Join the crew ↗
Share your love of the water. Help local children discover what they can do. Become part of our sailing community in Eleuthera, The Bahamas.
We’re a nonprofit sailing school helping local children become captains of their own lives.
At our home in Savannah Sound, local children, families, coaches, volunteers and visiting sailors come together through sailing and watersports. Our social mission comes first: helping young people build confidence, independence, teamwork and a connection with nature. From their first time at the helm to preparing for a regatta, every child deserves encouragement and the chance to grow.
ESA is also a growing competitive sailing academy. Our sailors have competed internationally and reached Gold Fleet at the Optimist World Championships. Our groups keep evolving, and we teach the whole journey—from a child’s first sail to competitive racing.
We also run visiting camps, school trips, private lessons and rentals for guests and tourists. These activities help fund our nonprofit work and keep opportunities open for local children.
Get to know ESA ↗
A mix of teaching, coaching, practical work and island adventure. Your role follows your experience, the program and the conditions.
Teach Optimist learn-to-sail sessions, help young sailors find their confidence, and coach Optimist racing. Sail double-handed Vanguard 15s and introduce teamwork, boat handling and the fun of racing together.
Windsurfing, kitesurfing and wingfoiling bring another dimension to ESA. Being able to teach any of these is a big plus. Kayaking, paddleboarding and watersports games keep the days varied and full of discovery.
Help repair boats, maintain equipment and keep the sailing school ready for each day. Practical work includes rigging, cleaning, checking fittings and upkeep around the school. Get involved in community activities and events, build connections with local families and lend a hand where it’s needed.
Working here means getting involved in the life around the sailing school: children, families, local schools and a community with deep ties to the sea.
Build relationships over repeat sessions. Bring patience, learn names, celebrate small breakthroughs and make the water a welcoming place for everyone.
We teach local school groups and students at Cape Eleuthera’s Island School, and are starting programs in North Eleuthera. Help establish and grow these opportunities, adapting activities to each school and group.
Help young sailors prepare for local regattas and national competition. Get to know Bahamian sloop sailing and the traditions surrounding it. Events and opportunities vary with the season and program.
Turquoise water.
Fresh challenges.
Friends for life.
ESA is based in Savannah Sound, a small community on Eleuthera. You’ll spend time with local families, have a home aboard Bazinga and work outdoors around the wind and weather. Bring curiosity, flexibility and a love of adventure.
Enjoy the beaches, explore the coastline and get to know the community. Coaches and volunteers can use the sailing school’s equipment—boats, kites, wings and boards—when available and suited to their experience and the conditions. A car is also available to explore the island when it isn’t needed by the team.
We’re looking for people who love adventure and feel at home in nature. Expect heat, mosquitoes, simple routines and plenty of time outdoors, in exchange for turquoise water, island exploration and meaningful work. It isn’t for everyone—but if that sounds like your kind of adventure, you’ll love it here.
Accommodation is provided for both roles. Volunteers also receive food and cover their own travel and personal expenses. Coaching positions include travel, accommodation aboard Bazinga and work permits. Compensation is discussed privately before your placement.
More about your home aboard Bazinga ↓Your own space on the water: a catamaran anchored in front of the sailing school, surrounded by turquoise water and turtles.
Both volunteers and coaches stay aboard Bazinga. A short paddleboard trip takes you between the boat and the school—an everyday journey across Savannah Sound.
Bazinga gives you your own space to unwind after a day of teaching, sailing and adventure. Wake up close to nature, watch turtles in the turquoise water and enjoy the slower rhythm of life afloat.
Come ready for simple boat life, fresh air and warm nights. Bazinga has a kitchen, fans and a composting toilet—everything for a practical home close to nature.
If more coaches or volunteers are staying at the same time, Bazinga may be shared. We’ll confirm arrangements and what to pack before you arrive.
Bring your energy, your skills and a willingness to get involved.
Support the instructors. Connect with local kids. Make your time on the island count.
Help with youth sessions, launching and packing away, watersports activities and boat care. Responsibilities match your skills and experience, with support from the ESA team.
Explore volunteering ↓Lead sessions, develop young sailors and bring your experience to our programs.
Teach beginners, coach racing, work with school and visiting groups, and help maintain a safe, ready-to-sail fleet. Strong dinghy skills and youth teaching experience are central to the role.
Explore the coaching job ↓Spend 2 weeks to 1 month helping local children discover the water—with a catamaran to call home and an island to explore.
You’ll work alongside our instructors, bringing encouragement, extra hands and fresh energy to the programs. It’s a chance to share what you love, learn from the team and see a different side of The Bahamas.
You support the instructors; you aren’t expected to arrive knowing everything. Clear English is mandatory, along with a responsible approach, a willingness to help and a real interest in working with children.
