Life these days is at warp speed and this cruise is the perfect way to slow things down!!! This beautiful, old ship is something to truly check out! Rose is her name and Captain Shane was not disappointing! Not only was he our Captain, oh Captain, he was extremely informative (educating us on safety protocol) open for questions, and pictures at the helm!We couldn't have asked for a more personable & entertaining Captain! In fact, I'd pay to see him in a comedy club! The ship itself holds 49 passengers and its big enough to move around and not feel like sardines, all packed in shoulder to shoulder. It has 2 bathrooms, a small kitchen with salon and I believe it's 3 levels. The only warning that I have is the dock is quite steep on your way to the ship and what goes down must come up, so it's not the easiest return to the parking lot but it's doable. I.e., I have had both knees replaced and have chronic back pain and I made it. Wear good shoes. We were on the river right at 6:30 and Captain Shane immediately put the mainsail up. I felt like I was back East, Westport Harbor, Mass. in 1976! My buddies and I were out on little skiffs when the Tall Ships started heading home after participating in the 1976 Bi Centennial celebrations They were absolutely majestic and a sight that I will remember forever! I want to say to both locals and visitors that the, Schooner Rose, is a special gift to everyone that enjoys gorgeous sunsets, our beautiful river and that lazy kind of feeling you get sailing! You will forget, even for an hour and a half, your problems, the worlds problems and the uncertainties that come with it all! BEST prescription ever!! Thanks, Captain Shane, and crew, for a memorable experience! read more

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We took the maiden sunset voyage of the Schooner Rose 85ft tall ship from the Harbor 1 Marina with our friends and Captain Shane. It was a beautiful evening on the Columbia River with ample room to move around the ship and 3 decks. We sat on the couch on the forward part of the ship and it was like being in our living room but with an amazing view. Captain Shane even allowed me to captain the ship and put on his captain's hat for a bit and his first mate showed me how to use the rudder control and compass and some basic right of way rules. I had a blast. Truly a one of a kind experience. They offered snacks as well and at the end of the tour, we sat on the ship docked with our friends and watched the sun fully set, talked with Captain Shane, and I even got a tour of the engine room. Hands down the best boat cruise in Portland. You can even bring your own drinks and food and we had a little picnic onboard. Note that in the future, they will AirBnB out the ship which would be an awesome stay. read more

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Took my team on a beautiful and peaceful ride as a way to get a break from the stress at work. The boat was beautiful and the captain was great and had a lot of interesting commentary about places along the way. I will definitely go again and bring family members next time and also buy some gift certificates so others can enjoy it as well. I truly recommend these voyages. read more

We booked the sunset cruise and it was absolutely the best. The weather was perfect and the small boat experience was exactly what we were looking for. Thank you Captain Chris for a wonderful evening. read more

Scovare Expeditions - Boat Charters Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Thank you for the sweet ride, Captain Dan! It was great and we had a great time. Perfect day!! Definitely worth it. All the best, Celia +Jimmy read more

Scovare Expeditions - Boat Charters Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Arrrrrrrr.... what a cool adventure on the mare liberum of the Willamette River aboard a mighty fine vessel during a very starry night. The Captain knew his way around and was more than happy to tell us all about the river and the surrounding land. I demanded we sail closer to the floating homes. alas, we were lacking proper gear to do any pillaging that night. we sailed past the Ross Island. we saw a few people on the island, possibly stranded. we continued onwards as we did not bring our treasure digging shovels with us. the Captain forgot his rum so he could only offer us water bottles and soda. time just flew by. such a truly awesome and unique adventure. next time i will bring shovels (and my own rum). read more

My husband and I had such a special trip! We had booked an evening bridge and city light tour in Portland and we ended up being the only couple that came. Shane was such a good sport about it, was there and ready early and dropped us back off later than the hour. The night was perfect, the water was glass, and Shane was informative, funny and a great guide. It was such a special anniversary evening. We can't wait to come back! We will be recommending to everyone! read more

Scovare Expeditions - Boat Charters Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We had a great time. My kids enjoyed themselves. The weather was perfect. We will be back again.

