Qualified skippers can sign out any of the Co-op boats and go sailing as part of their membership in the Co-op. Members without skipper’s qualifications can go sailing as crew. Additionally, the Co-op offers several other opportunities to go sailing including weekend cruises, long term cruising (up to 7 days), and often there are skippers looking for crew for day sails in local waters.
Tuesday Night Time Trials is a weekly quiz and sail program designed to help members learn to trim sails, catch optimum winds and have a short after-work sail. There’s a boating quiz too and usually the crews end up in the pub afterward, sorting out the answers and comparing times and techniques. Tuesday nights begin in May and run to October.
Thursday Night Sails are a weekly sail event to allow members another organized evening of sailing. Thursday nights begin in May and run to October.
Saturday or Sunday Sails are for sailors to practice their skills or to otherwise just enjoy a leisurely day out on the water. Open to all members, this is a great way for new members to meet our skippers and make new friends. These sessions are not meant to be official lessons that might be expected from a certified instructor in a certified class. Instead, they are meant to improve your boating skills and confidence in an informal setting, which should result in more enjoyment on the water for both you and your Co-op members. The group may involve a highly qualified member to assist with the topics of the day, or it may consist of three or four members working through the topics as a team. And, since there is no test the session should be fun. Regardless, one person in the session must be a certified Co-op skipper. Saturday/Sunday sailing begins in the first week of June and runs to mid-September, except for holiday weekends when the boats may be out on cruises.
Cruises may occur during the summer season with sufficient interest from the membership. Usually held over a weekend and organized for members to learn about the many great destinations in our own backyard – the Gulf Islands. We also may position one of our boats for week long cruises into Desolation Sound.