Answers to common questions about West Coast Sailing
About Us
Who Are You?
West Coast Sailing is a specialty water sports company. We started in small sailboats (less than 18’), including new and used boats, parts, apparel and the hardware, accessories and service to support them. Our company was founded by small boat sailors with an extreme passion for the water. Our staff is composed of knowledgeable and highly experienced professionals. While we’ve recently expanded into kayaks and some larger sailboats, at our core we will always be individual enthusiasts for the water. You can read more About Us.
Why West Coast Sailing?
Aside from our good looks and charm? We have tons of inventory in stock, from the best water sports brands. We offer free shipping on most orders*. Returns & exchanges are easy. We have the best customer service in our industry. We’re independently owned and believe in what we do!
Do you have a physical store?
Yes! It’s a clean and organized 15,000 square foot warehouse in the northern part of the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon (USA). Unlike a lot of e-commerce sites these days, we have a retail showroom and are happy to assist local customers. Check out our Visit our Showroom page for more information. We usually have 150+ boats in stock at any one time. We maintain tons of inventory for a wide range of one design dinghies. It’s pretty cool!
How do I contact you?
So many ways! Phone, email, text, online contact form, visit our store, heck, you can send us a letter if you'd like! Whatever works best for you! See our Contact Page with for all the details.
What are your business hours?
During the sailing season, our shop is open six days a week, with the exception of major holidays. From October to March (outside the sailing season) we’re open Monday through Friday.
Retail Showroom - Open by appointment 10am-3pm Monday-Friday, and Saturday 9am-5pm (April-September). Visitors looking to shop for gear or a new boat are encouraged to make an appointment. For more information, please visit our Showroom page.
Customer Support - Monday-Saturday 9am to 5pm
Boat Sales - Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm.
Order Processing - Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm (last carrier pickup is 3:30pm). No outbound shipments on weekends.
Ordering
I need sailing gear! How do I order?
You came to the right place! You can place an order in a number of different ways.
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Our web store is the best source for our comprehensive selection of parts, apparel, and accessories. Easy to navigate categories and a simple checkout page make ordering online simple and convenient.
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If you prefer to speak with an expert or prefer not to order online, our staff is on hand to answer calls and assist with orders. Phone Orders: Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm Pacific Time at +1 (503) 285-5536.
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Email Orders: Anytime! Email info@westcoastsailing.net. We’ll follow up as soon as we're back in the office.
Should I set up an account?
Setting up an account on our web store saves time on future orders. You can store shipping information, contact numbers, check on the status of an order, and review past purchases.
I’m a large institution, can you bill me?
Of course. We count some of the largest sailing programs in the country as customers. Our Program Support Team looks after their orders so they get what they need, when they need, and save money doing it. Find out how to sign up on our Program Pricing page.
Your website is secure right?
Our website is fully secure and compatible with the latest SSL certificate technology so you can be confident that your information is safe. We will never share your information, e-mail, phone number or anything with any third party. We won't send you any promotional emails unless you sign up for our newsletter. For real though, sign up for it and stay in touch!
Payment & Sales Tax
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards include Master Card, Visa, Discover, and Amex via the fully secure Authorize.net payment gateway in our checkout process. We also accept payment via PayPal. When your order is placed online, the payment is collected automatically at the time the order is placed. All payments are processed in US dollars.
Institutions can be set up with payment terms.
Boat payment is typically 50% on order, balance on delivery and when everything is perfect.
Do you collect Sales Tax?
West Coast Sailing is required to collect sales tax on purchases shipping to certain destinations based on state and/or local tax laws. This includes the following states and is subject to change at any time:
- CALIFORNIA
- FLORIDA
- WASHINGTON
How We Calculate Sales Tax: Our website will calculate and charge sales tax based on the items in your order and shipping destination, remitting sales tax on your behalf. The same rates will apply to orders placed via phone or email. We do not collect sales tax on orders picked up from our warehouse in Portland, Oregon, nor do we prepay (except in rare circumstances) any duties or taxes associated with shipping products outside the United States. Please contact our team if you have any specific questions or concerns related to sales tax.
Shipping
You’re going to kill me on shipping and handling charges right?
Nope. We were the first dinghy sailing store to offer free shipping, and we still do on most orders! Free 'Standard Shipping' is available on most orders to the continental United States over $99.00. Generally speaking, if your order is $99.00 or more and can fit in a FedEx, UPS, or USPS truck, we will ship it for free! Our Standard Shipping method utilizes USPS, UPS, and FedEx to send packages near and far. Our daily shipping cut off is 1 pm Pacific time. Orders placed after 1 pm will ship the following business day. Please review our exceptions to this free shipping offer on our Shipping page.
