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General terms & conditions

Home General terms & conditions
  1. General
  2. General rules
  3. The membership
  4. The rental period: beginning, extension, end
  5. Catering
  6. Obligations Sloepdelen and Lessee
  7. Deposit and payment
  8. Damage and liability
  9. Cancellations
  10. Force Majeure
  11. Complaints and disputes

Article 1. General

  1. Unless otherwise defined in these terms and conditions, all terms used shall have the following definitions;
    • Sloepdelen: Sloepdelen B.V., user of these general terms and conditions. Sloepdelen rents out vessels.
    • Lessee: each natural person who enters into an agreement with Sloepdelen, or who receives an offer which is governed by these general terms and conditions. If the Lessee is a legal entity, please refer to the general terms and conditions for commercial use.
  2. These general terms and conditions are applicable to all Sloepdelen’s (rental) agreements. The Lessees agreement without any remarks is presumed to be in accordance with these general terms and conditions.
  3. Each individual deviation from these Terms and Conditions must be explicitly agreed upon writing. Any deviation from these terms and conditions shall apply only to that specific case and to that specific deviation.
  4. If a situation occurs that is not described in these terms and conditions, this shall be judged in line with these general terms and conditions.
  5. Sloepdelen may amend the present conditions. Amendments shall also apply to agreements already adhered to. Sloepdelen shall announce any such potential amendments well in advance. The Lessee may terminate the agreement as per the date on which the amended conditions will take effect, if the Lessee does not wish to accept such amended conditions.

Article 2. General rules

  1. Sloepdelen rents out vessels. Lessee shall behave in accordance with these general rules and will at all times bear responsibility for all passengers to comply with all general rules. Should Lessee (or a person in Lessee’s party) not comply with the general rules, then Sloepdelen is entitled to terminate the agreement with Lessee with immediate effect. In such an event, there will be no right of restitution for any amount paid.
  2. Sloepdelen has two sorts of registered users:
    • (Paid) membership: Lessee pays a membership fee and is able to rent a vessel at a reduced rate. Sailing hours will be charged through direct debit afterwards. See article 3 for more information about the membership;
    • (Free) registered user: Through a free account Lessee may easily rent a vessel at regular rates.

Non-members may rent a vessel without a membership and without registering.

  1. General opening hours from March to October of Sloepdelen are: Monday to Sunday, Amsterdam Nassaukade: 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Amsterdam Mauritskade 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. In Utrecht: 10:00 a.m. to 09:30 p.m. and both Haarlem and Leiden 10.00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. In Loosdrecht: 10:00 a.m. to 21:30 (April until September) and The Hague/Rijswijk 10:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m. (April until September) and Weesp/Vecht 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (April until September). During these opening hours, Lessee can rent a sloop.
  2. Sloepdelen reserves the right to apply special rates on King’s Day, the Canal Pride, the Prinsengrachtconcert and SAIL.
  3. Lessee must be at least 18 years old.
  4. Vessels are suitable for carrying up to 12 people.
  5. Vessels may not be operated while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
  6. Lessee shall not leave the vessel unattended while vessel is still activated.
  7. Sailing rules:
    • Safety above all, never take risks.
    • Always stay on the starboard (right) side and maintain such a speed that no unnecessary beating of waves is caused. Always abide by the maximum speed limits.
    • Commercial shipping (including round-trip boats) always have right of way.
    • Make sure that others can see which way you are going. Approach bridges gradually in such a way that your are visible for any oncoming traffic.
    • You may not operate a vessel while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
    • If you are sailing in Amsterdam, you are not allowed on the IJ nor on the Kostverlorenvaart. You are allowed to cross the Kostverlorenvaart. When you do, make sure to take extra care because of commercial shipping there.
    • You may not moor the vessel to trees, under or at bridges and at places at which prohibition signs apply.
    • People live on and at the water, respect their privacy. Please make sure not to cause any (noise) nuisance, this includes the dock-area.
    • Amplified sound is not permitted on Sloepdelen boats nor at the Sloepdelen dock.
    • The blue cushions are life-saving appliances and are obligatory to bring along on board. 1 cushion is suitable for 2 persons.