A kind word, a good game or a patient explanation can change a child’s whole day.
Get to know local families, sailing traditions and life in a small island community.
Bring your sense of adventure. There’s plenty of fun alongside the meaningful work.
A hands-on coaching position with a higher level of responsibility: developing sailors, delivering programs and keeping a small sailing school running well.
Our competitive sailing program has taken young sailors onto the international stage, including Gold Fleet at the Optimist World Championships. Every group is different and keeps changing: some children are discovering sailing, while others are ready to train and race. We need coaches who enjoy developing both.
Led by Martin Manrique, ESA organizes clinics with the Bahamas national sailing team and serves as a training centre for sailors preparing for international events. We collaborate with other sailing schools across The Bahamas, sharing knowledge and supporting young sailors’ development.
We want to expand our impact through school programs, introducing more young people to sailing and creating a path from their first lesson to regular training.
We’re looking to build a windsurfing team and open another route into watersports and competition. Coaches with the skills and enthusiasm to help develop it can make a real difference.
We’re exploring the acquisition of 420s for high school team racing, alongside a wider ambition to expand into more classes and give young sailors new challenges.
There is a lot to build—and that’s part of the opportunity. We’re looking for motivated coaches who want to take initiative, develop programs and create a lasting impact in the local community.
This is a varied, demanding role for someone who enjoys both teaching and the practical work behind a good program. You’ll move between local children, school groups, the competition team and visiting guests, bringing the same care and professionalism to each.
A reliable, energetic instructor with youth teaching experience, confident dinghy handling, basic racing skills and relevant certifications. Optimist racing experience is particularly valuable. English is mandatory.
You should enjoy working with children, welcoming visitors, solving practical problems and taking initiative. Be ready to help build programs as well as teach them—from local schools and North Eleuthera to The Island School, private tourism lessons and watersports activities. Weather, school groups, clinics, camps, regattas and repairs shape the work.
Visiting camps, tourism, private lessons and rentals help fund our nonprofit mission. Welcoming guests, running activities well and caring for equipment help keep opportunities available for local children.
PrepareCheck conditions, plan the session and get boats and equipment ready.
Teach & coachWork with a school group, beginners, racers or private clients.
Care & resetDebrief sailors, check and rinse gear, complete repairs and prepare for the next group.
An illustration of the work, rather than a fixed timetable. Activities vary with the program and weather.
We value the person as much as the sailing CV. This is a small team in a remote island community: initiative, kindness and reliability matter every day.
You must be able to communicate clearly in English to teach, give safety instructions and work with our students and team.
For coaches: relevant sailing or instructor certifications, experience teaching youth, confident dinghy handling and basic racing skills. Optimist racing experience is especially valuable. Volunteers: tell us your sailing experience and how you can help.
Patience with beginners, positive communication with children and families, sound judgment on the water, and a willingness to help with repairs and everyday tasks.
Experience and qualifications to teach kitesurfing, wingfoiling or windsurfing are especially welcome. Tell us which disciplines you teach and at what level.
We welcome applications for all four seasons. Each season is a three-month block; exact dates and placements are agreed with the ESA team.
March · April · May
June · July · August
September · October · November
December · January · February
Coaching placements last 1–3 months within a season. Volunteers can join for 2 weeks to 1 month within a season.
Planning and checking conditions, rigging boats, teaching or assisting on the water, debriefing with sailors, then rinsing and storing equipment. Other days may focus on school groups, racing or maintenance. This is an example, rather than a fixed daily timetable.
No. Tell us what you can teach confidently and share your qualifications. Sailing is at the core of our programs; kite, wing and windsurf teaching are valuable additional skills.
It’s a chance to combine meaningful work with a remarkable place. Our local children and programs depend on a reliable team. Expect to contribute fully on your workdays and enjoy the island on your time off.
Your dates, role, experience, accommodation, travel arrangements, expenses and any paperwork needed for your stay. Coaching positions include travel, accommodation and work permits; we’ll confirm the full arrangements privately before your placement. Ask us about anything that matters to your decision.
ESA is part of the Make Them Sailors community, a network that helps make sailing more accessible to young people. Co-founded by ESA directors Martin Manrique and Carlien Pels, Make Them Sailors grew out of their sailing journey through the Caribbean and a belief that access to a boat can open new possibilities.
Make Them Sailors connects supporters with community sailing programs, helping bring equipment, resources and opportunities to young sailors. ESA puts that shared purpose into practice here in Eleuthera, through consistent teaching, local relationships and time on the water.
Discover Make Them Sailors ↗Tell us why you’d like to join, when you’re available and what you can bring to the team. Choose volunteering or coaching and your preferred season and year, then prepare your application email. Already applied? You can reply to our email with these details.
eleutherasailingacademy@gmail.com ↗