjoyed every minute of our two-hour sailing excursion with Let's Go Sailing. From the moment we stepped aboard, Gideon made us feel welcome. He is an exceptionally skilled sailor and a genuinely enjoyable person to spend time with. His friend Dave joined us on the sail, and we loved his warm personality and fascinating knowledge of the history of Lake Champlain. The boat was spotless, comfortable, and well maintained. Gideon offered to teach us the basics of sailing, which we happily accepted. It was both fun and engaging to learn from someone who clearly loves what he does and enjoys sharing that passion with others. By the end of the trip, we felt like we had experienced far more than just a beautiful sail--we had learned something new, met wonderful people, and created a memorable part of our vacation. The experience was an outstanding value for the price. Although we didn't have children or dogs with us, it's worth noting that both are welcome aboard, making this a great option for families as well. Booking was simple through Gideon's excellent website, and his directions made finding the marina and his slip easy and stress-free. I can't recommend Let's Go Sailing highly enough. If you're looking for a relaxing, memorable, and authentic way to experience Lake Champlain, this is it. A true five-star experience from start to finish. read more

My husband and I sailed with Gideon on a Saturday at 11 am. We lucked out as the weather couldn't be more perfect, sunny, clear, with a slight breeze on the water. We were celebrating pur 16th wedding anniversary and he truly made it special. The Beloved Mare is a great sailboat with plenty of seating in the usual area but also outfitted with benches made of pvc/wood up front to sit on as well. They fold down when not in use so these make the ride comfortable and enjoyable. Gideon furnished us with beverages and sunscreen to make us comfortable. There are facilities on board though we didn't partake. The fun part was learning about the geology and history of the area "Gideon-version." He was a hoot and made us all laugh so much. We really enjoyed our sail and highly recommend Gideon. read more

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We had such and amazing time on our sailing trip! It ended up being my moms favorite birthday gift, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. The boat, Beloved Mare, was beautiful, the scenery was incredible and it was such a fun and memorable way to celebrate together. The communication with Captain Gideon was excellent from start to finish. He was responsive, helpful, and flexible with timing to be sure we had the best weather for sailing. Captain Gideon taught us some history of the lake and some sailing tips, as well. He even had some tricks to keep my toddler entertained. We absolutely recommend sailing with Let's Go Sailing and we can't wait to do it again! read more

Really enjoyable. Easy to book, great captain, great experience. At one point my husband was helping to hoist sales! The loading dock is easy to find. read more

Gideon is wonderful! I surprised my parents for their 35th wedding anniversary with a sunset cruise on let's go sailing, the experience was great! My dad got to helm the boat, Gideon and crew were knowledgeable about lake Champlain, had some funny stories, and gave us information about sailing! I highly recommend any tour with him! Sunset cruise is a plus with a beautiful sky! read more

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Gideon was incredible. Not only did we have a great ride, but his stories and conversation were fascinating. He is so accommodating and hospitable. Would absolutely recommend this trip on beautiful Lake Champlain. 10/10 experience. read more

We've sailed with Gideon multiple times and will keep coming back. Gideon is a great guy and will go above and beyond to make the sail accommodating for you. Do you want a relaxing sail where you can forget your worries and just enjoy the day? Gideon can do that. Do you want to learn more about sailing and maybe spend some time on the helm? Gideon will answer your questions and let you sail the boat under his instruction. You want to celebrate or bring your own drinks on the boat? Gideon will let you do that. You have a dog who has separation anxiety? Gideon's boat is dog friendly. No matter the occasion, you will have a great time with Gideon! read more

So much fun and informative, sailing out into Lake Champlain. Next time I'd do the sunset cruise! I even got to bring my large dog, Gideon was very accommodating to him even though Miles was a little scared. read more

Lets go Sailing - Miles - Sailing Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Captain Gideon was great guide and Captain. A fun and perfect afternoon on Lake Lane Champlain! Can't recommend him enough read more

