Demystifying Docking: Skills Workshop

Demystifying Docking: Skills Workshop

Docking under sail can feel intimidating — but with the right planning and practice, it becomes a manageable and rewarding skill.

This 3.5-hour workshop is designed for competent crew members who want to confidently plan and execute departures from and returns to the dock under sail aboard a small keelboat.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll gain hands-on experience with:

• Planning and executing departures in different wind directions
• Sailing backwards out of the slip
• Docking in upwind, downwind, and crosswind conditions
• Coaching your crew through their roles during departure and docking
• Creating and executing a backup plan if your initial approach doesn’t go as expected

How the Workshop Works

The session begins on land with a brief chalk talk outlining the techniques and strategies for each type of approach.

You’ll then spend the majority of the workshop on the water practicing departures and dockings multiple times, with personalized coaching from a skilled instructor.

Each participant will receive a handout summarizing the different docking approaches for future reference.

Prerequisites

This is not a beginner course. Participants should feel comfortable with:

• Tacking
• Jibing
• Basic helm skills (steering and trimming on all points of sail)
• Wind awareness
• Rigging and derigging a small keelboat
• Basic sailing vocabulary (parts of the boat)

Course Details

• Audience: Adult Education (participants must be at least 16 years old)
• Length: 3.5 hours (no meal break)
• Availability: Participants must be available for the full session, as boats will spend most of the time on the water
• Boats Used: J/22 or Sonar keelboats — stable, heavy-keel boats that will not tip over during your sail

This is an Adult Education course, and all participants must be at least 16 years of age. For family-based sailing education options, please email info@downtownsailing.org.

Location & Arrival

• Parking is available in the gravel lot at the Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI).
• Classes meet behind the BMI pavilion near the gate to the Downtown Sailing Center main dock.
• Please arrive a few minutes early to check in and meet your instructor.

What to Bring & Wear

• Close-toed shoes (required)
• Weather-appropriate clothing (it feels cooler on the water!)
• Full water bottle
• Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen
• A great attitude

Life jackets are required and will be provided.

Note: The on-site restroom is a port-a-potty.

Registration & Policies

• Payment is due at the time of registration. Space is limited — reserve your spot early.
• If the workshop is full, you may join the waitlist. We will contact you if space becomes available or additional boats are added.
• There is a firm $35 administrative fee per course for switching dates or cancelling.
• Refunds are not guaranteed for cancellations within 14 days of the class start date.

Please review the full cancellation policy and additional information on our Adult Ed FAQ page before registering.

If the event is full, you may add yourself to the waitlist - we will contact you if a spot opens up or we are able to add more boats. 

Payment is due at the time of registration to reserve your spot - space is limited so don't delay!