Yes, You Can Still Sail at Lake Merritt

Bob Bodnar, friend of Latitude 38 and one of the amazing team that delivers the magazines to the Bay Area outlets each month, was in the East Bay recently and had a chat with the folks over at Lake Merritt. Bob was happy to learn more about the lake’s active sailing programs.

We’ve covered the closure of the Lake Merritt Sailing Club, in both the June 6 ‘Lectronic Latitude and the July issue’s Letters. But there are still opportunities to sail on the lake, including lessons for beginners.

For decades, the City of Oakland’s Parks and Recreation Department has offered sailboat lessons for children and adults, and rentals for those with some sailing experience, at the Lake Merritt Boating Center. Their Youth Sailing Camps just wrapped up for this season, but two sailing classes for adults 18 to 99 commenced on the weekend of August 23–24.

Madeleine Loh, a sailing instructor with the City who holds a 50-Ton USCG Master License, describes Lake Merritt’s sailing classes as “unintimidating, accessible, and affordable!

“I recommend them for anyone looking for gentle exposure to sailing basics,” Madeleine says. “The classes are perfect for beginners with no sailing experience. You just have to know how to swim. There are no other prerequisites.”

The City offers two adult classes, Basic Small Boat Sailing, and Solo Small Boat Sailing. You can complete each class in a single weekend. The classes are scheduled in succession a week apart, so if you’re keen, as sailors are, you can complete both classes in two weekends. Students receive a textbook and classroom instruction about points of sail, sail trim, knots, and boating terminology, in addition to actual practical experience on the water with certified instructors.

Adult sailing classes are mainly taught on a Catalina 14.5 [also known as the Catalina 14.2], a stable keelboat. But other class boats include a Hobie catamaran, Sunfish, Qubas, and one Catalina Capri 16.5 keelboat. Capsize recovery drills, which are optional, are taught on a Sunfish. Madeleine describes the fleet as “aging but adequate to learn sailing basics in a protected environment like Lake Merritt.”

Upon successful completion of the Basic Sailing written and practical skills test you receive a skills card. Once you’ve completed Basic Sailing, or an equivalent, you can proceed to the Solo Small Boat Sailing classes. This year’s Basic Small Boat Sailing and Solo Small Boat Sailing classes began in August. Although the summer is over, there’s still opportunity to complete these two classes, starting with the “Basic” this weekend, on October 4–5. Each class is $200 for Oakland residents and $240 for nonresidents.

As someone who went through the City’s program 25 years ago on the El Toros, Sunfish, and Lasers that they had at the time, I can attest that, besides its being generally much warmer than the Bay, you do feel safe in the lake. One instructor told me, “If you fall out of the boat, you can probably just stand up.”

But sailing on the lake has a few challenges that can make you a better sailor, too. The buildings surrounding the lake alter the wind direction and intensity in various places, so you have to trim the sails actively. Otherwise you might find yourself head to wind drifting toward the bird sanctuary, though staff will tow you back to the dock if necessary. Many notable people, including Paul Cayard, got their start ailing on Lake Merritt. So can you.

To register for classes online, go to https://cityofoakland.perfectmind.com. Sign up for an account, then click the Program Registration button at the top, the one with a picture of a calendar. That takes you to an Adult Activity section, where you will see Boating as the first choice. When you click that, navigate to Sailing to register for available classes.

You can also register for classes in person. Just stop by the Lake Merritt Boating Center, which is located at 568 Bellevue Ave. in Oakland. Their number is (510) 238-2196.

And if you already have sailing skills, you can rent a Sunfish or Catalina 14.5 at the lake during the Center’s open hours, Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (The Center is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.) To rent, you just have to pass a simple quiz and demonstrate that you can rig the boat. Rentals are $15–20 per hour, and the rental window takes only cash.

More information is available on Oakland’s rather Byzantine website if you know where to look. It’s far easier to start at sailoakland.com, where you will be redirected to the Lake Merritt Boating Center page. Then click on Boating, and then Boating at the Center, for additional information about classes, sailboat rentals, and launching your own small boat at their ramp.

See you on the water!

Read sailors’ comments about the Lake Merritt Sailing Club in the July issue’s Letters, starting on page 25.