Really great deal with the Living Social deal as well, though it'd probably have been worth it at full price also! We booked online, and that was it. Meeting down at the dock there isn't really any kind of signage to guide you, so I just looked for the most reasonable candidate and asked if he were looking to take some people out on a sailing trip. (What do I care who it is, as long as they're willing to take us, right?) Our boat left a little late because, even though we rushed to get there, the other two couples we were with were both running late. (Curses! Should've stopped to get beer and snacks after all!) Luckily one of the couples was nice enough to share their brews with us, and it wasn't too long of a tour that we felt like we were getting parched. Our captain for the cruise was a super friendly guy, easy and fun to talk to, and he had some good knowledge of the area. Unfortunately I totally forget his name. We motored upstream and went under two bridges before sailing on home. It was a little hard to hear at times, so maybe one of those belt-microphones with a headset is in order during motoring? Absolutely a worthwhile experience however. read more

Wonderful time! We went out to celebrate my birthday and couldn't have asked for a better experience! It was our first time sailing and our captain let us try the ropes on steering the boat and handling the sails. Would highly recommend this experience!! :) read more

Purchased this on a Groupon for a 90 minute sail and it was a cool experience and we met a great couple that was there also. I didn't know I was going to get to help put up the sail which was a first time for me! Very cool would do it again. read more

Scovare Expeditions - Boat Charters Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Fun for all ages! The whole family went for my son's birthday. Captain Shane was friendly, funny, and informative! It was a lovely sailing adventure. read more

Unfortunately, we had a bad experience with our Scovare Bridge Sail today after looking forward to it for a few months. I am not one to write negative reviews, I am pretty easy to please and can usually find the silver lining, but this experience was pretty bad. We were redeeming our Groupon and as another poster said, I don't think the company was well equipped for the increase in business. First off, we bought the Groupon (in March) with intent to use the very following weekend. We called to make sure there was room for our party of 5 and they assured us positively that there was plenty of room for this off season sailing... we emailed them an hour later after purchasing the Groupon and suddenly there were only 3 spots left. Unfortunate. I tried booking again in early July and there wasn't any room for the week and half that family was visiting. Ok, not their fault. Actually thinking to myself at this point that this must be a pretty great expedition. Finally found room to book for our party of 4 while we had out of town guests the last weekend of July. I sent Scovare my information and they return emailed me a confirmation for the wrong date and time. I emailed them to correct this. They wrote back with the correct date and time... for the wrong amount of people. I corrected them again. They finally emailed me the correct information. Not exactly inspiring me with confidence, but I'm secretly hoping at this point that reservation booking skills vary inversely with sailing abilities. Saiilng day- We arrive at the correct place at the correct time, no boat in sight. We pick up the phone to call Scovare and see that they left us a message 3 minutes previously that says they can't depart from the Portland dock, but we can drive to their other dock in Sellwood, or reschedule. I'm not a sailing expedition company expert, but I find it odd that this dock closing only became apparent to them 10 minutes before I am supposed to board their vessel, but I digress. Seeing as I have not had great luck scheduling with them and we have been waiting to take this sail, we pick up our car from the flat rate all day parking garage we were in and planned to be at all afternoon, and drive to Sellwood. We arrive and as our party of 4 stands on the dock with 6 others, we are told that they the tour only has room for 6 people and the others will have to wait. Fantastic. And as if all of that isn't enough... I've saved the BEST part for last... on our PORTLAND BRIDGE TOUR... we saw ONE BRIDGE!!! It was the Sellwood bridge. We could see it from the dock. No need to even board the boat, they could have conducted the tour from the freaking dock. DISAPPOINTED! If I hadn't paid 4 months ago through Groupon and forgotten about the money already, I would have felt quite ripped off. Being new to PDX we were really excited to learn some great facts, hear some history and take some great photos. 0 for 3. Won't be trying again. Very excited to take one of the many other wonderful Portland Bridge walking or biking tours we have heard so many good things about. read more

