Learn to Sail

Learn to sail, or improve your sailing skills to advance your sailing, in a fun and relaxing atmosphere at our facility on Portage Lake, in Pinckney, Michigan. Midwest Sailing & Portage Yacht Club offers a variety of sailing lesson options from beginning/novice to racing, all in a private one on one environment tailored to your skills and needs. Our experienced and knowledgeable instructors will take a friendly, enthusiastic approach in helping you build your skills. All you need to bring is yourself and a desire to learn.

The key to our instruction is our on-the-water, “Hands-on” approach. You will spend the majority of your time in the boat, gaining valuable experience and developing a good “feel” for the sport. Come see how much fun sailing on Portage Lake really is!

Private Lessons

A refresher or satisfying your curiosity has never been easier. We can give you a basic introduction or refresher in one & half hours and the entire session time is in a boat and on the water.

US Sailing’s Learn Sailing Right books are available for $20.

Lessons are generally taught in a 19′ Flying Scot, which is known for its comfort and stability. If your interest is in learning to sail smaller boats like the Sunfish, Laser or Laser Pico, or speedy but stable boat like a the Hobie Wave catamaran, we can include these with your instruction.

We Will Discuss rigging, sailing terms, sailing theory, boat handling, basic safety, man-overboard, capsize and recovery (if applicable), and leaving and returning to the mooring area.

Session	Duration	Session Rate	Session Capacity
1st	90 mins	$110	1*
Follow-up	1 hour	$75	1*

*Up to 2 additional students may join you for $40/each.

Scheduling

Lessons are scheduled by appointment only. Lessons are offered with day or evening time slots.

PDFs (lifejackets) are provided if needed. You must wear a PFD during your lesson. Minimum student age is 10-years old. Credit Card deposit is required when booking.

Bonus:To encourage continued learning and for additional fun, special Sailboat Rental prices are available for Students completing lessons – Rent a boat for 2-hours and the 3rd hour is free!

Not Currently Offered

Training & Development Program

Midwest Sailings Training & Development Program is a comprehensive, systematic, “Hands-on” approach to sailing lessons aimed at taking the novice/beginner sailor and progressively developing their skills so they can comfortably sail and enjoy a variety of sailboats under 20’.

In little as 3 hours, with our Level 1 class, we can get you sailing on your own. Our philosophy is to start with boats that are very stable and manageable in terms of liveliness and maneuverability so that students can focus on sail trim and steering to lay a strong foundation.

As a student develops and goes from Level 1, the Level 2 the program becomes more challenging as more rigging, sails, and maneuverability are introduced requiring quicker reflexes and boat handling skills. Each level has student practice time built in to reinforce the principals and material presented in each course.

Level 3 introduces the student to the type of sailboat racing conducted by Portage Yacht Club.

It’s all up to you: Choose to take one or two courses, or take them all.

Course	Duration	Cost	Capacity
Level 1	4 Days	$275	2 students
Level 2	5 Days	$440	2 students
Level 3	5 Days	$500	2 students

Lessons are scheduled by appointment only. Lessons are offered Monday through Friday when there is low traffic on the lake and when there is typically good wind between 10:30 and 6:00 or on Saturday (which is busier) 10:30 and 5:00. The sooner you call the more likely you are to get your preferred times.

There is a minimum $40 fee for cancellation with less than 24 hours notice prior to a scheduled lesson or a no show.

Advance Your Sailing Skills

Advance your sailing skills with expert instruction at Portage Yacht Club. Our private, one-on-one coaching is designed for experienced sailors looking to refine their techniques in rigging, racing, spinnaker handling, and trailering. Whether you’re fine-tuning your race starts, perfecting spinnaker maneuvers, or optimizing boat handling, our knowledgeable instructors provide hands-on, customized training to help you sail smarter and faster.

Our instruction focuses on an immersive, on-the-water approach—maximizing your time in the boat to develop instinctive control and advanced sailing strategies. Whether you’re sailing a Hobie, a Laser, or a larger daysailer, we can help you master efficiency, safety, and performance.

Looking to rig, trailer, or optimize your own boat? Our team can guide you through best practices to ensure you’re getting the most out of your vessel. Advance Your Sailing today—call us to schedule a session.

Rigging, Racing, Spinnaker & Trailering

Course	Duration	Hourly
Sailboat Assembly & Rigging	1-2 Hour(s)	$75
Racing	Per Skill Level	$100
Spinnaker	2-3 Hours	$100
Trailering	1-2 Hour(s)	$75

Sailboat Assembly & Rigging

Trying to figure out what goes where with your boat? If so, then the friendly staff at Midwest Sailing invites you to schedule an assembly and rigging lesson.

We have experience in many small boat designs including the Flying Scot, Interlake, Laser, Sunfish, Snipe, Hobie Cats, 470, Mutineer & Buccaneer. We also have helped people with Catalina 22, ComPac 16, Sol Cat 18, Islands 15, and Hunter Trailerables.

Racing

Having difficulty getting your racing game together? Our expert staff can help identify your needs as well as coach you on techniques aimed at improving your boat handling skills and race course acumen.

Spinnaker

Looking to enhance our sailing skills? One of the most enjoyable aspects of sailing is flying a spinnaker. It can turn that often, slow, uneventful, downwind ride into an unforgettable experience. Our staff has years of spinnaker expereince and would enjoy sharing this knowledge with you.

Trailering

Having trouble figuring out the best way to get your mast up and down as well as trailering your boat? Over the years we have taught many little tricks to make the trailering process quick and efficient for our customers. We can save you time!