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Frequently Asked Questions

General Membership & How LMYC Works

Unlike a rental agency where you pay per hour or day, LMYC is a member-run sailing cooperative. We are a community of sailors who share responsibility for the fleet, maintenance, and operations.
This model provides far more affordable access to sailing than renting or owning—but it also requires participation, responsibility, and “sweat equity” from every Full Member.

No. The primary benefit of LMYC is regular access to quality sailboats without the cost or hassle of private ownership. Members share access to the fleet rather than owning individual vessels.

Our fleet is positioned to provide access to excellent cruising waters in British Columbia and nearby areas. Boats are moored year-round at:

  • Point Roberts, WA
  • Sewell’s Marina (Horseshoe Bay)
  • During the summer season, boats are placed in:
  • Pender Harbour (Sunshine Coast)
  • Lund (Desolation Sound)
  • These locations support everything from casual day sailing to extended cruising.

Costs, Commitment & Availability

Full Membership: $500 one-time initiation fee + $1,100 per year
Social Membership (waiting list): $40 per year
Associate Membership: $60 per year (for existing Full Members on a temporary leave)
Compared with the cost of moorage, insurance, maintenance, and ownership, this makes LMYC one of the most affordable ways to sail regularly in Metro Vancouver.

LMYC relies on shared responsibility to keep boats in good condition and costs reasonable.

Full Members contribute 20 volunteer hours per year, including:

  • At least 10 hours on fleet maintenance (e.g., spring haul-out, monthly maintenance days)
  • Remaining hours supporting club operations, governance, or events

    This commitment keeps the fleet in good condition, strengthens seamanship, and builds the community that members value most.

Yes. We intentionally cap Full Membership to preserve strong boat availability and experience quality.
If the roster is full, approved applicants join the waiting list as Social Members ($40/year). Social Members can:

  • Attend meetings and social events
  • Crew on boats with Full Members
  • Build seniority for the next available Full Member opening

Experience, Training & Sailing Opportunities

You do not need to be an expert, but LMYC is best suited for:

  • Former boat owners
  • Sailing school graduates
  • Recreational sailors seeking progression

We strongly recommend applicants hold a PCOC and ROC-M (VHF) certification and have some formal training (e.g., CANSail) or relevant experience. What matters most is a willingness to learn, contribute, and take responsibility seriously.

Yes. Skill development is a core part of the LMYC experience. Members progress from crew to approved Skipper through mentorship and checkout processes.
Once approved as a Cruise Skipper, members can book multi-day trips to destinations such as:

  • The Gulf Islands
  • The San Juan Islands
  • Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound cruising grounds

Full Members enjoy:

  • Unlimited booking flexibility outside the peak season
  • A guaranteed 320 berth-hours during peak season (mid-June to mid-September), which equates to approximately one full week of peak-season sailing per member

Availability beyond this depends on overall demand and booking patterns.

Other FAQ’s

Sailing schools like Cooper, Simply Sailing, Canboat all have in class and hands on learning opportunities available.

Link to Cooper
Link to Simply
Link to Canboat

Point Roberts, Sewells, and two outstations in the summer (Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound.)

Yes, although not completely necessary to cross the border, it is recommended for faster clearance on the water entering Canadian waters   and reentering U. S waters. If one does not have nexus , they must go to a designated customs dock (either Poets Cove on Pender island, or Sidney.

The answer is a qualified “Yes” depending on availability of a skipper. Contact our Membership Officer and ask.

No. Associate membership is only for full members who would like to take a break, but do not want to undergo the full training and initiation again.

No, sorry. Our goal is to keep our membership fees low and provide the best sailing experience in the Lower Mainland. Co-operative sailing is the best deal you will find and you get the added bonus of dozens of friends to call up and sail with you!

All guests and new members are welcome at our monthly meetings. As a new member, the best way to meet others (and be offered opportunities to go sailing) is to come out and help with boat maintenance. The Preventative Maintenance day is scheduled monthly, at the respective docks of the boats.

New members will be telephoned by our Membership Officer. You will be given website passwords to explore the members area of the website, which contains lots of good information about the operation of our club. You will also be contacted by a Training Officer to set up your training. This requires classroom training as well as the on-the-water training.

A new member will be given access to the members’ area of the website, and the best way to go sailing is to contact other members on the membership list and ask! Most of us would rather go sailing for the afternoon than mow the grass or do other chores. A trainer will be assigned to you, your new group will consist of 3 plus a trainer and between the four of you, you will make your training dates.

New members will be given the information to access the boats, and are encouraged to go down on their own and look over the boats. They are also encouraged to book a boat and spend time exploring, opening hatches and lockers and spend some time reading the binder on board which will contain information about the club, the boat and sailing.

Full members with Day Sailing or Cruise Skipper status will be given access to the Online Booking System, with their own password. Training on how to use the booking system will be provided also.

New members can explore the website. It is full of information and is being updated regularly. Ask another member, they will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Start by speaking to the Training Officer. He/she will be able to give you the times for classroom training and organize with you for on-the-water training with a training skipper.

Even though we will train you to sail our boats, you will still need some basic courses. All sailors must have a Canadian Pleasure Craft Operators Card (PCOC). You should also consider taking either Canadian Yachting Association Basic Cruising or International Sail and Power Academy Day Skipper courses. Canadian Power and Sail Squadron “Basic Boating” is also a good course to take. You will also need to have a Restricted Radio Operators’ Certificate (Maritime) for operating the VHF radio. These certificates are not included in your membership fees and will cost extra.

Since we are only training you to sail our own boats, the minimum you must have before you begin is the PCOC. The rest up to you, but is usually done as soon as practicable. Our training usually takes three to four months, depending on your experience and aptitude. Some people are done in weeks, others prefer a more laid back approach.

Yes. In order to be allowed to skipper one of our boats for day sailing, you must have been recommended by your trainer as ready to be tested and then you must prove your ability by sailing with our Training Officer who will test you on your skills and knowledge.

We usually try to have a few classroom sessions in March and early April. By then, the weather has warmed up and trainers will take you out for practical sailing experience.

Learn your basic terminology of a sailboat structure, of the sails and of the lines involved. It is like a foreign language, and if you have already some idea of what things are called, you will progress much more quickly. Learn some basic knots and PRACTICE them! Reef knot, bowline, clove hitch, figure eight knot and belaying (securing) to a cleat are all necessary. Check our website links to other sites which help explain some of these things.

First, you need non-marking no slip shoes. It is a good idea to cover your toes on a sailboat, so open-toed sandals should be avoided. Wear a hat, bring a polar fleece jacket and a windbreaker. It’s always colder on the water! Sunscreen is another must have. Use it!