Testimonials

I also agree the Power Squadron and the CG Auxiliary are a tremendous group of dedicated public servants who have a passion for safety. They and you
too have saved many lives through your collective efforts. Thank you!”- Rear Admiral Craig E. Bone, Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District

“The kid went to college, we live in a great boating area, so I bought a 28′ Skipjack. But I had no idea how to operate it. Kevo’s instruction was essential and invaluable. He taught me everything I needed to know in order to operate the boat safely and well, using a great teaching style, and a systematic, structured, step-by-step approach. He is unflappable, has what seems to be unlimited patience, makes the whole learning experience fun, and is just a really nice guy. His rates are ultimately reasonable (best money I ever spent), and as far as I can tell his service is entirely unique. And not incidentally, Kevo went way above and beyond the call of duty in several respects. I really appreciated this extra effort and have no doubt it is a true indication of his commitment to his customers and his business.

Admittedly I’m a beginner, and there is a lot to teach someone starting from scratch, but I’m sure that Kevo could teach a seasoned boater one heck of a lot of new, valuable stuff in a very short time. His knowledge is obviously very comprehensive. I’m passing on much of what Kevo taught me to my wife and daughter, who are having fun becoming active participants in running the boat. Time spent on the Delta and Bay is helping to keep the kid away from the big screen TV when she’s home from college, and my wife out of Nordstrom. (The boat is building character and saving money!) I hope Kevo keeps doing this for a long time so he can help many more folks like he did me. Pacific Powerboating: Highly recommended, five stars”- Steve Mink

“I’m a do-it-yourself person, and like to figure things out for myself. Let me tell you, handling your first twin-screw sport yacht is not something you should try to figure out yourself. My wife and I spent six months of frustration trying to gain mastery over multiple controls, wind, and current. Finally, after being caught in a strong wind that nearly blew us into the shore at our marina, we realized we weren’t going to figure it out on our own and called Kevin O’Leary at Pacific Powerboating. After our first lesson, we were on our way to handling our new boat with confidence. I feel comfortable saying he saved us from giving up boating altogether. You wouldn’t buy an airplane and try to fly it without training, so why in the world would you buy a huge boat and try to pilot it without training! If you’re new to boating, save yourselves some aggravation and call Pacific Powerboating. You’ll be glad you did.”-Dave & Jessica Weaver

All in all a very good lesson, Cindy and I are looking forward to many years enjoying the new boat and thanks to your lesson we were able to complete the required steps quickly and safely.”- Mark & Cindy Miller, 58′ Vantare, Delta Swizzler

In our search for a boat we had heard many good things about Kevo and had read every article on his website. I called him to see if he would help me with the delivery to begin with, knowing that I would want more instruction later. Luckily he was available for the delivery; if he wasn’t, I figured I would drive the boat home as it is well-equipped with radar and GPS. On the morning of the delivery, the Bay north of the Bay Bridge and the whole Delta was socked it with fog – I was so thankful that I had called Kevo as there’s no way I would’ve gotten very far on my own. His intimate knowledge and long experience with every part of the delivery route was crucial to completing our journey safely. He is writing about the saga in an upcoming article.

Needless to say, I learned much watching Kevo on the delivery, everything from operation of the boat to best practices in getting around the Bay and Delta, as there are large ships mixed with small boat traffic and high-speed ferries. Later we had Kevo come for a follow-up session concentrating on close quarters and docking. His instruction was clear and calm, and he got us dialed in fairly quickly. That gave us the confidence to feel secure going out on our own, knowing that we weren’t going to bang up our boat or someone else’s when we came back to the dock. I’m sure we’ll have Kevo back to help us fill in any other aspects of operation that we are lacking in.

