Longing to be out on the water but don’t own a boat? Chartering might be for you.
If you are an experienced sailor, you can rent a boat for a day, a half day, or an evening. Longer rentals, or charters, can be from two days to two weeks or more. Charters are ideal for one time trips. In the area and wish to sail more often? Then a Sound Sailing Center membership is the way to go.
If within 2 weeks after the end of your charter, you sign up and pay for a membership, the charter fee’s paid (and time used) can be counted towards your membership, saving you up to 60% of the cost of your charter.
Please email sscsailing@gmail.com or call 203.838.1110
The Fleet
Daysailer (Ensigns)
1 Hour Charter w Instructor $210
1.5 hour Charter, no Instructor (Bareboat) $210
If you have not rented an Ensign before and want a Bareboat Charter, you will need one hour with an instructor for the check out, and then how many 90 min Bareboat segments you want.
Corsair F24 Trimaran/Pearson 37
One Weekday $620
One Saturday, Sunday or Holiday $940
One Week Charter $2,800
35 Class / Sweden 340/Contest 36
One Weekday $820
One Saturday, Sunday or Holiday $1,240
One Week Charter $3,600
40 Class / Catalina 400, Jeanneau 409, Jonmeri 40, J44
One Weekday $1,100
One Saturday, Sunday or Holiday $1,650
One Week Charter $4,980
Daily charter rates are discounted 20% for two day charters, 25% for three days, 30% for four days, 35% for five days, and 40% for six days.
Our fleet starts with daysailers like our 23-foot Ensigns, and includes larger yachts like our Pearson 37 in the Classic Class, the Sweden 340 and Contest 36 in the 35 class, and in the 40 class, boats like the Jeanneau 409 and Jonmeri 40. We choose all our cruising boats for their good sailing qualities and strength. They are boats we enjoy sailing ourselves.
Single-handling is possible on virtually all our boats. If you can run the boat yourself, your crew or guests will enjoy themselves more, and you’ll be more relaxed knowing that you don’t have to rely on anyone else. We have several older classics that have been extensively renovated, like the Ensigns or Pearson 37s, with new motors, sails and upholstery. Our newer, performance orientated boats include vessels like our Jeanneau 409, Hanse/Var 37 and classics like our J44 and Jonmeri 40. We move our larger cruising yachts up and down the New England Coast.
Amenities
All yachts in the 35 and 40 class include an enclosed head with hot and cold water, diesel motors, a cockpit shower, roller furling headsails, a full batten self flaking Dutchman main with a low friction track system, reefing from the cockpit, and berths for 5-6 people. 35 class yachts have 2 staterooms. 40 class yachts have 3 staterooms, generally 2 heads, refrigeration, solar panels and autopilots. Ask for an equipment list on the boat you are interested in.
Capacity
Daysailers- 4 people + 1 captain
Yachts- 6 people + 1 captain
Schedule
Daysailer rental is scheduled into three time periods: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, and 6:00 till sunset. Cruising yacht use runs 23 hours from 8:00 am till 7:00 am the following day.
Primarily, we operate as a membership organization. Rentals and charters are available when members are not using our boats and we have excess capacity. When a class of boats has the maximum number of members, charters are not available.
Sailing in New England, due to the tide, fog, and numerous reefs and shoals, is more difficult than sailing in Caribbean waters, but the rewards are great (see some of our own favorite places to sail in our Cruising Information & Charts section).
Get Started
All customers must provide a sailing resume, pass the US Sailing written test with 85% correct or better (as requires of all our members), and perform an on-the-water checkout based on US Sailing standards, unless you have taken classes with us. From there you take the on-the-water checkout, which will take about one hour for an Ensign and two hours for the Yachts. All sailing checkouts are done first on the Ensigns. We charge a $250 checkout fee for larger yachts and $190 for daysailers. Yacht Charterers must be able to plot a course corrected for tide using Eldridge and demonstrate other aspects of good seamanship like man overboard drills.
Please ask for a copy of the US Sailing standards if interested. Our classes are an ideal way to brush up your skills if needed and we’ll give you a 5% discount on your first rental, charter or membership. Use one of our captains, at $300 a day plus expenses, and there is no deposit required. Also, you will not be liable for any losses.
Refund Policy
There are no refunds for cancelled charters. In the case of a medical or family emergency, a Sound Sailing Center credit, good for one year, will be issued. A 50% deposit will reserve a boat. Then, the balance is due 3 weeks before departure. View the Charter agreement for additional details.