FairWinds

Overview

Fairwinds Sailing and Recreational Association, founded in 1974, is a sailing co-op designed to provide experienced sailors with easy and affordable access to boats for cruising and recreational sailing in local waters. The Association currently owns and maintains two sailboats: a Pearson 33 and a C&C 27. Both boats are moored at the Sidney North Saanich Marina near the BC Ferries terminal and are conveniently close to the prime cruising grounds of the Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands.

Operation

Fairwinds is a true co-operative where members take full responsibility for the success of the association as well as the maintenance and operation of the boats. All members are expected to share their skills, knowledge and experience, and to participate in the various activities of the association. The on-going success of Fairwinds is a direct result of this cooperation.

Administration is handled via an Executive which includes a Commodore, Vice Commodore, Secretary, Treasurer, and Captains for each of the boats. The Executive is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting, usually held in early April. Besides the AGM, meetings are held on an as-needed basis with typically there being a planning meeting before the AGM and a follow-up after the main sailing season.

We collectively keep the boats in top condition and budget annually for foreseeable expenses which include moorage, insurance, maintenance and agreed upon boat upgrades. We are non-profit and fees are set based upon those anticipated expenses and are non-refundable.

Maintenance

Each boat has a captain who coordinates activities and maintenance involving the boat. Every effort is made to keep the boats in top condition and all members are expected to participate in that effort. Each Spring an annual work party (and if necessary, a haul-out) is scheduled and all members take part in stem to stern maintenance. Other dockside work parties may be scheduled on an as-needed basis (the work parties are a great opportunity to learn different aspects of boat maintenance). In addition, marine insurance surveys are conducted as-required.

Any problems encountered with a boat are reported to the Boat Captain who will provide direction. In general you will be expected to deal with problems as they occur and turn over a clean, smooth running and well equipped boat to the next skipper. Depending upon the nature of a problem, this may involve trouble shooting, minor repairs, equipment replacement and/or engaging external service providers for more difficult tasks. We have a pool of talent in the club, and when required, other members are available to assist. Costs are covered by the co-op provided you are not at fault.

Membership

Fairwinds is designed to appeal to those who have some sailing experience. We do not teach sailing, but we DO teach you our boats.

The Association has three levels of membership: Crew, Skipper and Full Skipper.

A new member joins as a "Crew" member. Crew may book a boat, however, they must sail with a qualified Skipper when taking out one of the boats. "Crew" status is a transitory membership level during which the prospective Skipper familiarizes him/herself with the boat systems and the Association's procedures. Crew should have sufficient competency that 4 orientation sails in windy conditions, a systems orientation with the boat captain, and a thorough reading of the boat's SOP are enough to be ready to pass the written exam and "Checkout" sail - regardless of whether this happens quickly or slowly. Association skippers are happy to assist with the orientation sails which are also a great way to meet and get to know other members of the club. Individual consideration may be given to applicants with a lesser combination of skills/experience.

Crew may upgrade to Skipper at any time having met the requirements listed below in the "Upgrading to Skipper" section. A Skipper is able to take out the C&C only while a Full Skipper has access to both the C&C and the Pearson.

Membership is limited so that a Skipper can expect two weeks of summer cruising and more than two weeks of off-season sailing.

To join, an application and waiver must be completed and a joining fee (see below) sent to the address noted on this website. A member of the executive then contacts the applicant to introduce the club, determine their sailing skills and their expectations of the Association.

Upgrading to Skipper

When a new member is ready to become a Skipper, a formal "Checkout Sail" is conducted. The details of this process are covered in another section of this website: How to Become a Skipper (Checking Out)

Skippers are solely responsible for any boat they use. They must satisfy themselves as to the sea-worthiness of a boat before use, and be mentally and physically capable of handling the boat - single-handedly, if necessary. As such, the check-out process is designed to assure the safety of the boats and their occupants and to ensure all members are thoroughly familiar with the boats and their equipment (safety gear, engine, electrical system, propane system, plumbing and holding tank, all rigging etc.). A member who wishes to Checkout is required to have a valid maritime radio operators license as well as Pleasure Craft Operator Card (or equivalent).

