The following should be read carefully before proceeding with your booking. These Booking Conditions do contain some limitations of liability and exclusions. If any part of these Booking Conditions is found to be unenforceable or invalid, then the remainder of the Booking Conditions will remain enforceable and valid.
Your contract
Your contract is with Blue Ocean Sailing Limited, registered in England and Wales, registration number 4620265. At the time of booking, the party leader (the person signing the form) must have full approval to do so on behalf of all parties involved. By signing the form you are accepting these Booking Conditions and confirming that you have read and understood these fully. If you have any questions, please ensure these are answered to your entire satisfaction before proceeding. Once a booking has been made your party is liable for the full amount of the booking including any cancellation or amendment fees. A contract exists as soon as you have received your Sailing Invoice. You should check the Sailing Invoice as soon as you receive it to confirm it is a correct representation of the booking covered and costs involved. Please inform us immediately of any discrepancies.
Your price
The prices quoted on all literature and invoices are in pounds sterling. Once you have made your booking a deposit of 20% of the total cost per person is due. From this point your costs will not increase. Any additional extras not included in the package price will be highlighted to you in advance. Full payment of the booking is due not later than 4 weeks prior to departure - except on major events i.e. Fastnet, Cowes Week when full payment is required two months prior to the commencement of the event. If the balance is not paid we will cancel your booking and retain your deposit.
Changing your booking
If, after booking, you wish to change the details, we will do all we can to accommodate you. However, this may not always be possible especially at busy periods.
Cancellations
You or any member of your party may cancel your booking at any time. However, cancellation fees apply in all cases. Please see below
1-27 days before scheduled date 100% of costs
28-40 days before scheduled date 50% of costs
41+ days before scheduled date deposit retained
However, please note for major events i.e. Cowes Week, The Fastnet, Round Britain and Ireland - full payment is required 2 months prior to the commencement and will be retained if cancelled within these two months.
If you are forced to cancel your holiday you maybe able to reclaim these costs via your travel insurance.
Sometimes minor changes to your holiday may be needed. Most of the time these will not have any direct impact on your party i.e. a change of Marina. However, if Blue Ocean is forced to cancel your booking due to Force Majeure i.e. unforeseen circumstances or unusual circumstances outside of our control i.e. war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster no compensation will be paid. If cancellation is necessary due to our own controllable circumstances we will offer you either an alternative or compensation.
Termination and indemnity
You are responsible for the appropriate conduct and behaviour of yourself and other members of you party at all times. We reserve the right at our complete discretion to terminate without further notice the booking arrangements of any client who refuses to comply with the instructions or orders of any member of Blue Ocean Sailing. Any person who is likely to cause damage, danger, annoyance, distress or hazard to any other member of the party or crew will be asked to leave the boat at the next available opportunity. No refund will be made in these cases.
Complaints
Our top priority is to ensure you have an enjoyable time. However, should something go wrong and you have a complaint of any description, please inform a member of Blue Ocean Sailing immediately. We will try and put things right straight away but if your complaint is not dealt with to your entire satisfaction please follow this up in writing within 28 days.
Insurance
It is essential that you have your own travel insurance (which includes sailing) before joining the boat. This will protect you for cancellation, accident, medical expenses and loss of personal belongings. If you are racing, please check the small print on your policy, as many standard policies may not cover this. Blue Ocean Sailing cannot at any point accept liability for loss or damage to your possessions or your person. If you would like us to recommend a suitable policy we would be happy to do so. (A year's coverage can is normally less than £80)
Payment Protection
The payments made to Blue Ocean Sailing (minus non-refundable deposits) are held in a trustee account until the point your booking is completed. This is for your safety and ensures that your should anything untoward happen to the Company and your booking has to be cancelled (excluding Force Majeure conditions) your payment can be refunded.
Bad Weather
In the unlikely event that local weather conditions are considered dangerous or severely unsuitable for sailing, Blue Ocean Sailing reserve the right to amend cruise itineraries to protect the safety of all passengers, crew and the boat. We will endeavour to offer a comparable alternative at all times. Where local weather conditions are just miserable (i.e. not dangerous but perhaps a little unpleasant), passengers will be given a choice whether to set sail or remain in harbour/the marina. This must be a majority decision but please note that no refunds can be issued due to inclement conditions. Lets face it, nobody can guarantee the weather, wherever you are in the world, and some of the best times we have enjoyed have been accompanied by a good soaking. During racing, the skippers decision is final and should he consider it dangerous for the boat and/or parties on board he has the full discretion to withdraw from the race - whether or not it has been cancelled by the race committee. No refunds are available in the case of dangerous weather.
