Sailing and powerboating are recognised as forms of exercise and recreation, currently permitted under the NSW Government’s COVID-19 Public Health Orders.

But it’s important to ensure you comply with the restrictions for maritime activity when doing so.

Download the NSW Government’s infographic for a list of permissible and restricted activities, depending on where you live.

You can also keep an eye on the below websites for updated information:

Sailing during lockdown

Current NSW Health guidelines state: You must stay home. Only leave your home if you have a reasonable excuse. If you must leave home, stay within your local area. Do not travel outside your local area if you can avoid it.

Under the Public Health Order, undertaking exercise and outdoor recreation activities (including sailing) is a reasonable excuse to leave your home.

However, the following restrictions apply if you wish to go sailing during lockdown:

• Outdoor public gatherings (including exercise) is limited to two people (excluding members of the same household). So you can sail with one other person from a different household, or more if you’re all from the same household.
• You must stay within your Local Government Area or within 5km of home for exercise and outdoor recreation, with no carpooling between non-household members. So even when you’re out on the water, you must remain within 5km of your home, or within your LGA.
• If you live in an area of concern, you must remain within 5km of your home for exercise.

If you do go sailing, please keep your distance from others around the Club and Marina.

Boat maintenance

The following activities are considered reasonable excuses to leave your home to ensure the safety of a vessel or undertaking a legal obligation. This is not limited to your LGA.

• Complete urgent repairs or urgent maintenance to a vessel at a marina or mooring.
• Taking a vessel directly to a marina or boat shed for urgent repairs.
• Picking up a vessel from a marina or boat shed after having urgent repairs and returning the vessel directly back to its marina or mooring.
• Moving a vessel between marinas or moorings for relocation purposes if a commercial agreement has ended and the vessel must be moved.
• Delivery of a vessel or relocation of a vessel after the purchase of a vessel.

Note that non-urgent repairs and maintenance to your vessel is not a reasonable excuse.