By-Laws
1 CLASSES
The classes adopted by the Club for class racing will be chosen by the Committee. The Committee will take into account the number of boats of any particular class and the anticipated frequency of participation in class racing.
2 FLEET CAPTAINS
Fleet Captains may be chosen by Members, as appropriate, to co-ordinate the activities of the dinghy and cruiser fleets within the Club sailing programme and to provide a source of expertise and guidance for their particular fleet.
3 ALLOCATION OF MOORINGS AND DINGHY COMPOUND SPACES
Allocation and usage of cruiser mooring spaces, Club mooring and dinghy compound spaces shall be under the control of the Committee.
4 CRUISER MOORING SPACES
For the purpose of this By-law, any boat which is, by its Association, classed as a Day Sailor with or without overnight practicality, is deemed to be a dinghy and moored on the dinghy trots. Such dinghies cannot join cruiser fleet racing.
a) The allocation of cruiser mooring spaces is entirely at the discretion of the Committee. A mooring will not be granted to individual members until after 5 years of active club membership. Moorings for syndicates will only be considered for syndicates where 50% + 1 of the entire syndicate membership have each 5 years of active club membership. It will be a condition of their mooring allocation that the syndicate must maintain this ratio as a minimum.
Applications for cruiser moorings shall be in writing to the Berthing Officer for consideration by the Committee, and applicants will be required to attend a Committee meeting to justify their request. Existing cruiser owners who wish to change their cruisers will also be required to follow the same process.
b) Members or syndicates allocated moorings shall lay and maintain their own moorings at the direction of the Berthing Officer and entirely at their own risk. Guidelines as to suggested standards and methodology will be supplied by the committee. Members are expected to ensure their moorings meet these guidelines as a minimum and to inspect their moorings twice annually.
c) Where a protracted lack of use of a cruiser or cruiser mooring is evident and there is a waiting list of eligible members requesting such moorings, this situation may, at the Committee's discretion, result in the owner being notified that their right as a Member of the Club to a mooring space could be withdrawn. The owner may appeal to the Committee against such action where particular temporary circumstances exist.
d) Temporary usage of cruiser moorings by Members other than the mooring owner shall be subject to the Committee's approval and conditions.
e) When a member gives up the use of a mooring, or vacates it on a temporary basis so that temporary usage can be approved by the Committee, it will be the responsibility of the new owner, or the member temporarily allocated the mooring, to satisfy themselves that the chain, risers, bridles and mooring lines are in a satisfactory state of repair. Usage of the mooring will be entirely at the new users own risk and the guidelines referred to in 4b should be followed. The transfer of ownership on a permanent or temporary basis is to be documented between the two parties and the document held by the Berthing Master.
5 CLUB DINGHY MOORINGS
Club moorings for suitable dinghies are available at the discretion of the Committee and will be allocated by the Berthing Officer annually. Members shall provide their own mooring warps for attachment to the Club mooring chain. The length and positioning of warps must be such that moored boats do not come into contact with each other at any state of the tide.
6 OWNERSHIP OF VESSELS
All vessels sailed or kept at the Club, other than bona-fide visiting vessels, must be owned by a Member. All vessels sailed at the Club, other than bona-fide visiting vessels, must be helmed by a Member or have the owner onboard.
7 INSURANCE COVER OF VESSELS
All vessels kept or sailed by Members and visitors at the Club must have adequate third party insurance cover. The minimum amount of such cover will be as agreed from time to time by the Committee. The amount is published in the Annual Club Handbook.
8 POWERED VESSELS
Powered vessels which are not sailing vessels shall not be introduced into the Club by individual Members for their own use.
9 RACING RULES
All races held at the Club shall be sailed under current IYRU Racing Rules, the prescriptions of the RYA, the latest Club Sailing Instructions and the appropriate class rules.
10 HANDICAPPING
The Committee or a sub-committee appointed by it shall be responsible for the handicapping in all races and their decision shall be final.
11 PERSONAL BUOYANCY
Members are responsible for ensuring that all occupants of their boats, and also occupants of the Club tenders and Safety Boats, wear adequate life-jackets or approved buoyancy aids while afloat, except that in cruisers the wearing of such equipment is left to the discretion of the skipper, although sufficient such equipment should always be carried.
