FAQS

Knowing the facts

General

  1. You say the Go-sail.je membership is less expensive than boat ownership, but how?
  2. Why don’t I just buy a boat with some friends and share the costs?
  3. What about fractional schemes where I buy part of a boat?
  4. How many other people am I sharing the yacht with?
  5. How can I be sure to get use of a boat when I want?
  6. Can I use it every weekend?
  7. What if the Elizabeth Marina is shut at the time I wish to arrive or depart?
  8. Where can I sail?
  9. Is there a joining fee?
  10. What happens if something is broken or damaged?
  11. Do I have to pay for anything else?
  12. Can the boats dry out?
  13. What happens if I need to cancel my booking?

Equipment On Board

  1. What equipment is standard on all the boats?

General

Q: 1. You say the Go-sail.je membership is less expensive than boat ownership, but how?
A: Compare the annual costs of owning a 34' yacht costing about £90,000. Mooring fees - £3,000+, insurance, fuel & maintenance - £3,500+, 5% capital financing - £4,500, 5% depreciation - £4,500. Totalling not less than £15,500 per year. 
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Q: 2. Why don’t I just buy a boat with some friends and share the costs?
A: You might be able to put together a group and make it happen, often talked about, but seldom comes to fruition. You all need the capital together and the organisation can take away much of the time and the fun. It is said the happiest times in boat ownership are when you buy a boat and when you sell it!
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Q: 3. What about fractional schemes where I buy part of a boat?
A: You still have to pay all the maintenance and running costs. If you want or need out, you then have to find a buyer for your fraction whilst you must keep paying costs. With Go-sail.je, after the first year, you need only give 3 months notice and then walk away without any hassles.
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Q: 4. How many other people am I sharing the yacht with?
A: Go-Sail.je offers a fleet of different boats for our members to use. The intention is to further increase the fleet whenever the average membership increases past 7 members per vessel.
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Q: 5. How can I be sure to get use of a boat when I want?
A: As a member, you can keep up to 15 days booked at the same time, using the on-line calendar. With each member having up to 30 sailing days usage per year, there is plenty of choice of dates and boats. Existing members tell us that availability of the boats has not been a problem.
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Q: 6. Can I use it every weekend?
A: In order to be fair to all members, a member cannot book ahead for consecutive weekends on the same boat. If on the Monday following the first weekend, the forthcoming weekend is available, then the member may book it.
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Q: 7. What if the Elizabeth Marina is shut at the time I wish to arrive or depart?
A: Subject to agreement with Go-sail.je beforehand, it is possible for you to collect or leave the boat from the Albert Pier holding pontoon. Alternatively, if you need an early start and the boat was free the previous day, you may sleep on board that evening.
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Q: 8. Where can I sail?
A: You are insured and permitted to sail within the Channel Islands and the French coast from Roscoff to the Le Havre. You must always be within 20 miles of a safe haven. However, you must submit your passage plan to Go-sail.je before you depart. For everyone’s peace of mind, the vessel is fitted with a tracking system, should anything go wrong.
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Q: 9. Is there a joining fee?
A: No, but new members must pay a refundable deposit of £1,500. This deposit is repaid at the end of the contract less any unpaid fees or invoices.
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Q: 10. What happens if something is broken or damaged?
A: You must report any damages before departure. If damage occurs whilst you are in command, then you are held liable for any replacement value or repair. You must pay the first £500 of any claim on the sailing yacht or £750 for the motorboat.
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Q: 11. Do I have to pay for anything else?
A: You pay your membership fee of £199 per month (plus GST) and any damages. Any mooring fees, harbour dues, water taxies or similar costs incurred on your voyage are your responsibility. The yacht is provided with diesel at no charge, however, you must pay for the fuel on the motorboat.
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Q: 12. Can the boats dry out?
A: Saving Grace is the only vessel that can dry out. Her lifting keel must be raised and then she is able to take the ground. She sits comfortably on a stub that protrudes from below the centre of the hull.
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Q: 13. What happens if I need to cancel my booking?
A: If you cancel your booking at least 48 hours beforehand, there is no penalty and you lose nothing. Cancel within 48 hours and the cancelled days will only be credited back to you if another member takes them up. you may also cancel without penalty if the wind is forecast to reach the Go-sail.je limits (F5 for the motorboat, F7 for the sailing yacht).
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Equipment On Board

Q: 14. What equipment is standard on all the boats?
A: In order for you to be able to enjoy our boats in safety and comfort, we provide the following equipment onboard all the boats. Not everything is listed, just the items that we feel you may be interested in:
Safety:  Lifebouys with lights, drogues and lines, danbouy, recovery sling, 8 man liferaft (min size), adult/child lifejackets with full harness, flares, grab bag, more flares, gauntlets, survival suits, clip-on lifelines, fixed & handheld VHF DSC radios, electronic vessel tracker, SOLAS cards, emergency torches, emergency knives, fire buckets, auto & manual fire extinguishers, fire blanket, gas alarm, emergency VHF aerial, battery jump switch, navigation lights, searchlight, gas & manual fog horns, Collregs signs, binoculars, safety manuals, radar reflector, barometer, rig cutting equipment (sailing yacht only), emergency anchor with chain & warp, spare warps, window/hatch blanks, electric & manual bilge pumps, emergency steering system, bilge alarm (motorboat only), emergency bungs, swim ladder, guardrails, jackstays (sailiing yachts only), toerails, 3 x first aid kits, spare batteries, smoke detectors.
Navigation:  Fixed & handheld compasses, GPS chartplotter, handheld GPS, electronic log, sonar, pilotage books & tide tables, charts, bretton plotter, dividers, pencils, pens, eraser, anemometer.
Galley:  Knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, bowls, plates, mugs, tumblers, wine goblets, corkscrew, scissors, carving knife, breadknife & board, teatowels, kitchen roll, aluminium foil, clingfilm, spatula, ladle, wooden spoons, saucepans, frying pan, kettle, matches, oven dish, gas bottle, gas oven & hob, sink, hot & cold water, fridge, bin with bin bags, cleansers, washing up liquid & scourers, dishcloths, clothes pegs, table mats, hand soap, instant coffee granules, teabags, sugar, coffee whitener, dustpan.  
Deck Equipment:  Boathook, main anchor with chain and warp, electric windlass, mooring lines, mooring line snubbers, fenders, curtesy flags, ensign, buckets, inflatable dinghy with oars and auxillary motor, spare cans of fuel, transom mounted hot & cold shower, fishing lines, rubber gloves, rags, shore power cable, complete toolbox, engine spares, box of nuts/bolts/consumables, tapes & cordage, sealant, repair kits, oils & coolant, bosuns chair (yacht only).  
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