To rent our boats, you must be able to demonstrate ability to read a chart, rig the boat, and sail it (and use the engine if applicable).   This is done with a one-time rental checkout for anyone who has not taken a sailing course with us which costs $90, pass or fail.  There are no exceptions to the rental checkout. ASA/US Sailing Certification, foreign sailing license, US Coast Guard license, and/or boat ownership, etc.  do not waive the checkout.  We don't want to hear it.  We want to see you sail.

If you're a solid sailor, and close to passing the checkout, but need to work on a particular skill before we can pass you, we'll work with you to achieve this.  If you sail well but are weak on charts, we'll keep you on a tight leash the first time or two until you can demonstrate better chart reading skills.  If you're not close enough, you won't pass and we'll politely, but firmly, tell you why, and what we think you should do to bring your skills up to the level we need to see.

It's not uncommon for people to fail the checkout, even for experienced sailors.  Not everyone has the same training or types of sailing experiences.
 

What we do in the checkout

First, we collect the checkout fee of $90 cash.  This is not refundable.

Our boats are on moorings, and we take you out to them in a motor launch.  We leave you to rig the boat and come back and see how you did.  You must be able to bend on a jib and tie basic knots.   Then, we sail with you.  Once you cast free, you must pivot the boat away from the wind before you do anything else.   You must remain in our mooring field at all times.  You must do at least one tack and at least one jibe, although you can do more of either/both.  You must sail the boat back to the mooring, even if it takes numerous attempts.  We might also ask you to peform a MOB drill, or to heave to and/or reef your mainsail.  Unless the boat is going out again later, you must still put the boat back to bed, even if you failed the checkout.

For charts, we expect you to be able to identify universal symbols and conventions on US charts.  If we point to a symbol for a navigation aid, you should be able to describe roughly what you will see from afar before you reach the navigation aid.  We don't care what you call it - just that if you see a symbol, you know what to expect it to look like.  You should also be able to identify symbols for shoals, rocks, and other hazards.  Naturally, understanding depth soundings is critical. 

Generally, you don't need to know how to plot a course or lat/lon coordinates, but should be familiar with direction on a chart and very rough distance measurements.  We want you to be able to "pilot" well, or navigate with regular reference to navigation aids, landmarks, and prominent aspects of the local geography.  If not, you're on a tight leash or don't go out.

If you can sail our smaller boats that have engines but cannot operate the engine, you can sail without using the engine but it will be disabled and rate will be the same.