Sailing is not for everyone. If you want boating that is easy and gets you somewhere fast, then sailing is not for you. If you find attractive a sport involving some complexity and work to harness basic forces of nature, then you might enjoy sailing.

If you would like to learn a little about sailing before going out:

• My one-page Word file of the most important sailing terms (Print the page and bring it with you sailing.)
• Basic sailing information and terminology
• U.S. Sailing on-line tutorials

• Sneaker-type shoes with light soles
  • No dark soles that might leave marks, such as tire-tread sandals and black-soled sneakers
• Warmer clothes than you think you need, perhaps a wind breaker even in summer (On cold days in the late fall, winter, or early spring, dress like you are going skiing)
  • No clothes with sharp zippers on the back or other external hardware on the back that might scratch the fiberglass when sitting in the cockpit
• Water, maybe something to eat
  • But no messy food, food that can stain, or crumbly food
• Sun screen (better to appy before coming), hat
• Responsible alchohol consumption is OK in mild sailing conditions, but no red wine (white wine is OK)
• No smoking, no exceptions
• No animals (no pets, no service dogs), no exceptions
• Your own lifejacket if you have one (otherwise, I will provide you one)

Further emphasis on shoe requirements:

• After once again spending 1/2 hour after sailing scrubbing the cabin top and sidedecks of my boat with magic eraser to remove black smudges left by one of my friends, I will no longer let anyone showing up with dark-soled shoes wear those shoes on my boat. Besides the work to clean up, scrubing gelcoat surfaces with magic eraser is abrasive and removes gelcoat. The hull of Ubiquity is painted, and the Algrip paint surface can not be scrubbed with magic eraser; it would ruin the paint surface.
• Therefore, if you show up to go boating with dark-soled shoes then you MUST take off the shoes, stow them, and go bearfoot in order to sail on Ubiquity.
• The only exception is some speciality boat shoes that have non-marking soles but are dark in color. These are expensive shoes you can buy in speciality boating stores like West Marine. Most people should just buy an inexpensive pair of white-soled sneakers for boat use.

I sail all times of the year, including showery weather, but avoid steady rain.

Sailing Videos (shows typical sailing on the Columbia River, and also sailing offshore and in strong conditions)
My Current Sailboat, S/V Ubiquity
Directions to my Sailboat
The Best Place to Park when Sailing with Me