What cancels a sailing, and what only cancels the kayaking
Most weather on this bay affects the programme without stopping it. A small subset stops it completely. Confusing the two is how planners either over-insure or get caught out, and the distinction is worth ten minutes.
Three tiers of weather impact
| Tier | Conditions | What happens | Who decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programme continues, activity changes | Rain with calm water; wind above about 15 kt | Kayaking and tender-to-beach suspended. Cave, deck and indoor formats run. | Our coordinator, on the water |
| Programme continues, evening moves indoors | Rain, strong breeze, or cold at dinner time | Deck gala moves to the dining room and lounge. Smaller, no stage. | You and us, at D-1 16:00 |
| Nothing sails | Storm warning, typhoon track, port authority suspension | Departure clearance withdrawn for the entire bay. No vessel leaves. | Quang Ninh port authority. Not negotiable. |
The first two are what a well-built programme absorbs without anyone outside the planning team noticing. That is what the written fallback is for. If an operator's answer to weather is a single line about force majeure, they have no plan for the first two tiers, which are the ones that happen most weeks of the year.
The sea-state rules our coordinators work to
| Condition | Kayak | Tender to beach | Cave | Deck dinner | Sailing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calm | Runs | Runs | Runs | Runs | Runs |
| Choppy, wind under 15 kt | Shortened circuit | Slower | Runs | Coordinator's call | Runs |
| Wind above 15 kt | Suspended | Suspended | Runs | Indoors | Runs, route may shorten |
| Rain, calm water | Guest choice | Runs | Runs | Indoors | Runs |
| Storm warning | No | No | No | No | No departure clearance |
These are the coordinator's decisions, taken on the water against conditions rather than against the schedule. A client cannot overrule them and neither can our sales team. It is worth telling your group this in advance so that a suspended kayak session is not read as a service failure.
How the contingency should be written
- The indoor alternative is named in the programme document you receive before departure — not identified on the day. On a vessel it is the dining room and lounge; ashore it is a contracted room at a named venue.
- There is a decision deadline. Ours is D-1 at 16:00 for anything requiring rigging, with a final confirmation on the day at 14:00. After that the build starts.
- Every outdoor element has a written substitute. Kayak becomes cave. Beach games become the deck challenge. The substitutes are in the document your team receives, so nobody is standing on a deck at 15:00 wondering what happens now.
- Force majeure is a credit, not a cash refund. Twelve months' validity, transferable to another date. This is the position across the bay and we state it in the quote rather than in a schedule at the back.
- Port closure has its own clause, separate from general weather, because the consequences are different. Detail here.
What to tell your group in advance
- That the kayaking may not run, and that this is a safety decision rather than a scheduling one.
- That mobile coverage is unreliable at the outer anchorages, so people should not expect to be reachable throughout.
- That from October to March a deck evening can be cool after sunset — a light layer is worth packing and nobody ever does.
- That the morning of departure carries a small chance of a port closure, and what the alternative programme is. Groups handle this well when told in advance and badly when told at 07:00 in a coach.
Questions we are asked most often
How often is the port actually closed?
Infrequently outside the typhoon season — a handful of days a year. Within June to September it becomes a real planning factor rather than a remote possibility, which is why we require a contracted alternative in that window.
Do we get a refund if the kayaking is cancelled?
No, because the programme continues with a substitute element that was contracted alongside it. What you get is the alternative, delivered without anyone having to improvise.
Can we buy insurance against a port closure?
Event cancellation insurance covering adverse weather exists and for a large programme in the typhoon window it is worth pricing. We are not brokers and cannot advise on the policy — but we will supply whatever documentation an underwriter asks for.
What is the wettest month?
July and August carry the heaviest rainfall, usually as short intense downpours rather than all-day rain. The persistent grey is a winter and early-spring phenomenon, not a summer one.
Where to go next
Four fields and you can send
Tell us the basics and we will come back within eight working hours with feasibility — including how many hulls your headcount actually needs — and within three working days with a detailed quote.