Become a Host
What we’ll ask, what you agree to, and how to get started.
Hosting is the single highest-impact way to help Boat For Sail: you’re the person who actually gets a new sailor onto the water. This page is what signing up looks like — the information we’ll ask for, the safety commitments you make, and how a session runs.
Not ready to commit, just curious? That’s fine — read this, and when you’re ready, follow the sign-up steps at the bottom. We’ll bring early hosts in personally.
What we’ll ask when you sign up
A host profile is short. Here’s every field, so there are no surprises:
About you
- Full name, and the name you’d like learners to see
- Email and phone (how learners and we reach you)
- Home water / sailing area (lake, bay, club, launch ramp)
- Your sailing background — years sailing, certifications (US Sailing / ASA), any instructing experience
Your boat(s)
- Boat type and length
- How many learners it safely carries (plus you)
- Whether you have spare, properly sized PFDs aboard
What you’ll teach
- Which curriculum levels you’re comfortable hosting (0–4)
- Comfort with youth learners (this triggers extra requirements — see below)
- Typical availability (days, season, how far in advance)
Logistics
- Whether you’ll arrange a cost-share fee with learners, and roughly how much (see the money question)
- Anything a learner should bring or know before showing up
The host agreement — what you commit to
Signing up means agreeing to a short, plain-language set of commitments. These keep learners safe and keep the program’s reputation clean.
Every host agrees to:
- PFDs on, before leaving the dock — every learner, every time. No exceptions.
- Match the session to the learner’s level and the day’s conditions — never put someone in over their head, and call it off when the weather says so.
- Give an honest safety brief before every sail: what to do in a capsize, where the flotation is, how you’ll communicate.
- Carry the basics: PFDs that fit, a way to call for help, and a simple first-aid kit.
- Keep your boat and your own certifications/insurance current and honest.
- Treat every learner with patience and respect — a scared beginner learns nothing.
- For youth learners: a background check and a second adult present, always (see below).
Safety checklist — run this every session
A host’s pre-sail routine. We’ll provide this as a printable card.
Extra requirements for youth programs
Working with minors is a privilege with non-negotiable rules:
- A background check (we’ll point you to NCSI or an equivalent).
- A second responsible adult present for every youth session — never one-on-one.
- Parent/guardian consent and emergency contacts on file.
Insurance & liability are still being finalized. As the host network grows we’re working out clear guidance on host insurance and how cost-share fees stay cleanly separate from the nonprofit’s free programs (tracked here). Until that’s published, host within your existing insurance and good judgment, and don’t represent a fee as a Boat For Sail program charge.
How to sign up
The online host form is in the works (tracked here). Until it’s live, get in as an early host the simple way:
- Head to Get Involved and reach out with your home water and what you sail.
- We’ll send you the short profile questions above and the host agreement.
- Once you’re set, you’re listed — and you can take your first learner out.
The earliest hosts get to shape how this whole program works. Come help.