Captain Jonathan was knowledgeable about lots of things, very experienced ,funny and great company. We enjoyed our sail around the bay and would do it again! read more

See all

It was a perfect day. Warm enough to be in short sleeve shirts. The sailboat was a very cool way to explore the bay and learn about some of the incredible landmarks that make the area unique. Also we saw a dolphin and some seals. Johnathan was friendly and knowledgeable. read more

SailNOW - Sail on the boat - A sailboat with a prominent sail is on the water, with a clear blue sky and some clouds in the background. - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Such an incredible experience! We had the best weather, and Jonathan is so knowledgeable about the Bay. The perfect way to spend an afternoon!! read more

absolutely worth it and Jonathon is an amazing captain! Definitely will go again in the near future!

What a wonderful time last Sunday ! Even when we thought the weather was maybe tricky (fog) ! Captain Jonathan had a plan and kept us enjoying the sail !!! Enjoy the water from Tiburon to Sausalito! So glad we scheduled it in advance and well worth the wait Thanks for safe and serene time! We will be back again and highly recommend! read more

I've always wanted to sail on the Bay, so when I saw the Groupon I jumped at the opportunity. Captain Jonathan was very communicative about scheduling and what to expect. It was so fun to sail with someone who is so knowledgable and easy to talk to. His boat is great- and feels very seaworthy. We felt very safe with him. The cruise was gorgeous of course - it's the Bay! We went over to Sausalito and the captain had a lot of historical facts to share with us about the islands we passed. Highly recommend. And there are cool perches at the aft which are quite fun! My 80 yr old mom had a lot of fun as well. read more

See all

A wonderful experience!! Thank you Cpt. Jonathan! Captain Jonathan's ability to effectively communicate and connect with his guests was outstanding. He effortlessly shared his extensive knowledge of sailing, the sea, and the destinations we visited, making each moment informative and captivating. His genuine enthusiasm for the marine environment was inspiring, and he fostered a deep appreciation for responsible sailing practices. read more

SailNOW - We had a wonderful time with Cpt. Jonathan!! - A sailing boat with six passengers on the water in San Francisco Bay, with the boat's name and location visible. - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Just give me my money back. The owner was not happy I asked if I can reschedule a week out and he cancelled my boat ride. Worst part is he refused to give me my money back. Beware if you make him unhappy he will just take your money and ask you not to talk to him again or he is going to sue you! read more

SailNOW - Scammer, beware you will not get a boat ride from this guy and you won't get your money back - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've been sailing numerous times before + this was the first sailing experience for my girlfriend. This was a wonderful experience for us both. Captain Jonathan was a lot of fun + very informative. The weather was beautiful + we even saw some wildlife. I highly recommend and I'm already planning our next sail out with SailNOW. read more

A simply great trip. Jonathan was a gracious, informative and engaging host. We benefitted from unusually good weather so it was leisurely and relaxing and the sail-bys of Angel Island, Tiburon, Belvedere and especially Alcatraz were outstanding. We all agreed we'd do this trip again in a minute! read more

Thank you Jonathan for the beautiful day Sailing in the San Francisco Bay! We had a memorable, fun experience and felt save with you out there. Everything was well organized and well communicated. Can highly recommend! read more

Had a funtastic time with Captain Jon on a beautiful Bay Area Sunday. Super knowledgeable about everything sailing and marine based, and has a lot of experience on the sea in general. Patient with all my questions, and the boat itself was well organized and made for a smooth sail. Was happy to help me out with any boat purchases in the future. Had a great couple on board with us as well. Unforgettable experience! read more

Amazing! Had a wonderful time. The captain was funny and knowledgeable. We felt very safe too. Would recommend to anyone. read more

SailNOW - A view of the Golden Gate Bridge form the boat. - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Did an intro to sailing class. Had a great time and can't recommend enough if you are looking for a low pressure environment to try out sailing. read more

Captain Johnathan is so experienced, friendly, and humorous. He truly made our first sailing trip enjoyable and memorable. Thank you! read more