I've always wanted to try these cruises, so purchased a Living Social voucher for the 90 minute sailing trip. It was easy to book the trip and we showed up at Willamette Park Dock about 15 minutes early. Of course the public restrooms were locked and she said " do you think they have a bathroom on board" . "It's called a Head, Honey" I said. "Ok Numbnuts" she said " Do you think they have a Head on board". "I'm sure they do or they would have made a note of it on their website or in the voucher". Captain Shane shows up about 10 minutes early and we prepare to board. I ask if there's a Head on board and he says no. I ask if we have time to run out and hit one and he's ok with it as we have time. Queue to 10 minutes later after a quick run to the Fulton Pub and we're good to go. Captain Shane starts the tour ( 5 min late thanks to us ), and it's a good one... cruising by the floating homes in Sellwood... (we've lived in Sellwood for 11 years and have never seem them close up ). He's a good Sailor.. and a great storyteller/guide.. a proper mix of facts and fiction :) The weather was perfect, the wine ( bring your own drinks ) was great and so was the company... what a great way to watch the sunset over the city and see everything in a great new way. The wind died down toward the end of the cruise so we finished by motor but it hardly matters... the trip is absolutely perfect and I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

So we got a one hour cruise on Groupon, and I have the same issues with them as with a lot of businesses who get involved with Groupon - they simply seemed unable to cope with the increase in business. Their Machiavellian booking system seemed like it was mangling the pick up locations and times for a good number of people, and we got bumped / sent to the wrong place twice in a row. Ultimately thought I'm not going to hold that against them, since I think it's probably a temporary aberration. The cruise itself was pretty good, although it being a calm day there wasn't any actual sailing, just motoring up and down the river. read more

After getting a deal online, I easily booked a tour through their website. The day before the tour, the captain had to cancel and he immediately gave us the option of rescheduling for the next day. This actually ended up being so much better, given the weather. Our captain (oy, cannot remember his name!) was welcoming, funny, and very relaxed, which helped all of us newbies to sailing. At 7pm, we disembarked from the Willamette boat ramp and headed down the river. We cruised by the Portland Yacht club, where all the cool floating homes are, around the island, and under a few bridges, finally heading back right right before reaching the Hawthorne Bridge. Sitting near the front of the boat, another guest and I helped with the sails and learned some new nautical terms (jib!) while the captain regaled us with tales of his travels and facts about the river and Portland. All in all, the deal we got was very well worth it and I recommend any of the tours through Scovare to friends. It is a very unique and fun way to see Portland! read more

In all honesty, I hate writing this review because I had really hoped to love this place. I appreciated that they were prompt in responding my messages and had an easy to use website, with several charter offerings that could have been a great company team building or client entertaining options. Additionally, I've grown up on the water and all things boating have been in my blood since birth through my career working in the yachting industry. In my past experiences with other sailing schools and charters, I have known the captains or instructors to be friendly, outgoing and great communicators; this however was not the case. Our instructor was grumpy, horribly inarticulate and well...rude. I signed up for a 90 minute sailing crash course to get out on the water before committing to a few ASA certified courses and had a terrible experience. While he had done his due diligence in preparing for the course with a small handout and run down of basic terminology, his interpersonal skills were lacking. After the course, one of the other couples that was on the boat came over to thank me for speaking up to him, as he was offensive all around. Perhaps I drew the short straw with my instructor, at least I sure hope so. Best of luck to them in their future ventures, however this is not what I know of the boating community and would not recommend. read more

Awesome Sailing adventures, quiet cruises and wonderful lessons for beginner to advanced. read more

Scovare Expeditions - Best view of the City! - Boat Charters Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I surprised my boyfriend with a 90 minute City Light Cruise for his birthday on Sunday, and he said it was an excellent surprise. This was the first time for both of us being on a sail boat, and I think I'm in love. It was us, along with two other couples, and our captain. I am kicking myself now for not remembering his name, as the captain was one of the best parts of the entire night. It was extremely relaxing, and a wonderful way to see our city from a totally different vantage point. We left the dock almost exactly at 9pm, and were off, past the floating homes (which are not the same as house boats, we learned), our captain giving us a little background info here and there about the sights along the way. He gave us turns driving the boat if we felt so inclined, and kept us laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone. It was a really unique way to spend the last part of our night, and well worth it. Everyone I interacted with in the coordinating of our night was friendly, informative, and very wonderful read more

