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Welcome
Enquiries for membership are always welcome, but we are a busy thriving Club, so if you request to join mid year, we may ask you to wait and apply for the following year so that you can make the most of your membership.
You do not need to own a boat yourself to take part - crewing is a great way to get into sailing and there are many opportunities at the club, on both keelboats and dinghies. There can be pressure on spaces for the dinghy park and moorings - we operate waiting lists when this happens, this is more likely during the summer months, so if there is no space available for you when you become a member you will need to join a waiting list.
Whilst we are an RYA affiliated club, we do not offer training of the RYA syllabi, if it is training you are after, we can recommend the Andrew Simpson Centre, based on Portland. As a volunteer run organisation, we are unable to offer temporary or day memberships, nor support boat launching for non members, please contact WPNSA on the other side of the harbour for this type of facility.
A little bit about Castle Cove SC
Castle Cove Sailing Club was established in 1923 on some of the finest sailing waters in the UK. It is recognised as being a hospitable club and is a sought-after venue for national sailing events. There are over 600 members of all ages and skill levels from those who just want to be on the water to Olympic medallists and world champions. The club's ethos is to offer an inclusive and friendly environment where all can enjoy sailing.
There are 140+ organised racing and cruising events every year. Racing takes place on most Sunday mornings, and Monday and Wednesday evenings. Cadets meet on Saturday mornings and there is more relaxed sailing on Fridays mornings and Saturday afternoons (in the Summer) with support boats in attendance. Food and drink are available after racing, enabling discussion about the event, and the more skilled are always willing to advise less experienced sailors about tactics and techniques. There is an active social calendar as well.
The Club is run entirely by member volunteers; full members are expected to take on two duties a year. These range from helping with refreshments to on the water support and running racing. There is plenty of guidance, including videos, and you can be partnered with more experienced members. There are additional opportunities for volunteering with winter work parties, gardening, and helping with larger events. Volunteering is a great way to meet other members and it encourages a friendly, inclusive atmosphere and helps to keep the membership subscription costs down.
Interested?
Membership Categories
As a sailing club, the primary activity of our members is required to be sailing in a boat of some some sort - so not sailboards, kayaking, paddle boards etc.
AN ORDINARY MEMBER is a person who, at the date of admission is over the age of 24.
FAMILY MEMBERSHIP includes an adult, their spouse/partner and his/her/their children who are under 18 years of age and/or, if in full time education, under 22 years of age on 1st February in the subscription year. Family Membership is not applicable to Grandparents and grandchildren.
A JUNIOR MEMBER is a person who is aged not less than 18 years nor more than 24 years on 1st February in the subscription year.
A CADET MEMBER is a person who is under the age of 18 but at least 12 years of age on 1st February in the subscription year. Cadet Membership must have at least one associated, named parent/carer who will be given access to the Members' area of the Club's website. Parental/Carer participation and use of club premises is limited to that necessary to support their Cadet and cadet activities.
2026 Membership Subscriptions
New members pay the amount shown in the 2nd column (or a pro rata rate after June), plus the relevant joining fee. As a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) we do not exclude anyone who may have limited or low income and will support any prospective member who can prove hardship to access sailing through CCSC, please contact the Vice Commodore confidentially for more information.
Facilities and Fees
PORTLAND HARBOUR FEES - All users of the water in Portland Harbour have to pay a fee to Portland Harbour Authority Limited (PHAL). We collect this fee on behalf of our members annually, this varies from around £36.00 for the average sized dinghy to £72.00 for a 30 foot yacht.
DINGHY PARK - We currently operate three charging periods through the year, for the main period of April to September, ground space fees are around £90.00 to £130.00 dependant on boat size.
MOORINGS - We lease our mooring area from the Crown Estate, a contribution for this is included in the club fees which are £23.85 per metre of length (with a minimum charge of 3m). In addition there is a moorings license with PHAL, for which a fee of £30.00 is payable to the Club. Moorings are all owned by the boat's owners and must be bought from, and laid by the Club, the cost for a new mooring is currently £900. There are other fees for annual inspections - all mooring owners are expected to help with the mooring inspection and maintenance regime, which we do ourselves on a volunteer basis.
Next Steps
- Please let us know more about your interest in joining Castle Cove Sailing Club using our Membership Enquiry form (hosted by JotForm).
- We will be in touch - please be patient as we are all volunteers!
- We may invite you to a welcome meeting to meet with a few committee members, for an introduction to the club and so you can learn more about us and us about you!
- Your membership will be reviewed at one of our monthly General Committee meetings.
- You will be sent a link to a short Application form, just to confirm a few details, as well as (if applicable) forms relating to Family and Cadet membership categories.
- After you have joined, you will be able to apply for boat park or mooring places (there will be a waiting list in the summer, but we will do our best to accommodate your boat).
That's it - you will have joined one of the best Sailing Clubs on the South Coast (or at least that's what we think).