No more sailboats?

[Disney On The Bayou]

It's almost official now, outside of a formal announcement by Disney, that sailboats are no longer available to rent at the marinas. That may seem to be a small thing, but as long-time DVC members, recreation opportunities are important to us. The excuse I got this trip is that the lakes are for transportation and there is too much liability. I would hope that they would consider bringing them back to the Bay Lake resorts, since there is much less traffic on Bay Lake. Anyhow, it's a big disappointment not being able to take the kids on something so historically showcased in all the early Disney resort brochures, sailing on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Am I the only one disappointed by this?

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

I was very disappointed when I brought a group of friends to rent a boat at OKW. For years, we would get a boat on our last day before leaving for the airport.

 

[spiceycat]

think the boats are still there just the sail boat is gone. think the problem is the boat transportation - the rule is the smarter boat get out of the way of the bigger one - but a sail boat (i thnk) can only go with the wind. so they can and probably are interfering with the boats trying to get to WL, CR, FW, MK. on bay lake.

7 seas lagoon has enough traffic with the ferries, boats, and the renter boats - seem renter boats get between the ferry and the boat dock which to me is just crazy.

 

[Mrsdonaldduck]

Sad to hear this

 

[JimMIA]

think the problem is the boat transportation - the rule is the smarter boat get out of the way of the bigger one - but a sail boat (i thnk) can only go with the wind. so they can and probably are interfering with the boats trying to get to WL, CR, FW, MK. on bay lake.

Right of way has nothing to do with vessel size or method of propulsion. All vessels follow the same rules, and certainly none of the WDW captains would have any difficulty going around recreational boats. Sailboats and very large powered vessels (like cruise ships, Mississippi River tugs with barges, etc) are less maneuverable, so the burdened vessel has to take that into account. But the rules don't change just because one boat is clumsy.

7 seas lagoon has enough traffic with the ferries, boats, and the renter boats - seem renter boats get between the ferry and the boat dock which to me is just crazy.

If you're talking about the little water taxis that go to the resorts, they would not have any problem. If someone gets between one of the paddlewheelers and the dock, the big boat just has to wait. They're not allowed to crush the rental boat into the dock, no matter how satisfying that might be.

My guess is the elimination of sailboat rentals is a matter of pure economics. A sailboat is a hole in the water into which you pour money to begin with, and when you are renting them out I'm sure they become even more high maintenance. Probably nothing more than a combination of low demand, high upkeep, and low margins.

 

[spiceycat]

got told that the big ferries are much harder to stop - but you are the expert.

 

[JimMIA]

got told that the big ferries are much harder to stop - but you are the expert.

The big ones, from TTC, certainly are harder to stop. But the captains know that and factor that into everything they do with the ship. And they are VERY careful and very skillful.

That's not to say that a recreational boater or renter couldn't cause a hazardous situation -- they certainly could. But I'm sure the captains have seen it all on 7 Seas and are very alert to the possibilities.

 

[CraigInPA]

A sailboat under sail has the right of way over all powered boats EXCEPT in the case where the powered boat may have limited ability to navigate (for example, in a channel where the powered boat is so large that it must stay in the designated shipping lane).

In ALL cases, the first duty of any boat captain is to AVOID a collision, even if they "have the right of way".

At the Poly, they had 2 small sailboats. In 40+ days of staying in a marina view room, I only recall one day where a sailboat left the marina. The boy who took it out was clearly well practiced, based upon how well he tacked in back into the marina and against the quay where it had been originally moored, 2 hours after he took it out.

 

[Disney On The Bayou]

The sailboats are something we enjoyed in the past. I could understand it's not a money maker but it did add character to the waterways and something fun to do with the family. I would of enjoyed teaching my sons basic boating and sailing. They are still available at Vero Beach, though I was told last year the weather wasn't right, so I could never convince them to rent one out to me. Had better luck a few years ago at Hilton Head, they are rented out by the beach patrol and we were able to go out.

 

[Pigletpal40]

The problem is people not knowing how to sail. My brother in law and I rented two from Poly when we stayed there. I suggested he ride with me because I sail, but, he insisted he sailed at Boy Scout camp when he was younger and all you have to do is keep the sail "sideways to the wind".
I went all over Seven Seas Lagoon. My wife was on a pontoon boat and took my picture in front of the Magic Kingdom. The afternoon storms were ready to kick up so there was a great breeze that day. And, I was never in anyone's way, including the Ferries. My brother in law, on the other hand,
had to get towed in after going backwards for 45 minutes.
The "instructors" insisted I would get wet because everyone dumps their boats. I was high and dry in the end and docked the boat under sail. They can't give you a sailing test or "Crash" course quickly on the ABC's of sailing. You have to learn it, do it, possibly dump it and go backwards for 45 minutes to learn what you did wrong. Yes, a sailboat is less maneuverable than a powerboat. But, once you have sailed, you learn how the boats react and how much space you need so you won't get into trouble. The Sea Raycers can go anywhere you steer them and are much more maneuverable. Too bad, because they (the sailboats) were fun.