We booked using a Living Social voucher and couldn't have been happier with our experience. Captain Russ was a wonderful guide and storyteller and kept my son and I well entertained during the trip. We toured up the river to downtown Portland while we were treated to bits of trivia along the way. Rose festival was in full force, so we got to see the dragon boats up close. We sailed back to Willamette boat launch and passed the beautiful houseboats, which I'd never seen up close before. I'd recommend this experience to anyone. It's truly an outing for every member of the family. My one regret was that I hadn't brought my 76 year old mom. She would have loved the adventure. Thanks for a wonderful trip! read more

I bought a LivingSocial voucher for the bridge tour for my anniversary vacation to Portland with my husband. My big complaint is that the redemption location listed on the voucher was completely incorrect and caused us to rent a Zipcar to drive to a location quite out of the way, when the actual meeting location to catch the boat was quite accessible without it. Luckily the e-mail confirmation listed the correct address (yes, I know, I should have checked this) and we had plenty of time to drive to the correct location, but I wish this had also been printed on the voucher. Once we arrived at the right location, there also weren't any signs, so until the boat showed up we had no idea if we were in the right place. The tour itself was nice and relaxing. There were only two other people on the boat with us (it was quite a small boat, so this is geared towards small groups), and our guide, Ace, was really friendly and knowledgeable about the bridges and the area. We took this tour on the first day of our vacation, so it was a nice introduction to the city. read more

I wish I could give more than 5 stars for my experience that I had. I am scared of big open bodies of water, pretty terrified actually, but it was my boyfriends birthday and I really thought he would love it! Well I was right he had an amazing time. Our captain (Joe or John or Jack, god I can not remember. It started with a J my boyfriend knows....anyway) was amazing her was super nice, he was even patient with me and my fear and I had a blast to. I wasn't ever scared! The tour was the 90 minute sunset sail and it felt like we were on the water for 20 mins, it went by so fast! We left on time and came back on time! It was a very smooth experience. They even let my boyfriend control the boat and I am pretty sure he is going to take sailing lessons now! I highly recommend this! read more

I didn't even get a chance to check out their actual services due to some shaky customer service. From the reviews of people that have actually managed to get onto a boat, Scovare seems like it really puts on a great tour! My bf's coworker bought a Groupon a few months back, but was unable to use it. So, about 2 1/2 weeks ago, they gave it to us in hopes that we would enjoy a fun afternoon or evening on the water. Since we are brand new to the Portland area and our crazy and opposite (read: graveyard and swing shifts) work schedules (I a nurse, he a cop) don't allow us much recreational time together, we were SUPER excited. I immediately e-mailed the company inquiring about times we could sail. The only caveat was that the Groupon expired in a couple weeks. I last requested last Monday and today, October 3rd, right away, since those were the only potential days coming up that we had off together. I've been e-mailing back and forth with the company; they take several days to respond between replies and don't really seem to care about 1) our level of satisfaction or 2) the potential repeat or referral business they might receive (isn't that the point of doing Groupon or similar campaigns?). I finally got an e-mail back last night asking what time was good for us today. I replied that since they hadn't contacted me, my bf had taken an overtime shift for the afternoon/swing shift. They offered Tuesday or Wednesday, which would be great except for our schedules. Now, I know this is not completely their fault, but we would have been totally willing to pay an extra fee to "extend" the Groupon a little further out since the circumstances are weird - compromise, people! So, our fun sailing adventure never happened and Scovare has the money our friends spent for the voucher without providing the services. C'est la vie. read more

Awesome private sail.. the captain was knowledgeable and told us about the different islands, floating homes, and bridges.. their history and quite a bit of information. Also gave us enough private space and stopped randomly when he saw we were clicking photos. In short, really worth the money! read more

