Terms of use

Last updated November 14, 2026

These are the rules for using Sailing Commons, which is run by Dropseed ("we", "us"). By using the site you agree to them. We've kept them as plain as we can.

Who can use it

You need to be at least 13 to use Sailing Commons, and at least 18 to list, buy or sell a boat. Use your real email address and keep your sign-in codes to yourself. You're responsible for what happens on your account.

What you post

You keep ownership of what you post: listings, photos, messages and profile details. You give us permission to show it on the site, to make copies we need to run the site (like resized photos), and to link to it when we share the site. That permission ends when you delete it, apart from copies others have already received, like messages you sent.

Please don't post anything that:

is false or misleading, including a boat you don't have the right to sell
is a scam, asks for wire transfers or gift cards, or pretends to be someone else
harasses, threatens or is hateful toward anyone
is spam or advertising outside the places meant for it
shares someone else's private information, or photos you don't have the right to use
is sexual or graphically violent, or breaks the law

We can remove posts, hide messages, hold listings for review and suspend accounts that break these rules. We'll try to explain why when we do.

Buying and selling boats

Sailing Commons is a place for buyers and sellers to find each other. We aren't part of any sale, we don't hold money, and we don't check who owns a boat or whether a listing is accurate. Before you buy: see the boat in person, get a survey and sea trial, check the title and registration, and never pay by wire transfer, gift card or to a "shipping agent". Read buying and chatting safely. Any deal is between the buyer and the seller.

Listing fees

The first 25 sellers can list one boat free for 6 months. Members with a club pass can list one boat free for 6 months; passes run out 6 months after a club receives them and can be used once. Other listings cost $10 a month, paid one month at a time. A week before each paid month ends, we email you a link to pay for the next one. Nothing renews automatically: if you don't pay, the listing comes down at the end of the month you've paid for. We email you a week before a free listing ends, and it never turns into a paid one unless you choose that.

Payments are handled by Square. Prices are in US dollars and may include tax where required. Unless the law says otherwise, payments aren't refunded, but if something went wrong, email us and we'll make it right.

Crew finder

Crew posts are for finding people to sail with. We don't check skippers, boats or crew. Meet in a public place first, tell someone where you're going, and read sailing with new people. Unpaid crew means unpaid: don't use the crew finder to hire paid crew or charter guests without the licenses your local law requires.

Group chats

Be the kind of crewmate people want aboard. People who start a group chat can moderate it. We can hide messages and remove people from chats when needed.

The directory

Directory listings come from open map data and from submissions, and details can be wrong or out of date. Clubs and businesses can ask us to correct or remove their listing at hello@sailingcommons.com. Being listed doesn't mean a club or business is connected to or endorsed by Sailing Commons.

Learning to sail and Skipper

Our lessons, practice test and Skipper, our automated helper, are for general learning. Skipper's answers are written by a computer and can be wrong. None of it replaces hands-on instruction, local rules, the weather forecast or your own judgment. Sailing has real risks: you're responsible for your own safety and your crew's.

Ads and featured listings are always labeled. An ad isn't a recommendation from us. Every ad is checked by a person before it runs, and we can decline or remove ads that are misleading or break these rules; if we remove a paid ad that didn't break them, we'll refund the unused time. Monthly ads are paid one month at a time; we email a pay link before each month ends, and nothing renews automatically. One-time placements run for the time shown when you buy.

Leaving

You can stop using Sailing Commons whenever you like and ask us to delete your account. We can suspend or close accounts that break these rules or put other people at risk.

The fine print

We work hard to keep the site running and accurate, but we provide it "as is", without promises that it will always be available, error-free or right for your purpose. As far as the law allows, Sailing Commons isn't liable for losses that come from using the site, from deals between members, or from things members post. If you break these rules and that causes a claim against us, you agree to cover the cost. Some places don't allow these limits, so they apply only as far as your local law permits.

Changes

We may update these terms as the site grows. We'll post changes here, and email signed-in members about important ones before they take effect.

Contact

Questions: hello@sailingcommons.com. See also our privacy page.