I was hoping to learn sailing this summer but this place is very disorganized. The people…read moreconducting orientation have apparently not even been out on the water. And discourage you saying the water is really dirty. They have you take two classes on land on your own and then take a boat out on your own by coordinating yourself on Slack. It's not really a place to learn with a coach. Might be fine if you're just here to rent - can't speak to that.

This is a review just for kayaking:…read more On a beautiful Sunday, we wanted to kayak. We first went to another sailing pavilion that was unfortunately closed and then tried Community Boating. The office / guest services area inside is pretty well staffed and they have bathrooms and lockers so seemed promising. Unfortunately after you pay it becomes clear the main intent of this place is sailing. If you want to do anything else, do not come here. I had to chase multiple people down for us to get assistance with getting paddles and we had to go out into the water on our own with little to no direction. In the end, we didn't even get to spend the full 2 hours you pay for out on the water because it took so long to get setup on our own. Don't come here for anything but sailing!

Whenever I travel, I look for opportunities to get on the water, preferably in a kayak. This was…read moremy first time paddling the Charles River. I was staying in East Cambridge so traveled upstream to the Allston location which didn't turn out to be as scenic or straightforward as I had first thought, though once on the water, the trip was beautiful. The website says the easiest way to get to the Allston location is by mass transit (the Harvard stop on the Red Line) then another 1.5 miles on foot. I was using my gps (make sure you start out with lots of battery power for this trip) but even then, I took a wrong turn when trying to cross the bridge and get to the correct side because of road traffic (you have to fund the foot path that goes under the road which I found only because I happened to see a large group of students and followed). Also, the "1-mile stretch of the walk along the river was actually blocked by temporary fencing so you actually had to walk on the opposite side of the street and can't see the river at all. I would recommend using a car service to get here, if you're unfamiliar with the area. The launch area consists of a check in kiosk (remember to fill out your waiver online to save a little time) and a storage shed for the equipment (no restroom, as far as I could see and nothing else anywhere close by. No need to reserve ahead of time, as they had many kayaks (single and double, thankfully NOT the sit-on-tops), paddle boards and canoes. You can borrow a dry bag at no charge, they set you up with your paddle and pfd, then you get in at water level from the floating dock. I did the one way trip to Kendall Square (5 miles, $10 feet), passing under 7 bridges, lots of green space plus a number of beautiful crew boat houses. This section of the river is flat (no current) and the wind wasn't strong at all. So lovely and peaceful with some geese and cormorants along the way. There were a number of other paddlers and a few crew team practicing so you aren't totally alone but I found it perfect. As you get closer to the center of Boston the noise from the road and people using the paths which lines the shores picks up, but there's a screen of vegetation all along the river so it still very scenic. Between the last two bridges, the wind picks up and there were quite a few sailboats on the water, too (looked like there was a public sailboat launch on the Boston shore. There were also a few boat tour boats, but not a lot which was really nice. The end point is located in a small canal leading to Kendall Square. The set up there has a tent over a table for check ins and a little trailer for checking out. Note that when I went, this lower area of the Charles River was still unfortunately plagued by toxic algae, so be careful about getting the water on you and wash off as soon as you can. Staff at both ends were pleasant and efficient. Total cost was very reasonable ($45 + $10 one-way fee). They tell you the trip takes between 2 and 2,5 hours (I did it in less, but you should take it slow and enjoy it, if you have the time!)

I booked a kayak here and travelled to the Kendall Square location. I should have gone the other…read moredirection - the most difficult part was near the Kendal Square location, and I was paddling against the wind and current most of the way. Other than that, it was a great trip! It's a nice mix of peaceful trees and city views. I also paddled through a sailing team practice, which was cool. The boats were in great shape. The life jackets were showing their age, but I guess that's what you get with rentals. They estimated 1.5 - 2 hours for this trip, and it took me about an hour.

