Welcome!

Portland Sailing Center is a sailing school on the Columbia River near Portland Airport. We teach sailing on ballasted keelboats from 22 to 39 feet in length. Most classes are local, two sail in the Gorge, one on the ocean. Portland and the Columbia River is a wonderful place to sail, vastly underappreciated.

It's about Location,

PSC is at the center of the best sailing in Portland, at the widest and windiest point on the Columbia River. Our boats are mere seconds from the main stem: no commute time from dock to sailing.

Location,

PSC is by PDX, off Marine Drive. We are NOT on Hayden Island, so getting to us any time of day is relatively easy. This makes weeknight sailing enjoyable: access to the best winds, lightest traffic, and yes, some great sunsets.

Location,

We even have a boat moored at Cascade Locks, talk about some fine sailing...

Curriculum,

Only PSC is specifically crafted to exploit the natural places and conditions of the Columbia River. Our textbook, A Forest of Sails, and instructors take best advantage of local conditions to prepare you for challenges here and abroad.

Classes are spread out over several weeks. Students experience a variety of conditions and have time to absorb the material between lessons.

and Freedom.

PSC is one of the rare schools that is not conscripted to a national franchise. We are free to craft a program that exploits local conditions. We don't have to adapt a generic "sailing for dummies" approach.

For many years we subscribed to one of the national chains, but it was not satisfactory, and became too much about recruitment and not enough about sailing. 'nuf said...

our Mission

PSC is a sailing school, nothing more. We have no memberships to offer, no boats to sell you.

We are free to focus on how best to teach sailing and have fun doing it. It is deeply rewarding, makes us feel successful.

do we Rent Sailboats?

Of course, yes. Independent sailing is the goal of most students, so we make it easy for current and recent students to access the very boats they learned to sail on.

Gift Certificates?

Yes. But we give you the certificate to fill out, no prepayment. Payment is due when and if certificate is used.

See Sailing Courses for course details. Email to portlandsailingatgmaildotcom (use normal format) or call us at 503-281-6529 for more information.