Booking Rules
General Rules
Yacht Club members are allowed to book any available space, however they must be either an approved skipper or mate to book as skipper or mate. See the list of Skippers and Mates.
Temporary members (guests) must contact the Crewing Secretary by email to book.
Remember that if you can no longer honour the booking you have made, please cancel your booking yourself or drop the Crewing Secretary an email ASAP, as you will liable to pay once the trip is within 4 weeks. Please treat your booking as you would any other "holiday or event booking such as a theatre trip".
Standby Sailing
If there are no spaces remaining on a trip when you book then you may join the waitlist for that cruise, you will then be on "standby" for that cruise. There has been some confusion about what standby sailing means. For clarification, "standby" is intended for use when a trip is full.
As a club we try to be as flexible as we can, recognising the demands that work puts on us. However, it is a club run by volunteers so we also need to have processes that are simple to administer.
The Process
Members book themselves onto a trip by logging onto the yacht club website using their username (e-mail address) and your password.
Temporary members (guests) must contact the Crewing Secretary by email to book.
If a trip is full, you can add your name to the waitlist. If a place becomes available, you will be sent an e-mail telling you that you have been moved up onto the crew list.
Cancellations can be made without penalty up to 4 weeks before the trip.
Reminders are sent to the crew 5 weeks in advance notifying people of the upcoming trip and stating that payment is expected unless cancellation is given with at least 4 weeks’ notice.
If there are spaces available 4 weeks before the trip, anyone on the waitlist will be moved onto the crew list; they will then have until the following Monday end of day to cancel otherwise payment is expected.
A standby place on the waitlist should be treated in exactly the same way as a full place: if you can’t commit to going 4 weeks before the event then you should take yourself – and / or your guest – off the list, otherwise you will be expected to pay.
Also remember that if you haven't booked any trips and you find nearer the time that you can make a trip, you can always make a late booking (if there is space) – any time up until the boat leaves the pontoon.
Extra Rules for Racing
When Prospero is racing all seven spaces are available. For racing, the crew must consist of: a Racing Qualified Skipper, a Racing Qualified Mate and at least two Racing Qualified Crew. The remaining spaces may be filled by non-Racing Qualified crew, but they must not be first time sailors. (The list of Skippers and Mates includes a list of Race qualified members.)
Extra Rules for Training Courses
These cruises consist of an instructor with up to four or five candidates; there is no Mate position. The number of candidates is determined by the course being run: usually limited to five per instructor for Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses, for Yachtmaster exam weekends, the number is limited to four per weekend.
