Table of Contents
Guidelines and Requirements for clients
“The company”, “CF”, “Capt. Rob”, and “Chesapeake Flotillas” may be used interchangeably and are understood to mean Chesapeake Flotillas, LLC. A “flotilla” is a group of 2 or more boats which are generally sailing a common float plan, arriving at a common destination at the end of each day. In the context of this document, the flotilla is led by a boat captained by Capt. Rob Chichester or his designate. “Primary Client” is a single individual who is solely responsible for negotiating and making arrangements with Chesapeake Flotillas, regardless of how many people may be in his or her party. The Primary Client is the only person who may make arrangements with CF on behalf of their party. Capt. Rob Chichester is the only person authorized to negotiate with and take reservations from a Primary Client. “Guest” refers to anyone participating in the trip arranged by the Primary Client, including the Primary Client. “Client” and “client crewmember” refers to anyone participating in any trip offered by Chesapeake Flotillas but not as a member of the command crew. A guest may or may not have contributed monetarily to participate in the trip. “Home marina” refers to the marine facility where S/V Bay Poet is normally berthed. “S/V” means Sailing Vessel. “Crew” refers to anyone brought aboard by Chesapeake Flotillas to help operate the vessel during a trip. “Captain” or “Skipper” refers to anyone who is designated as the captain of a vessel participating in a flotilla cruise. “Captain of the Port (COTP)” is a US Coast Guard officer responsible for the enforcement of navigation rules in a given operational areas. “Personal Floatation Device” or “PFD” are wearable items used to provide additional buoyancy for the wearer while in the water. Not all PFDs work or fit the same way. Non-refundable items include but are not limited to non-refundable marina fees, special purchase items, credit card fees, or purchased items which cannot be returned.
The use of any gender-specific pronouns is not to be interpreted as excluding a gender not specifically referenced.
Day sails and multiday weekend charters have fixed base prices regardless of the number of guests. S/V Bay Poet and her crew can accommodate a maximum of 6 guests for day sails and 4 guests for multiday charters. The overall trip price may be higher if the guests wish to spend one or more nights at a marina that is not the home marina for Bay Poet. Also, special requests regarding menu selection, group activities, day visitors, or any other extra services may add to the total trip price. Chesapeake Flotillas will provide a trip price quote to the primary client before accepting any reservation. The quote will take into account information provided by and requests made by the Primary Client.
If special requests are made after receiving a price quote or after a deposit has been paid, Chesapeake Flotillas reserves the right to adjust the price of the trip in order to incorporate the updated requests. Any additional costs to be paid as a result of the special request will be due in full at the time of the final payment. Special requests made after the final payment may be declined. However, if such a request is accepted, any additional costs to implement the request must be paid at the time the request is accepted.
A trip can be reserved by paying a deposit of at least $500. Full and final payment of the balance of the trip price must be paid no later than 28 days before boarding the vessel. Full and final payment includes the balance of the base price plus the cost of any requested extra services or features to which Chesapeake Flotillas has agreed. Payment can be made by cash, check, money order, credit card, or debit card. Credit or debit card deposits can be made by phone, in person, or online. Final payments made by credit or debit card can be made online, by phone or in person if one is paying for a basic two- or three-day trip. Final payments for custom trips or trips which include special requests that have changed the price of the trip cannot generally be made online. CF may send an electronic invoice to the Primary Client by email. However, not receiving an email reminder or invoice does NOT release the Primary Client from the responsibility of making the final payment in accordance with the requirements described above.
In all cases, sole financial responsibility for a trip lies with the Primary Client. CF will NOT accept payments from multiple parties to make up a single deposit or a final payment for any trip.
The Primary Client and ONLY the Primary Client may cancel the trip up to 28 days before departure and receive a full refund of the deposit. If the final payment is not made 28 days before departure, Chesapeake Flotillas reserves the right to cancel the trip in its entirety. The deposit will be refunded less the cost of any non-refundable items. If a client cancels a trip less than 28 days before boarding the vessel, all monies paid will be refunded minus the sum of the cost of any non-refundable items and a $100 cancellation fee.
