Introduction to Sailing (Level 1)
Overview
Have you always wanted to learn how to sail? Do you want to become a capable and confident crew member at the Downtown Sailing Center? If you said YES, Introduction to Sailing is the course for you!
The course is designed to help new sailors feel comfortable on a boat and give you the basic skills needed to competently crew on a small keelboat with an experienced skipper. During this course, you will learn the following:
- Basic sailboat-handling skills, including helming the boat and trimming the sails
- How to interpret and react to the wind
- How to tie the most frequently-used sailors’ knots
- How to rig and de-rig a small keelboat
- Basic on-the-water safety skills
- Sailing vocabulary, including parts of the boat and sails, terms for effective crew communication on the water, points of sail, and more.
We believe in “learning by doing” at the DSC, so the majority of your time will be spent on the water! An experienced instructor will guide you through the curriculum and be on the boat with you at all times. The maximum number of students per boat is 3, to allow everyone plenty of time to learn to drive the boat and trim the sails.
If you have sailing experience but are rusty or did not learn from professionals, we strongly recommend taking this course. Our curriculum is guided by US Sailing materials and you will learn proper and safe sailing techniques.
This is an Adult Education course, and all participants must be at least 16 years of age. To enquire about family-based sailing education options, contact us (email info@downtownsailing.org).
Course Structure
This course is taught over two subsequent days, or over four evenings. The evening option is available during the summer when the sun sets later.
The two-day course takes place from 9am - 5pm each day, with a lunch break in the middle of the day. You must be available for the full timeframe as the boats will spend the majority of the day on the water. There are options for weekend offerings or weekdays.
The four-evening course will be offered on Monday evenings in June and July during the 2023 season.
Boats and Facilities
This course is taught aboard the DSC’s keelboats, and you’ll sail on either a J/22 or a Sonar. Both have a heavy keel to provide stability and will not tip over during your sail!
Parking is available on site in the gravel lot of the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Classes meet behind the BMI pavilion, near the gate to the Downtown Sailing Center main dock. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early to orient yourself and meet your instructor.
Our full-day classes return for a lunch break in the middle of each day, but you should plan to be on the water for up to three hours at a stretch.
Life jackets are required to be worn and will be provided. Please wear close-toed shoes for safety. We recommend dressing for the weather (it can feel cooler on the water than on land!) and bringing a water bottle, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen and a great attitude.
Signing Up
For complete session dates, please see below. To register, click on the session below that fits your schedule.
If the class you want to attend is fully booked, feel free to join the waitlist. We will send an email to the waitlist when a spot becomes available. It is then first-come first-serve.
Full payment is required to reserve your spot. Space is limited!
Introduction to Sailing Course Offerings
