The Club offers a boat sharing program for Regular and Associate members. Its purpose is to provide access to a sailboat without the commitment of boat ownership, and to make Club-organized keelboat instruction possible. Participants in the Boat Share Program are responsible for the maintenance of the shared boat(s). Usage fees are kept low to encourage participation.

Program operation

The program is run by the Boat Share Committee.  Reach the Boat Share Program Coordinator through boatshare@saltspringsailing.ca.

Boat Share Committee

The Boat Share Committee is formed of the group of users. It manages the asset for the Club and establishes the rules and procedures governing use and maintenance. It reports to the Board. The committee must include at least one Board member.

The initial Boat Share Committee is formed of members who have been involved in the concept, planning, or first acquisition phase. The initial committee will oversee the first cycle of operations and use that experience to establish long-term rules that will form part of Club Regulations approved by the Board.

Legal responsibility and operator licensing

Use of a Club boat constitutes acceptance that sailing carries inherent risks. A user assumes all such risks and agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless the Club and its members from claims, loss, damage, or injury arising from that use.

The Boat Share Program currently includes one J/80 sailboat. The vessel is insured as Club property and meets Transport Canada safety and equipment requirements (see Boating-guide-2026). Under current law, it is the skipper’s responsibility to ensure that all required equipment is on board before sailing, starting with appropriately-sized PFDs for every person on board. A pre-departure check list is available in the Boating-guide-2026).

The vessel is equipped with an outboard motor. Under current law, operators of any boat with a motor in Canadian waters except NT and NU must have proof of competency (PCOC or equivalent) even if the motor is not in use (such as when sailing, see Proof of Competency).

Sailing Proficiency Requirement

In order to use club-owned boat(s), users must satisfy the sailing proficiency requirement established by the Boat Share Committee. The committee’s objective is to support all users to meet the requirement, with safety as a priority.

Proficiency may be established by review and approval of a user’s boating experience, by demonstrating a prescribed set of maneuvers, by passing a training course established by the SISC Sailing School, or by another procedure as determined by the Boat Share Committee.

Boat Use

1. Boat(s) may not be used without a reservation.
2. A boat use consists of one 24-hour day period (calendar day starting at midnight) and shall be reserved in advance using the online Boat Share calendar.
3. A reservation may be for a single use, or as many as 4 uses on consecutive days.
4. A user may make only one reservation on the calendar at a time, and subsequent reservations can be made only once their reservation has ended.
5. Once the reserved day has started, a reservation is considered to be use of the boat, whether or not the boat is actually used, unless the boat is considered unusable as determined by the Boat Share Committee.
6. The J/80 boat has an inventory of sails suited to pleasure cruising and racing, which may be augmented in time. The use of the newest UK racing sails is limited to actual racing only. If the racing sails are used, cruising sails must be re-rigged upon return of the boat.
7. Boat(s) shall be used within parameters and limitations established by the Boat Share Committee. Maximum crew is 6, and navigation is restricted to the waters of the Southern Gulf Islands in Canada.
8. A user is expected to return the boat as found, and immediately report to the Boat Share Committee any damage sustained or discovery of a need for maintenance during their use.

Fee Requirement

1. The Club contributes the capital cost of boat purchase and refurbishing. Boat(s) and equipment remain Club property. The fee structure established for the Boat Share Program aims for a mostly revenue-neutral integration into club finances, to be reviewed by the Board. Usage of the boat(s) for instruction is covered separately.
2. The fee structure reflects the Club’s strong support of the program. The present fee is a $100 payment that includes 4 uses as defined above. The payment can be repeated as desired, with no limit. Fees are paid in advance by e-Transfer to the Club at treasurer@saltspringsailing.ca.

Boat Maintenance

1. All program participants accept the duty to contribute to boat maintenance. This is essential to the program’s operation. Duties can be volunteered, requested, or discussed by the group or individuals, and the first cycle of operations will necessarily involve some adjustment and adaptation of the process with time.
2. The expected standard of care is that of an attentive, active vessel owner. It is not necessary for a user to be highly skilled in all aspects of boat maintenance to take on jobs. For example, regular hull bottom brushing and topsides cleaning can be done by anyone. A watchful eye is another general need: the guideline of “See something, Say something” applies to all users, and preventative maintenance is as important as reactive care (repairs).
3. The Club FCR is the Board member on the Boat Share Committee. All work needs to be reviewed by the group before proceeding. The FCR has final say on any modifications or maintenance of the boat.