Hire a Club Boat

Our hire boats exist to maximise active sailing at Otley — lowering barriers, supporting members at all stages, and keeping boats on the water rather than unused in the dinghy park.

  • The hire fleet is  a core part of how the club supports:

    • new members - developing their interest in sailing but not yet committed to ownership

    • casual sailors - for whom boat ownership is not part of their life master-plan

    • returning sailors - perhaps at a new stage of life without a suitable boat of their own

    • families and juniors - who may need more than 1 boat or are transitioning boat sizes

    • training - the hire fleet is available for training and coaching use

    • Club Members Only unless authorised by a Committee member or Instructor

    • Minimum sailing standard: RYA Level 2 / Stage 3 or above

    • Hire boats are identified on their covers with ‘OSC HIRE’

    • Boats are first come, first served

    • No booking, no keys, no sign-out form. 

    • Boats are fully equipped and ready to sail (mast & sails in the tubes)

    • Do not swap kit between boats  (sails, spars, rudders, foils, etc)

    • ⚠️ Training sessions and organised club activities always take priority.

  • Hire Charge
    £15 per boat per session
    Pay on the card machine on the counter in the clubhouse

    • Report faults or damage using the QR code on the transom of each boat

    • For minor issues, updates or questions - again use the fault/damage QR code, but also add a note below so the next user is aware

    • Please report problems promptly — it helps keep boats available

    ⚠️ You will not be charged for accidental damage. Where damage is believed to result from reckless use, the incident will be reviewed by the committee and an appropriate response agreed (which may include repair costs and/or loss of hire privileges).

  • We currently have the following boats available. If you are unsure how to rig them please just pop a message on the members whatsapp group and someonewill be abel to help (just don’t leave it to the last minute!!)

    • 5 x Topper 5.3

    • 1 x Topper 4.2

    • 2 x Fusion (this is the modern version of a Pico)

    • 2 x Pico

    • 1 x ILCA (Laser) 4

    • 1 x Hartley 12.2

    • 1 x Mirror

    We are working on another ILCA 4 and an ILCA 6 (Laser Radial) to add to the fleet.

  • The plan is to add a rigging video here for each type of boat… but that’s on the To Do list :-)

    In the meantime please just contact Rob or another knowledgeable member via one of the members whatsapp groups to arrange a quick tutorial.