Piers Park Sailing Center

What Piers Park Sailing Center does

Piers Park Sailing Center (PPSC) is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit founded in 1998 and based at 95 Marginal Street in East Boston, Massachusetts, where it operates on Massport-owned Piers Park waterfront with fully ADA-accessible facilities. Its core business is community sailing instruction and marine science education delivered through a fleet of 23-foot Sonar keelboats and kayaks equipped with adaptive hardware (custom seating, lifts, ramps, modified controls) for participants with disabilities. The organization runs four youth programs (Harbor Explorers for ages 6-9, Science of Sailing for ages 10-22, Sailing After School for ages 9-13, and a Teen Training Blue/Green Jobs program that employs 140 teens annually) and serves adults through Learn to Sail classes ($799), Sailing Passes ($849/season), Monthly Sailing Passes ($199/month), Hardy Sailor Season Passes ($549), Kayak Passes ($199), Harbor Cruises ($99-$199), and Corporate/Group Sailing at $50/person/hour, with adaptive and veteran programming offered at subsidized rates.

PPSC's revenue mechanics are a hybrid of program fees, sliding-scale tuition subsidized by foundation grants (Massport/East Boston Foundation provide $150 East Boston resident discount; Peabody Foundation funds free tuition for students with physical disabilities; Cummings Foundation provides general support), donations, and corporate group bookings. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via an e-commerce website with online reservations and a youth enrollment portal, with corporate and group sales handled by email inquiry. The organization is one of fewer than 10 US Sailing-accredited Adaptive Sailing Centers nationally and holds a US Sailing Best Community Program for Disabled Sailors award and a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Annual impact metrics include over 3,000 children served, 1,100 youth taught to sail, 300 persons with disabilities skippering a boat on Boston Harbor, and 150+ veterans in therapeutic sailing, with over 2,800 people with disabilities served since program inception. The center employs 11-50 staff and benefits from a distinctive talent pipeline in which 100% of the current leadership team (Executive Director Alex DeFronzo, Education Director Omar Sahrour, Director Sophia Gomez, Program Director Erick Morales, Bookkeeper Catherine Domina) grew up in PPSC programs, providing operational continuity and community trust.

Name

Piers Park Sailing Center

Legal name

Piers Park Sailing Center, Inc.

Website

https://piersparksailing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Piers Park Sailing Center is a 501(c)(3) community sailing nonprofit founded in 1998 in East Boston, delivering adaptive and youth sailing instruction, marine science education, and recreational boating access on Boston Harbor to youth, adults, veterans, and people with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sailing Education & Waterfront Recreation

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered) (THAEAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Sailing Cruises (Windjammers & Tall Ships) (THAEADAB), Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Community sailing programs
• Adaptive sailing services
• Youth marine education
• Sailing instruction classes
• Harbor recreational boating

Headquarters

HQ city

East Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Youth Programs: Revenue from youth sailing programs including Harbor Explorers, Science of Sailing, Sailing After School, and Teen Training Program. Pricing is sliding scale based on family income (max $450/week). East Boston residents receive $150 discount; students with disabilities receive free tuition.
2. Adult Sailing Classes: Learn to Sail course at $799 for adults 21+. Includes 16-20 hours of instruction over multiple days. Optional US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification for additional $99 testing fee.
3. Sailing Passes: Seasonal Sailing Pass at $849 for all-season access to the 23-foot Sonar fleet from May-October. Monthly Sailing Pass at $199/month plus $99 sign-up fee. Hardy Sailor Season Pass at $549 for winter season (November-April). Household add-on available for $249.
4. Kayak Pass: Kayak Pass at $199 for unlimited kayak access for the 2026 season. Includes all kayaking equipment and safety gear.
5. Harbor Cruises: Harbor cruise experiences at $99-$199 per group (max 6 participants), offering scenic tours of Boston Harbor with experienced skippers.
6. Corporate/Group Sailing: Group sailing experiences at $50 per person per hour. Ideal for corporate teams, nonprofits, schools, and community groups. Accommodates 2-42 participants.
7. Adaptive Sailing Programs: 'Give it a Try' sessions for adults with spinal cord injury at $49. Learn to Sail and Sailing Pass available at 50% off regular pricing for adults with disabilities.
8. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on donations, foundation support, and sponsorship to fund programs and keep them accessible. Accepts boat and equipment donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Piers Park Sailing Center runs an accessible community sailing operation on Boston Harbor from East Boston, providing youth marine science and sailing programs (Harbor Explorers, Science of Sailing, Sailing After School, Teen Training Program), adult sailing instruction (Learn to Sail) with optional US Sailing certification, seasonal and monthly passes for independent use of a 23-foot Sonar keelboat fleet and kayaks, and adaptive sailing programs for people with disabilities. It also sells harbor cruises and corporate/group sailing experiences and accepts donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Product overview

Piers Park Sailing Center operates as a community sailing organization offering a portfolio of programs and passes centered on Boston Harbor access. The core offerings include youth development programs (Harbor Explorers, Science of Sailing, Sailing After School, Teen Training Program) that build sailing skills and marine science knowledge, and adult sailing education (Learn to Sail). Access to the water is enabled through various passes: Sailing Pass and Monthly Sailing Pass for independent sonar keelboat sailing, Hardy Sailor Season Pass for winter sailing, and Kayak Pass for kayak access. Additional experiences include Harbor Cruises for scenic harbor tours and Corporate/Group Sailing for team-building. The organization is recognized for its accessibility focus, maintaining adaptive sailing equipment and accredited status as a US Sailing Adaptive Sailing Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Harbor Explorers Hands-on marine ecology program for students ages 6-9 featuring sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, crabbing, underwater cameras, local ecology and Boston Harbor learning. Operated on a sliding scale up to $450/week, with $150 East Boston resident discount and free tuition for students with physical disabilities.
• Science of Sailing

Quantifiable outcome

• Teach 1,100 youth how to sail every year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassport operates the Piers Park waterfront property where PPSC is located. Participants must agree to terms releasing Massport from liability. Massport and East Boston Foundation provide $150 savings for East Boston resident families.
• GuideStar (Candid)minorOthersGuideStar provides the Platinum Seal of Transparency for nonprofit organizations. PPSC's 990 filings and financial documents are provided through GuideStar.
• East Boston YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for teen recruitment - Omar Sahrour, Education Director, first joined Piers Park at age 8 through partnership with the East Boston YMCA. YMCA partnership helps reach local youth.
• World Ocean SchoolminorOthersSteve Kirk, representing World Ocean School, serves as Chair of PPSC's Board of Directors, providing governance oversight.
• Bain CapitalminorOthersWill Lerrick from Bain Capital serves as Treasurer on PPSC's Board of Directors, providing financial oversight expertise.
• US SailingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Sailing provides accreditation for PPSC as an Adaptive Sailing Center and administers Basic Keelboat Certification that PPSC students can earn. US Sailing awarded PPSC Best Community Program for Disabled Sailors.
• Wellesley College National Institute on Out-of-School TimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPSC participates in Wellesley College NIOST's Assessment Observation Tool (APT-O) to drive effective progression in program development and measure youth program outcomes.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PiersParkSailingCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/piersparksailing/?hl=en
• Xx.com/pierspark
• Facebookfacebook.com/pierspark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/piers-park-sailing-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Piers Park Sailing Center