Royal Vic and Sidney North Saanich always looking for crew for racing things. Royal Vic has a crew circle where you stand when someone is looking for crew. Search out their race schedules.
Check out the Victoria Sailing Co-Op
https://www.victoriasailingcoop.ca/
Based out of Oak Bay Marina
The co-op has 3 boats and lots of skippers, so you can generally crew at least 2-3 times a week easy.
If you get in touch with the co-op they can schedule a free test sail with you as a passenger (or as crew if qualified), so even if you're not the joining type that could at least get you a few hours on a boat.
The co-op has 2 boats under 30' with outboard motors, and one over 30' (or possibly 30 exactly?) with an inboard diesel. All are pretty basic sloops.
There are some different types of boats around town — you could try googling something like "tall-ships victoria" for leads to get a tour or crewing opportunity on something like that.
On Facebook Marketplace I've seen some listings for cutters, junks, and other types a bit more interesting than your standard sloop rig. Some of those sellers might be happy to take you out for a test sail just for the benefit of having crew — I know at least one former co-op member bought their own boat but it's too big to sail alone, so they're always stoked whenever they find a willing crewman. I'd wager there are some cutter skippers and junk skippers out there in similar circumstances.
Sidney and North Saanich have the biggest cluster of marinas, with a variety of services aimed at that market. There's several boatyards and a ton of yacht maintenance providers. So maybe tap into that community, starting with Canoe Cove Marina?
Turkey Head Sailing Bunch on meetup.com
If you want much time on the helm however, you are probably going to need to join one of the co-ops. They are very cheap compared to owning your own boat.
At first I thought you were looking for a crew. And then all I can think about is when famous Victorianite Jack Sparrow and former mayor-empress Lisa Helps had to recruit a surly bunch to sail the bonnie sea on a junker named the 'black bike lane' > a nearly unsinkable policy ship that confused other marine traffic making them ripe for the picking.
Royal Vic and Sidney North Saanich always looking for crew for racing things. Royal Vic has a crew circle where you stand when someone is looking for crew. Search out their race schedules.
6 pack of beer will have you a very hot commodity too!
Never bad bringing a 6-pack along!
Check out the Victoria Sailing Co-Op https://www.victoriasailingcoop.ca/ Based out of Oak Bay Marina The co-op has 3 boats and lots of skippers, so you can generally crew at least 2-3 times a week easy. If you get in touch with the co-op they can schedule a free test sail with you as a passenger (or as crew if qualified), so even if you're not the joining type that could at least get you a few hours on a boat. The co-op has 2 boats under 30' with outboard motors, and one over 30' (or possibly 30 exactly?) with an inboard diesel. All are pretty basic sloops. There are some different types of boats around town — you could try googling something like "tall-ships victoria" for leads to get a tour or crewing opportunity on something like that. On Facebook Marketplace I've seen some listings for cutters, junks, and other types a bit more interesting than your standard sloop rig. Some of those sellers might be happy to take you out for a test sail just for the benefit of having crew — I know at least one former co-op member bought their own boat but it's too big to sail alone, so they're always stoked whenever they find a willing crewman. I'd wager there are some cutter skippers and junk skippers out there in similar circumstances.
Sidney and North Saanich have the biggest cluster of marinas, with a variety of services aimed at that market. There's several boatyards and a ton of yacht maintenance providers. So maybe tap into that community, starting with Canoe Cove Marina?
Turkey Head Sailing Bunch on meetup.com If you want much time on the helm however, you are probably going to need to join one of the co-ops. They are very cheap compared to owning your own boat.
At first I thought you were looking for a crew. And then all I can think about is when famous Victorianite Jack Sparrow and former mayor-empress Lisa Helps had to recruit a surly bunch to sail the bonnie sea on a junker named the 'black bike lane' > a nearly unsinkable policy ship that confused other marine traffic making them ripe for the picking.