We are very excited to announce this year's trip to Keats Island! It will take place on the long weekend from July 1 to July 3. A large fleet of UBCSC sail boats will face the elements and brave the seas from Jericho beach to Keats Island opposite the town of Gibsons in Howe Sound. We will camp at Plumper Cove Provincial Park on Keats Island (with loads of fun activities, food, swimming in bioluminescent water, bonfires, and socializing) until Monday morning, July 3, then sail back to Jericho to arrive in the afternoon/evening.
Below are some details about the trip but if you want to know more or have further questions we are hosting a Info Session on May 25th at 7pm in the South East room at Jericho. Please register here if you plan on attending. Attendance to the info session is NOT mandatory to get a spot on the trip.
Some details about the trip:
If you're asking "What if I've only done my beginner lesson and don't feel comfortable sailing across the Georgia Straight, can I still be part of the AWESOME party at Keats?" (Or alternatively "I have a friend/spouse who is not a member of the UBC Sailing Club, can they still be part of the AWESOME party at Keats?") Our answer: "Of course!! There are several spots available to take the water taxi over."
All Keats participants have to attend the mandatory in-person pre-trip meeting on Saturday, June 24, 9am at JSCA. For those who would like to sail to Keats and not take the water taxi, there are some additional trip requirements:
Every Keats sailor has to attend the mandatory pre-trip meeting, capsize training and work party with their sailing partner on Saturday, June 24. We will start at 9am with the pre-trip meeting at the JSCA member room. This is followed by a capsize recovery training where each team practices 5 capsizes and demonstrates ability of swift recovery (C2/C3/A2/A3 certified sailors are exempt from this requirement but strongly encouraged to participate). After that you and your partner need to check your boat for seaworthiness and fix any issues at the work party. If your boat is not in seaworthy condition, you will not be able to sail to Keats.
On our sail to Keats, we will be accompanied by several motorized safety boats. Please make sure to read about the trip safety details in our Keats trip safety plan.
Cost of trip
The cost of the trip is $195 per participant. It covers all cost from motor boat fleet rental, meals, camp site reservation, to water taxi logistics and fuel. It also includes a safety margin that, if not spent, will go towards the club fleet maintenance or the social budget where it will be used to organize future fun events, like a Keats after-party!
In the unlikely event that the trip has to be cancelled by the organizers, e.g. due to adverse weather conditions, we will try our best to recover parts of the trip cost and refund them back to the participants. However, since most of the trip expenses have to be paid by the club regardless, the majority of the trip fee will be non-refundable.
No refunds for individual cancellations.