Article 3. The membership

  1. A Lessee who enters into a paid Sloepdelen membership, does so for a period of at least three calendar months.
  2. Members rent vessels at reduced rates. Members can rent one vessel at the same time. During peak hours other rates apply than during off-peak hours. Off-peak hours are: Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding public holidays. Any other hours are peak hours. On King’s Day and days with events, special rates apply. The rates for peak and off-peak hours can vary per city. Rates are listed on the Sloepdelen website.
  3. Premium members may pay their membership fee annually or monthly. Direct debit always applies. The months November, December, January and February are excluded from membership fees and premium members will not be charged during those months.
  4. The monthly direct debit will always occur in the last week of the month prior to the month the direct debit applies to (for example: The debit for the month April will occur in the final week of March).
  5. The amount for the annual membership will be collected in the final week of February. When entering into a membership in the months December to February, the full fee of €200 will be collected. Should the Premium membership start at any other month, a recalculation will be made based on the remaining part of the sailing season. Sloepdelen will then charge the number of remaining months times €27.50 minus one month.
  6. A month will be charged when the membership was applied for before the 16th of said month. Sloepdelen considers an application for membership to have occurred when the application form has been fulfilled.
  7. Should the annual membership not be canceled before February 1st, the full €200 membership fee will be charged and collected in the final week of February.
  8. Upon commencement of the membership, Lessee will pay a €150.00 deposit. This deposit will be returned after the membership period. Should any debts be open which may be collected through direct debit, the deposit will be refunded within 10 days after this direct debit. Any outstanding amounts will be settled with the deposit.
  9. Termination of the membership by monthly payment is possible with a one calendar month notice period, by sending us an e-mail (info@sloepdelen.nl). Intermediate termination of the membership by yearly payment is not possible, but renewal at the start of the sailing season can be stopped by sending us an e-mail with a minimum of one calendar month notice. Reimbursement of membership fees is not possible.
  10. The sailing season runs from March 1 to October 31. except for our Loosdrecht, Vecht (Weesp) and The Hague (Rijswijk) locations, which are open from April 1 to September 30. Sloepdelen will not keep vessels in service in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Haarlem, Leiden in November, December, January and February and in Loosdrecht, The Hague (Rijswijk) and Vecht (Weesp) in October, November, December, January, February and March.

Article 4. The rental period: beginning, extension, end

  1. The rental period begins at the prior arranged time. A Lessee who is not present at said time to collect the vessel is not entitled to compensation by adjustment of the rental period to a later time.
  2. Should Lessee wish to extend the rental period during the rental period, he should first contact Sloepdelen by telephone (0031 20 4191007). Should an extension be possible (Sloepdelen is entitled to refuse extensions) the regular rate (see Sloepdelen website) applies. Sloepdelen will then extend the rental period as requested.
  3. Should Lessee not return the vessel at the stipulated time, all extra time will be charged double. Lessee is also responsible for reimbursement of all damages incurred by Sloepdelen as a result of the late return of the vessel.
  4. Lessee will return the vessel clean and without garbage to Sloepdelen at the end of the rental period. Should the vessel be returned in a dirty state, Lessee may have to pay cleaning fees.
  5. When the vessel is returned, Lessee shall moor the vessel properly using the intended ropes and carbine hooks. Lessee will also attach the plug to the socket so the vessel will immediately begin to charge for the next use.
  6. When the Lessee does not use the full reserved time and brings the boat back early the Lessee can not get a refund for time not used, unless agreed upon explicitly with Sloepdelen (info@sloepdelen.nl).
  7. Changing the sailing duration, start and or end times of the reservation can only be done by telephone (0031 20 4191007) with Sloepdelen. An adjustment by email is possible, but this will only take effect when it has also been confirmed by email (info@sloepdelen.nl). No rights can be derived from any other form of communication with Sloepdelen and Sloepdelen reserves the right to retain the reservation under the initially agreed reservation.
  8. The Lessee must return the vessel to the pickup point of the reservation, if not explicitly agreed upon another return location, extra costs will be charged accordingly.

Article 5. Pets on board

  1. Sweet and well behaved (non- aggressive) dogs are welcome on board.
  2. Lessee makes sure to take a blanket to make sure pillows and boat stay free from hair. Please keep this in mind for the next customers.
  3. Once sailing tour is done, please make sure you don’t leave any dog hair, feces or pee in the boat. If Lessee doesn’t clean this, the deposit can be fully charged.