I would recommend Kevo to anyone who needs boating instruction, whether they are new to boating or just moving up to a bigger boat. I also think that most recreational boaters could use a refresher course in many areas. Kevo knows his stuff and he is a great teacher; he is patient and understanding while making sure that his students learn what they need to know. Definitely money well spent!”- Matthew & Natalia V

Thanks Kevin, can’t wait for the “Delta Tour”-Debbie Law

Contacting Kevin turned out to be the most rewarding boating experience I have ever had. Kevin began the instruction with a thorough examination of my boat and pointed out many minor, but important, discrepancies I needed to correct. We were soon on the water and I was quickly learning how to handle a 44′ boat with twin engines..something I had never done before.

Kevin was very personable and easy to understand. It wasn’t long before I was doing close quarter maneuvers, spinning the boat 360 degrees left and right and berthing it. One day while we were out, the wind came up (20-25 mph). What a difference in operation. Kevin’s style of teaching is very relaxed and comprehensive at the same time. I was able to make it through the windy day with flying colors and soon became comfortable in the boat’s operation.

On the last day of instruction, we did a man overboard drill. I was able to rescue a life cushion in 45 seconds! We also were instructed in proper anchoring techniques and use of the marine band radio. I had to request a bridge opening and take the boat through the bridge.

Throughout the period of instruction, my wife, son and a neighbor were present and learned immensely from Kevin’s instruction also. My whole experience was very rewarding. Today, I feel confident and am looking forward to many fine days on the water.

I would highly recommend Kevin O’Leary to anyone who is learning or wants to build on what they already know.”–John & Bertha Walker

“Prior to purchasing my boat I had very little boating experience besides being the flagger or skier. I soon realized after I bought my boat that I needed additional instruction to become more comfortable with all aspects of boating so that I could take my family and friends out on the lake safely. That’s when I contacted Kevin.

Kevin has a wealth of knowledge on all aspects of boating from trailering to the necessary skills needed once your boat is on the water. During the lesson he taught me how to back the trailer into a parking slot, down the launch ramp and into a garage at the marina. He also trained me on how to properly launch and retrieve my boat as well as the correct technique for tying the boat up at the dock. During the lesson I became confident in docking my boat and knowing how important it is to use the wind to your advantage. Remembering Kevin’s motto “slow like a pro not fast like an ass” is extremely helpful whether backing the trailer or docking the boat.

Kevin is extremely patient and very personable. I would definitely recommend him to anyone needing boating instruction.”-Penny

“Before Kevo’s training our boating options were limited. My wife was not comfortable taking the helm. Kevo, with his patient demeanor and expertise, was able to quickly help my wife gain the confidence she needed to handle our boat. She has continued to use his training tips and is now comfortable behind the helm anytime including taking our 43′ boat in and out of our slip. Thank you Kevo.” – Mark & Kathy Copeland

“As the Harbormaster of one of the most prestigious marinas in the Delta, it’s important to me to that our berthers who are in need of on-board training have access to the best instructor available. I have recommended Kevo & Pacific Powerboating to many berthers. All have been more than satisfied with his services.” – Tom Tate Harbormaster of Korth’s Pirate’s Lair Marina

2010 Update:
Gene Orcutt took boating instruction from Kevo back in 2005. He is very thankful for the outstanding lessons, and uses them regularly while boating in the Delta.
It seems like every time he takes his boat out, he encounters situations where Kevo’s expert training really comes in handy, saving him from what could turn out to be disastrous! Here is one example of where panic turns into calm.

This summer Gene and his wife, Carrie made a safe trip from the Delta to Sausalito. Because of their boat dogs they like to back into the slip for easy on and off. While trying to maneuver the boat stern to the slip, they encountered a very fast moving incoming tide. After several frantic tries, Gene was panicking. His wife is a professional horse trainer, and understood exactly what he was experiencing.

She calmly said to Gene “Think about what Kevo would do in this situation”. Gene immediately calmed down, pulled it together, and remembered from 5 years ago the training and safety tips he had learned. It was like Kevo took over the controls and Gene easily docked the boat, stern against the fast moving tide. Once again, thank you Kevo for all your expert instruction!

