Loaner Boat Program
Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club has a special program for sailors looking to be on the water without the commitment of boat ownership.
The Loaner Boat program allows members to enjoy the use of the club's Hobie Waves on a regular basis during the sailing season. Hobie Waves are an excellent vessel for sailors to hone in their skills. All boats are owned and maintained by the club.
New Members
Please note:Applicants must have previous sailing experience as a skipper and know how to sail a boat on sails alone.- Applicant must be over 21 years of age at the time of application.
- Follow the Membership Application. Send the completed application along with payment of dues of $425 for the season, to the membership chair.
- Submit a signed Waiver for the season. Email a completed digital form or scanned copy to loaners@fleet250.org.
- Attend an orientation and checkout. Dates for orientations are posted in advance on the calendar. This only needs to be done once in your membership lifetime as long as there are no gaps in your membership.
- Must have own portable marine radio.
- Must have own approved PFD.
Previous Members
- Follow the Membership Application. Send the completed application along with payment of dues for the season.
- Send a completed digital form or scanned copy of waiver for the season to loaners@fleet250.org
- If you already have an account on the reservation system no need to create another one. Account is locked until membership is cleared and waivers received.
Regular Skippers with Assigned Boat Spots
For members of the club, who are skippers with an active boat spot, Loaners are available.- Loaner Program Members have priority. Please check times and availability before attempting to take a boat out.
- Regular members are not allowed to reserve boats. Loaner members have priority to take boats at any time. Regular member must look in schedule for the day and make sure there are no reservations before taking a boat out.
- Must have a radio on, scanning channels 16 and 71, while on the boat.
- Must be wearing a PFD while on the boat.
- Must have a 2024 waiver signed before attempting to take a boat out. Please send a completed digital form or scanned copy to loaners@fleet250.org
- Must abide by all rules and regulations of the program. Failure to observe rules might result in disciplinary action and be barred from taking loaner boats out.
Rules and Regulations
Please note that disregarding any rule or regulation herein may lead to immediate dismissal of the program and cancelation of club membership. No refunds.- Skipper must know and abide to all posted maritime laws.
- Sailors and crew must comply with all stated rules and regulations of the club.
- The registered member must always be the skipper and is fully responsible for the boat, all equipment, its crew and its actions.
- A maximum of 2 people are allowed per boat.
- All skippers and crew must have a signed a waiver before taking a boat out.
- The skipper is responsible for the safety and well being of all onboard and is responsible for all actions.
- Check The National Weather Service every time before taking a boat out and only take the boat out if you can sail it in said weather.
- The boat is not to be sailed if the NOAA forecast has issued a small craft advisory or greater.
- Under no instance may the skipper be under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or any drug that may impair the capacity of operating the vessel safely.
- The skipper is responsible for the vessel. Any issues should be reported as soon as possible to loaners@fleet250.org.
- Please return the boat, sails and radios clean and ready for the next person to utilize it. It is a community and you're part of it.
- Weekday reservations can span up to 8 hours. Weekend reservations are capped at 4 hours to allow all to have a chance to take a boat out.
- Vessels cannot be taken out in the dark. Vessels are only allowed to leave the beach after Sunrise and must be returned and at the beach BEFORE Sundown as posted here.
- Skipper must provide their own appropriate Personal Flotation Device (PFD) for themselves and crew.
- Skipper must have own radio. Never a skipper should go out without a radio on and all onboard must be wearing Coast Guard approved PFDs.
- General club rules apply to your guests and crew. If your crew or guest is not a member of the club, such member must become member of the club before their 4th visit.
- Full time club members that own a beach spot may use the loaner boats, however the Loner Boat program members have full priority.
- Last but not least! - Sail to your ability. You can always sail tomorrow.
Navigation Zone
- Loaner vessels are only to be operated inside Sandy Hook Bay.
- As far North as buoy G1 and as far South as buoy R2.
- Observe all navigation rules and under no circumstances enter Naval Zone Earle Restricted Zone!
Notes
- Make sure to wear appropriate clothing, just in case you might have an unavoidable swim while sailing.
- Although not required by the club, we highly recommend that you have a NJ Safety Boating Certificate.
- Non-compliance with Rules and Regulations is grounds for dismissal from the program. No refunds.
Standard Operating Procedures
- To avoid not having a vessel available, you should create a reservation for the vessel you want to take out in advance.
- If you do not reserve a boat, you can still take out any available boat, first making sure that it is not reserved.
- You are in charge of your reservation. If you have a reservation and your plans have changed, please cancel or delete your reservation. We keep track of 'no shows' and you will loose reservation rights after 3 no-shows.
- You are considered a 'no show' if you are not at the boat 15 minutes after your reserved time.
- You can take any sail from the sail locker. All equipment is your responsibility.
- If your reserved boat is not available, you may take another, as long as it does not have a reservation. Make sure to send us a note if that happens.
- Please don't be late, returning your boat, someone else is probably waiting.
- During Weekends, please don't book for more than 4 hours. Your reservation will be automatically cancelled.
- Setup your boat at the beach.
- Breakdown your boat at the beach.
- If your boat is dirty, please wash it. There are plenty of hoses around the club.
- If your sail is dirty, please wash it before putting it back in the tube. Just loosely roll it to prevent mold.
- If you break anything during your sail, please inform us as soon as possible.
- Inspect the boat before taking it out! Also inspect after you have returned it to its spot.
- If anything is broken on a boat you take out, please let us know immediately. Avoid taking the boat out.
- Please return boats back to the same spot you picked them up from.
- If you are handing a boat to another loaner member at the beach, make sure that both of you inspect the boat during the hand over.
- All stored boats must point out. As such it is easier to place the wheels on the boat.
- Always start putting the wheels through the bow of the boat, never through the transom as that may cause damage to the rudders.
- The center of gravity of the Waves is aft of the chainplates.
- Once you place the clean boat back in its spot, please make sure to tie both ends of the vessel.
- The boat should run smoothly. If you have to force something, something is wrong...
To Book a Loaner Vessel
After being accepted and initiated at the club you may start booking loaner vessels.- All reservations are created and maintained online. Create and account, pick an available day and your favorite vessel.
- You are responsible for the reservation. If something happens and you are no longer sailing, please delete the reservation.
- Make sure you don't extend the reservation past your end time, there is probably someone waiting for your boat
- Your reservation is held up to 15 minutes past your start time. If you don't show up, you have just forfeited your reservation for the day and anyone else can take your boat.
- By default, the application will give you a 2 hour block. You can shorten it or extend it - up to 8 hours weekdays or 4 hours weekends. It is a violation of rules to reserve it for longer or just extend your time while in the water.
- Enjoy!
If you have any questions, doubts, comments, feel free to contact loaners@fleet250.org.
Loaner News
- The 2024 Season is upon us!!
- Make sure to have your memberships and waivers ready!
- Let's go sailing!