Scovare Expeditions

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!

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

Our captain was friendly, knowledgeable and funny! The whole experience was so worth it. LOVED IT!!!

Had a great time will do this again!!! Met nice people and the captain has a great personality :-)

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.

What a fun experience! The captain was great and made us all feel at ease. Fun to do with friends — we will definitely do this again (and recommend to others)

Wonderful experience! Group of 8 on the 90 minute evening sail was a fantastic ride. We brought salads and beverages on and had a great time.

A bit disappointed in the experience. First, I thought private experience meant just the two of us. I didn’t realize there would be another family joining us. (I know it says ‘up to eight’ but i thought that meant for a single party). I had booked this as a romantic experience for my boyfriend and me. I realize they can’t command the weather to provide wind but it would have been nice to at least put up the sails and have a demonstration on how that is done. I felt our captain was worried about getting back for his last excursion on time, even though ours started late. He didn’t want to take the extra time to put up the sails. I’ve owned a boat so the boat ride was not a new experience. We did appreciate the information shared about the area and the views of Portland from a different vantage point. I paid for a ‘sail boat’ excursion however. I really wanted the ‘sailing’ experience. I’m not sure if I would chance another booking knowing that we may not get to sail.

Excellent sailing experience and great pickup point. Surprised my fiancé with this excursion and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Captain Carl was very knowledgeable about the sailboat and the areas we sailed. We definitely will be sailing with Scovare Expeditions again.

This was great! I bought this trip for 2 for my boyfriend as our two year anniversary gift. He loved it! It was beautiful and we both learned things about Portland that we didn’t know. We brought some snacks and champagne for the ride, just make sure you bring cups and everything you need!

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.

After booking the trip through an online coupon deal, we received immediate confirmation for the date and time, which was several weeks later. The instructions were clear on when and where to meet. The boat arrived on-​time, and Capt. Dick gave us a choice of the downtown waterfront cruise or going upriver past the golf club and houseboat areas.
Despite the fact that there was utterly no wind that day so we had to motor it for the 90 minute cruise, our 8 person group had a good time. We brought our own beverages, and the time flew by quickly.
The outdoor seating area is very snug for a group of 8. It was such a glorious day, none of us went below for the whole trip.
I would definitely engage Scovare again for a cruise.

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.

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!

I took the 90 minute tour around the Ross Island and downtown loop at 7:30 recently, and it was just lovely. Totally worth it!

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.

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!

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

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.

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).