I'm a bit surprised to see that Riverside BC has a yelp page! I've been a member since 2005,…read morebecoming a full-time member in 2007. If you're an experienced rower looking to scull recreationally, row semi-competitively, or train to make the National Team, RBC is your best bet. Riverside has consistently sending boats or athletes to the World Championships or Olympics every year since 2005, many other before that. The High Performance Groups are coached by elite-level coaches with years of experience at the international level. Aside from the HPG, the men's and women's sweeps teams are perennial contenders at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and other major summer regattas. Whether you're looking to make it a national team or just get back in shape, Riverside is the place to be.

Fantastic club. Affordable dues, quality boats, fantastic coaching, Riverside has it all. The…read moreonly thing they don't do is teach learn to row, but there are lots of programs that do that. Once you know how, Riverside is there for you. Just be prepared to pitch in and help. RBC is volunteer run so if you're above rolling up your sleeves, then Riverside is not for you.

I booked a kayak at the Kendall Square location and landed here. I should have gone the other…read moredirection - the most difficult part was near this location, and I was paddling against the wind and current most of the way. Other than that, it was a great trip! It's a nice mix of peaceful trees and city views. I also paddled through a sailing team practice, which was cool. The boats were in great shape. The life jackets were showing their age, but I guess that's what you get with rentals. They estimated 1.5 - 2 hours for this trip, and it took me about an hour. I docked a star from this location, because the workers didn't really seem to know what was going on when I returned the boat. I needed to let them know I came from the other location and the responses were "that's cool" and "okay" and "I don't know what to do with that". Turns out you have to check out in a trailer at the end of the dock and tell them, but no one seemed to know. Still a great trip!

TL;DR - Paddle Boston at Kendall Square is my go-to for kayaking on the Charles. The staff is…read morealways friendly, prices are fair, and the views of Boston and Cambridge are unbeatable. Their season passes and Fourth of July rentals make the experience even better--highly recommend! _______________________________ I love being outdoors, especially on the water, and Paddle Boston has become one of my favorite spots in the city. I discovered them shortly after moving to Boston and working in Cambridge, and it has been a go-to ever since. Their kayak rentals are fairly priced and offer an amazing way to enjoy the Charles River with unbeatable views of both the Boston and Cambridge skylines. The staff is always friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Their kayaks are perfect for the calm waters of the Charles, not overly advanced but not basic either, just right for a relaxing paddle. I also love that they offer season passes for frequent paddlers and special rentals for the Fourth of July Boston Pops Fireworks, which is truly the best way to experience the show. While I typically take the T to get there, parking nearby on Main Street has never been an issue. If you are looking for a fun and easy outdoor activity in the city, I highly recommend Paddle Boston at Kendall Square.

My friend is a member of Boston Sailing Center and I love that he can take me along. Sailing in…read moreBoston Harbor is a wonderful experience. The COVID summer of 2020 limits vacation options. The COVID measures are good. Masks until you are out and about.

I took a 5-Day Learn to Sail Lessons, I was with just one person so it was almost a "private"…read morealready. The staff on reception are very helpful. The boats are clean and in good working condition. We have 3 instructors total, Chris was amazing!!! Brad was funny and made us comfortable on our 4th day (Whole Day) Sail and taught us practical methods so we could sail on our own comfortably.

CR not only rents but also SELLS kayaks, a dealer for several stellar lines (including Stellar!)…read moreThey are extremely knowledgeable, often have demo models to try out at the Newton site. It is so important to try before you buy or order, and they help with that process. As they did, patiently, with me, when I came looking for advice on a replacement ocean kayak with greater stability. They have some used kayaks for sale but can facilitate an order for a newer model. Their brands run the gamut, and their advice, from my personal experience, is beyond sound. It is rock-solid excellent. Their Waltham shop can also repair minor and major damage, kayaks and canoes...which is reassuring. Rocks sometimes magically appear out of nowhere...with the expected/unexpected results.

