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Adult Education Learn to Sail, Hone your Skills

The Downtown Sailing Center is an accredited US Sailing School that provides courses for all sailing levels. Our comprehensive curriculum helps every student reach their full potential through a balance of structure and individualized attention.

Convenient Location

Learn to sail in Baltimore's beautiful Inner Harbor!

Expert Instructors

Highly-trained instructors with years of experience on the water

Inclusive Environment

Where people of all backgrounds can enjoy sailing & building skills

Small Class Sizes

Small instructor to student ratio allows for individualized attention

Courses Offered

Our curriculum is based on US Sailing principles, and you'll learn to sail via a combination of land-based chalk talks, dockside demonstrations, and practice. We believe in "learning by doing" and you will spend the majority of any class out on the water!

BEGINNER LEVEL

Taste of Sailing

 3 hours  Beginner  Weekdays or weekends

Experience the city like never before! Learn the basics of helming a sailboat and trimming sails as you cruise around Baltimore's stunning Inner Harbor. With a maximum of 4 students per boat, you'll have plenty of chances to take the tiller, handle the sails, or simply relax and enjoy the views.

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BEGINNER LEVEL

Introduction to Sailing (Level 1)

 14 hours  Beginner  Weekdays or weekends

This 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. We believe in "learning by doing" at the DSC, so the majority of your time will be spent on the water.

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INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Intermediate Sailing (Level 2)

 14 hours  Intermediate  Weekdays or weekends

This course is designed for competent crew members who want to enhance their boat-handling skills. It is ideal for individuals with solid crewing experience who are aiming to progress to the DSC Skipper level. The skills learned in this course are tested during the DSC Skipper Checkout.

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ADVANCED LEVEL

Advanced Sailing (Level 3)

 14 hours  Advanced  Weekdays or weekends

This course is for those who have successfully completed the Level 1 and 2 courses at the DSC (or have equivalent knowledge) and have had adequate practice time to solidify skills. Students will complete the US Sailing Basic Keelboat curriculum and take the written and practical exams.

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ADVANCED LEVEL

Performance Sailing

 14 hours  Advanced  Weekends

This fast-paced and intense course is designed for experienced sailors who want to take their skills to the next level. Focused on optimizing sail trim, spinnaker sailing, and maximizing boat speed, it is not a learn-to-sail course. Participants should be comfortable with boat handling.

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BEGINNER THRU ADVANCED

US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification

 ~40 hours  All Skill Levels  Weekdays or weekends

Work towards earning your US Sailing Basic Keelboat certification in this intensive course that covers all aspects of handling a keelboat. You’ll learn sailing techniques, water safety (including person-overboard rescue), knots, sailing vocabulary, and an introduction to weather. On the final day, you'll take the exam to earn your certification.

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BASIC KEELBOAT CERT. REQUIRED

US Sailing Basic Cruising Certification

 40 hours  BK Certification required  Weekends

Ever dreamed of chartering or owning your own cruising sailboat? This 4-day intensive sailing and certification course will teach you to responsibly skipper and crew an auxiliary powered cruising sailboat during daylight hours, within sight of land in moderate wind and sea conditions.

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Sailing School Calendar

View Class Calendar

Class Discounts for Members

DSC members receive a discount on classes! Check class descriptions for member pricing.

Membership Discounts

Non-members who wish to join the DSC after completing a class may receive a discount on their membership*!

*Does not apply to Taste of Sailing classes

Private Lessons Available

If you are looking for a customized one-on-one private lesson or want to organize a group learning experience, you can book an entire boat for a private lesson.

Contact Us

Our Instructors and Fleet

Experienced Instructors

Our highly-trained instructors bring years of experience to our sailing program. Many have taught for over a decade and have US Sailing Instructor certifications, while others are emerging talents progressing through the ranks. Most are DSC Skipper members and active participants in the local sailing community. Our program emphasizes building true competency and mastering foundational sailing skills.

Our Fleet

Keelboat Lessons are typically taught in our J/22s, which offer the perfect balance of comfortable size and nimble feedback. Larger groups will use our Sonar sailboats which are also nimble and fun boats with a bigger cockpit space. Learn more about our fleet »

US Sailing Accredited School

Waitlist and Cancellation Policy

Waitlist

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.

Cancellations

Participant cancellations made 14 days or more in advance of the event date will receive a 100% refund. Cancellations made 7-13 days in advance of the event date will receive a 50% refund, unless we are able to fill the opening in which case a 100% refund will be issued. Cancellations made within 48 hours to the event will not be refunded unless the opening is filled, in which case a 100% refund will be issued.

If the Downtown Sailing Center cancels your course, you will be rescheduled for another offering at no cost or a refund will be issued.

Please email info@downtownsailing.org to cancel a registration.

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The Downtown Sailing Center

Est 1994
1425 Key Highway, Suite 110, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 727-0722 • info@downtownsailing.org

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