The Checkouts are done under the auspices of the Vice Commodore who assesses the member's ability to safely leave the dock, sail all points of sail, conduct a man-overboard drill, heave-to, anchor, reef and return safely to port. An understanding of chart usage and navigation is also expected.

Fees

Fairwinds attempts to provide easy and affordable access to boats for sailing in local waters by setting a fee structure which covers annual operating expenses and builds capital for the future to upgrade equipment. The Fairwinds fee structure includes the following non-refundable fees:

Joining Fee	$200	one time fee
Crew	$500	annual sailing fee (both boats)
C&C Skipper	$1800	annual sailing fee (to sail C&C only)
Full Skipper	$2800	annual sailing fee (to sail both C&C and Pearson)
Capital Fee	$1800	payable as 3 annual $600 installments
Off-season Fee	60%	of annual sailing fee; non-summer sailing only
Maintenance Fee	$200	associate membership - no booking privileges

1. Joining Fee
   
   This is a one-time application fee. We don't cash your cheque until you've had a chance to see the boats AND your membership is approved.
   
   
2. Crew Fee
   
   This is the annual fee to crew on either boat. Crew have booking privileges and you may book either boat but you must sail with a qualified skipper.
   
   
3. Annual Sailing Fee
   
   The Annual Sailing Fee is the annual membership fee to cover operating expenses of the Association. It also represents the member's sailing account for the fiscal year running from April 1 to March 31. That account is debited on the basis of boat charge-out rates listed below. A Skipper can expect two weeks of summer cruising and more than two weeks of off-season sailing before his/her account has been exhausted. Any excess sailing fees are invoiced at the end of the year.
   
   Members reserve the boats through an on-line booking system which confirms reservations and keeps track of the members’ sailing debits. Any of the Annual Sailing Fee not used is retained by the Association.
   
   Members upgrading from one category to another (e.g. Crew member to a Skipper) pay the difference between the categories. This difference is reduced on a monthly prorated basis from April 1 of each year.
   
   
4. Capital Fee
   
   The Capital Fee is payable in annual installments of 1/3 over three years on becoming Skipper. The fee is used to recognize capital costs to upgrade or purchase new equipment. In a sense, it is also what you pay to "buy into" what other members have created over the years.
   
   
5. Off-Season Fee
   
   The Off-Season Fee is a percentage of the annual sailing fee for a given boat. This allows a member to sail non-summer only. A member must have been a Skipper for at least one year before being eligible to become an Off-Season Skipper. Off-Season membership may be restricted when there is a full complement of full-time skippers for a given boat.
   
   
6. Maintenance Fee
   
   The Maintenance Fee is for an associate/social membership that does not include booking privileges. This is for members who have been a skipper for at least 3 years (and fully paid the capital fee) and wish to take a year or two off from sailing but remain active within the association. This is an alternative to a member going "inactive" for which there is no fee. An important difference is that if an inactive member chooses to return after an absence, then the Capital Fee will once again be payable (i.e. the Maintenance fee reflects the fact that there are costs associated with maintaining the boats for your future use). A member who chooses to pay the Maintenance Fee retains their "active" status, has voting privileges, and can hold an executive position. Inactive members do not have these privileges. Maintenance membership may be restricted if there are an inadequate number of full-time skippers.

Fees are reviewed annually at the AGM and are meant to cover the anticipated operating and maintenance expenses of the Association. We are a non-profit organization and those fees are non-refundable.

Engine/Fuel Rates

A flat rate of $8/hour (Massilia) or $10/hour (Jolie) is charged for engine/fuel usage. This is based upon the engine operating hours as recorded by the engine hour meter. This is intended to cover the cost of fuel as well as to build a reserve fund for engine maintenance expenses. The meter reading and charge should be noted in the log and cash added to the kitty at the end of each sailing (this means you need to carry sufficient cash when taking a boat out!). In turn, fuel and minor boat supplies (e.g. paper towels, cleaning supplies) are purchased with cash from the kitty.

Boat Rates and Reservations

A boat reservation must be made before use. This is done via the club's on-line reservation system which keeps track of boat availability, bookings and member accounts. Availability calendars can be viewed by anyone, however, in order to make a booking or view booking details, you must have a valid user id and password and your account must be in good standing. Crew members may make bookings for either boat but must designate a qualified Skipper at the time of booking. Costs may be shared with other members by designating their respective user id(s). If a booking is made "For Maintenance" purposes, there is no charge, however a meaningful comment should be recorded and the boat captain must be aware of the maintenance being performed. Costs are debited from your annual sailing fee.