Visited during summer of '18. Just a short drive from the city you can rent a kayak and be…read moresurrounded by nature. Very affordable and quick service. There is parking on site and everything needed is provided. Highly recommend for a quick nature retreat

If you are an adult looking to learn to sail you have much better options, Please don't waste your…read moretime or money at Courageous Sailing. If you want to learn the basics of sailing at a fraction of the cost of courageous just check out Community Boating on the Charles River, it is only $275-445 for the entire year. With this you will have access to Mercury, laser, 420 (race boats), ideal 18, sonars & windsurfing. With courageous the learn to sail is scheduled for 2 weekends (4 days) with Community the classes are being held all the time and you can take them whenever you want, so you can avoid cold rainy days, and take the classes with different wind conditions (light, med, high) as many times as you want for no charge, unless its an advanced class which is only $50. When I took my learn to sail at courageous it was cold, rainy with fairly large waves. One of the people I took the class with actually started to cry. This is a non issue with Community because if the conditions are awful just come another day. After 1-2 years at community, if you like sailing you can go to a real adult school if you want to level up your sailing skills. Note the internal ratings at community and courageous have little to no value at other sailing organizations. If you are serious about sailing you need to build up your ASA certifications especially ASA 101,103 and 104, there are many ASA schools and you can take classes at different schools all across the country, Caribbean & world. Once you are ASA certified these credentials will follow you to other ASA schools & organizations. Once you reach ASA 104 you can apply for a type of international license. Also note that community has a much nicer facility and dock with actual restrooms with a shower. At Courageous they have portable toilets, no shower and 2 outdoor sinks which almost never have soap. These are the same sinks the staff preparing the cookout food uses. Also note that the traffic on the Charles is much safer vs the harbor, in the harbor you will run into huge tug boats and huge freight ships. On the Charles the boats need to pass under the bridges, so the biggest boats there are duck boats and some small/medium sized tour boats. Actual ASA alternatives to Courageous are First Reef Sailing in East Boston, one of the owners is Capt Paul Sullivan 5 time outstanding ASA instructor, they have the best learn to sail boat in the Boston Area Colgate 26, unlike Courageous the motors actually work & are reliable. If you are a student you can get a Colgate membership for 2K which I think they allow you to share with other members so better boat & may be less expensive vs Courageous also once you achieve 104 status (can do in one year) there is no range limit you just need to be back by sunset. They also offer memberships on cruisers & catamarans, these cost more like 10 K but you can also share those memberships. These are new boats almost everything works on them unlike courageous, And you can go on multi day to week long trips. Another ASA alternative is Reef Runner in Friendship Maine, one of the instructors there is 4 time outstanding instructor, its pretty close to Arcadia National Park. They are less expensive than Courageous and they quality of the instruction is vastly superior. Once you pass a class in an ASA school your log book will be signed by the captain, you will also receive an official stamp for your log book from ASA and the results will be uploaded to ASA so all other ASA organization globally will see your rating. Another tip is no matter where you sail keep a log book on the miles & a brief description of the trip

Primary fleet is a bunch of old Rhodes 19 boats that are falling apart. It's incredibly…read moredisorganized and understaffed. Focus on the youth program, which is really good, however the adult program suffers by lack of attention Even the larger boats 4 J80s frequently mean maintenance and are under maintained. They wait for people to donate boats to them so the cost is low, but you get what you pay for.

I just joined for a sculling class -- a total beginner. I'm so glad I did! Wonderful coach that…read moregave each one of us his full attention and was great at demos and instruction. Beautiful, clean, well maintained boathouse, equipment and grounds. Great team members. Wide range of age groups. Small class (only 4 or 5 of us). Overall great energy and team spirit. I'm so happy to be here!