Chris Simpson
Broker/Owner
Antioch Yacht Sales
www.antiochyachtsales.com
925-757-6655

At that point I was afraid of my own boat. I called Kevin & he reassured me that I would master the vessel after a few lessons. I decided that I wanted more than a quickie afternoon of instruction. I engaged Kevin for four 3-day weekends & concentrated on close quarter maneuvering.

It was money well spent. I am now confident that I can handle my vessel & am on the way to becoming a competent boater.

It was a pleasure dealing with Kevin. He was competent, caring, punctual. Not only does he know boats but he knows how to teach that skill to others in a language that is understandable. He analyzes mistakes & makes you understand why things went wrong. That is more valuable than doing it right by luck. He is very organized & gives you a report card/summary of the day’s lesson which you can refer to, I was sad when the lessons ended but I expect that Kevin will remain a friend for life “- Arnold Goldschlager, M.D.

We are extremely happy with the lessons we learned from Kevin, and we would highly recommend him to anyone who has the desire to become a power boater in Northern California.”-Matt & Sara Gregory

“Here’s the deal. I purchased my boat, Great Escape, about 3 years ago. She is a twin diesel Nova, 36′ and not that tough to handle. Having said that, I had very limited prior experience on the water and was somewhat intimidated, especially in the somewhat adverse conditions that are often encountered in the Bay Area. I had a few hours of on-board instruction to learn the basics, as well as attending and passing all of the coast guard classroom courses. Unfortunately, that did not really do the trick, and I ended up treating the boat as a floating condo, with few excursions out of my berth. Finally, my insurance company, with which I had been very forthright regarding my lack of experience, threatened to withdraw my coverage unless I was deemed to be competent, by either a licensed captain or an otherwise acceptable instructor.

I initiated web searches to find someone who could provide the foregoing requirements. I wasn’t having much luck until I ran across Kevin O’Leary’s ads (aka “Kevo”) in the Bay and Delta Yachtsman publication, advertising his company’s (Pacific Powerboating) instruction services and his prior success rate with incompetents such as myself. I immediately contacted him, and the rest is history.

Kevo’s instruction technique is based upon verbal hints while the student performs specific maneuvers, particularly in tight quarters. It’s not high pressure – he is there to assist and takes control only if the situation is headed towards a mini-disaster. All of this is accompanied by a dialog stream related to his somewhat nefarious past and present, which I believe is a deliberate method of testing the student’s attention span in demanding situations (although he does have the gift of Irish gab which he enjoys delivering; I don’t believe he has to practice this particular technique). After several excursions – which included, on the last day of instruction, a six-hour voyage beneath the Golden Gate, then to Pier 39, South Beach Harbor, Jack London Square, Treasure Island, Angel Island, and back to our Sausalito starting point. We thereafter proceeded to celebrate my “graduation” and diploma presentation by sharing an Amstel Lite.

In addition to the on-board instruction, Kevo performed a complete inspection of Great Escape particular vessel and pointed a couple of problems that required correction; bottom line, he will not provide a sign-off until any significant deficiencies are corrected.

I cannot speak too highly of the value I received from the overall experience with Kevo. My confidence level has risen 100-fold, and my insurance coverage is maintained. And besides, he is a great guy! I heartily recommend his services, with no reservation whatsoever.”–Dan Crosser, Owner – Great Escape

Ex Tridens Scientia: From knowledge (comes) sea power

“With the recent purchase of a 32 ft bayliner, I was looking for a short cut to understanding the boat systems and handling. Kevo turned out to be a great choice to gaining the knowledge I was looking to get.

With very personalized instruction, we went into the boat itself and got a better understanding than the limited bayliner owner’s manual provided. Changes and modifications were clearly pointed out and polished with his experience of these boats. This alone saved many hours looking for maintance and operation information (if you could have found it.)

The time on the water established good boat handling training that a book cannot provide. Maneuvering a boat in close quarters requires good training because damage and embarrassment around a marina can ruin a really good day on the water. This is more than a short cut; it sets a skill set for future safe boating. I found Kevo to be an excellent instructor with a doctorate of boatmanship.”–Don Seyk