Jim Lewer is the owner and primary instructor of Patriot Sailing.  Jim possesses a 25 ton Master’s License issued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG).  Our sailboat is also maintained in compliance with USCG regulations.  Since his first sail on a two person”dinghy” in the 1980’s, Jim has had a love for sailing that lasts to this day.  He looks forward to introducing you to this wonderful activity.      

In 2013, Jim retired from a career in law enforcement and was ready to pursue his sailing passion on a much more frequent basis.  Since retiring, Jim is usually found most days out on Lake Erie throughout the Buffalo sailing seasons.  Since retirement, Jim had been actively involved with another sailing club/school in the Buffalo, NY area.  While associated with the school/club, Jim learned that he thoroughly enjoyed working with new sailors.  Jim’s students have regularly commented positively on: his thorough and attentive instruction; his relaxed, stress free teaching style; his insistence on adherence to safe boating practices; as well as his emphasis on preparing students for emergency situations.    

In 2018, Jim decided to form Patriot Sailing in order to have more control over: a formalized teaching curriculum; student – teacher ratios; as well as the type and size of the sailing vessel.  In addition to believing that instruction should be presented in a fun and safe manner,  Jim  feels that students learn best when class sizes are small.  For this reason, you will never have more than two fellow students accompanying you for “on-the-water” lessons.   Jim also believes that new students learn best on a boat which is not so big as to be intimidating, nor so small as to be overpowered by the prevailing sailing conditions.  For those reasons, the Catalina Sport, 22′ keel-boat, was selected as our teaching platform for all lessons and private cruises.  This boat offers: stability; responsiveness; a large cockpit; and the ability to handle Lake Erie (while still being small enough to be confidently handled by a novice sailor).  Finally,  Jim’s prior career has instilled in him the need to: properly maintain equipment; stay proficient with continued training; and be prepared for emergency situations.  

Over the last few seasons, Jim has also made use of his USCG Master’s license, to “captain” power-boat cruises (on Lake Erie, the Inner and Outer Harbors, as well as the Buffalo river) for two Buffalo based companies.  One of these companies is a not-for-profit foundation, which offers free boating adventures for mentally and physically challenged children and adults.  Jim (along with a large number of  other like-minded individuals) happily volunteer his services for free for this worthy cause).