Your safety is our top priority
Our yachts will be sanitised using Tri-Jet fogging equipment, between each sailing boat hire. small corners of your sailing boat and clean the upholstery as well as bigger surfaces.
Update 23.2.21
With the latest government announcements we are really pleased to be able to hire our sailing boats out from the 12 April, please see the guidelines below.
Step 2 – from 12 April at the earliest, subject to an assessment of the data against the four tests
Outdoor gatherings must still be limited to 6 people or 2 households as in Step 1, and no indoor mixing will be allowed unless otherwise exempt. Additional premises will be able to reopen but should only be visited alone or with household groups:
· Domestic overnight stays will be allowed and self-contained accommodation - those that do not require shared use of bathing, entry/exit, catering or sleeping facilities - can also reopen, though must only be used by members of the same household.
Update 7.07.20
We are so excited to announce that we have reopened for a stay on sailing holidays.
Our sailing boats will be sanitised using Tri-Jet fogging equipment, between each boat hire. These machines are designed to sanitise into small corners of your sail boat and clean the upholstery as well as bigger surfaces. They are used to deep clean ambulances, aeroplanes, trains etc. This will enable us to sanitise every surface, even down to the mooring ropes and life jackets. Our procedures have changed, to meet the government guidelines.
We are taking sail boat hire, bookings for holidays after the 4th of July that are fully refundable, if we can not operate or a member of your household has Covid- 19 symptoms.
Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all soon!
Update 29.05.20
Nothing new to report - here is a quote from the Broads Authorities website. “the Broads Authority is awaiting advise from Defra of the date when the re-opening of hire yards will be permitted within Government guidance”
We understand that this will be the 4th of July if the R figure stays down. We are taking bookings for after the 4th of July that are fully refundable if we can not operate or a member of your household has Covid- 19 symptoms.
Update 19.05.20
It currently seems that the earliest we might be able to resume our sailing holidays would be the 4th July.
Everyone here at Oliver’s Sailing Holidays is working hard to make sure that as soon as the Government guidelines for Covid-19 allow us to open, we are ready to resume our sailing holidays.
We are refining our deap cleaning programme as imformation and industrary guidelines are isssued. We have a purchased Tri-Jet fogging equipment for sanitising our yachts in-between each hire. A fogger sprays a very fine mist and is used to deep clean ambulances, aeroplanes, trains ect. These machines are designed to sanitise into small corners, clean the upholstery as well has bigger surfaces. This will enable us to sanitise every surface, even down to the mooring ropes and life jackets.
As always, it will be Nick, Alison and our one adult part-time cleaner who will be sanitising the yachts.
We are taking bookings for later in the season and available to answer any questions you may have.
Stay safe and we will see you all soon!
Update 13.05.20 - Good Morning.
British Marine, The Broads Authority, Visit Britian and the Royal Yachting Association have all been putting forward a strong case for boating to be one of the first activities that can be resumed safely within necessary parameters for social distancing. As of the 13th May privately owned sailing yachts can sail on the Norfolk Broads but over night stays are not allowed.
It currently seems that the earliest we might be able to resume our sailing holidays would be the 4th July.
It is at times like these when we are so grateful for all the industry advise available on how to protect our customers and staff from the virus. On their recomendation we have purchased recommended cleaning products, hand sanitisers, hand soap, PPE and a Tri-Jet Fogging machine (yes we have leant something new!). These machines are designed to sanitise into small corners, clean the upholstery as well has bigger surfaces. This will enable us to sanitise every surface, even down to the mooring ropes and life jackets. They are currently used on aeroplanes and trains for deep cleaning and sanitation.
We have contacting our June customers with the following options:
Move your sailing holiday booking to later this year or to 2021.
Wait until you know when you will be able to take your holiday, before moving your booking.
Holiday vouchers are available, which can be redeemed until the end of 2022.
If you need a refund please contact us.
We have stopped requesting any payments and automated payment reminders have been switched off.
We look forward to seeing you all as soon as possible!
Update 05.05.20 - Coming out of Lockdown announcement due Sunday 10.05.20
We are waiting to see how much we find out on Sunday before contacting anymore customers but please do not hesitate to contact us if you need help with your booking.
