Portland Sailing Center

Cliff's Notes

We're not doing lessons in the winter. We had a booth at the Portland Boat Show, and some students from 2011 went sailing in Mexico for a week in January. We're getting ready for Spring classes which will begin April 7 and 8. Several boats are already full, so let us know if you would like to sign up. Classes will start at 1PM or 4PM Saturday or Sunday, you choose. As the season progresses and daylight extends we'll add evening classes--lots of fun there. We are also taking names for Sea Trials and Bonneville trips. The 2012 schedule is posted in the Adventures section.
 

Courses and Scheduling

Portland Sailing Center offers basic through advanced sailing classes, and several local adventures that are great fun as well as endlessly educational. The basic classes each run for fifteen hours, mostly on the water. Classes are made up of five or six lessons over as many days, usually meeting once or twice a week. Each lesson will be 2 1/2 or 3 hours long. New classes start when old ones finish and a boat and instructor become available. It's a scheduling challenge (!) but works well, usually.

Bonneville and Sea Trials are on a different schedule. Check the Sailing Adventures page for those dates.

Contact cliff at portlandsailing dot com (use @ and a dot in the usual address format) for questions or to sign up.
 

PSC 1— Sailing 1
• 15 hours — $299
• No prerequisite

Whether you pursue day sailing, racing, cruising, or the high seas there are no skills of greater value than basic manuevering, sail handling, boat management, terminology, etc. Sailing 1 also includes content that is particularly applicable to Columbia River Sailing, skills that will serve wherever there is current, ships or shoals.

At PSC we teach basic sailing on ballasted keelboats from 22 to 26 feet in length with one Coast Guard licensed Master per four students. Instructors emphasize safety and fun which puts casual students at ease while allowing the eager to flourish. Classes meet five or six times, once or twice a week for a total of fifteen hours, mostly on the water. Each lessons takes 2 1/2 or 3 hours. Course includes:


 

Confidence and grace come with practice. There are no short-cuts, no substitutes for time on the water under sail, working on basic skills and learning new ones, trying new things and different boats. At PSC we have four excellent options for graduates of Sailing 1:

  • PSC 2—Sailing 2
  • PSC 3—Sailing 1, revisited
  • PSC 4—Bonneville
  • PSC 5—Sea Trials

Each class is outlined below, followed by four other PSC offerings:
 

PSC 2— Sailing 2
• 15 hours —$319
• Prerequisite: Sailing 1

Sailing 2 is probably the best next step for new sailors. This is a continuation of Sailing 1 on a larger boat. You'll practice basic skills and learn new ones. Same five or six day format. Course includes:


 

PSC 3— Sailing 1, revisited.
• 15 hours — $279
• Prerequisite: Sailing 1

Repeat Sailing 1. You'll learn more the second time, and your mates will benefit from your experience.
 

PSC 4— Bonneville
• Overnight — $239
• Prerequisite: Sailing 1

Overnight, up river through Bonneville Locks, sail in the Gorge and return the next day. This is great good fun on a big boat. There is a lot to learn along the way, but it is not a structured class. Go to the Sailing Adventures page for more about this trip.
 

PSC 5— Sea Trials/Bareboat Chartering
• Two nights and most of three days — $449
• Prerequisite: Sailing 1

This is a great adventure with surprises and challenges at every turn. We'll go down the river from Portland and with fair conditions, across the Columbia River Bar and out to sea under sail for an afternoon, then back to Portland, all in one long weekend. You'll be amazed by the things you see and do. Course includes:

Students requiring certification with this class will pay an extra fee and must do a follow-up day to complete the required exercises for certification.Click on Sailing Adventures for more information or ask your PSC instructor about it.
 

PSC 6— Advanced Coastal Cruising
• Four to six days including offshore sailing — $699
• Prerequisites: Sailing 1 and Sea Trials.

Our version of ACC takes students off shore, so you need to be experienced and ready to go. Click Sailing Adventures and find Off Shore for more information on this trip.
 

PSC 7— Day Sailing in the Gorge
• $70 per hour, three hour minimum. $210 covers one or two people, add $10 per hour for additional sailors.
• Prerequisite: none but a venturesome spirit.

Sailing above Bonneville Dam is an exotic cocktail of fresh winds and beautiful scenery. John Schroeder of China Girl Sailing is a true veteran of Gorge sailing and runs a beautiful boat for the purpose. John also does Sea Trials, Off Shore, and often teaches basic sailing classes at PSC. Call John directly for sailing on China Girl: 503-704-4567.
 

PSC 8— Coastal Navigation
• 18 classroom hours — $329
• No prerequisite

Batteries die in your GPS? Better know a cardinal point from a bowsprit! This challenging classroom course covers all the basics of coastwise navigation including charts and plotting, tide and current calculations, terrestrial fixes, running fixes, aids to navigation (buoys, etc.), and more. We ran this class two times in the fall of 2011 with great reviews, but a shared desire for more classroom time, so we added three hours and raised the price $30; includes textbook, DVD, workbook, and three high quality chart plotting tools. Class is offered as demand dictates: expecting to do it again this spring, so let us know if you want to participate.
 

PSC 9— Celestial Navigation
• 24 classroom hours — Price to be determined
• No prerequisite

Though impractical and virtually obsolete, celestial navigation is a fascinating science. Seeing how it works is like a walk through history, and it's a great refresher in basic astronomy. Did you know that the celestial equator passes right through Orion's belt? Did you know your visual horizon on this spherical planet is less than three miles distant? We'll run this class when the stars align (student demand and instructor availability).
 

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