I booked an excursion for 10 people with Scovare Expeditions and we had a wonderful experience. The captain was knowledgeable and friendly, and everyone had a great time. It's unforgettable to sail beneath the bridges of Portland, and I hope to return with another group someday soon. read more

Enjoyed the small sailboat experience. The captain seems knowledgeable about the area. It's lovely being on the water. You can bring on wine and snacks so that is a plus. Overall good experience. read more

Just okay. The boat was missing seat cushions and they had nothing on board for comfort nor refreshments available. I would most likely not choose this company again nor recommend them. So disappointed. read more

Absolute best. Love going out on the water. This company is awesome must try if you in portland

I have nothing but praise for the security and fun of a Scovare Willamette River sailboat cruise. My first was about a year ago, and I was so pleased that I inspired a group-of-five sail as part of my High School Reunion today. I mentioned to the others that there were Yelp reviews inconsistent with my experience. We would hope to offer a competing highly-positive review. Everything was perfect, including the sunny and mild weather. The boat was waiting at the dock as we arrived early. There was wonderful attention to boarding safety. We helped with sails and steering, and felt that we were competent participants. We saw a bald eagle in flight, and learned a lot about eagle and blue heron nests, in circling Ross Island. We kept our distance from all of the activity of Portland's Rose Festival, with US Navy ships among those docked. Yet, we drew attention of a US Coast Guard launch, ultimately boarding for a rare safety inspection of a sail boat, explained in part as a fair-weather training exercise. I am happy to report that Captain Shane and his boat readily passed the inspection. We didn't mind the half-hour extension of our cruise at no cost, seeing the boarding and the kindness and competence of the Coast Guard people, as an adventure. Count on finding a conscientious business, a nice, well-maintained boat, and some good humor. read more

I decided to ask for a private cruise to propose to my girlfriend (now fiancée). I reached out to Shane and asked if it would be possible. He said of course and provided the perfect time. We were able to see Mount St Helens and Mount Hood from the dock. We also got to see a frozen waterfall. He provided us hot beverages to brace the below-freezing temperatures. All the while Shane was super fun and set the tone so we could have our private moment together. It was a memory that we will always remember. He honestly went out of his way to make sure we had the best time possible. I would love to do another cruise again! read more

Scovare Expeditions - Proposal on a private tour down the Willamette River - Boat Charters Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I can't really say what the sailing experience would be like, because I purchased a Living Social voucher and got ripped off by both Scovare and LS. Never got to sail. I tried to book on line and found no times available until after the voucher expiration date. I called their phone and the woman seemed annoyed that I hadn't booked online and surprised when I told her there were no available openings online. She assured me that there were several available times and asked me to call during business hours the next day. Two days later I was finally able to connect with her again. She gave me some times, I picked one, and she said she would send me an email confirmation with instructions on where to go to pick up the sailboat. She made it a point to repeatedly tell me that there might be problems because I had not booked online. (Argh!) She told me several times to call back in several hours if the confirmation email with directions did not arrive. She seemed almost certain it would not get to me. I had already told her several times that I was going to work and do not have access to phones while at work. I wondered what the big deal was with taking down an email address and sending an email. Needless to say, the email never arrived, I never found out where I was to go catch their supposed sail. The voucher expired unused. Her response was that it was my fault that I didn't keep chasing her until she came through, and said, "sorry it did not work out for you". Living Social let me know that they don't make refunds when a merchant screws up but that my voucher was still good for the purchase amount and that I could always pay the full price and use it. (Not only is that "throwing good money after bad", I'm pretty sure that while Scovare could not accurately copy down my simple email address, they had no trouble copying down my voucher number which they asked for. I'm quite sure they submitted it and got their cut out of my voucher, rendering my voucher void.) Reading the other reviews of this wretched company, it sounds like my experience is typical. Avoid this company. Also, be very sure when you buy a voucher from Living Social that you already know and trust the merchant. If you get ripped off by the merchant, Living Social will not make good. read more