If Chesapeake Flotillas cancels a trip for reasons not related to safety or Coast Guard restrictions, all monies paid will be refunded to the Primary Client.
Regardless of how the Primary Client paid CF, all refunds will be made by check.
Trips will sail regardless of weather conditions unless in the opinion of the Captain, forecasted weather conditions present an unacceptable risk to the vessel and those aboard. Furthermore, if the Captain of the Port of Baltimore restricts navigation on any or all of the waters for which a trip is planned, a given trip may not be able to proceed as originally planned. In either case, the Primary Client may choose to proceed with the charter if it is safe to do so, reschedule the trip, or receive a refund less the cost of any special or custom items purchased. Those items will be conveyed to the Primary Client as appropriate.
If the Captain of the Port restricts navigation on any or all of the waters for which a trip is planned, a given trip may be able to proceed but not as originally planned. Unless a critical destination is made unavailable, CF will deem the trip as viable and plan to sail accordingly. In this case, if the client chooses to cancel, the policies outlined in paragraph 1 of this section apply. If a critical destination is unavailable as a result of action taken by COTP, the Primary Client may choose to re-plan the trip for the same dates, to reschedule the trip, or to cancel and receive a refund less the cost of any special or custom items purchased.
Notification of cancellation by either party may be made by phone or email. The party receiving notification of cancellation must explicitly acknowledge the notification by any means. If the receiving party does not acknowledge the cancellation within 48 hours of its being sent or more than 24 hours before boarding the vessel, whichever is earlier, the sending party must call the other party. Leaving a voice mail message shall be deemed adequate at any time.
If the Primary Client fails to board the boat before 30 minutes past the scheduled departure time and no communication regarding being late has been received by the Captain, it shall be assumed that the Client has cancelled the charter and all fees paid are forfeit. If the clients arrive late, the charter may not be extended to compensate for their late arrival.
The Primary Client is to be the only point of contact between Chesapeake Flotillas and all guests who will participate in a given charter. To avoid confusion and errant messages, Chesapeake Flotillas will not entertain contact with anyone other than the Primary Client. Chesapeake Flotillas will provide information to the Primary Client that should be distributed among all guests. This includes information on what to expect, what to bring, and what not to bring. Firearms, pyrotechnics, drones, and controlled substances may not be brought aboard or used aboard Bay Poet at any time. This list should not be considered as all inclusive. Cigarette smoking only is permitted on board and then only in the rear of the cockpit. Pipe and cigar smoking is never allowed. Smokers must monitor and police their own ashes and butts. The entire party will be held responsible for any damage caused by careless smoking.
Chesapeake Flotillas welcomes families of up to 4 people. The minimum age of any children in your party is 12. There must be at least one adult for each child under the age of 14.
S/V Bay Poet is equipped with commercial-grade personal floatation devices (PFD) for people who weigh at least 90 lbs. If you are bringing children who weigh less than that or who are of a generally smaller build, the client guardian will be responsible for providing a correctly fitted PFD for each such child. The child must wear the PFD anytime they are on deck whenever the vessel is underway. They are not required to wear it while the vessel is at anchor or secured in a marina but it is nonetheless strongly suggested that they do so. They also do not need to wear it when below deck. The Captain will inspect the PFD upon boarding to verify that it is legal for its intended use. Please check with Chesapeake Flotillas in advance if you need guidance in selecting an appropriate PFD for a child.
Guests are welcome to assist the crew in sailing the vessel, if they so desire. However, guests are not required to participate in any way in operating the vessel, except that they must follow the instructions of the crew at all times, particularly during emergencies. They will be given a briefing on various routine and emergency situations before departure. Clients will also be given instructions on using the various systems on board such as lights, water, and sanitation systems. Guests are encouraged to ask questions at ANY time.
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Last modified on: 2/11/2024 12:45:00 PM GMT -5