General Sailing/Splash Club Information
General Sailing & Splash Club
This page covers information regarding Membership, Fees, Safety Cover and almost all enquiries someone may have regarding general sailing. If you still have any questions or concerns after reading this page, please don't hesitate to email - wardenteam@blym.org.uk
General Sailing is a great opportunity for members to get out on the water, build confidence, practice their sailing skills and simply enjoy sailing in a relaxed environment. Sessions are supervised by a trained Base Warden and supported by our safety boat, but they are not instructional sessions. You should already be able to sail independently before attending.
When do sessions run?
General Sailing (Saturdays)
General Sailing takes place every Saturday from 9:30am until 4:30pm, from the first Saturday in March through to the last Saturday in November.
Splash Club (Wednesdays)
Splash Club follows exactly the same format as General Sailing but takes place on Wednesday evenings from 4:30pm until 7:30pm. It runs from the Wednesday during May half-term until the first Wednesday after the summer school holidays (usually the first Wednesday in September).
No booking is required for either sessionsimply come along on the day.
Who can take part?
General Sailing is open to sailors who are confident sailing without instruction.
As a minimum, you should have achieved:
- RYA Stage 2 (Junior sailors)
- RYA Level 1 (Adult sailors)
- or equivalent experience to match.
The Duty Warden has the final decision on whether conditions are suitable for you to sail and which boat(s) you may use.
Children under 12 years old must have a parent or responsible adult remain on site throughout the session.
Membership
BLYM is a members' club rather than a commercial sailing centre, so everyone who sails at the club must be covered by an appropriate membership.
Full Members
Members can attend General Sailing and Splash Club by paying the normal session fee.
Temporary Members
If you're new to BLYM, you're welcome to come along and try General Sailing provided you are accompanied by a current BLYM member.
Temporary members pay the normal session fee plus £3.00 for temporary membership.
Temporary membership is intended to allow prospective members to experience the club before deciding whether to join. If you enjoy sailing with us and would like to continue attending, we ask that you become a full member.
Three-Month Membership After Courses
When you complete an RYA course at BLYM, you'll automatically receive three months' free temporary membership.
During this period, you can attend General Sailing and Splash Club at the normal members' rates. Once your temporary membership expires, you'll need to purchase a full membership if you'd like to continue sailing.
Becoming a member also allows you to book future training courses at discounted member prices.
Session Fees
General Sailing (Saturday)
- Child: £7.50
- Adult: £10.50
Splash Club (Wednesday)
- Adult or Child: £5.00
Your session fee includes:
- Boat hire
- Sailing equipment and buoyancy aid hire
- Waterproof clothing (where required)
- Safety boat cover from a trained Base Warden
If you arrive at the beginning of the session (9:30), you're welcome to use your allocated boat for the entire session. For example, if you arrive at 9:30am for General Sailing, you may keep the boat until 4:30pm, provided you continue to use it responsibly and return it/de-rig it before the session finishes.
What happens when I arrive?
When you arrive:
- Report to the Galley and sign in with the Duty Warden.
- Pay for your session.
- The Warden will allocate you a suitable boat.
- Rig your boat and enjoy your sailing.
Please note that BLYM is a cashless club. We accept card payments only (American Express is not accepted), so please ensure someone in your group brings a suitable payment card.
Rigging your boat
General Sailing is intended for independent sailors.
You should be able to rig your boat yourself before going afloat. The only usual exception is stepping the mast, where help is often available.
If volunteers are available, you're always welcome to ask for assistance with rigging or launching. However, please remember that volunteers may not always be available, and the Duty Warden's primary responsibility is managing the safety of everyone on the water rather than providing instruction.
Safety Cover
Safety cover is provided throughout every session by our rescue boat, under the supervision of the Duty Warden.
The Warden is responsible for the safe operation of the sailing session and has the final decision on:
- Whether conditions are suitable for sailing.
- Who is able to sail.
- Which boats sailors may use.
General Sailing is not a training session, so instruction is not normally provided while you're on the water.
At the end of your session
Before leaving, please:
- Return your boat to the shore.
- De-rig the boat.
- Put away all equipment correctly, including washing if needed (for example, if there is mud at the top of the mast).
- Return any borrowed clothing or buoyancy aids and dunk them in the sinks at the wetstore.
- Sign out at the Galley.
If you have an RYA Logbook, a member of staff or the Duty Warden can sign your sailing session if requested.
Refreshments
A selection of drinks, snacks and light refreshments is available to purchase from the Galley during sailing sessions.
We'd love more volunteers!
BLYM is run almost entirely by volunteers, and we're always delighted to welcome new people to help keep the club running.
Whether you'd like to help on the water, around the clubhouse or behind the scenes, we'd love to hear from you.
Please note that adults who wish to volunteer on a regular basis will need to complete a DBS check as part of our safeguarding procedures.
Last updated 15:14 on 9 July 2026