SailNOW - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Absolutely horrible experience. I booked them through the groupon. I was share an incorrect address and when I arrived, I was told it's not the correct address. I was blamed for not asking for the correct address. On top of that, I was asked that I have to pay a rescheduling fee if I want to book an alternate date. read more

So much fun! It was a great day on the bay! Will do it again for sure! We saw dolphins, seals, many birds and some really cool ships and sail boats. Also learned a lot about the bay and the history of the area. It was great!! read more

We had an amazing day sailing out on the bay today. Weather was perfect and we got to go close to the Golden Gate Bridge. Captain Jonathan was great, sharing lots of local knowledge, and many, many jokes. He has a wealth of sailing experience and he answered all of our question. Would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for a fun, easy going day out on the water read more

A wonderful day on the bay thanks to Captain Jonathan. Weather was beautiful, we even spotted some dolphins, and the only regret I had was that the 'small craft advisory' never materialized (even though some crew members considered themselves lucky!). Small boat, which makes it even more unique and you are encouraged to be hands on (but can also sit back and relax if you wish). Great experience and would do it again in a heartbeat! read more

SailNOW - A sailboat with its sails up is on the water, with the San Francisco Bay Bridge visible in the background under a clear blue sky. - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We had a beautiful day, the Sun, Dolphins and Seals showed up for today. The captain was very knowledgeable about the water, his boat , Angel Islas and the history of the surrounding bay formation. We had a very nice time on the Bay in December read more

SailNOW - We had a really nice time on the Bay the Sun, dolphins and Seals showed up today. - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Captain Jonathan is incredibly down to earth, educated on the Bay Area, and very understanding. We had a great time learning about the history of Angel Island and also hearing about all the adventures that the captain has embarked on. We were late to our reservation (mostly due to Apple Maps sucking- partially my fault hehe) and he was incredibly calm and accommodating. We would recommend this trip to anybody who is interested in having a relaxing day out on the water with some snacks and drinks. Would definitely do this again soon. read more

Awesome day sailing. Captain Jonathan was great. We had wonderful views and sailing experience!!!! Would do this again in a heartbeat!!!! read more

SailNOW - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We had the best time with Captain Jonathan. He shared his knowledge along with his hilarious sense of humor. It was a beautiful day and wonderful experience! Thank you! read more

SailNOW - Taking a chance at the helm! - Boat Charters Near Me - Berkeley, California

We LOVED sailing San Francisco Bay with Captain Jonathan. We made arrangements to camp one night on Angel Island and then hhs picked us up there and saaiked us across the Bay to Berkeley. Captain Jonathan got to the dock a couple minutes before us. He waits Ed patiently and chatted as we got coffee. Then we had the most enjoyable three hours. The water was calm and there was a slight 7 knot wind. We cruised casually and chatted as we soaked up the sun and ate our lunch. Soooo fun. Captain Jonathan first and foremost is a professional He is safe, and he is an expert at his craft. After than he is fun and delightful to be around. His boat is clean, solid and comfortable. I'd recommend Captain Jonathan to anyone--local or visiting. Sailing thhe Bay is one of life''s best experiences. Thanks Captain J!!! read more

While down on vacation, my aunt booked a tour of the bay with Captain Jonathan. It was my first time sailing and boy was it fun. Captain Jonathan was very informative on the surrounding landscape and waters which made for a great tour of the bay. I would strongly recommend Captain Jonathan to anyone and I'm looking forward for another trip out in the bay the next time I'm down here. read more

See all

Great time. Highly recommend. Captain was very informative and did a great job and even let me drive!