Bookings are subject to a "fair-use" guideline. We are a co-op and the expectation is that members will co-operate in the sharing of the boats. Bookings that are excessive or otherwise interfere with other members fair and balanced use are subject to cancellation. For example, weekends are precious so be considerate with them. If you book a weekend don't book the following weekend as well. However - if nobody books the boat as the next weekend gets close, then go ahead and book it.

If you make a booking and for some reason have to cancel on short notice, please send out an email to all the skippers and let them know you're canceling. Someone else may be keen to go out.

Bookings outside of summer are generally on a first-come, first-served basis. Summer bookings are subject to additional guidelines as discussed in the next section.

Summer Bookings

Summer prime time is deemed June 1 to Labor Day (1st Monday) in September. There are special booking guidelines for this time period. The intention is for each skipper to have 2 weeks during this time. The weeks may or may not be adjacent.

Bookings of these 2 weeks are coordinated via the boat captain and in consultation with other skippers. It is a good idea to send out an email to the rest of the skippers asking if anyone has a concern with specific dates (the earlier this is done the better!) . No summer bookings are allowed until there has been consultation with other skippers and approval has been provided by the boat captain. This discussion may occur prior to the AGM (typically held around the beginning of April) but bookings will not be allowed until after the AGM. The AGM is a very good forum for the discussion of summer plans and all members are encouraged to attend. So, once there is agreement, bookings may be entered into the booking system – typically this will commence during April/May.

After June 1st: If there are days/weeks left unbooked then those extra days/weeks can be picked up by skippers who may already have their allotted 14 days. Short term bookings (1-3 days) are on a first-come, first-served basis. Anything longer is subject to agreement with other skippers.

Week bookings run from Saturday morning to Friday evening.

When there is shared interest in a destination like Desolation Sound, members have the option to coordinate plans with other skippers e.g. one member can take a boat up, hand it off, and then another member will bring the boat back.

New members wishing to “check-out” as skipper are encouraged to do it sooner rather than later. Summer bookings should not be made until after successful “check-out” and payment of associated Skipper fees. It is the responsibility of new members to demonstrate proficiency first. Note that boat availability for orientation sails and check-outs diminishes as the peak summer period approaches.

Every attempt is made by collective effort to keep the boats in good condition. It should be noted that there is no guarantee of 2 weeks for all skippers if either boat should be out of service for any reason.

Dinghy Bookings

Dinghies must be booked before use. They are primarily intended for use when cruising and should be booked at the same time as the mothership. Priority is given to those who are taking a sailboat on a multi-day cruise. If not required for cruising, dinghies may be booked independently of a sailboat e.g. they could be used to do something like set a local crab trap.

Boat Rates

The following rates are charged against the Annual Sailing Fee for reservations:




The seasonal schedule for the boat charge-out rates is as follows:

• Spring: March 21 - June 1
• Summer: June 1 - September Labor Day
• Fall: Sept Labor Day + 1 - December 20
• Winter: December 21 - March 20

Other Information pertaining to the booking of boats is as follows:

1. A part-day rate will apply to boats booked during the period covered by Pacific Daylight Savings Time ending or commencing at 2:00 p.m. A part-day rate will apply to boats booked during the period covered by Pacific Standard Time ending or commencing at 1:00 p.m. The part-day rate is 2/3 of the full day rate.
2. Bookings may be cancelled up to but not including a same-day booking. If you must cancel on short notice, as a courtesy let other skippers know that the boat is now available.
3. Boat fees will be assessed to member accounts on a shared basis according to the "Share With" information provided at the time of booking. If sharing is not designated, then the member making the booking is charged the full amount.
4. Summer bookings should be coordinated with the boat captain and other skippers. When bookings are made more than two weeks in advance, priority will be assigned as follows: (1) Week bookings (2) Weekend bookings (3) Day bookings (4) Half-day bookings
5. Week bookings run from Saturday morning to Friday evening.
6. Crew may make bookings. Those wishing to gain experience on a boat or have a check-out sail, should arrange to sail with a skipper and make the booking against their own account.