Article 6. Obligations Sloepdelen and Lessee

  1. At the beginning of the rental period, Sloepdelen will make sure that Lessee has said vessel at their disposal. Sloepdelen will make sure that the vessel is in appropriate condition and the safety features as agreed on are available. Sloepdelen’s vessels will be suitable for their intended use.
  2. Sloepdelen will also make sure the vessel is properly insured (third party insurance, body, theft) for the area in which the ship will be used according to the agreement.
  3. Lessee is not allowed to surrender the vessel to a third party. Lessee will remain responsible at all times until the vessel is moored at the Sloepdelen dock. Should the vessel be, activated or not, be moored/ left behind somewhere other than at the Sloepdelen dock, the full deposit of €150 will be kept. Any further recovery costs will be charged to Lessee as well.
  4. Lessee will abide by all applicable rules. Should Lessee not be aware of all sailing rules, Lessee should contact Sloepdelen. Lessee is assumed to have all skills necessary for safe sailing.
  5. Lessee will check prior to departure whether all necessary safety equipment is on board. Should this not be in order, Lessee is to contact Sloepdelen before departing.
  6. Lessee will take care of the vessel with due diligence and may only use it for purposes suitable to the nature of the vessel. Lessee may not make any adjustments to vessel. Any repairs will be done by Sloepdelen unless agreed upon otherwise.
  7. Sloepdelen reserves the right to charge the deposit when Lessee brings a vessel back in a dirty state. Sloepdelen reserves the right to charge the deposit when Lessee or someone from Lessee’s party has conducted him- or herself in a misbehaving fashion on the boats or dock.
  8. Lessee will use the vessel according to the directions/ instructions given by Sloepdelen and/or the manuals. Lessee will be liable for all damages resulting from not (fully) complying with the directions/ instructions by Sloepdelen or the manual.
  9. Lessee will make sure Sloepdelen is able to contact the Lessee at the provided telephone number in the reservation form, unless explicitly agreed upon otherwise.
  10. At the end of the rental period, Lessee will surrender the vessel to Sloepdelen at the agreed place and time. The vessel, including its inventory, shall be returned in the same state as it was at the beginning of the rental period.

Article 7. Deposit and payment

  1. Lessee will pay a deposit of € 150.00 to Sloepdelen. This deposit will be returned to Lessee within 10 working days. When making a reservation, Lessee will pay the agreed on rental rate to Sloepdelen.
  2. A Lessee who has a membership with Sloepdelen will pay this amount once upon commencement of the membership. The deposit will be returned to Lessee within 10 working days after the end of the membership. Members pay through direct debit.
  3. Sloepdelen is entitled to fully or partly keep the deposit in case of damage or when Lessee does not return the vessel to Sloepdelen at the agreed upon time or in case of extension. Extra sailing time will be settled with the deposit in proportion in which 15 minute time-blocks will be used.
  4. Sloepdelen is entitled to fully of partly keep the deposit in case Lessee (or a person in Lessee’s party) does not comply with the general sailing rules (article 2.10).
  5. Should Lessee not pay any rent due he is assumed to be in default. Sloepdelen may then terminate the rental agreement and retrieve the vessel immediately. Sloepdelen is entitled to charge the legal interest on the amount due. Any costs Sloepdelen incurs – both judicially and extra judicially – in the process of obtaining Lessee’s payment, are at Lessee’s expense.
  6. Discount codes : Only 1 discount code can be used per booking. Discount codes are not to be combined but can only be used separately.