12 DINGHY BUOYANCY
All sailing dinghies sailed at the Club must be fitted with adequate buoyancy as required by class rules or by design.
13 ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
Where appropriate it is recommended that all boats sailed at the Club should carry an anchor, warp, oars or paddle(s) or other means of propulsion. It is recommended that cruisers carry adequate safety equipment as appropriate.
14 OFFICER OF THE DAY RESPONSIBILITIES
All Club races must be under the control of an experienced and competent Member as Officer of the Day (OOD), preferably with an assistant. The OOD must ensure that the Safety Boat(s) is(are) manned. Notwithstanding the sole and ultimate responsibility of each race entrant to decide whether to start or continue to sail a race, the OOD may abandon a race at any time if it is considered that for any reason the safety of those involved is being or is likely to be compromised.
An OOD and Safety Boat crew will be scheduled for days to be used by members for training and general sailing. On these days all members going afloat in dinghies must sign 'on' and 'off' with the OOD.
15 PRAM DINGHY COMPOUND
Pram dinghies kept in the pram dinghy compound must be secured and padlocked. Such pram dinghies must be suitably marked to identify the owner.
16 CRUISER STORAGE
Members with a mooring may, if spaces are available, keep their boat on the hard standing at the back of the car park. Spaces will be allocated by the Cruiser Lifter team. Members requiring space for additional cruisers for which they do not have a mooring may apply to the committee for permission to use a space.
Fees for storing cruisers in the car park will be set by the committee. Trailers/launching trolleys and cradles that are not in use should be clearly marked to identify the owner and should be stored at the rear of the Dinghy Compound. Only if this is not possible should they be stored in the area provided near the Pram Compound.
17 ABANDONED BOATS
If at any time, any mooring or compound fee payable to the Club by any Member or former Member shall be more than three months in arrears, the following actions will be taken and logged at each stage:
17.1 The Committee shall be entitled to move the boat to any other part of the premises, without being liable for any loss for any damage to the boat howsoever caused.
17.2 The Committee shall be entitled, upon giving one month's notice in writing to the Member or former Member, at their last known address shown on the register of Members, to sell the boat and to deduct any monies due to the Club (whether by way of arrears of subscription, mooring or compound fees or otherwise) from the net proceeds of sale before accounting for the balance (if any) to the Member or former Member.
These proceeds of sale are to be retained by the Club against the eventuality of a future claim by the owner within a period of 6 years.
The sale itself must be fairly conducted to attain the best possible price, with reasonably wide advertising, a record of which is to be retained for 6 years. If the boat is abandoned afloat and loose, then the Club may claim salvage.
17.3 Alternatively, any boat which, in the opinion of the Committee cannot be sold may, upon such notice as aforesaid, be disposed of in any manner the Committee may think fit and the expenses recovered from the Member or former Member. Any arrears as aforesaid shall be deemed to be a debt owing to the Club by the Member or former Member.
The Club shall at all times have a lien over the Members' or former Members' boats parked or moored on the Club's premises or Club moorings. In this respect the Club shall refuse to deliver up a boat to an owner until any debts due to the Club are paid, whether they are for arrears of mooring fees, subscription or otherwise. Where a Member is in arrears by at least 6 months, the Club may in any event take possession of the Member's boat.
18. CONTROL OF VEHICLES
Vehicles may only be parked so that no obstruction is caused to other vehicles or to Club operations. All members' vehicles should display a current Club sticker (obtainable from the bar).
19. CONTROL OF DOGS
No dogs, except guide-dogs/medical dogs, may be brought into the Club house.
20. DUTIES
It is a condition of membership that all members, with the exception of Life, Associate, Student and Junior members, carry out duties to facilitate sailing, safety and catering throughout the year. The number of duties is prescribed by the sailing committee unless otherwise agreed.
21 CANCELLATION POLICY
Where the Club has to cancel a Club arranged course, including external training, a refund will be given to the member/person concerned.
Where the Club member/person cancels their attendance no refund will be given unless a replacement can be found.
22 COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE (Sail Training only)
If a member feels that there are grounds for a complaint the following steps should be taken:
- Firstly the complaint should be raised with the Instructor.
- If the issue is not resolved at this level it must be addressed to the RYA Principal.
- If still not resolved the issue must be presented to TSC Committee whose decision is final.
Last updated 15:19 on 8 March 2024