Terms & Conditions

This document describes our Terms and Conditions, Data protection and equality policies. By using our services, you accept these terms.

Terms of Payment

A 50% deposit per person is due with the completed booking form for each course. The balance of the fee is due 28 days before the start of the course. The school reserves the right without further notification to re-let reserved places where the balance of fee has not been paid by the due date.

Preferred payment is by BACS with an additional £10 administration fee if payment is made from outside of the UK. Bank details on our booking form.

Cancellation

Crouch sailing School reserves the right to cancel any course or activity due to bad weather or any unforeseen circumstances. Where this is necessary alternative course dates or activity will be offered. No refunds will be issued and no additional liability for compensation or expenses will be accepted by the School.

Cancellation by you must be given at least 28 days prior to the start date of the course in which case you will receive a full refund. Note that unless cancellation is received in writing by this time no refunds will be given.  It may be possible to claim under your personal or holiday insurance.

In the event that any activity or course has to be commenced or terminated at any other place or time than that indicated in the programme or joining instructions it will be the student’s responsibility to arrange and pay for any accommodation or travel costs involved.

Postponements.

If a course is temporarily postponed due to unforeseen circumstances by the Crouch Sailing School no refunds will be given. But alternate dates and options will be offered.

Liability

Crouch Sailing School, its servants, agents, instructors, sailing masters do not accept any responsibility for any loss damage or injury suffered by any persons and/or their property arising out of or during the course of their activities whilst training, instructing or otherwise unless such loss or damage was caused by or resulted from negligence.

Health

Sailing is an activity sport and it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they are healthy and fit to take part. Please check with your doctor if you are in any doubt. If for whatever reason, the skipper has to put a student ashore or administer medical aid, its skipper or other employees accept no liabilities. If a health condition arises that prevents a client from taking part in a course this shall be regarded as cancellation by the client and the cancellation procedure above will apply.

Own Boat Instruction

Owner must ensure that the yacht is equipped to minimum RYA standards and is maintained in proper and seamanlike condition for the intended sailing area. Ensure that the yacht is fully insured for the duration of the instruction. Provide all travelling and out of pocket expenses for the instructor from our base at Fambridge or their home. Retain responsibility for the safety of the yacht throughout. The instructor will not take on the skipper’s responsibilities, he will advise the owner on all safety matters. If in the instructor’s opinion weather conditions, safety, or any other consideration renders it imprudent to continue, then the instructor’s decision is final, hence does not accept liability for the consequence of delay or cancellation in such circumstances.

Application

You will have the best chance of reserving your first choice of dates if you telephone or e-mail your requirements as soon as possible. An invoice will be sent by email. Such reservations need to be confirmed with a completed booking form and deposit within 5 days. Any balance of fee is due 4 weeks before your course starts.

Termination

Your course is scheduled to end at Burnham Yacht Harbour during the late afternoon of the last day. If for any reason it is necessary to terminate your course at any other place or time, you are reminded that you will be responsible for the organisation and cost of your transport and accommodation.

Complaints

If you wish to make a complaint to the CSS please first address it to your Instructor, if this is not appropriate for what ever reason please contact the principal Des Purcell.  We will endeavour to deal with all complaints within 14 days but if, after that time, you are dissatisfied with our response, you may contact the RYA on 023 8060 4100.

DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY

We are is committed to upholding your privacy as a customer, prospective customer or user of our website. This Policy explains how we use the information we collect about you (Data), how you can instruct us if you prefer to limit the use of your Data and procedures that we have in place to safeguard your privacy. By submitting your information, you consent to the use of your Data as set out in this Policy. Any information that you give us is held with the utmost care and security. It will not be used in ways to which you have not consented.

How and why we hold your personal information

In order to provide our services we may ask for various information including your name, email, date of birth and address. On completion of your course, your name, email, date of birth and address will be transferred to the RYA database for the purpose of recording details of the course and any certification gained as a result of it. This information allows the RYA to record your certification centrally, and to update any records we may already hold about you or your qualifications.

If you have any questions about how we look after your personal information please contact us.

Disclosure of Information

Our use of your Data for any of the purposes disclosed in this policy, or any other purposes disclosed in any separate communication, may involve us sharing it with the RYA and other third parties appointed by us to assist us in providing our products and services. In no other case, unless obliged to do so by law, will we sell, rent, lease or otherwise share your Data with third parties, unless you have provided your specific, positive and unambiguous consent.

Cookies

A Cookie is a small data file that your web browser may store on your hard disk in order that a web site can retrieve that information if you visit the same site again. They are essential to the operation of most commercial web sites and although you can change your browser settings to block cookies, doing so will prevent these web sites from functioning correctly. Our web sites may use Cookies to store non-personal data for technical and statistical purposes. We do not use them to retrieve personal information about you from your computer.

Your Rights

In addition to the safeguards set out in this Policy, your personal data is protected in the UK by the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). These regulations provide, amongst other things, that the data we hold about you should be processed lawfully and fairly. It should be accurate, relevant and not retained for longer than is needed. It should be kept securely to prevent unauthorised access by other people.

You have the right, at no cost, to see what is held about you and correct any inaccuracies. You may also request that we delete your personal data from our records, provided that we are not obliged to retain that data for contractual, legal or regulatory purposes.

Please note that if you request deletion of your account, records of your progress will be lost. Removal of course details from the RYA database, means that any certification gained as a result of this course will not be verifiable by the RYA, nor would the RYA be able to issue a replacement certificate.

Links to external websites

Our website may provide links to third party sites. You are under no obligation to use these sites but if you choose to do so, please note that we are not responsible for and have no control over information that is submitted to or collected by these third parties and we accept no responsibility for their content.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

We are committed to avoiding all forms of unlawful discrimination including discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, belief and sexual orientation.

SAFEGUARDING

We are committed to safeguarding any children or vulnerable adults who take part in our courses from physical, sexual or emotional harm, neglect or bullying. We recognise that the safety, welfare and needs of the individual are paramount and that all participants, irrespective of age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual or gender identity or social status, have a right to protection from discrimination and abuse.

For the purposes of this policy anyone under the age of 18 should be considered as a child.  Vulnerable adults, are defined as those aged 18 and over and who are acknowledged as requiring additional support due to a mental or physical disability, learning difficulties, social challenges or are at higher risk due to the misuse of substances.

Children and vulnerable adults must be accompanied on our courses by a responsible adult.

Last modified: 10th October 2021