SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Through a partnership with the South Portland Parks and Recreation Department, a budding, commercial sailing school has new home at Thomas Knight Park.
Since mid-June, owners Kyle Jacobs, 27, and Tyler Martin, 30, have been operating South Portland Sailing Center out of a small shed in the public park and launched their sailboats at the frequently ignored Knightville landing.
“We’re here as a community resource,” Jacobs said July 11.
The arrangement hatched several months ago, when the two owners began to look for a new location on the city waterfront that would reduce overhead for their 3-year-old venture.
Jacobs said they previously operated out of South Port Marine on Ocean Street, where fees per linear foot for their boats were costing them as much as if they were operating a 100-foot yacht.
So the sailors approached the director of parks and recreation, Rick Towle, with the idea to launch out of nearby Thomas Knight Park, where Ocean Street meets Waterman Drive beneath the Casco Bay Bridge.
According to Towle, the city has long searched for ways to invigorate the park and boat launch, which he said are “very underutilized.” The landing is designated for transient boat use, but few people realize it’s there because of the park’s hidden location.
There has been a lack of through traffic in the park, as well as an increase in criminal activity and frequent police calls in recent years, but Towle said the number of incidents has been declining.
In exchange for a more affordable location, Towle said the sailing school provides a “positive presence” in the city park that will attract more residents and tourists.
The school also offers discounted introductory sailing lessons through the city for $70 until the season ends on Labor Day.
The arrangement was approved this spring on a trial basis by City Manager Jim Gailey, with a $1,550 base fee for use of the boat launch. Because their operation is considered temporary, Towle said, SPSC did not need a municipal hearing for use of the park. The launch is still open to other boat owners, whose fees are collected on an honor system.
“We’ve never made $1,550 a summer there, ever,” Towle said of the launch at Thomas Knight Park. “I challenge you to find five or 10 citizens who even know what it is or where it is.”
Towle said no one else has expressed interest in using the space, and if other businesses had, he would have put it out for bids.
Jacobs said he and Martin are happy to be “an extension of eyes” for the city and make the community more aware of the park and launch.
“By the end of the summer, we’ll have brought hundreds through here,” he estimated.
Several residents, however, have raised concerns about a for-profit business operating at a city park. Towle said he sees the arrangement as supporting local business. The city also plans to review the arrangement with SPSC in the fall before considering use of the park again next year.
“It’s limited use,” Towle said. “It’s not forever.”
If it bothers enough people, Jacobs said, he and Martin would be open to moving. Otherwise, they really like their spot.
“We’re just a couple of young guys trying to hang out our shingle and do something good for the community,” he said.
Jacobs and Martin describe their school as a comprehensive program for aspiring sailors, ages 30 to 60.
SPSC offers two primary courses: a three-hour introductory class and a 20-hour basic keel fin course taken over four days. They have four boats with two operational sailboats they use in classes at this time. Classes are offered Wednesdays through Sundays, arranged by appointment.
They said they are just starting to hit their stride with an older demographic, who they believe is underserved in the local sailing community, which often focuses on junior sailors.
Sometimes, Jacobs said, adults interested in sailing “feel like they may have missed the bus” if they did not sail when they were a child.
“We’re here to show people there’s a viable way to get into it,” he said.
Jacobs and Martin are certified by the American Sailing Association and live in Portland, though Martin technically lives on his sailboat in Casco Bay with his dog, Chief.
Todd Peterson, a Thornton Heights resident, just began sailing and completed his 20-hour SPSC course on July 11. He said he hopes to sail on the Atlantic.
“[Jacobs and Martin] have the right philosophy,” Peterson said. “I’m excited. By the end of this class, it’s feasible to become a full sailor in one summer.”