COVID-19 Status and Updates
Updates from the Helm
Hello from the Crew at San Juan Sailing and Yachting! While this year has been far from normal in so many ways we are grateful that we are currently able to be open for charters and classes. Like so many we spent time working from home, finding ways to stay in contact with the friends/family we couldn’t see in person, tackling house/yard projects, dealing with the frustration of cancelling plans we’d looked forward to, and wondering what the world would look like when we emerged. We are thankful to those who have been on the front lines, taking care of victims of the novel coronavirus, as well as the many essential workers who have delivered us packages, sold us groceries, kept the lights on, etc. Each of us here at San Juan Sailing and Yachting is blessed to have remained safe and healthy and we hope the same for you and your families.
Since the start of Washington’s “Phase 1” we have been back on site, working to prepare the fleet for the start of the season and adapting our procedures to accommodate for social distancing requirements and our cleaning practices to include new levels of disinfection and safety. Those changes are detailed below. In early June, with the start of "Phase 2" we were able to start offering charters and classes.
As you might expect, many people have had to cancel or reschedule their summer charter or school plans, while others, who might have been planning to vacation abroad this year have decided to stay closer to home for their summer vacation. If you are considering a sail or power charter vacation this summer or fall, you’ll be happy to know that there is still good availability (click here) where there might not have been at this point in a normal year. After all, if you, like us, have a bad case of cabin fever, we cannot think of a better, or safer place to spend a week or two than out on the water.
We will continue to monitor and adapt as conditions and recommendations evolve. If you have questions/concerns or we can help you plan some time on the water, please give us a call. Stay safe, be well, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
~ The Crew at San Juan Sailing
Temporary Revised Cancellation Policy
We at San Juan Sailing truly appreciate our charter guests and student, and understand that this is a difficult, stressful and confusing time for everyone. Facilitating your learning or enabling your family to spend time exploring these beautiful islands brings us joy. So, we want to make one thing easier. We want you to be able to plan a vacation or course without fear. To do so we are temporarily amending our cancellation policies:
CHARTER
- If you are unable to go on your charter because you, your crew, or a dependent family member has become sick with, or has recently been exposed to COVID-19, you may reschedule the charter any time during the charter season of your initial booking or the following season with no penalty. This applies even if your charter is within the normal 60-day cancellation window. Please contact us to discuss options if you would like to reschedule.
SCHOOL
- Any student that needs to cancel their course because they or a dependent family member has become sick with, or recently been exposed to COVID-19, may reschedule anytime during the season of their initial booking or the following seasonn with no penalty or rebooking fee.
Operational Changes for Safety & Social Distancing
We are very aware the coronavirus is not gone, and that continued vigilance is required to maintain your health, our health and the health of the communities around us. To this end, we are making changes to our procedures around cleaning, office interactions, charter check out/in, safety briefings and student greeting. Please bear in mind these are somewhat fluid as we learn more and conditions change, but the list below should give you a feel for our planning:
- Cleaning/Disinfecting. We have added procedures to our normal cleaning which will provide additional protection from the virus. We will be disinfecting all interior hard surfaces and exterior high touch-point areas with a QAS germicide and disinfecting all galley items when the boats are doing a quick turnaround. We will also be changing out the comforters and throw pillows and doubling up pillowcases. In addition, we are disinfecting all common touch-point areas in our office on a daily basis.
- Daily Health Checks. Since our office is small we’ve traditionally had a policy that any member of the office staff who is sick must stay home. We will be strict about that policy this season and make sure the policy extends beyond the office staff to the cleaning crew, checkout skippers and instructors. In addition, each of our staff (cleaners, office staff, instructors, check-out skippers, etc.) will have their temperature and blood oxygen level checked each day when they report for work. Anyone with abnormal reading will be sent home and asked to consult with a doctor before returning to work.
- Social Distancing. To avoid large gatherings we have created a YouTube video of our safety briefing and local orientation so you will be able to watch them before you arrive for your charter. We will also be informing you of your checkout time in advance to allow for staggered arrival times. And, unfortunately, we will not be doing our Friday afternoon nature briefings or Friday evening BBQs this season. All of these changes are designed to greatly reduce close contact between groups who are not traveling together. Where possible we will greet arriving and departing guests outdoors, to allow for better social distancing. We are also asking that you bring a mask (we will have them available for those who forget) and use it when you are on the docks, around our employees or in our office. Onboard checkouts will be limited to just the skipper and NSO, with all three people wearing masks.
Destinations
Currently the US/Canada border is closed as are the marinas/resorts in the San Juan Islands. San Juan County is currently in "Phase 2" and marinas have opened to transient moorage at 50% capacity. Restaurants are also open at 50% capacity and retail and grocery stores are open. In addition the state parks and DNR areas are open. We are not yet sure when the border will open, but until it does we encourage taking this opportunity to explore some of the cruising gems in the San Juan Islands or greater Puget Sound that you might overlook on a typical charter itinerary. Contact us if you would like any ideas! Also, here is a link to a web page which is tracking the opening status of most destinations in the region.
School Updates
Since students participating in the courses are normally from more than one household, we will be checking temperatures and blood oxygen levels for all students upon their arrival. Anyone with a fever or unexplained low oxygen level will not be allowed to participate in the course. Should this happen we will be refunding their tuition or rescheduling them once their health is restored. All students should plan to wear a mask when they arrive at our office and where appropriate in other public settings in the harbor or islands. Aboard the boat it will be at the discretion of the instructor and students together to assess when conditions warrant the use of masks to maintain proper social distancing protocols.
