2026 Basic Keelboat Class for Adults
through the Lorain Boating Education Foundation
Lorain Boating Education Foundation is a registered and accredited provider of US Sailing's "Basic Keelboat" class for adults. This class is designed for adults to learn not only how to sail, but how to operate and manage their own auxiliary sailboat. Skills taught include the basics of sailing on and off the wind. In addition, the class provides training in getting a larger sailboat on and off a dock, retrieving a person who has fallen overboard, and many other skills to give you the confidence to own and operate your own sailboat.
The Lorain Boating Education Foundation is the 501c3 education wing of the Lorain Harbor Boat Club (LHBC), Lorain, Ohio. Classes are offered at the LHBC facility, 108 Alabama Ave, Lorain, Ohio, 44052.
Our instructors are dual certified as USCG Licensed and US Sailing Accredited instructors on Colgate 26 (26') sailboats having auxiliary power, with up to four (4) students and one instructor per boat. With two boats in the program, enrollment is limited to a maximum of eight (8) students. The boat is a good combination of stability, nimbleness and room for all. Learn more about the Colgate 26 here.
New in 2026 we are going to offer the Adult Sailing class twice. Once in June and again in August.
June Edition
The June edition will be our traditional two-week program including two full-day Saturday sessions and two Tuesday and two Thursday evenings on the weeks following each Saturday. The June 2026 session will start on Saturday June 6th and end on Thursday June 18th. Saturday sessions will run 8am to 5pm. The sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings will run 5pm to 9pm.
August Edition
The new August edition will be in a more compressed format running from Saturday August 1 through Saturday August 8 and will include four weekday evenings (Monday thru Thursday). The two Saturdays will be full-days from 8am to 5pm. The sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings (between the two Saturdays) will run 5pm to 9pm. It's the same number of sessions as the June edition, but delivered in a compressed format of eight days -- Saturday to Saturday.
Regardless of which session you pick remember that the weather can be fickled and we may have to hold one or more sessions on a different day. We won't go out in rain or winds above 15 knots. Later in each edition we may go out in rougher weather, but nothing too wild. And we won't sail in larger waves if the instructor is not confident in the class' abilities.
The cost is $600/person.
A $50 discount is offered off the fee for:
- A second member of your immediate family signing up with you -- for example a spouse or offspring
- An "Active" member of the Lorain Harbor Boat Club
To secure your place in the class send a 50% non-refundable deposit. The balance of your fee will be collected on the first day of class and may be made via check (make checks to Lorain Boating Education Foundation) or cash. Your deposit check can be mailed to Lorain Boating Education Foundation, c/o LHBC, PO Box 1134, Lorain, Ohio 44055. We also allow payment via Venmo should you wish to pay in this manner. Please contact the LBEF for information about using Venmo.
If health restrictions or other unforeseen problems force the school to cancel the class we will refund any fees paid in full.
All students must carry an Ohio Boaters Education Course (OBEC) license. OBEC licenses may be acquried free of charge online at www.boatus.org/ohio/. For more on Ohio's rules for operating a watercraft see: Ohio Watercraft Operators Regulations.
Adults interested in taking the course are encouraged to bring their own life preserver, sailing gloves, appropriate apparel and sun protection including sunglasses.
The class will start each day with "chalk talk" in the classroom followed by plenty of on-the-water time to practice your skills. Everyone will be fully engaged in the operation of the boat and will switch off between stations for a full immersion of the skills being taught. Students must be physically able to independently move themselves around the open cockpit of our Colgate 26 sailboats.
Space will be provided on board for a bag carrying your personal items which should include an extra change of clothes, wind breaker and/or sweat shirt, rain gear and water. We will continue to sail even in a light rain, and in June the water is still cool bringing down the air temp when out sailing. For Saturday classes come prepared for a full day on the water. On Saturdays you should also plan to bring your own lunch; a lunch break ashore is included on Saturdays. For evening classes, grab a light dinner before hand or plan to eat late. We start weeknight sessions with "chalk talk" so there will also be time ashore to eat a light meal before going out on the water.
Small Keelboat Registration
Please send an email to our Education email address with:
- Name(s) of student(s)
- Contact Phone number and email
Or access the registration form on-line here: lorainhbc.org/LBEFRegistrationForm2026.pdf
Print, fill-out, sign and return the form with the necessary 50% deposit.
Please email registration information here: Education@LorainHBC.org