I had Carter and Greta for beginner sweeps and they were amazing. I learned so much and had a great…read moretime

This is a harbor tour on a sailboat. The summer of 2009 was their first year in business and they…read moredon't sail in the wintertime. The sail boat, called the Tupelo Honey, can carry up to 12 people. I'd lived in Boston for several years but had never been on a sail boat there. I had previously been on boat cruises around the harbor. We were back in town for a visit and I saw an advertisement for this harbor tour. I absolutely love sailing and wanted to try it out. I called a day before we hoped to go on a sail and asked if they had any times available. Generally, the cost is about $25/person. But because we didn't have a large group, only two of us wanted to go, there was a minimum price to take the sailboat out. That was $140.00, which was fine with us. We had an absolutely fantastic time! The captain and other crew member were very hospitable, friendly and really easy-going. They asked us if we wanted to stay near the buildings to see the scenery or to go further out into the harbor and let us make the decision. I would definitely do this again and it was well worth the money. It couldn't have been better. Call at least a day in advance to make sure that they have room to take you out for a sail. Their website says that you can take a T-Boat (affiliated with the MBTA subway, the T) to a nearby pier and walk.

I selected this company based on good reviews, but wonder if things have changed during the…read morepandemic and encourage you to proceed booking with caution as my experience trying to get on the boat was terrible and they held 50% of my total payment illegally. We originally planned to set sail, however, due to inclement weather reports on the day of the charter, we jointly decided to reschedule for another time and did not set the reschedule date at that moment because my party size was large, 15, and I needed to repoll the group on another feasible date. My group worked together to select a reschedule date, which the company made for a Saturday. The Tuesday before, we found out that one of our co-workers has COVID. As a result, all of us were potentially exposed. Out of concern for the safety of the crew and captain, I reached out by text message on Wednesday to inform them of the situation and figure out how to proceed. My coworker who had COVID also tried to contact you to find a resolution but could not reach them by phone. We received an email stating they unable to reschedule on this charter, and could do a cancellation that would result in a partial refund. They did not offer the option to reschedule to a fee, and said short of canceling, the charter would be scheduled to take place on Saturday with full awareness of the situation I expressed. I responded saying that we would like to proceed with Saturday in this case. I again emphasized that we had been exposed, and they cancelled without calling or communicating. After repeated calls and emails from Saturday to Wednesday, and finally a warning to report to the FTC for poor business practice, only half of my payment was returned. Nothing in the contract allowed them to retain it. So- beware. If you book, make sure you are going and don't expect your money back if you need to make a change for anything reasonable like being honest about a COVID exposure

Not to be confused with the Yacht Beaker, which is a beaker full of water that I collected on your…read moreDad's yacht this morning. Um. Right before Corona hit we were touring around Boston and doing a lot of tourist things because Barbie hadn't explored Boston a lot since she was a teenager. There are lots of different options but by far the friendliest people that we found were on this yacht. I'm pretty sure it was this yacht because my memory is not as good as it should be anymore but it seems like it's the same one, judging by the pictures. They're definitely lovely people and it's cheap and it's very awesome.

I have loved traveling on boats since I have been a small boy in Thailand then in Jersey next to…read morethe Hudson River now here in Boston. So I try to get into the water as much as I can. Be it a water taxi, whale watch, private pleasure craft, community Boarding, etc. So when I first found this small privately owned craft called the Yacht Beacon I had my doubt but after the 1st trip they had me hooked. Once a party checks in every person is handed a plastic boarding pass. If you get there early there is access to a clean bathroom & a few benches allow for some really great people watching. Once they are ready to board Captain Ruthie or Mark warmly greet you & lead you down the gang plank. 1st mate Brennen helps you on board & after a few safety messages the boat quickly leaves Rowes Wharf. This 52 foot motor boat is very quiet & can hold up to 44 people. I have been on board for afternoon harbor island, romantic sunset, Boston city lights plus bridge & lock cruises. The captain will dispense a few facts as sights pass on by but if it's never heavy handed. With soda & water gratis plus adult beverages are only $5.00, it is a very economical way to spend a couple of hours. Seeing the city from the water gives it such a difference frame of reference. It allows you to take some of the most breathtaking photos of the city & surrounding points of interest. I recommend to take a ride if you can, it will truly surprise you.