Welcome!

Welcome to Messenger Sails, the local cruising arm of Portland Sailing Center. We offer large boat and salt water experience for new sailors, not-so-new sailors, might-be sailors, and sometimes just people of venturesome and curious spirit. Our adventures are shaped by the particular gifts of our maritime geography which is unlike any other in the world:

• Piloting the lower Columbia River — "Piloting" is the term for close-quarter navigation, where accuracy is measured in feet, unlike open ocean navigation where a good job puts you in sight of your destination. There are about one hundred miles of winding river between Portland and the Columbia River bar, and every one can surpise you with navigational challenges, ship and barge traffic, and diverse scenery. Piloting the river at night is particularly challenging. We'll show you how it's done. Safely.
   
• Crossing the Columbia River bar — This speck of Earth where Columbia River meets Pacific Ocean has been called the “graveyard of the Pacific.” Perhaps an apt moniker as recently as fifty years ago, ”graveyard” is due for retirement as being unfair and onerous. We will show you how to cross the bar safely. Captain Vancouver and others managed to cross without benefit of engines, radar, breakwaters, or dredging, so we count our chances as fair indeed. Rest assured, however, that we do not cross if weather or seas are prohibitive.
   
• Sailing in the Pacific Ocean — Nothing beats the feel of a powerful sailing vessel working a lively sea. The rhythmic play of waves, wind, and sails has captivated sailors for thousands of years. We've mastered longitude and invented stainless steel, but--aargh!--we are still cursed with motion sickness. Ocean sailing will surprise, challenge, elate, and disappoint. Try it in small doses with us.
   
• Bonneville Locks and the Columbia River Gorge — Our trip called "Bonneville" provides a new perspective on a familiar section of the Columbia River, from Portland to Cascade Locks. We go through Bonneville Locks twice and try to schedule some sail time above the dam where windsurfers generally outnumber all other vessels. It is a sailor's paradise, and the trip to and from is flush with scenery. We also offer day-sailing by the hour from Cascade Locks.
   
• Sailing with strangers — Queasy about committing to an extended boat trip with strangers? Look for a comment on the subject on our FAQ page.

  For more information contact Cliff Mason at cliff@messengersails.com or 503-252-6755.