Do all the crew have to have previous sailing experience?

No. The Skipper needs to have appropriate experience and qualifications and be happy he or she can sail the yacht with the crew.

Can I share my membership with a friend/neighbour/family member etc?

Yes; if you want to share the cost and days out of membership you're welcome to, and we have several people who do this.
We will also give you your own booking email so that it's easy for us, and you, to keep track of what days you have booked.

My brother is joining our sailing trip but does not have his own waterproofs.

That's ok. Let us know his size in advance and we should be able to hire him a set.

Sometimes we have to return home quickly at short notice, so what happens if we are on a trip?

We can usually arrange for a skipper to bring the boat back to be ready for the next member, but there will be a charge.

I may have to move away with my work, so what is my commitment?

One of the benefits of being a myBoatshare.com member is that you have no long-term commitment or capital investment. Your commitment is only as long as the membership year you are in.

Do life jackets have to be worn all the time?

This decision has to be the responsibility of the skipper because it will depend on the individual crew, the weather, etc.

One answer that is often suggested is to wear life jackets...
- when on deck
- at night when the skipper says to
- whenever any crewmember wants to

The exception to this is when on board the Rib, where safety requirements mean that Life Jackets must be worn at all times.

Can we sail to the Channel Islands?

Yes, providing our insurers and ourselves know in advance of your plans and have approved them based on your sailing experience.

Can we book a full week's holiday in advance?

Yes.

I only have RYA Day Skipper theory, so can I become a myBoatshare.com member?

You can become a member, but won't be able to skipper the yacht until you have achieved your practical qualification as well. Our RYA Yachtmaster partners can help you achieve this using your sailing time. This can be a very cost-effective way to become a competent sailor. Often other members of your sailing party can gain a qualification at the same time, for example RYA Competent Crew.
For our Rib the qualification requirements are slightly different; please see Qualifications for more details.