Lets go Sailing - Perfect sailing day! - Sailing Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

My friends and I had such an amazing sunset sail with Captain Gideon. We felt like we were on a family member's boat because of how kind, hospitable, and personable he was. It was truly a night I will never forget due to the calmness of the water, beautiful sunset, and great conversations. I highly recommend booking with him!! read more

Lets go Sailing - Sunset from the boat - Sailing Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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the sail was 2 hours, just the right amount of time. we didn't have much wind so capt Gideon used a combination of sails and the motor when needed. he was interesting to talk to and very nice. an enjoyable trip. definitely recommend read more

We had the most amazing trip last night. Gideon was our Captain. He warned us that it would be very windy tonight and it would feel like a roller coaster ride and gave us a chance to cancel with a full refund, but we declined. And off we went. The views were beautiful. Both Gideon and his mate Drew were in control and never wavered when the water became very choppy. We felt very safe and enjoyed every minute of this ride. We would highly recommend this cruise! It was worth every penny! read more

The instructor appeared to be drunk and insisted we did not go sailing that day due to the wind, despite us seeing other sailboats already sailing on the water. He insisted we go on another boat with another instructor. He was also spitting on the boat as we were discussing weather or not to get on the boat with him. The boat was messy, with ropes everywhere. The instructor offered us alcohol multiple times and we told him we did not drink. Then afterwords, makes a joke asking if we want "coke". Not what I was expecting. Me and my boyfriend ended up choosing to not go on his boat. Very dissapointed. read more

I was recently in Burlington with my 3 lifelong friends celebrating a milestone birthday. I was able to book an early afternoon sail. We had such an amazing time. Gideon is warm and chatty and very personable ,He made us feel like his guests. The boat is beautiful and Lake Champlain is so peaceful and serene. Highly recommend booking! read more

My two friends and I enjoyed this relaxing sunset cruise on Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT. Captain Gideon was charming and with many great stories and fun facts about the history of Burlington and the lake, along with wonderful conversations. We had fabulous views from any seat on the boat, a dream to this old KY gal. If you are looking for a more private and personal sailboat charter, this is for you. Highly recommend. read more

We had an absolutely wonderful afternoon on Lake Champlain with Gideon. He truly understands Customer Service as he shares his love for lake Champlain and boating. In addition to being a wealth of information about the lake, He also took time to get to know us so that he can recommend other things we would like to do while visiting Vermont. He serves wine, beer, water and Gatorade. Limit 6 people per trip. You can find his boat when you are facing the boat house in Burlington Vermont by just looking to the right. Highly recommend this sailing excursion for anyone who loves to be on the water. read more

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Gideon is an amazing guide; the type that makes you feel quickly at ease and yet also empowers you by teaching you the basics of sailing (if you are interested in learning), even though he could simply just take the helm himself. Super calm, affable, and a master at both his trade and at getting others to feel adept at taking the wheel-10/10, no question. read more

Lets go Sailing - Sailing Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

If you are looking to go sailing in Burlington, Vermont and you have found Let's Go Sailing - look no further! This is the best sailing experience you can have.The 30 foot boat accommodates 6 people offering you an intimate sailing experience. Great for a small group or to meet others who are sailing with you. Gideon is a very experienced sailor and an extremely nice person - very interesting, easy to talk to with great information, wonderful stories and an excellent sense of humor. He does his best, if the wind cooperates, to go out under full sail offering a wonderful experience where all you hear is the sounds of the wind, the water and the boat. He will even let you be part of the crew by letting you steer the boat if you wish. Sailing with Gideon and Let's Go Sailing is a relaxing but yet an exhilarating experience and one not to be missed when you are in Burlington, Vermont. read more

