Before boats, the only way to traverse an ocean was to hitch a piggyback ride on a water-walking lizard. Hone your boating skills for aquatic excursions with today's Groupon: for $95, you get a one-day sailing-introduction course (a $190 value) at The Maryland School of Sailing & Seamanship, which sets sail from Lankford Bay Marina in Rock Hall. Various dates are available May through October, Monday through Sunday, some of which include May 22, June 12, July 24, August 14, August 21, September 25, and October 16. Call for more date availability.

Behind the tiller of a 32-foot cruiser, up-and-coming captains in the one-day introductory course need not have earned their sea legs before boarding. The rugged Island Packet yachts launch for this class throughout the summer, and the Coast Guard–licensed instructors provide pupils a taste of more long-term advanced classes, as well as soundproof earmuffs in case of siren encounters. Pack a lunch for this aquatically edifying adventure, and prepare to grasp the gunwale as you marvel at Chesapeake Bay's captivating, encapsulating horizons.