Update 01.05.20 - Watching and waiting
Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you for everyone’s understanding and encouragement at this difficult time. As with many other businesses around the UK, we are still unaware of when we will be able to reopen. We are prepared to reopen as soon as the government gives the go-ahead.
While we wait, here’s what we have been doing:
Contacting our customers who are due to arrive in the next 4 weeks.
Some customers have been moving their bookings to later this year or to 2021.
Other customers are waiting until they know when they will be able to take their holiday until they rebook.
Holiday vouchers are available, which can be redeemed until the end of 2022.
If you need a refund please contact us.
We have stopped requesting any payments and automated payment reminders have been switched off.
We look forward to seeing you all as soon as possible!
Update 23.3.2020 - Suspending all sailing holidays
These are unprecedented times, and just a few days ago we were focusing on preparing ourselves to deliver safe, boating holidays to our guests. We have continued to monitor the situation and the Government advice closely, always mindful of our duty to protect our staff, our guests and our local community. Over the last 48 hours there has been an increasing and understandable concern in local communities towards holiday visitors, and the government has re-stated guidance that there should be no unnecessary or non essential travel. The non-essential travel guidance now includes the following statement "...visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays. People should remain in their primary residence.” https://www.gov.uk/government/news/covid-19-essential-travel-guidance
Therefore, it is now clear to us that the government guidance precludes guests from travelling to us and has thereby effectively temporarily suspended our sailing holidays operation. We will be contacting guests with bookings in the coming weeks in order to try to find alternative dates for holidays later on in the year, and we will endeavour to do this each week for those holidays that are 6 weeks out if you have not sought to contact us first.
Please understand that this decision has been made as an absolute last resort in the public interest, and the effect on our staff as well as our suppliers will be considerable. We thank them all for their efforts and will do all that we can to restore normal service as soon as it is safe to do so.
We will continue to monitor the scientific and government advice in the coming weeks and will publish updates on our website and social media accounts.
Thank you for your understanding.
As of 17 March 2020
Latest Government Announcement as at 5pm 16th March 2020
At Broads Sailing, the health and safety of our guests, owners and team is our highest priority. We understand that you may be feeling unsettled given the rapidly changing situation around Coronavirus (COVID-19). We are constantly reviewing the latest Government advice and how this could affect your holiday and we will update this notice as any further relevant information emerges.
Confidence in our care
The latest Government advise is clearly intended to maximise social distancing and is particularly focused on containing any infection to households. We still believe that we are in a position to offer a holiday service where households can effectively self-isolate on our boats whilst sailing the Broads, and we are therefore still happy to receive guests.
None the less, we recognise that we have an increased responsibility to ensure that any boats are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised before handover. We have reviewed all our cleaning policies and consulted experts on the products we are using, and have put in place enhanced cleaning practices. It is likely that these will lead to extended turnaround times, but we will deal with these on a case by case basis with guests.
Our teams have had additional briefing on health and safety procedures and guidance in relation to keeping themselves and our guests, as safe and secure as possible including during handover briefings.
In the event that we are unable to provide a yacht at short notice due to self-isolation within our team, we will in the first instance seek to work with other providers within BroadsSailing to offer an alternative, but in the event that this is not possible we would offer the opportunity to change the dates of your holiday or a refund.
We will continue to review any Government advice in a calm and measured way, and update these practices in line with emerging issues.
Changes to your Booking relating to Coronavirus
We recognise that some of our guests with existing bookings will be unable to travel due to the official restrictions. In an effort to support those people, we have put in place a temporary policy to allow guests with bookings before the 30th June 2020 to reschedule their holiday dates rather than cancel. We would encourage customers to consider their own personal circumstances and to call us if you wish to discuss moving your holiday.
Where can I receive more information about Coronavirus?
We would advise you to check the GOV.UK website for the most up-to-date information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
If you are impacted by this advice, have any symptoms of Coronavirus or have any concerns please call the dedicated line for the most up to date information: 0330 100 6634
What can I do to protect myself?
We would ask all our guests and owners to take the following sensible Government Advice:
Washing hands regularly. Wash hands for at least 30 seconds and use an alcohol based hand sanitiser if soap and water is not available. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-your-hands/
Maintain good hygiene practices such as using tissues when coughing or sneezing and disposing of the tissue in a bin.
