Welcome!
Portland Sailing Center is a sailing school on the Columbia River near Portland Airport. We have no memberships to offer and no boats to sell. All we do is teach sailing. We teach casual new sailors, ocean-bound cruisers, and anyone in-between. PSC is the only local school that is not conscripted to a nationally franchised curriculum. We are the only school whose curriculum is specifically crafted to fit the Columbia River, a great place to learn how to sail! And learning how to sail is much easier when working from a curriculum and textbook that reflects what students actually see and experience.
PSC's Basic program is presented in two distinct parts to build knowledge and confidence at a steady rate. The fifteen hours of Basic 1 are mostly on the water and have no scheduled lecture time, though we review textbook exercises in the classroom (unless the winds are especially fair!). Basic 2 puts students on a boat on their own, tethered to an instructor only by a VHF radio. This independence really ramps up the learning curve.
If bareboat chartering or ocean voyaging is in your future PSC has big boat classes and adventures to get you started. We have been sailing in the Gorge or over the Columbia River bar since the eighties, and frequently sponsor bareboat trips to the Sea of Cortez or the Carribean Sea.
Our location within Harbor 1 Marina (3307 NE Marine Drive) is easily accessible any time or day, and because our docks are on the main stem of the river our students spend more time sailing and less time in the harbor.
PSC's instructors are U.S. Coast Guard licensed Masters, veteran sailors as well as experienced teachers. All are adept at mixing education, safety, and fun.
Class schedules are flexible. Not only can we find a schedule for almost anyone, we can also find the wind! Our weeknight classes are especially productive, and are gilded with the pleasures of evenings on the river.
Sailboat rentals are available to qualified current or past students.
See Sailing Courses and Sailing Adventures for more information. Email to the address below or call the office at 503-281-6529 to ask questions or sign up.
© Portland Sailing Center
