With many school available, learning to sail is easy.

Have you ever sat watching a sailboat pass by, and idled wondered whether you could swap dry land for a life on the ocean wave – at least for a few days?

It’s easier than you think. Jonathan Gambin of www.maltacharters.com fell into sailing entirely by accident when his daughter asked to go sailing for her birthday in 2005. He was instantly hooked. He learnt how to sail himself and now owns a fleet of 15 yachts.

Jonathan has helped plenty of first-time sailors get started since then. His top tip? Find a friend with a boat. “If one would like to take up sailing, one should first of all make friends with someone who owns a yacht,” he says. That gives the novice an opportunity to find out whether they actually like sailing and to try it in a relaxed atmosphere.

To go it alone, you’ll need a nautical licence. That means attending a Basic Seamanship and Safe Boathandling Course. Once you’ve passed that, it’s a simple matter of applying for the licence at the Malta Transport Centre.

Gambin says that this requirement shouldn’t put people off. “The basic nautical licence is quite easy to get, has a reasonable price tag and the classes are informative and useful.” The course fee is €125, the exam costs €35 and the license costs €23.18. It takes one evening and a full day to complete, requiring no previous experience.

The only pitfall I can foresee is overconfidence and being presumptuous

He recommends taking a longer evening class course though to become a yacht master. “The classes teach more about navigation, and explain the use of charts and GPS in quite some detail. You will learn how to use the instruments on board, including working with diesel engines, first aid, fire fighting, survival, the weather systems, clouds etc. They also teach you the rules of the road and some very basic maritime law. At the end, there are both oral and written exams.”

Having passed the course, you’re ready to charter a yacht, which is obviously much cheaper than owning one. Gambin explains: “The important thing is that the skipper is confident enough to handle the yacht, and that comes with practice.”

The amount of time it takes to be well-prepared depends on the person. Gambin says: “Some are quick to learn; others take a bit longer. It depends on the interest they take.”

Once you get going, it’s generally plain sailing. “The only pitfall I can foresee is overconfidence and being presumptuous.  In sailing, one never knows enough.” Gambin’s advice for rapid progess is to become part of a racing crew. It’s the best way to learn quickly.

Luckily for budding sailors, Malta is a great place to learn to sail, with excellent conditions. Gambin notes that it’s windy more often than not and that “there are no dangerous reefs; it’s generally a safe environment with an efficient set up for assistance”.

Many people are deterred from sailing by the idea that it’s an expensive pastime, but Jonathan says it does not have to be. If you befriend a sailor, you might only need to chip in a few euros. Otherwise, chartering a yacht costs less than you might think. “Groups can go out for a sail on charter for only around €40 each per outing for a day.”

Once you have your licence, you could in theory sail the 58 nautical miles to Sicily and or even Lampedusa and beyond. But for beginners, it’s best to start small; a nice weekend trip might be to depart from Valletta, sail around Comino, then return to easy anchoring in Mellieħa for the evening, before sailing the boat back again the next day.

And returning to the splendor of the Grand Harbour with the wind in your hair and a day’s exhilarating sailing behind you is an unbeatable experience. With Malta’s incredible coastline so easily accessible for everyone, there’s really no excuse to remain a landlubber all your life.