Article 8. Damage and liability

  1. All vessels are insured for damage. Lessee will pay a deposit to Sloepdelen, which will serve as reimbursement for the policy excess.
  2. In case of damage Lessee shall inform Sloepdelen immediately. Should damage not be reported (immediately) the full deposit will be held, regardless of the actual amount of damage. If Sloepdelen is not informed about the damage and exceeds the deposit, any additional amount will be recovered from Lessee. When Sloepdelen isn’t informed of any incurred damage, Lessee is to use his own insurance.
  3. In case of non-fulfillment of these general rules by Lessee can lead to full liability for damages and any subsequent costs.
  4. In case of recklessness, negligence and/or the non-fulfillment of any directions by Sloepdelen, Lessee may be held fully responsible for any subsequent damages without Sloepdelen appealing to its insurance.
  5. Lessee is liable for damage to the vessel as well as any damages caused by him or any member of his party to a third party within the rental period as far as these are not covered by the insurance.
  6. Lessee is fully liable for all (subsequent) damage he causes should the Lessee use the vessel outside the agreed-upon area of sailing.
  7. Should the vessel not be returned in the same state as it was, Sloepdelen is entitled to have the vessel brought back to that same state at Lessee’s expense, unless said expenses are covered by Sloepdelen’s insurance, in which case Lessee is only due to pay the policy excess (=the deposit).
  8. Sloepdelen cannot be held liable for any personal injury or (subsequent) damage, regardless of the cause of said injury or damage, prior to, during, or resulting from the agreement between Sloepdelen and Lessee, unless it is firmly established that this injury or damage was caused by Sloepdelen or its subordinates through intent or gross negligence. Sloepdelen’s liability is always limited to at most the amount of the rental agreement.
  9. Sloepdelen is not liable for the loss and/or damage to any items brought onto the vessel by Lessee.

Article 9. Cancellations

  1. Lessees who have a membership with Sloepdelen may cancel a vessel free of charge, even on the day itself up to 2 hours before the reserved time. The following articles do not apply to Premium member Lessees. Please notice that reservations for Kingsday & Canal pride can not be cancelled under any circumstance(s).
  2. A vessel reserved by a non-member can be canceled up to 48 hours before the start of the reservation without reason given. Lessee is then due 25% of the agreed on rental fee to Sloepdelen. Only when ‘The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute’ (KNMI) issues a warning or alarm regarding the expected weather, and if this is done for the province in which the area of sailing is located, the reservation can be rescheduled to another date/time, to be determined. The amount paid will be considered as a credit and is non-refundable. Please note that reservations for Kingsdag & Gaypride can not be cancelled under any circumstance(s).
  3. Cancellation within 48 hours by a non-member is not allowed unless the KNMI (Royal Dutch meteorological institute) issues a weather alarm  (KNMI Code RED), and if this is done for the province in which the area of sailing is located. In case of cancellation due to a KNMI Code RED, Lessee is due 25% of the agreed on rental fee to Sloepdelen. In this case Lessee is also allowed to postpone the reservation free of charge, on the condition that the payment for the canceled reservation will be changed to a credit for a new reservation. There will be no restitution of paid amounts.
  4. If you would like to cancel your reservation, then please mail us at info@sloepdelen.nl.

Article 10. Force Majeure

  1. Sloepdelen is not required to comply with any obligation if prevented from doing so as a result of a circumstance that is beyond their control and for which they cannot be held accountable by virtue of the law, a juristic act or generally accepted views. Sloepdelen can suspend its contractual obligations during the period of force majeure. If the period of force majeure lasts for longer than two months, either party shall be entitled to dissolve the contract without being obliged to pay any compensation for damages to the other party. In this case, Sloepdelen will remain entitled to demand payment for the services it supplied with respect to the performance of the contract before the circumstances that caused the force majeure became apparent.
  2. In these general conditions, force majeure is defined – in addition to that which is deemed as such by law and legal precedent – as all circumstances, foreseen or unforeseen, that are beyond the control of Sloepdelen but which prevent Sloepdelen from meeting his obligations. That includes strikes at Sloepdelen’s business. Sloepdelen is entitled to invoke force majeure if the circumstances rendering (further) fulfillment of the obligations impossible commence after the point in time on which Sloepdelen should have fulfilled his obligations.

Article 11. Complaints and disputes

  1. Any complaints should be reported to Sloepdelen in writing within reasonable time.
  2. All legal relationships between Sloepdelen and the Lessee to which these terms and conditions apply shall be governed by the laws of the Netherlands. In the absence of mandatory rules of law to the contrary, the court in Amsterdam has exclusive competent jurisdiction.

Article 12. Giftcards and vouchers

  1. Gift cards and vouchers can not  be exchanged for money or refunded.
  2. A booking can not be cancelled if this booking has been paid by using a gift card or voucher. We always try to look for an alternative date to reschedule the booking.
  3. There is not end-date to the validity of a gift card.
  4. Vouchers can only be used for a limited period of time. When you buy a voucher, you need to be aware of additional conditions that apply to the specific voucher.

 

© Sloepdelen 2012-2025

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