A. HOUSE
1. Management of the Clubhouse: The management of the Clubhouse shall be in the hands of the General Committee. The purchase for and the supply by the Club of intoxicating liquor is managed by an elected committee consisting of a Flag Officer, the Hon. Secretary and the Hon. Treasurer.
2. House hours: The Clubhouse shall be open to the use of members at such times and hours as the General Committee may determine. On those occasions when the General Committee announce that a charge for entry shall apply, a member will be required to pay that charge prior to entry.
3. Guests: A non-member visiting the Club will be treated as a guest as follows but the General Committee shall have full authority to deny suspend or rescind the treatment of any person or persons as a guest either generally or as a group or in any individual case without assigning any reason:
a) a member may introduce a non-member as a guest. The member shall be responsible for the behaviour of the guest and for any liabilities arising. The name and address of the guest and the name of the introducing member shall be kept in a Visitors’ Book.
b) the Club may admit as guests members of other clubs affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association, members of visiting sailing teams and their supporters, persons participating in regattas and other sailing events of the Club and persons connected with sponsorship of Club events. Particulars of such persons shall be entered in the Visitors’ Book but where attendance is as part of a club, team or other organisation a single entry by a Club officer will suffice.
c) when the non-member attends a Club function or other function authorised by the General Committee.
d) when the non-member attends the Club in the course of legitimate business.
Guests shall be subject to all applicable House or other Regulations of the Club and during permitted hours may purchase refreshments and intoxicating liquor from the Club for consumption on the Club premises.
4. Storing of gear: All sails, spars and other yacht gear must be kept in the storehouse or in the Club enclosure. No petrol, oil, paint or varnish or other inflammable liquids shall be stored in the Clubhouse but reasonable quantities of paint varnish or oil (but not petrol) may be kept in the storehouse. Personal gear must not be left lying about the Clubhouse. The Club accepts no responsibility against fire or any other risk in regard to boats or other property stored on the premises.
- Club Property: No member shall, on any pretext whatsoever, remove from the Club any newspaper, book or other article which is either the property of the Club or in its keeping. Any member damaging Club property shall be held liable for the cost of such damage.
- Purchase or sale of refreshments: The General Committee have the power to make rules and restrictions regarding the purchase and supply of intoxicating liquors in the Clubhouse as they think fit but shall not, without the sanction of the voting members in General Meeting, enter into any arrangement restricting the Club’s freedom of purchasing intoxicating liquor.
- Charges: A tariff of charges shall be placed on the premises, the prices to be fixed by the hon. Treasurer.
- Payments: All members are to pay for every expense they or their guests incur in the Club before leaving the Clubhouse.
- Notices: No notices, written or otherwise, shall be posted in the Clubhouse except by the authority of the Hon. Secretary.
- Complaints: Any member having cause to complain against the arrangements and regulations or byelaws of the Clubhouse or any servant of the Club is requested to bring the matters before the Hon. Secretary in writing, who shall lay the complaint before the General Committee at its next meeting. The General Committee cannot allow any interference with its employees in the discharge of their duties.
- Licensing Hours: The hours when the Clubhouse may be opened for the provision of Regulated Entertainment and/or the sale of intoxicating liquor shall be from 11.00 to 00.00 (mid-night) Mondays to Sundays. The Clubhouse is normally open for the sale of intoxicating liquors between 19.00 and 23.00 on Wednesdays and 12.00 and 15.00 hours on Sundays.
- Drinking-up time: Members and their guests are expected to finish drinking and to leave the Clubhouse within 30 minutes after the closure of the bar.
B STORAGE CHARGES
- Boats, trailers or other property belonging to Club members may only be stored on Club’s premises with the prior authorisation of the Officer of the Club to whom the General Committee has from time to time delegated the responsibility for the management of the Club’s storage facilities (“Responsible Officer”). (From 1 January 2009 onwards the Responsible Officer is the Hon. Membership Secretary or, in his absence, the Hon. Secretary). Storage Charges are payable and conditions will apply as from time to time published on the Club website. Storage by non-members is prohibited. Storage is dependent on the availability of space and the Club reserves the right to terminate storage facilities at any time whether generally or in any specific case.
