No Boat – No Problem
Access dinghies, be part of a community, and get out on the water.
What is it?
The Dinghy Coop Program is a volunteer run program to let NSC members without their own boat sail dinghies. To keep costs low all administration and repair/maintenance is handled by members. If you join the program we may ask you to help us out with maintaining boats and keeping the program running. The program currently has 7 dinghies (2 Lasers, 3 Albacores, 2 Hobie Cats) available to qualified members, and more detail on the boats is available below.
How does it work?
It’s simple:
- Fill in a membership application
- Pay your annual fee of $125 and sign your waivers
- Take the optional orientation course
- Reserve a boat and go sailing
Are there limitations?
For liability reasons we have set limits on weather and the distance you can go from the club. They are outlined in the Sailing Instructions, which you should download and read. Otherwise the rules are minimal: be mindful of other members, bring your boat back on time for the next person, and report or repair any minor maintenance issues before they become major.
Let’s get started!
- Download the Coop membership form (PDF, Word), fill it in, and return it to dinghycoop@nsc.ca. You fill in an application form so we can assess your sailing skills (CanSail 2 or equivalent). There are no evaluations related to the program. You use the boats of the program completely at your own risk.
- Once your application has been approved (conditional on being a member of NSC and having sufficient sailing experience), you will be directed to the NSC Clubspot website, where you will pay your $125 fee and digitally sign the rental waiver. Note: You will need a Clubspot account to do this, but the same account can then be used for dinghy skills, regatta registration, etc.
- After paying the fee and signing the waiver, you will receive login credentials to the reservation system.
While not mandatory, experience has shown that a short orientation course greatly reduces the risk of damage to the boats. We are currently planning several sessions in early June, and will conduct others through the summer as required.
Dinghy Coop boats for 2026
Note: While the total fleet will consist of 3 Albacores, 2 Hobies, and 2 Lasers, we expect to launch in June with a smaller subset. The available boats (ie. fully rigged & ready-to-sail) will be updated throughout the summer. The reservation system will have the latest availability.
Laser
2026 Availability: [# boats] Expected Launch Date: [date]
The Laser, now officially known as the ILCA Dinghy, is a 13-foot 10-inch, single-handed, one-design racing sailboat designed for simplicity and performance. It is an Olympic class (since 1996) with over 223,000 built. One will be rigged Standard and one will be rigged as a smaller Radial – the difference being the size of the sail, to accommodate differing sailor weights and skill levels.
Hobie Bravo
2026 Availability: [# boats] Expected Launch Date: [date]
The Hobie Bravo is a 12-foot catamaran designed for simplicity, stability, and ease of use, making it an ideal choice for beginners, families, and solo sailors. As with the Wave, because it lacks a jib and heavy boom it is much easier to manage than traditional catamarans. Its overall safety and simplicity make it a favourite for teaching children or getting back into sailing after a long break
Albacore
2026 Availability: [# boats] Expected Launch Date: [date]
The Albacore is a 15-foot two-person planing dinghy, widely used for both competitive racing and recreational day sailing. This popular, nimble, and durable boat features a fractional sloop rig.
Hobie Wave
2026 Availability: [# boats] Expected Launch Date: [date]
This fun boat featuring a boomless, fully-battened mainsail is popular with beginners, families, and resorts for its stability and ease of handling, while still offering exciting performance. It is great if you want to bring friends along for the ride.