Do you rent boats? 
Yes, we rent sailboats and powerboats.  

What other services do you provide?
Other than boat rentals, we also teach sailing and powerboating courses, navigation, boat licensing courses and International Yacht Training (IYT), Bareboat Skipper (BBS) and International Certificate of Competency (ICC) courses.  

We are a Sail Membership club, offering boat access with no rental fees, race nights, social sails and learning clinics and seminars.  

We also offer Corporate Events for team sailing sessions with no prior experience necessary for participants.  

We have Sailing Camps programs for children 6 to 16 years.  


What boats are available for rent?  
Paradise F13s and Lunds are ideal for first time and beginner boaters. No experience is required to rent these boats.

Larger powerboats, such as our pontoon boats and RIBs, can accommodate more people and go further and faster, but experience is required to rent these boats. 

We have a number of smaller keelboats, such as our Harbour 20s and J24s, that can be rented provided you have sufficient experience.

We also have a variety of dinghies, including our monohull RS Zests and Fevas, as well as our catamaran Hobie T2 and Getaway. Experience is also required for these boats.

More information, as well as pictures, of our boats can be found on our website under Boat Rentals. 


How do I reserve a boat?  
You can reserve a boat by calling us at (416) 203-3000 or emailing thncinfo@torontoharbournauticalcentre.com or visiting us in our office at 275 Queens Quay West. To hold a reservation, we require a 25% deposit if you are making the reservation more than 30 days before your booking and 100% of the payment if within 30 days of your booking.  

You can make a reservation during our hours of operation; however, we do recommend that you call a few days before your intended booking time to ensure that your desired time and boat is available. 

If your intended boat requires experience, please submit a Boating Resume on our website first. Once our staff review your resume, you will receive an email with more information about making a booking.

What do you need to rent a boat?  
In order to rent our Paradise F13s and Lunds, you need to be 21 years old or over with a valid G class driver’s license OR 18 years old with a Pleasure Craft Operators Card (boating license).

For the rest of our fleet, you will need to fill out a Boating Resume, so we know how much boating experience you have. Once your resume has been reviewed, you will be contacted with information about anything else that may be required for your rental.

For all boats, we will provide all required temporary licensing. You will need to provide a credit card for a damage deposit, which is returned to you at the end of your rental. You are also required to have a cellphone on the boat with you so we can reach you while you are out on the water.

What does “experience necessary” mean?  
Experience necessary means that you must have previous experience with either sailboats or powerboats to rent them. This includes: 

• Having previously taken a course.

• Owning your own boat.

• Previous rental history with us or another provider.

• Prior practical experience on boats of an equivalent type and size.

You must fill out the Boating Resume, which asks you to outline what kind of experience you have with boats and must be approved by our management before you are permitted to take out any of our sailboats or larger powerboats. This is for your safety and the protection of our boats and equipment. 

If I have no experience, which boats can I take out?  
If you have no experience, you are eligible to rent two of our powerboats, the Paradise F13 two-seater powerboats and the Lund Fury four to five-seater powerboats. All you need to rent one of these powerboats is a valid G Driver’s License and be 21+ years old, or a Pleasure Craft Operators Card and be 18+ years old. These boats are allowed within the inner harbour only..

For all keelboats and larger powerboats, you also can hire a skipper/instructor for an additional fee. We require that you make the reservation at least seven days before your desired booking. Please call us at (416) 203-3000 for any cost inquiries.

How do I get boating experience?  
You can take a course recognized by Sail Canada, which we offer for both sailing and powerboating. 

What kinds of courses do you have? 
We offer a variety of courses for both sailing and powerboating. We offer courses in dinghy sailing, keelboat sailing, powerboating, as well as ‘dry dock’ theory courses like the Toronto Harbour License, VHF Radio License, International Yacht Master Training, and Navigation courses.

For a full list of courses, course-start dates and pricing, visit our Courses page. 

Can children take your courses?
We encourage children aged 6-16 to attend our sailing summer camp to gain experience on the water. 

Children of any age may attempt the PCOC exam, however they must be 14 to take the Toronto Harbour License course and 16 to take the VHF-DSC Radio License course. 

Our introductory courses are available to any students 16 or older, and for children aged 14-15 if accompanied by an adult. 

 All dinghy courses are available to students 16 or older, and 15-year-olds that have successfully completed the Harbourfront Centre Camps Sailing CIT program. 

All other cruising, powerboating, and navigation courses can be taken by any person 18 and older, or those aged 16-17 if accompanied by an adult.  

Note: if you are booking a course for yourself and a child that requires accompaniment, please ensure that you purchase two registrations.  

How fast do your boats go?  
Our Paradise F13s and Lunds are required to stay within the Inner Harbour which has a speed limit of 6mph, or approximately 11km/hr. The speed of these boats is limited in accordance with these speed limits.  

Our powerboats that require more experience can reach faster speeds. The skipper of these boats will be required to judge their speed appropriately. 

Which boats am I responsible for refueling?  
You are not responsible for refueling any of our boats. Fuel is included in the price for our small powerboats (Paradise F13s, Lunds and RIBS) and all sailboats. A flat fee will be paid at the time of your booking for larger powerboats.  

Where are you allowed to go?  
All dinghy sailboats, Paradise F13s, Lunds, and RIBs are restricted to the Inner Harbour.  

All keel sailboats and larger powerboats are permitted to go in both the Inner and Outer Harbour. Please be aware that in the case of inclement weather, these boats may be restricted to the Inner Harbour. Any restrictions will be clearly communicated at the time of your rental.  

Our powerboats are welcome to travel through the Toronto Islands, and you will be given a map to take with you on the boat that details where you can and cannot go.  

No boats are permitted in the Toronto Island Airport zone and are subject to a $10,000 fine if caught in the area. 

What is the difference between a keelboat and a dinghy sailboat?  
Keelboats have a fixed keel at the bottom of the boat. This keeps the boat upright. They also have an engine on the back. Keelboats can vary in size from two people and up.  

Dinghies do not have a fixed keel, and therefore can capsize. You need to be able to right the boat. Dinghies do not have an engine. They are usually for 1–3 people.  

How do I become a member?  
You must fill out a Boating Resume to provide us with the details of your experience to ensure you are qualified to use our boats. Please select either J24 or Harbour 20 if you are interested in a keelboat membership; or Hobie Cat T2 or RS Zest if you are interested in a dinghy membership.

Once your Boating Resume has been reviewed by our staff, please phone our office at (416) 203 3000, email thncinfo@torontoharbournauticalcentre.com or visit us at 275 Queens Quay West to join as a member.

Students who complete our Sail Canada Basic Cruising, Sail Canada Intermediate Cruising, Independent Dinghy Sailing, or CANSail 3 courses are eligible for discounts on Membership.  

Where are you located?  
We are located at 275 Queens Quay West, at the corner of Queens Quay and Rees Street, south of the CN Tower and a block west of Harbourfront Centre at 235 Queens Quay West. 

Is there parking available?  
There is a parking lot along the waterfront near our location:

The P3 Rees Street Lot is a street-level car park located on the north side of Queens Quay West, just west of Rees Street, right across from our location.

When does Boating Season begin and end?  
We are open for operations on Victoria Day weekend in May and the season runs until Thanksgiving weekend in October.   

I took my Basic Cruising exam and have not yet received my seal. When can I expect it?
It takes approximately 4–6 weeks for seals to be processed. If you have not received your seal and it has been longer the expected 4–6 weeks since you wrote your exam, please contact our office at (416) 203-3000 or email thncinfo@torontoharbournauticalcentre.com.