- In the following cases the temporary parking of boats, trailers or other property will not give rise to Storage Charges becoming payable, namely:
- Where the boat, trailer or other property is brought on to Club premises (whether by a member or a visitor) preparatory to and for the purpose of participation in any regatta or other event organised by the Club provided that it is removed promptly following such regatta or event.
- The temporary parking (notified in advance to the Responsible Officer) of a boat and trailer by a member or prospective member for up to a total of fourteen days in any calendar year.
- Such special circumstances as the Responsible Officer may from time to time determine.
- The Club does not accept responsibility for any boats trailers or other property or their contents or fittings brought onto or left on Club premises and all such items left on the premises are left entirely at the owner’s risk.
- The Club will endeavour to allocate storage berths having regard to sailing activity, but the decision of the Responsible Officer shall be final and binding.
- The Club shall be entitled to move or authorise the movement of any boat, trailer or other property to any other part of the Club premises entirely at the risk of the owner and without being liable for any loss or damage howsoever caused.
- Boats and other property left on the Club premises must be on functional trailers to facilitate movement by or on behalf of the Club.
- Owners are responsible for the safe stowage of boats trailers and other property left on Club premises and to avoid damage to other boats trailers or other property, especially in high wind conditions, it is recommended that, both in summer and in winter, dinghies and catamarans are always tied down to some form of ground anchor (unless secured to a substantial road trailer). Larger boats should always be securely chocked whether on trailers or not.
- Any boat, trailer or other property must have an official club storage sticker, as issued by the Club, or owners name and telephone number clearly affixed to it, to prevent such item as being considered abandoned and sold or disposed of in accordance with the Club Regulations.
- If at any time any Storage Charges payable to the Club by any member or former member in respect of any boat, trailer or other property brought on to Club premises shall be three months or more in arrears or if the owner of any such boat trailer or other property shall cease to be a member of the Club (for whatever reason):
- The Club shall be entitled to move or authorise the movement of such boat, trailer or other property to any place outside the Club premises entirely at the risk of the member or former member concerned and without being liable for any loss or damage howsoever caused.
- The Club shall be entitled upon giving one month’s notice in writing to the member or former member, at his or her last known address shown in the register of members, to sell such boat, trailer or other property and to deduct any monies due to the Club (whether by way of arrears of Subscription Fees or Storage Charges or otherwise) from the net proceeds of sale before accounting for the balance (if any) to the member or former member.
- Alternatively, any such boat, trailer or other property which, in the opinion of the Club, cannot be sold may, upon such notice as aforesaid, be disposed of in such manner as the Club may think fit and the expenses incurred in such disposal may be recovered from the member or former member. Any such expenses shall be deemed to be a debt owing to the Club by the member or former member.
- Further, the Club shall, at all times, have a lien over all boats, trailers and other property left on the Club’s premises in respect of all monies due to the Club whether in respect of arrears of Subscription Fees Storage Charges or otherwise.
- The Club has two Basic Annual Boat Storage Charges, one for boats up to 24ft and one for boats over 24ft. Fees are payable for each calendar year during any part of which a boat (including its associated trailer) is stored on Club premises save that, if the boat is first stored on Club premises after 30 June, an Initial Part Year Boat Storage Charge shall be payable for the remainder of that calendar year calculated by dividing the Basic Annual Boat Storage Charge for the year in question by twelve and multiplying the result by the number of months remaining in that year. The Basic Annual Boat Storage Charge becomes due and payable on 1 January in each year and the Initial Part Year Boat Storage Charge becomes due and payable on the day on which the boat is first stored on Club premises.
