Registration for a trip
Participants should apply to join a trip in writing or via the sign up form on the website. Your place can only be confirmed once you have sent full payment and filled out and returned the crew register.
Payment
Your space on the trip will be reserved upon receipt of a non-refundable deposit and you will be notified by email. The amount will vary depending on which trip you have signed up for. Full payment is required eight weeks before the trip. If signing up less than eight weeks before the start, full payment will be required. If full payment is not received, Sail Britain reserves the right to fill the space from the standby list as appropriate. Final acceptance onto a crew is contingent upon Sail Britain receiving and approving your completed documentation.
Cancellation
Cancellation by the Participant
Should you need to cancel your place, please let us know as soon as possible. While we realise some things cannot be foreseen, if the cancellation is less than eight weeks before the trip, we will only be able to refund the balance of the trip fee if we are able to find someone to fill your place. We will endeavour to be as proactive and helpful as possible should this be the case.
Cancellation by Sail Britain
In very rare circumstances, it may become necessary for Sail Britain to cancel a trip. If Sail Britain cancels your expedition for any reason within Sail Britain’s control, we will in the first instance endeavour to fulfill your booking by transferring it to another week of the programme. If this is not possible, we will refund 100% of what you have paid at the time of cancellation. If cancellation becomes necessary due to circumstances outside our control, including force majeure, public health emergency, or act of God, we may be unable to offer refunds. We strongly encourage participants to take out travel insurance to cover this possibility.
Sail Britain can take no responsibility for any cancellation or amendment penalties that your travel operator may charge you if you have to change or cancel your travel plans as a result of cancellation by Sail Britain. Your travel arrangements are subject to the terms and conditions of the travel company/operator through which you booked your travel. Participants are encouraged to buy flexible, refundable tickets and to purchase insurance which covers Trip Cancellation.
Transfers
If you wish to be transferred from one trip to another in our programme, you may do so up until eight weeks before the first trip is due to start, providing spaces are available. For each original reservation with a deposit, you are allowed one free transfer to another trip.
Preparing for a trip
Trip notes and briefing
The trip notes contain vital information about the expedition you will be joining, such as the project activities, physical requirements, packing list and safety information. Please read it thoroughly, well in advance of the trip and contact Sail Britain if you have any questions.
Please remember that Sail Britain trips encompass multidisciplinary creative, cultural and scientific research, and are not tours or holidays. Sail Britain makes every effort to describe conditions accurately both in its publications and orally, but sailing is, especially in remote places, very weather dependent and prone to last-minute change. Participants must accept this as part of what makes a Sail Britain expedition a special experience.
Health and Fitness
Please be sure that you are clear about the physical demands of the expedition BEFORE you take part, as sailing can be a strenuous activity. It is your responsibility to review the project conditions and physical demands and determine if you are able to safely participate in the expedition, and Sail Britain will endeavour to be as helpful as possible in this respect. Discuss your participation in this expedition with your doctor if you have a question or concern about your health and/or ability to participate. Sail Britain reserves the right to require that a doctor approve your participation.
If you fall ill before you are due to take part in a trip, you must inform us before joining the crew in the interests of the health and safety of the whole crew. If you do not, or if your condition is contagious, Sail Britain reserves the right to refuse participation in the trip. Sail Britain cannot refund any deposit or payment made toward the expedition if within the cancellation period. We strongly encourage participants to take out travel insurance for this possibility.
Medical Conditions
It is your responsibility to inform Sail Britain about any medical conditions which may impact your participation on a trip. This is for safety reasons only and will be kept strictly confidential. While we will be as accommodating as we can, if we deem any medical conditions to have the potential to lead to unsafe participation, we reserve the right to deny a place. Some trips may be away from land, transport links and supplies for some time. It is your responsibility to bring any routine medication with you in sufficient quantity for the duration of the trip, and inform the crew of anything they might need to know.
Covid-19
Please see our separate Covid-19 policy for guidance on the special measures we are taking during the pandemic, and requirements for participation.
Crew Register
All participants are required to complete a crew register and your place is dependent upon this being received and approved by the skipper. Information contained in the crew register is for safety purposes only and will be kept completely confidential.
Travel
Participants need to book their own travel to and from the expedition’s designated start and end points. We recommend that you purchase adequate travel insurance and tickets that are refundable or exchangeable, bearing in mind that there is always a slim possibility that expedition dates or rendezvous times might change. Travel insurance can also be very beneficial in the event of cancellation (see below).
Insurance
We strongly advise participants to obtain travel insurance which covers yourself and your belongings. Take particular care to ensure that the activity of sea-based sailing is covered by your policy. If you choose to partake in a sailing trip without adequate insurance cover, Sail Britain will not be liable for any losses or injuries howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
Limit of Liability
Your safety is of the highest importance and we take great care to do everything as safely as possible. There will always be a qualified skipper and experienced first mate onboard. Crew will always receive a thorough and comprehensive safety briefing at the start of every trip. However by nature, sailing is potentially a dangerous activity and we cannot be held responsible for any accidental death or injury during one of our trips save for our responsibilities.
Right of Refusal
Sail Britain reserves the right to refuse an applicant’s participation in a Sail Britain event at any time due to safety concerns, health, logistical limitations, in the interest of team compatibility, or for any other reason. Refusal of an applicant is an unusual event but might arise due to an applicant’s failure to meet the essential eligibility requirements and/or Sail Britain’s inability to make reasonable accommodations. In the event that an applicant is refused participation for health reasons not previously disclosed to the skipper, Sail Britain cannot refund any deposit or payment made toward the expedition if within the cancellation period.
Equal Opportunities
Sail Britain aims to create the conditions whereby participants are treated equally, regardless of their gender, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, religious or political beliefs, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, or other irrelevant distinction. Discrimination or harassment by any participant of Sail Britain, or victimisation of anyone who has complained of such, will not be tolerated, and anyone engaging in such behaviour may be put ashore with immediate effect and no refunds will be given. Sail Britain supports equal opportunities and endeavours to include participants with disabilities where possible, subject to safe limits of operation and manning.
Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your data and privacy. Any data that we hold is in accordance with current legislation and reflects current principles and standards on handling personal information. You can read our privacy policy here.