What a great experience! I took my girlfriend out on a cruise with SailNow with the Groupon deal and I enjoyed every bit of it. Jonathan is definitely extremely knowledgable about sailing and is very sociable. We went around the bay and got an amazing view. We even saw dolphins at one point! Booking a date online was easy. The process is detailed on his website. Before our scheduled date, he even emailed and called me to let me know about the details and to make sure I brought everything I needed (ex. sunscreen). Jonathan is great and very honest about his business. Highly recommended. read more

We had such a fun adventure with Captain Jonathan, this weekend. His knowledge of sailing, experience of the bay and fun sense of humor made it very special. The dolphins he ordered were a bonus. If you are looking for a special voyage, call the Captain! read more

There are many places around the Bay to learn about sailing or sharpen your skills, but Sailnow and Jonathan Ganz is in a special category. Jonathan focuses on all the proper fundamentals and builds these into as advanced a sailing session as you can handle. Jonathan has a US Coast Guard license (100GT) and an encyclopedic knowledge of boats and the bay. My wife and I have been sailing for many years but decided to spent a day on the water with Jonathan to sharpen our docking and anchoring skills. I have completed a US Sailing bareboat certification class and done a couple weeklong trips in the Caribbean, but wanted to practice close-quarters maneuvers, docks and anchors. After acquainting us with all aspects of his (well-maintained) boat, Jonathan took us out and gave us a good day of practice and instruction. We anchored for lunch, navigated the docks and marina, and got lots of practice with docking, propwalk, dock lines, etc. I would recommend Sailnow and Jonathan for any level of sailor who wants to learn more. There may be many choices for people who can teach you the basics, but only someone like Jonathan and Sailnow can help you build your skills up to become a truly serious sailor. read more

My wife and I and another couple got a 2-day sail lesson with Jonathan off Groupon. Jonathan was very very knowledgeable, fun and really let us all participate in sailing the boat. He let all of us take the helm, trim sails and even dock the boat. It was a lot of fun and I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to take a basic sailing lesson. read more

My family and I had great morning sailing with Jonathan. He was very prepared and walked through all the safety procedures, took the time to explain how the boat worked, especially to my very interested 11 year old boy. He had both my 11 year old and my 15 year old girl engaged in sailing, showing them how the wind interacted with the sail. On the trip from Richmond we saw Saucelito, Angle Island, Treasure Island, Berkley, the Bay and Golden Gates Bridges, Mt Tam in the distance, and of course the SF skyline. All and all, even with light winds and a chilly morning, we had a great time and my kids are definitely ready to get out sailing again. I would not hesitate to book another trip with SailNow.com read more

Our family went out with Jonathan last weekend and had a fabulous time! What a perfect way to see the bay. We even spotted some seals and dolphins. Jonathan was very knowledgeable about the area and provided excellent commentary on our voyage! Great conversations, great views and great weather! Looking forward to the next time we set sail! read more

The facts : - $189 sail Boat ride for two.400% more expensive than other sail boat rides I've purchased on groupon. - Boat fits 6 passengers. The boat was small for 6 adult American passengers. Although Jonathan let us sit by the mast (depending on conditions + his approval) %60 of our time was spent in the cockpit which was pretty cramped. Jonathan kept having to walk over us to get to certain places of the boat. Yes, there was space in the cabin but when you're on a sailboat you don't really want to spend time in the cabin, you'd rather be outside smelling the fresh sea air. - 1 skipper, no crew : Jonathan kept asking us to perform tasks on the boat, flip this switch here, pull this rope there, turn this knob here. Although these tasks were menial, this was not my idea of someone taking me out for a sailboat ride. - boat ride was 4 hours long (refer to a map of the bay area for this part of the review) : we left Point Richmond at 10am and sailed in between there and tiburon for about 4 hours. A majority of our time was spent sailing in the middle of the bay with a view of the San Rafael bridge to starboard, a foggy bay bridge and treasure island to port, and our bow facing Tiburon and Angel island. We pretty much stayed in the same area for about 2.5-3 hours. The last 1-1.5 hours were spent getting to the middle part of the bay, turning around at Tiburon and going back to port. Make sure you bring food and water because it is not provided on this trip - which I am not complaining about, but to give you some perspective the other sail boat ride I purchased on Group On for $40 for two people had food, coffee, and Mimosas! It is a good thing Jonathan is funny and easy to talk to because the boat ride was pretty much a get to know everybody around you. I'm all for getting to know folks but my goal was to have a nice day with my girlfriend, which we still did because we made the most of it. Jonathan, Please purchase seat cushions for future guests. Thank you for the great experience. read more

