Hire a sailing boat at Nichol End and explore Derwentwater.
Derwentwater is ideally situated for a great days sailing. The direction of the lake and the positioning between the mountains, creates excellent sailing conditions that can be enjoyed in a traditional wayfarer, ideal for all the family, or a racing dinghy to test and grow your skills.
Ever popular with children and adults alike, our sailing dinghies are a great way to provide an adventure for the whole family. Experience and prior competence is essential.
Sail around the lake, discovering all the beautiful bays and islands and if the conditions are good for landing, stop off at St Herberts, the island featured in the 2016 Swallows and Amazons movie.
Swallow and Amazons forever.
From £42
Topaz
A beginner or intermediate racer for single handed or two handed sailing.
£42 for the first two hours and £14 per hour for additional hours
Laser 1
A Robust dinghy that is simple to rig and sail, the laser 1 provides great performance for the solo sailor or two small adults
£42 for the first 2 hours and £14 per hour for additional hours
Wayfarer
With room for friends or family, the wayfarer is a stable boat that handles well in a variety of conditions. 2-6 people.
£54 for two hours and £18 per hour for any additional hours
Children Welcome
Wayfarers are ideal for the sailing family and children are very welcome.
Younger children are welcome, but we will carefully risk assess on the day, the current and forecasted weather, lake conditions and abilities, to ensure the safety of all customers. If the activity you have booked cannot proceed, then we will offer an alternative activity or a refund. If you wish to discuss your family’s requirements in advance of booking, please give us a call or send us an email.
Dogs Welcome
Well behaved and happy dogs are very welcome on our wayfarers and we love to see them enjoying the lake. Please make sure that you pick up their waste. If your dog is unhappy on the water, then we advise leaving them at home.
What to bring
Freshly washed and sanitised wetsuits and buoyancy aids are included in your hire fee. We have a wide range of sizes and age ranges available.
If you are hiring a laser or topaz, and you don’t want to wear one of our wetsuits, we’d advise either bringing your own or a change of clothes. Part of the fun of sailing the smaller dinghies is getting wet, so please don’t wear, or take on the water, anything that you would mind getting wet or possibly muddy. If you are taking a wayfarer then wetsuits are not necessary but a waterproof/windproof jacket is advisable.
Bouyancy aids are essential and must be worn at all times on the water.
On hot sunny days, we advise bringing along sun tan lotion , sunglasses, a hat and a bottle of water.
Due to changes in our insurance, we have to insist on footwear being worn on the boats. Please bring suitable footwear that you don’t mind getting wet. Old trainers, wet shoes or boots are ideal.
A towel is very useful for drying off and getting changed.
Electronics and water do not mix well, so please either bring or buy a dry bag or leave your valuables at home. Small dry bags are widely available online or we have a selection available for sale at Nichol End.
Prerequisites:
Ultimately we need to be confident that you are able handle the boat in the current and forecast conditions. We do this by discussing your sailing history, how recent it is, how varied it is and if you have any qualifications. Being able to find your way around the boat when you arrive helps, as does sailing confidently out of our bay. If when you are sailing down the lake and out of our vision we are not confident that you are getting it together and handling the boat well, we will come and collect you back to base.
Qualification wise, having an RYA level 2 certificate helps, but we also want to see recent or wide ranging experience. Having lots of experience as a kid stands most people in very good stead. Yacht sailors fancying a go in a dinghy fare less well (things tend to happen faster in a dinghy). Ultimately we will make the decision on the day – weather is likely to play a large part. Going out in a force 3 westerly is very different to a constant force 1-2 southerly.
If you are unsure, please ring and speak to one of our instructors, also feel free to check availability online but then call to check the current weather conditions. Derwentwater tends to have a microclimate so the weather and wind on our lake is often very different to conditions a few miles down the road.
Sailing Briefing
What you need to know when hiring a sailing boat on Derwentwater.
FAQ’s
Dogs, kids, bad weather, kit lists… All the info we think you might want can be found here…
Covid Information
Find out how we plan to keep all our customers and staff safe during covid 19.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
See here for our cancellation policy and a nifty link to message us a refund request.
Hire Agreement
When you make a booking you are accepting our hire agreement. So have a read!
If you have any questions or queries then either ask on the day, drop us an email or give us a ring.