TERMS AND CONDITIONS

FBSS reserves the right to update these Terms and Conditions without notice.

Payments and Payment Windows

Payment in full is required 30 days before departure for most courses, 60 days prior for Offshore Master courses and 90 days prior for long distance and Ocean Master courses. Course and charter booking reservations can be assured outside their respective windows by payment of a $500 per person deposit for courses and 35% deposit for charters payable at the time the reservation is made.

Course materials (ISPA course workbooks) shall be purchased separately by the student directly from www.ISPA.com. ISPA will drop ship to your address and a tracking number will be provided. 

Logbooks are available directly from FBSS for $40 + GST and can be picked up when you board. Ocean Master and Offshore Master reading list items are available from Amazon.ca, Starpath.com, Paradise Cay (paracay.com) as detailed in emailed communications.

For maximum benefit to the student, the workbook exercises should be completed prior to  boarding. It is best to acquire the books at least 30 days prior to course (allow for 8 - 20 hours self-study, depending on course) commencement and 60 to 90 days before any Master course.

Etransfer to isogyr@gmail.com is the preferred method of payment. There are usually no service charges for etransfers.

PayPal is accepted, however, a 4% service charge will be applied to the full amount, including tax due to bank credit service fees. 

PayPal payments can be sent to john.garfitt@gmail.com (PayPal may take up to 8 days to process a payment).

Applicable taxes for liveaboard sailing courses include British Columbia GST at 5%. Charters are subject to PST at 7% and GST at 5%.

Charterer shall provide a fully-refundable 35% security deposit in the form of cash or credit card hold, prior to boarding. The purpose of the security deposit is to ensure funds are available for insurance deductibles or emergency services should an adverse event occur.

Charter vessels are provided with full fuel and propane tanks, empty black and grey water tanks and all Transport Canada required safety equipment. Vessels shall be returned clean with all garbage, sewage and personal effects removed and with fuel tanks refilled. Charterers are responsible for all docking fees, fines and operating costs incurred during the charter.

Charters are subject to vessel per diem charter rates (low season, mid season, high season,) daily insurance premium, security deposit and liquidated damages and/or insurance deductibles should adverse events occur while on charter. 

Course Cancellations and Refunds

Course fees will be refunded if a course is cancelled by FBSS.  In the event that FBSS and affected students agree to reschedule the course, no refund shall be issued and a new, mutually agreeable course date shall be established.  No other compensation is offered.

Course fee deposits are non-refundable. The balance of course fees will be refunded at 50% if a student withdraws from a course more that 14 days prior to its start date. Teaching materials will remain with the student.

Course fees shall be forfeit if a student cancels or withdraws from a course within 14 days of the course start date. Teaching materials remain with the student.

Offshore Master and Ocean Master courses may be rescheduled if fewer that 3 students enroll. If a mutually agreeable rescheduled date cannot be determined, a refund shall be offered.  

Charter Cancellations and Refunds

Charters are governed by a separate Charter Agreement whose clauses take precence over the information provided in this section. 

A Charter is deemed to exist when:

1) a vessel that is either owned or managed by FBSS is contracted for the exclusive use of one party irrespective of course(s) being offered on the charter, or

2) a vessel that is not owned or managed by FBSS or its officers is hired for the purpose of charter. 

Charter fees will be refunded if a charter is cancelled by FBSS unless the reason for cancellation is due, in whole or in part, to the actions or inactions of the charterer. If the charter party is responsible for the cancellation, liquidated damages and administration fees may be deducted from the refund. In the event that FBSS and the charter party agree to reschedule the charter, no refund shall be issued and a new, mutually agreeable charter date shall be established (subject to agreement by any involved third parties.)  No compensation other than refund is offered.

Charter fees will be refunded at 50% of the balance after the deposit and any non-recoverable expenses, administrative fees and liquidated damages have been deducted if a charter party withdraws from a charter more that 60 days prior to the charter start date. 

Charter fees will be forfeit if a charter party withdraws from a charter within 60 days of the Charter start date.   

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Medical Cancellations

Students and Charterers are strongly advised to carry trip cancellation insurance.

In the event of cancellation due to pandemic mandate or personal exposure to pandemic pathogens, the course or charter shall be rescheduled and any payments made shall be applied to the rescheduled event. Please refer requests for reimbursement due to cancellation for any other medical reason to your trip cancellation insurance provider. Teaching materials shall remain with the student. 

Safety Equipment

FBSS will furnish, for the duration of courses (except Offshore Master and Ocean Master) OSR (Offshore Special Regulation) approved auto-inflating PFD and tether to each student.

Charter parties shall be provided with Coast Guard Approved life preservers. Students are responsible for the condition of loaned equipment while it is in their possession.    

Damage or Equipment Failure

It is understood that damage to the vessel or equipment failure may necessitate rescheduling of a course or charter in whole or in part. In such cases, a new date, acceptable to both parties shall be agreed upon. No other compensation is offered.. 

Weather

Courses and charters shall commence and terminate on their planned dates regardless of weather conditions unless agreed otherwise by all parties. Neither excessive wind, nor lack thereof, shall be construed as sufficient reason to cancel or postpone a course or charter. Delaying departure by remaining in port until conditions permit safe operation may be prudent and will be at the sole discretion of FBSS. Time in port due to safety concerns shall not affect the start and/or end dates of the charter. Safety shall always be the overriding priority.

Caveat - Waiver of Liability

By signing on to a Flying Bulldog Sailing School Ltd., (FBSS,) course or charter, students and charter parties expressly agree to accept any and all risks associated with sailing on the high seas and coastal waters and expressly agree to hold harmless Flying Bulldog Sailing School Ltd., its officers, instructors, employees, heirs and successors from any claim whatsoever arising at any time, by any means, including time aboard ship and time ashore. Students and charter parties expressly acknowledge and accept all risks of man-overboard, being lost at sea, shipwreck, failure to be rescued, sickness, accident, injury or death, acts of violence committed against them by third parties, losses by theft or vandalism and all similar adverse events.

Students and Charter Parties are strongly advised to carry personal insurance against all possible misadventures. 

All students will be required to sign a waiver of liability, as required by FBSS’s insurance underwriters upon embarkation.

Policy on Weapons, Drugs and Contraband

No weapons, contraband or intoxicating substances (with the exception of alcohol) shall be brought onto an FBSS vessel whether legal in Canada or not. (The vessel may enter foreign waters and be subject to search and seizure by foreign authorities.) FBSS shall seek remedy through the courts against responsible parties to recover the direct and indirect costs of seizure of the vessel by authorities, fines or penalties levied that are caused in whole or in part by students or charter parties. 

The presence of weapons, contraband, legal or illegal drugs aboard shall be declared by the owners of said materials and will be reported to authorities if FBSS is aware of their presence aboard.