I have been sailing several times in the Bay area and many times in San Diego, but have never had a more fun and exciting sailing experience. Jonathan was professional, knowledgeable, and he really knows his stuff. I really appreciated the clear and concise directions and was able to learn some sailing terms and procedures on his beautiful boat. If you want to learn to sail, you could not find a better teacher than Jonathan. I recommend him Sailnow for the beginner and experienced sailor alike! read more

This was our first time sailing. I'm glad that I chose to sail with Captain Jonathan. He is very professional, kind and fun. We had a great time sailing in the bay. The only regret was we didn't see any dolphins... Probably that's the reason we should go again! read more

The highest of high recommendations for Sailnow! We went out today with Captain Jonathan and another couple (an adventurous octogenarian and septuagenarian who were self-described "recidivists" because this was their 2nd trip with Sailnow), and we all just had a blast...I think our fearless leader did as well. Our experience was terrific...Capt. Jonathan is extremely knowledgable and experienced, as I'd estimate he has been sailing for 35+ years and is a frequent sailing instructor. He knows the Bay like the back of his hand and provides a wealth of information about the sights, the history, experiences and a lot more intangible stuff that you just wouldn't get from many others. And he is cracking jokes throughout...as he is the first to admit, some are corny, but almost all elicit a chuckle haha. On our trip we sailed around Angel Island, saw a sailboat race, witnessed dolphins and seals, and took pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, and had Alcatraz nearby too of course. The boat, seating a max of 5 people comfortably on cushioned seats, was smooth sailing on on windy parts and calm spots (with motor there) alike. Can pack yourself a lunch and eat up top or down below (small fridge on board too). And the boat launch (by Richmond Yacht Club in or near Berkeley off of I-580) is next to a big stretch of state park, for making a day of it before or after your sail. A great time, highly recommended to everyone. I wouldn't sail with another company, this is great guys! read more

So I decide to do something different on my birthday...and Sail Now wins the coin toss! I'm very much a novice to the world of sailing, but Jonathan pretty much made it unintimidating and enjoyable. A quick tip, arrive early. No cell service in the area. But who needs interruptions when you're doing something worthwhile? Take away? You sail for the love of it, and this is what Jonathan is about. We loved his wealth of knowledge, interesting stories, practicality and down to earth attitude. I wouldn't mind going again. Sailing SF Bay can be complicated, but he makes it very manageable. read more

Jonathan took me and five friends sailing this past weekend in the Bay on a roundtrip tour from Point Richmond to Alameda, and, apparently, I have no sea legs whatsoever. But Jonathan was very calm, reassuring, and supportive, and he's obviously very knowledgeable about sailing, his boat, and the Bay Area. read more

My friends and I had a great day sailing the bay with Jonathan! He was excellent to communicate with as he would also reply within an hour or so. He also offered me an excellent rate. He was very funny, easy going and interesting to talk to. He is also a highly skilled sailor so we felt very comfortable sailing with him. We showed up an hour late and he actually let us stay out sailing longer than originally scheduled to make up for it. I would highly recommend sailing with Jonathan and will be sure to again next time I have friends in town who want to go sailing. read more

Jonathan is an excellent sailing instructor. On a recent bay excursion with myself and five other guests aboard his boat, Jonathan executed a flawless trip from Point Richmond to Alameda and back. Conditions on the bay that day were lovely but what I would consider for expert-skippers only: high winds with whitecaps, crowded with other boats (including enormous freighters and numerous yacht races), and a crew with little or no sailing experience and some with no sea legs at all. Jonathan began the trip with a tutorial about the boat and familiarized us with the techniques we would be using to cross the bay. Early on, I had made up my mind I would stay out of the way and let the others "sail" the boat; however, it wasn't long before I was helping with the sheet lines while we tacked and jibed up the channel. Jonathan was both easy-going and no-nonsense, which was a perfect way to handle his crew for a maximally enjoyable experience! Thank you, Jonathan! SailNow is the only way to sail in San Francisco Bay!!! read more