- A Basic Trailer/Tender Annual Storage Charge will apply, should said item not be kept within the space allocated to the associated boat and is payable for each calendar year during any part of which a trailer (without a boat on it and not associated with a boat on moorings in the area of the Estuary opposite the Club) or any tender (whether rigid or inflatable) is stored on Club premises save that, if such trailer or tender is first stored on Club premises after 30 June, an Initial Part Year Trailer/Tender Storage Charge shall be payable for the remainder of that calendar year calculated by dividing the Basic Annual Tender/Trailer Storage Charge for the year in question by twelve and multiplying the result by the number of months remaining in that year. The Basic Annual Trailer/Tender Storage Charge becomes due and payable on 1 January in each year and the Initial Part Year Trailer/Tender Storage Charge becomes due and payable on the day on which the trailer or tender is first stored on Club premises.
- The General Committee may, in its absolute discretion, waive such Basic Trailer charge for any trailer which is associated with a boat that is currently incurring a Basic Annual Boat Storage Charge and is stored separately to the trailer to maximise the proper utilisation of the available storage. The General Committee’s decision as to waive a charge shall be final and binding.
- Storage Charges unpaid for more than 28 days after becoming due shall carry interest (whether before or after demand) at 4% above the base rate from time to time of Barclays Bank plc (or such other bank as is the Club’s main banker for the time being) from the date when they became due until payment.
- Storage Charges are payable when due without demand and it is the responsibility of the person liable for the relevant payment to make such payment in due time.
- By agreement, the Club shall accept payment of a Basic Annual Storage Charge by monthly instalments when paid utilising WebCollect and payable by Direct Debit. Monthly payments by any other means shall not be accepted.
- A member who stores more than one boat or trailer or tender on Club premises at any time shall be liable to pay, for each additional item, a Supplementary Storage Charge calculated at the rate of one month of the relevant Basic Annual Storage Charge for the calendar year in question for each month whilst such additional boat remains on Club premises.
- The Club’s policy is to employ its facilities to promote active sailing by members and to avoid the risk of boats, trailers tenders and other property being left on Club premises unused or abandoned. If in the opinion of the Responsible Officer any boat, trailer tender or other property stored on Club premises has not been used for a period of six or more months and appears unlikely to be used in the near future, or appears to have been abandoned, he or she may notify the owner in writing that the boat, trailer tender or other property must be removed from the club premises within four (4) weeks or that he intends to impose, in addition to other Storage Charges due, the Club’s Unused Boat Rate Weekly Storage Charge in respect of such boat, trailer tender or other property from a specified date being a date not less than four (4) weeks after the date of his notification. If the member concerned objects he or she may object in writing to the General Committee giving cause why removal or the Club’s Unused Boat Rate Weekly Storage Charge should not be applied. The General Committee’s decision as to the removal or imposition (or terms of non-imposition) of the Club’s Unused Boat Rate Weekly Storage Charge shall be final and binding.
- Storage of more than one boat in the same class requires prior agreement from for the Responsible Officer and may be charged at the Unused Boat Rate.
- All boats, trailer tender or other property stores on Club premises, either temporary or otherwise, must hold current Third-Party Insurance of a minimum of £3,000,000.
C SAFETY
1. General Rule
Participation in sporting and recreational activities inevitably involves some degree of risk but members are reminded that proper considerations of safety, having regard to prevailing circumstances, should be applied at all times.
2. Responsibility for safety
The safety of a boat and all persons on board and its entire management, including insurance, shall be the sole and inescapable responsibility of the owner or skipper in charge of the boat. Each person shall be responsible for his or her decision to go afloat or to continue sailing. The Club shall not be liable for loss of or damage to property or for personal injury (including death) however caused occurring in the course of events (including races) organised by the Club.
3. Insurance
Third party insurance to a minimum cover of £3,000,000 shall be required for all boats taking part in Club races.
4. Rescue facilities
Except in the case of waterborne events officially organised by the Club, no responsibility shall lie with the Club to provide or operate rescue boats or rescue facilities. The Club is not able to provide safety boat cover for its cruising fleet, unless participating in organised events, where safety boat cover has been agreed in advance by the Captain or his or her deputy.