Where will my order ship from?
Most orders ship from our warehouse in Portland, Oregon. If an item is currently out of stock and can be sourced quickly through one of our vendors, all or part of an order may be shipped directly from the manufacturer. We will provide specific tracking numbers for each shipment.
What if you can't ship my order complete?
Getting product to your door quickly is our number one goal. Sometimes this means shipping separate packages from our warehouse and from a vendor. We will provide specific tracking numbers for each shipment.
Some of the items in your order may be temporarily out of stock at the time you place your order. If that's the case, our website will indicate the usual lead time for the item to be ordered in from our supplier -- i.e. "Typically ships in 1 week." In the unusual circumstance where an item does not arrive from our supplier as scheduled, we will contact you to advise you of the new lead time and confirm that you would like us to continue to seek this item on your behalf.
If we are ultimately unable to fulfill an item, or you choose to cancel the order, we will refund any unfulfilled portion of your order.
How will my order ship? You’re not using a sled-dog team or something with that free shipping?
We use FedEx, UPS, and the U.S. Postal Service for shipments, depending on size.
Estimated transit times for common destinations:
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Seattle - 1-3 Business Days
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Bay Area - 2-5 Business Days
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SoCal - 3-6 Business Days
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Midwest - 3-8 Business Days
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East Coast - 5-10 Business Days
Need faster shipping? Select from Ground, 3 Day, 2nd Day, or Next Day service from our shipping options during check out.
On a timeline and not sure which service will get your order delivered in time? Our team can help! Give us a call at 503.285.5536 option 1, or email us at info@westcoastsailing.net.
When will my order ship?
We work hard to provide fast and efficient shipping and attempt to ship all in stock orders within one business day. If there is a problem with your order, our Customer Service team will attempt to reach you via the contact information provided at time of ordering.
Do you ship internationally?
We use Fedex and the U.S. Postal Service to ship small parts and apparel items internationally. Our website will quote the available options during checkout. For additional information on the international shipment process, visit our Customer Support page.
What if an item is backordered?
We do our best to keep items stocked and on our shelves, but from time to time items do become backordered. Our Customer Support Team will update you as soon as we become aware of any stock shortages or other delays with your order. Once the backordered items come in, we will automatically ship your order. You can expect a tracking number from us when your order ships.
Returns & Exchanges
Can I return an item?
Your 100% satisfaction is our goal - we want you to love your sailing gear, but if something doesn't work out, we accept returns on most new, unused items. Returns can be made within 366 days (1 year + 1 day) of your original order date. Please allow 5-7 days for return processing and 1-2 billing cycles for credit to appear. Returns made beyond 120 days may require contacting you to confirm payment method for the funds. Please note that cut line, numbered sails, open DVD's, clearance items, built to order rig shop items, and products worn or used sailing, are not subject to exchange or return. Special Order items are also excluded from this policy.
For more information, please visit our Returns page.
Do you offer return labels?
We sure do! Click here to generate an easy to use, flat rate Fedex return label. Attach this label to the package and drop it off at any Fedex drop off location. After we receive your return we’ll deduct the cost of the label from your refund.
***Please note that Fedex return labels are only available within the 50 U.S. States. U.S. Territories and outlying islands and international customers are unfortunately excluded from this service.***
Boat Sales
What boats / brands do you carry?
We represent several manufacturers and over 40 models of boats including RS Sailing, Zim Sailing, Hobie Sailboats, and Hobie Kayaks. We believe these builders represent the finest in small sailboats and we’re happy to offer them to you.
How do I choose the right boat?
We’re small boat sailors and have extensive experience with the boats we sell. If you’re unsure exactly what you need, we can help! Give us a call or send an email at any time and we’ll be happy to help you select the perfect boat for your needs.
I’ve found the boat I want... now what?
If you would like more information on ordering a boat or having us ship one to you, please call or send an email to boatsales@westcoastsailing.net.
What about setup, do I have to figure that out on my own?
No way. This is WHAT WE DO. Get people on the water! Your boat will be set up, dialed in, and absolutely ready to sail. Beyond that, we’re here to help with expert advice and recommendations. This is the core of our business.
Can you ship it to me?
We have existing routes and carriers to deliver boats to most sailing grounds West of the Rockies, including Oregon, Washington, California, British Columbia, and Alberta. For more details, including a specific quote for delivery to your address, please call or email our boat sales team.
Live nearby or planning to drive down? We’d be happy to have you pick your boat up from our warehouse. Please contact our team to coordinate.
Do you have used boats?
While we no longer offer used boats, we frequently have demo or charter boats available. Please visit our Charters page to view our latest offerings.