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Avon
Outdoor Activities Club
Sailing Policy
Introduction
The aim of this Sailing
Policy is to enable AOAC members to enjoy and gain experience in sailing
activities in reasonable safety.Sailing
yachts has, by nature, risks to health associated with it. It also involves
the crew living in confined, and sometimes uncomfortable, conditions.
Yachts are also expensive to own or charter. Most of the time these issues
do not cause any problems; however, there are occasions when they can.
This policy has been drawn up to minimise the potential of problems occurring.
Safety
All yachts must, as
minimum, have at least an RYA qualified skipper and a second in command
deemed to be qualified or experienced enough to be considered a competent
crew.
There is always a risk that a skipper has to withdraw from a trip. Without
breaching the minimum crew requirements the remaining crew may have to
alter their sailing plans (including yacht allocation) according to safety
and experience. If a skipper has to withdraw, and, in the extremely unlikely
event that there is no way of maintaining safety standards, then one yacht
charter will have to be cancelled.
New skippers should complete at least a weekend sailing trip with an experienced
skipper before taking charge of a yacht for a week long trip.
All crew must be physically fit enough to support their own weight by
hand and foot, and to be able to transfer themselves, unaided, from yacht
to dinghy to shore and back. If any potential trip participant thinks
he/she may have a medical or physical condition which might affect his/her
ability to participate safely on a sailing trip then he/she must disclose
the condition to the trip organiser at the time he/she books onto the
trip. The trip organiser has the discretion to refuse to allow that person
to participate in the trip if the organiser believes that safety will
be compromised.
The skipper
has absolute charge of a yacht. While most decisions are made democratically
the skipper has the final say on all matters. If the skipper believes
that a member of the crew is a danger to themselves or others then they
have the right to put that crew member ashore at the earliest opportunity.
Any crew member put ashore in such circumstances will be responsible for
their own ongoing transport and accommodation arrangements (including
associated costs).
Crew are individually
responsible for ensuring that they understand the roles and responsibilities
of crew while aboard an AOAC chartered yacht. These may differ between
trips; if not sure then the crew should question the skipper or first
mate.
Crew allocations
Crew allocations should
be discussed and agreed between all the skippers of the yachts on the
trip. Consideration is given to all crews’ wishes; however, trip
participants must understand that in some cases these cannot be accommodated.
Crew allocations are made, fundamentally, on the basis of safety.
No AOAC sailing trip will have more than four yachts. The club’s
experience has indicated that four yachts is the limit for a sailing trip
to ensure that there is sufficient concentration of people with sailing
expertise, for maintaining a cohesive flotilla, and for ease of organisation.
Many trips will have fewer yachts.
Finance
The deposit charged
to crew for a trip should be such that booking 70% of places will cover
the deposit paid to the charterer.
All trip participants must pay the full cost of the trip to AOAC before
the date on which AOAC must make the final payments to the yacht charterer
(or any earlier date if specified by the trip organiser). Anyone not making
such a payment on time may forfeit their place on the trip.
Insurance
For trips where sailing
will be undertaken in UK territorial waters only, the trip organiser must
ensure that insurance is in place for hull damage and marine liability.
The trip organiser must obtain a copy of the document proving that such
insurance is in place, so that it can be provided to AOAC’s insurers
if required.
For any trip where sailing will be undertaken (in part) outside UK territorial
waters then each participant on the trip must have a travel insurance
policy in place. The policy must include civil liability cover of £2
million. The trip organiser is responsible for checking that each trip
participant has this insurance in place.
Club Committee
In the event of any dispute or disagreement in respect of any aspect of
a sailing trip the club’s committee may intervene. The committee’s
decision is final and binding on all relevant club members in such circumstances.
Last reviewed: January 2012
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