5. Club racing
The decision to cancel or abandon racing lies solely with the Principal Race Officer and must not be challenged. In making any such decision the Principal Race Officer will have regard to prevailing and forecast weather conditions and to the availability and operational state of the Club’s rescue and communication facilities. After a decision to cancel or abandon has been made it is the responsibility of each boat crew afloat to bring their vessel to safety ashore as soon as possible.
6. Galley
The Galley is frequently busy when refreshments are being prepared/served, especially at Open Events. When the Galley is busy it should not be used as a corridor between the Clubhouse and the area to the rear of the Clubhouse. Anyone entering the Galley should do so carefully, being conscious that hot food and heavy utensils may be being moved.
7. Junior operations
Racing for juniors is to be confined to an area inshore of the moorings lying to the south of the causeway and to the north of an imaginary line projecting westwards from Sally’s Cottage.
Whilst junior waterborne events are taking place a responsible adult (“Shored Based Officer”) must remain in attendance on shore. The Shore Based Officer is to maintain a log (“Log”) in which must be recorded the signature of the parent or guardian of each participating junior together with a telephone contact number if that parent or guardian does not propose to remain at the Clubhouse throughout the event.
Waterborne activities must be supervised by a responsible adult (“Water Based Officer”) who must maintain VHF radio contact with the Shore Based Officer throughout. The Water Based Officer must ensure that the Log records the juniors who go afloat and identifies when each of those juniors comes ashore.
The Shore Based Officer must not leave the Clubhouse at the end of proceedings unless satisfied that all participating juniors have been returned to their parents or guardian.
8. Club equipment
Only persons authorised by the Captain or his or her deputy may operate Club’s rescue boats or launches. The use of the kill cord by drivers of boats with outboard motors is mandatory.
Only persons authorised by the Captain or his or her deputy may operate the Club’s tractor. Juniors may not drive or ride on the tractor. Tractor drivers must drive with extreme caution at all times; this includes driving slowly on the causeway, the cliff ramp and generally around and about the Clubhouse. The tractor is not to be taken on public roads.
Other Club equipment must not be used without the permission of the Captain or his or her deputy.
9. Child Protection
RYA affiliated Clubs have been advised to adopt a Policy Statement on Child Protection for the season 2003 onwards. Accordingly, the Club has adopted the Statement recommended by the RYA, which is as follows:
The child’s welfare is paramount.
All children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity, have the right to protection from abuse.
All suspicions and allegations of inappropriate behaviour will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
As defined in the Children Act 1989, anyone under the age of 18 years should be considered as a child for this purpose.
10. Boat equipment
The following table sets out the required and recommended equipment for boats sailing in the Dee Estuary.
Boat category | Compulsory equipment | Recommended equipment |
Cata-marans and Dinghies | Approved buoyancy aid or approved life jacket worn at all times by each crew memberSuitable footwear to be worn (thigh boots specifically prohibited)Buoyancy to comply with class rulesWhistle/flares to attract attention | WhistleBucket/bailer (if not self draining)CompassWet suit/dry suitKnife and shackle keyPaddles or oarsSuitable anchor of not less than 2kgs and warp of not less than 20 metres |
Cruisers Day Sailing in the Estuary | Personal buoyancy for all aboard preferably a lifejacket to BS EN395 100 Newton.One anchor and warp of suitable size.Suitable towing warp not less than 12 metres long.Charts/Sketches and Tide Tables of area.2 Hand held flares (Red or orange smoke) if no VHF carried.One bucket (for bailing)CompassOne fire extinguisher (Dry Powder)Basic First aid kitTwo bottles of fresh water.TorchKnife and shackle key VHF Transceiver (Fixed or Hand held) ,International channels + M1 & M2.GPS (Optional)Mobile (Cell) phone (Optional)TimepieceToolkitBosun box of SparesEcho Sounder or marked pole. | For operating outside the Estuary members should refer to the RYA Boat Safety Handbook for a comprehensive list covering Inshore Sailing. |