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Our Captain was Gideon. We arrived at the boat slip 30 mins prior to scheduled departure. No boat. At 5 till we called to be sure there was no mix up. He said he was on his way back and to watch for him. We did. He called us at ten after and asked us where we were and we said sitting here looking at the empty dock. He said turn around and look at me I am not there I am over here in a different dock. He was oddly furious at us for not knowing this information that he didn't provide. Once on the boat he refused to speak to us or make eye contact with us and only spoke to the other two passengers when he wasn't on his phone. The views were nice. The boat is nice. But we felt extremely uncomfortable at how angry and aggressive our captain was. read more

This was my second time sailing with Captain Gideon, and I'm so glad I was able to bring my parents, sister, and friends along for the ride! Gideon was very accommodating re: scheduling, as my family was only in town for a few days and the weather was a bit unpredictable. The sailboat can fit up to 7 passengers, but even when full, there was ample comfortable seating. It was really nice that we could all sit around the steering wheel and chat with Gideon - he has great local recommendations, and is a very warm and funny person. This was the perfect escape from Burlington during UVM graduation weekend! If you're going at the beginning or end of the season, definitely bring some warm layers as it can get chilly out on the water. And if you have a camera, the views of Burlington and the rest of the lake are beautiful! read more

Lets go Sailing - Sailing Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Had an incredible time with Captain Gideon. He was fun, knowledgeable and a joy to spend some time with. He let me and my group steer the boat while explaining what to do. We'd absolutely go again. read more

I waited 2 weeks after our experience with Gideon to process what had happened, talk to others about it and sleep on it and after all of that, I still cannot justify anything but a 1 star review and anyone I share this experience with is just as confused and angry as I am about it. Our boat was scheduled to leave at 4pm from the dock. My family and I had trouble finding parking downtown on a busy Saturday afternoon and by the time we got a spot, only 5 minutes walking distance away from the dock, it was 3:55 pm. We called Gideon immediately on his cell to say we had just parked and that we were so sorry but we would be a few minutes after 4 - Gideon replied "No problem! I'll see you when you get here!". This is not paraphrased- these were his exact words. I am a small business owner and take terms and conditions very seriously- if he had said, "folks, we leave promptly at 4" we would have completely understood and respected that as it was not anyone else's fault but ours that we found parking when we did. But Gideon didn't say that. Still, we hustled to get down to the dock and between a bad knee on my part and heavy foot traffic on the street between our car and the dock, we arrived at the slip at 4:04. I know this because I hate to be late and I was watching every single minute. As we are standing on the dock, in the spot where we were told to meet Gideon to board the boat, we see a boat that looks like the one we paid for a few yards away, having just left. My husband immediately calls him back on his cell and says "we are here ... is that you who just took off?" and Gideon suddenly has a very different tone to him. He says something incoherent and we can see the boat circling back. At this point, my family and I are confused because we don't know why he left us when we literally just spoke to him on the phone. It takes Gideon about 5 minutes to circle back to the dock and his energy is aggressive- no greeting us or acknowledging that he left us after just speaking to us on the phone. We say "Hi, thank you so much for coming back for us. We are so sorry we were late! I'm confused why you left us though when we just spoke to you and you said "no problem". He responds aggressively by saying "I leave at 4!" to which I said, then why did you say "no problem" on the phone when we told you we would be a few minutes behind?? He then throws his hands up and says, "I have an idea, how about I refund your money and you get away from me!" We were shocked, standing there holding a bag full of picnic food and drink and there was a restaurant full of people just feet away from us on the dock staring at us because Gideon was shouting and gesturing so wildly and our 7 year old son was holding back tears. We accepted the refund because there was no way we'd get on the boat with someone so suddenly angry and unprofessional and honestly, we still feel wildly confused about what happened but know we will never use this service or recommend it. read more

We booked a 2 hour sailing excursion on lake Champlain and we had a great time! The sail boat was lovely and Gideon, the captain, was an accomplished sailor who was able to provide really interesting commentary about the lake, islands and shoreline. This was a really excellent way to spend the afternoon . I would highly recommend this activity. read more