Register for the waitlist to register for this event!
*UPDATE* View the slides of the Keats Trip Info Session from June 30th here.
We are very excited to announce this year's trip to Keats Island! It will take place on BC day long weekend from July 30 to Aug 1. The Keats trip is our biggest annual trip and last happened in 2019. A large fleet of UBCSC sail boats will face the elements and brave the seas from Jericho beach to Keats Island opposite the town of Gibsons in Howe Sound. We will camp at Plumper Cove Provincial Park on Keats Island (with loads of fun activities, food, swimming in bioluminescent water, bonfires, and socializing) until Monday morning, Aug 1, then sail back to Jericho to arrive in the afternoon/evening.
Check out the photo gallery of our previous Keats trips!
If you're asking "What if I've only done my beginner lesson and don't feel comfortable sailing across the Georgia Straight, can I still be part of the AWESOME party at Keats?" (Or alternatively "I have a friend/spouse who is not a member of the UBC Sailing Club, can they still be part of the AWESOME party at Keats?") Our answer: "Of course!! There are several spots available to take the water taxi over."
All Keats participants have to attend the mandatory in-person pre-trip meeting on Saturday, July 23, 9am at JSCA. For those who would like to sail to Keats and not take the water taxi, there are some additional trip requirements:
- Every Keats sailor needs to have attended at least one Sunday JSCA Regatta, ideally with their Keats sailing partner prior to the trip. This is a mandatory requirement to demonstrate sailing proficiency necessary for the 5-8 hour sail to Keats in potentially rough conditions! If you haven't yet attended a Sunday Regatta, this is your chance to do so and get some valuable sailing practice with your partner!
- Every Keats sailor has to attend the mandatory pre-trip meeting, capsize training and work party with their sailing partner on Saturday, July 23. We will start at 9am with the pre-trip meeting at the JSCA member room. This is followed by a capsize recovery training where each team practices 5 capsizes and demonstrates ability of swift recovery (C2/C3/A2/A3 certified sailors are exempt from this requirement but strongly encouraged to participate). After that you and your partner need to check your boat for seaworthiness and fix any issues at the work party. If your boat is not in seaworthy condition on Saturday morning, you will not be able to sail to Keats.
On our sail to Keats, we will be accompanied by several motorized safety boats. Please make sure to read about the trip safety details in our Keats trip safety plan.
Cost of trip
The cost of the trip is $195 per participant. It covers all cost from motor boat fleet rental, meals, camp site reservation, to water taxi logistics and fuel. It also includes a safety margin that, if not spent, will go towards the club fleet maintenance or the social budget where it will be used to organize future fun events, like a Keats after-party!
In the unlikely event that the trip has to be cancelled by the organizers, e.g. due to adverse weather conditions, we will try our best to recover parts of the trip cost and refund them back to the participants. However, since most of the trip expenses have to be paid by the club regardless, the majority of the trip fee will be non-refundable.
No refunds for individual cancellations.
Trip Sign-up
Registration for the trip will begin soon after the Keats info session on June 30. To register for the trip, register on the waitlist! The Keats committee will check that participants meet an overall sufficient sailing proficiency requirement to ensure the safety of the trip. Once registration opens, the Keats committee will manually register waitlisted participants. Spots are limited so the waitlist registration does not guarantee a spot on the trip. Payment will only be due once registered for the trip.
If you have questions, please consider attending the in-person Keats info session at Jericho on Thursday June 30, 6:30pm.
Important dates
- June 30, 6:30pm (Thursday): Keats info session at JSCA
- July 23, 9am (Saturday): Mandatory pre-trip meeting for all participants (sailors + water taxi). Followed my mandatory capsize training and Keats work party (sailors only).
- July 30, 6:30am (Saturday) arrival at Jericho to prepare for departure at 9am. Return to Jericho on Monday evening (BC day)
Volunteer opportunities
The Keats trip is a major event with many logistical challenges. All attendants will take part in one or more distributed tasks like grocery shopping, meal cooking, campsite clean-up. These duties of this will be distributed at the pre-trip meeting on July 23. If you would like to take an organizational role and join the Keats trip committee, reach out to social@ubcsailing.org.
