Frequently Asked Questions
- How to book a sailing excursion
- Is sailing experience required?
- How to get to the boat and what about parking?
- When and where to meet the boat
- What to wear and things to bring
- Regarding drinks/food, what is provided and what to bring
- Are children allowed? If so, any special requirements?
- What is the maximum amount of passengers allowed?
- Can we drive the boat and/or learn to sail?
- What is your advice regarding motion sickness?
- Is there a bathroom onboard?
- What wildlife and sights might we see?
- Is it appropriate to tip the Crew?
- If we are on an excursion and want to extend the time, can we do this?
- What are your recommendations for other things to do, restaurants or places to stay?
- Can I smoke onboard?
- What is your cancellation policy?
- What happens if the weather is bad?
- What happens with our contact information?
- Are we handicap accessible?
- Additional questions?
1. How to book a sailing excursion
- Online booking is the easiest; just click the “Book Now” button on the web-page, https://broadreachsailing.us/.
2. Is sailing experience required?
- No experience is needed or necessary. Our licensed captains are there to help make your sailing experience relaxing, comfortable, fun and connect you directly to nature – try it - Come Sail With Us!
3. How to get to the boat and what about parking?
- If you are coming from Old Orchard you can take the Trolley when in season. Take the Red Line from the Chamber, stop 1 and get off at stop 6, Camp Ellis Pier.
- If you are coming by car, there is plenty of parking, Come to 5 Bay Avenue, Saco Maine. The GPS in this area is a bit finicky, when getting close to the destination, Bay View Avenue makes a ninety degree turn to the left, just after the turn, make a right into the large parking lot. There is an island to the left as you enter the parking lot, if the pay station is installed in this island (in season), stop and get a ticket and put it on the dash of your vehicle. Park on the furthest end of the lot closest to the water. To save the parking fee, there is parking on the street, however there is a 2 hour time limit.
4. When and where to meet the boat
- Please be on the dock 10 minutes before departure time. There are 2 small buildings at the end of the parking lot. The building near the center of the parking lot has two bathrooms, one on either end of the building. On the left is the Dock Master’s building, we will meet you there.
5. What to wear and things to bring
- Dress in layers - windbreakers or a warmer layer is usually needed on the water, it can be pleasantly cool. After sunset, it can cool quickly, especially early and late in the season. We have lap blankets. Conditions at sea are normally similar to the beach except a bit cooler & windier.
- Sunscreen - sunhat, sunglasses & whatever other sun protection you require is always good.
- Shoes - Soft-soled shoes are best for comfort and ease of walking around on the boat.
- Raincoat - can be useful, though most of the time we will work to avoid rain, and if need be, it is dry under the dodger & in the cabin.
6. Regarding drinks/food, what is provided and what to bring
- We provide Poland Spring’s cold water and when it is cold outside we also provide tea, coffee and hot chocolate. You can bring any drinks/food you wish including alcohol. We have a refrigerator to keep anything you wish cold. We also have glasses for your drinks.
7. Are children allowed? If so, any special requirements?
- Yes for sure! Children under the age of 16 need to be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of 12 need to wear lifejackets while aboard, which we can normally provide. Please let us know how many children are in your party and their weights when booking in the note section or contact us separately.
8. What is the maximum amount of passengers allowed?
- Each boat can take about a dozen, however we limit to 6 passengers per boat so the environment is intimate and casual. We can take up to three boats. Please call for parties over 6 people.
9. Can we drive the boat and/or learn to sail?
- For those that want to drive the boat and /or learn to sail we will get excited about helping with this! Learning to sail can be fun and connects you deeper to the wind and water.
10. What is your advice regarding motion sickness?
- First, the chance of motions sickness on our sailboats are not very likely because the boats are so stable. Only had 1 out of 540 passengers get sick during the 2019 season and that was in a very unusual situation. Many people don’t know if they are susceptible to motion sickness and that is OK. We have several preventative measures on the boat and we’ll be glad to discuss these with you. We don’t recommend medications such as Dramamine, Benadryl, etc. due to their side effects.
11. Is there a bathroom onboard?
- Yes, it is simple to use with all the conveniences. There are also two bathrooms on the dock.
12. What wildlife and sights might we see?
- We always see some type of wildlife on the trips, what we see is varied based on the time of the year and the sea conditions. The possibilities are: jumping fish which are normally sturgeons; seals, porpoises, herring gulls, grey gulls, bald eagles, hawks, Canada geese, cormorants, loons, great blue herons, great white egrets, schools of fish (such as pogies), blue fish, sunfish and whales.
- You will see the hidden secrets of the Saco River and Saco Bay in an intimate setting. See and hear the rich history and stories of the 8 fascinating island of Saco Bay and the long sandy beach of Old Orchard. Enjoy the New England charm of Wood Island Lighthouse and Biddeford Pool. Often times we see lobstermen/women at work and deep sea fisherman returning with their catch. We've seen tuna being hauled onto the pier, some more than 400 pounds.
13. Is it appropriate to tip the Crew?
- Gratuity is customary for good service and is much appreciated by the crew! We say, the winds and waves can tip the boat and only you can tip the crew.
14. If we are on an excursion and want to extend the time, can we do this?
- Please ask, we love to be able to extend excursions. We will accommodate this request, If we have no other commitments in the next time period.
15. What are your recommendations for other things to do, restaurants or places to stay?
- We have a wealth of knowledge of New England and would gladly provide our recommendations based on what you like and the direction you are going. Please feel free to ask before, during or after you see us!
16. Can I smoke onboard?
- There is no smoking of any kind allowed on the boat.
17. What is your cancellation policy?
- Customers will receive a full refund or credit if cancellation is made prior to 14 days of departure. Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. (207-415-5858) No-shows will be charged the full price.
18. What happens if the weather is bad?
- We watch the weather closely. There are very few days during the main season where bad weather (rain, wind or big seas) cause us to cancel trips. We will sail in light rain. We will not sail in unsafe conditions. Since weather forecasts are not as reliable as we would like, we most often wait until the morning to decide if any rescheduling or cancellation is needed due to weather. If we do cancel due to weather you will get a full refund.
19. What happens with our contact information?
- We don’t provide your contact information to others! We are thoughtful in the frequency of how often we contact you.
20. Are we handicap accessible?
- No. We our happy to assist passengers of all physical abilities get aboard. We can assist getting wheelchairs from the pier down onto the dock. There are two steps to get onto the boat from the pier. We can’t accommodate wheelchairs on the boat, however we can assist with a transfer into a seat on the boat. Folks that use canes and walker can certainly get on the boat.
21. Additional questions?
- If you have any questions please email Abby at abby@broadreachsailing.us, or call/text, 207-415-5858.
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