Scout dinghy sailing permit: what it covers and what to log
By a volunteer Scout leader
Updated 16 October 2026
3 min read
A dinghy sailing permit is needed for Scout-led sailing on anything above class C water. A clear log of where you’ve sailed and in what conditions makes the assessment conversation straightforward.
Please note: this is practical advice from one leader to another, not official guidance. Always check the current Policy, Organisation and Rules and talk to your county or district assessor about their process.
The short version
- A dinghy sailing permit is needed for all dinghy sailing except on class C water.
- Leadership covers up to six dinghies or nine people, whichever is fewer.
- Supervisory covers up to three groups, from in or with immediate access to a rescue craft.
- Log every sail: water class, wind, boats, group size and your role.
- Permits can be restricted, for example to non-tidal water.
What your permit covers
A dinghy sailing permit is required for all dinghy sailing except on class C water. Permits can be issued for any water class and restricted further, for example to non-tidal water.
- Personal lets a young person under 18 sail with others who hold a personal dinghy sailing permit.
- Leadership lets you lead one group of up to six dinghies or nine people, whichever is fewer, and you stay on the water with them.
- Supervisory lets you remotely supervise up to three groups. All groups must be within communication range, and you must be in or have immediate access to a rescue craft.
Keelboats and powered craft have their own guidance and permits, so check which applies to your boats.
What to log each sail
- Date, venue and water class.
- Boats: how many and which types.
- Wind on the Beaufort scale, and sea state if tidal.
- Group size and how safety cover was arranged.
- Your role: leading, supervising, supporting or sailing personally.
- Capsizes and recoveries you dealt with.
Building experience
The most reliable way to build experience at a new level, or on a new type of water or terrain, is to support a current permit holder in their sessions. Take on more as your confidence grows, and log every session, noting that you were supporting and who held the permit. When you come to be assessed you can show exactly what you’ve done, rather than relying on memory.
Don’t let it lapse
Adventurous activity permits expire within five years of being granted. When yours expires, you must be assessed and granted a new permit before you can run the activity again, so an unnoticed expiry date can mean cancelled sessions.
Keep logging between assessments. When renewal comes round, you’ll already have years of evidence ready to show.
Log your next dinghy sailing session in Paracord
Free for one activity type, with unlimited logs. Export a PDF of your history for your assessor with Pro.