There was miscommunication on the booking date/times. The boat is small and slow. We went on a rainy day and the view through the plastic was blurred, couldn't see much. We went on the Bridge Tour - that only went from the harbor to the Railroad Bridge. When asked about the Fremont Bridge our tour guide said he hadn't brushed up on that one. The facts given were few and even the tour guide himself seemed to question his own facts, not sure of much. We were late getting back to dock which would've been fine if I hadn't had a babysitter waiting at home. I was thinking a $40 a ticket tour would be better informed and more professionally run. I was embarrased that I took my family on such a shabby "TOUR" and feel I gut suckered out of my money. Go with Jetboat excursions - not this Scovare rip-off. read more

Well. if you dont have a boat already, maybe, But if you do have a boat and the wind is not blowing, dont bother or waste your time. Take your own boat out to have a nice night out togther, not crammed together with other people you dont know facing you while you try and eat. We were VERY dissapointed. We expected for the money they charged to at least be a yacht or a real sailboat that you could find a corner to look at the city and relax with your loved one. We laughed when the boat pulled up to the dock and said," here's your ride", and then found out sadly... it was!!!!! Joke was on us! I wish we would have been given the option to do somthing else or rescheduled for a day that had wind, so we could sail. That was the point of going...the jkle was on us. That is why were are taking to time to do this review so someone else dosn't have thiere jaw drop when they see what they get for $59 and a 90 minute tour! The only thing we enjoyed was the guide and the beautiful day God provided. See picture we posted to see the lovely boat! I think they need a better receptionist to help with scheduling also. read more

I bought two 1 hour sailing vouchers through Groupon and was excited about the opportunity to learn a little. I purchased the voucher on August 19th with an expiration date of November 1st. During that period of time, I called them three times and emailed them once with zero reply. Terrible customer service on Scovare's part. Fortunately, Groupon was able to give me a "points" refund. Some business advice for Scovare - if can't handle a huge uptick in your business, don't sell so many vouchers. It annoys people and is bad for your business. Sheesh. read more

Not what I had expected at all, especially since it took me 4 months to find a date that they were available and would accept my groupon. I don't think they are well prepared for the up tick in business. My original thought was what a great, romantic finish to an evening with my wife. What we got was a very awkward sail around PDX with 2 complete strangers on a boat so small that we may as well have been in each other's lap. We brought some wine and desert, they did not so we ended up not touching ours, it felt weird to not have enough to share. Also keep in mind that they boat no matter the wind, on our night there was none so we got to chug around with the smell of exhaust constant. Not horrible but not what they advertise and not worth the money, even at a groupon rate. read more

We loved our 90 minute moonlit sail on the Willamette. This was the first time we'd been out on a sail boat in Oregon and it was a real treat. The tour started at 9pm, just as darkness set in. We enjoyed a great view of the city, bridges and a glorious night. Shane, the Captain, was a terrific tour guide, with that perfect balance of info and letting us just enjoy. We were out with 3 other people, on the smaller of the boats that Scovare run, but we felt like it was our own private trip. Highly recommended for a lovely adventure! read more

Captain Shane made our river sail adventure exceptional with his quick humor, extensive knowledge of Portland history, and sailing skill. We basked in the warm sun, learned about the bridges and Portland skyline, and shared some laughs with the other guests. Our boat was a Hunter 26 and very comfortably fit three couples plus our host/skipper. If you're considering a tour of Portland, this is a great way to do it. read more

We've lived in Portland for nearly 3 years, and have never seen the city from this vantage point. Captain Dick was a pleasure, and very accommodating, knowledgeable, and friendly. We had eight people on the boat and it was a great fit. The nice weather help, but even if it would've been cloudy, we still would've had an excellent time. read more

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Dick was an excellent host, he had a lot to share about historical landmarks and was extremely accommodating. Wonderful!

Great experience! Our captain was awesome! Such a fun way to experience and see the city with beautiful views! read more

Scovare Expeditions - Before sailing! - Boat Charters Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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