Best time to sail

Best time to sail in Canada

The best time to sail in Canada is July to August, with peak conditions in July and August.

That verdict comes from 1991–2020 climate normals — wind, rain, sunshine, and air temperature — scored week by week for charter conditions across 1 sailing area.

Open Canada in the interactive calendar

Sailing conditions in Canada, month by month

Mean weekly values across our sailing areas in Canada. The sail score weighs wind, rain, sun, and temperature — and discounts tropical-storm season where one applies.

Temperature (°C)

  • Air
  • Water
-1001020JFMAMJJASOND-4°-0°-4°-0°-1°11°16°12°17°14°14°13°10°

Wind (kn)

051015JFMAMJJASOND12 kn12 kn11 kn10 kn8 kn9 kn9 kn9 kn10 kn11 kn12 kn12 kn

Rain (mm/day)

0246JFMAMJJASOND3.7 mm3.7 mm3.3 mm2.9 mm2.4 mm2.5 mm2.3 mm2.5 mm3 mm3.1 mm3.9 mm4.2 mm

Sun (h/day)

051015JFMAMJJASOND12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h12 h
MonthSail scoreWind (kn)Rain (mm/day)Sun (h/day)Temp (°C)Water (°C)
JanuaryFair123.712-41
FebruaryFair123.712-4-0
MarchFair113.312-1-0
AprilFair102.91230
MayFair82.41262
JuneFair92.512116
JulyExcellent92.3121612
AugustExcellent92.5121714
SeptemberFair103121413
OctoberFair113.112910
NovemberFair123.91256
DecemberFair124.21213

Sailing areas in Canada

Every area below is scored individually in the interactive calendar; where we have an in-depth guide, it's linked.

Newfoundland

Advanced

Best conditions around August 3

Iceberg alley and remote coves — serious crews only.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to sail in Canada?

July to August offers the most reliable conditions, with July and August scoring best for wind, rain, sunshine, and temperature in the 1991–2020 climate normals.

How warm is it in Canada in July?

Around 16 °C air temperature on average in July, with about 12 hours of sun a day.

How warm is the water in Canada in July?

Around 12 °C sea-surface temperature on average in July, based on 2023–2025 marine averages.

Method: 1991–2020 weekly climate normals (wind, rain, sunshine, air temperature) per sailing area, combined into a 0–1 sail score for charter conditions; tropical-storm season is applied as a discount. Sea-surface temperature comes from 2023–2025 marine averages. This page updates automatically as new sailing areas are added.