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Sugarloaf Sailing Club
Standing Instructions
   

Table of Contents

Version:13#11
1. Purpose
2. Scope
3. Use of Reservoir and Facilities
4. On Water Activities
5. Type of Craft
6. Safety
7. Member Protection
8. Rostered Duty Manager (RDM
9. Indemnity
10. Environmental Management
11. Sailing Instructions
Document Control

1. PURPOSE

The Standing Instructions are to ensure all members are aware of our operating rules.

2. SCOPE

The Sugarloaf Sailing Club is licensed by Melbourne Water to carry out sailing activities on the reservoir. The licence is issued subject to the meeting of strict conditions designed to ensure activities have no impact on water quality or plant and equipment. Visitors enter the Club grounds and sail at the invitation of the Club.

Visitors and Members MUST be aware that:

2.1. Any activities must not compromise the purpose of the Sugarloaf Reservoir, which is the supply of drinking water of appropriate quality and quantity, and must not otherwise adversely affect the Sugarloaf Reservoir ecology or other passive recreation.

2. 2. Individuals suffering, or who have suffered within the last week, severe symptoms of gastroenteritis, or who have infected wounds, cuts or abrasions must keep well away from the Reservoir Water and must not participate in Sailing Activities.

2.3 Melbourne Water has key assets within the area that is used by the Club including the inlet structures for delivery of water via the Sugarloaf Pipeline and the hydroelectric power plant and its associated high voltage underwater cable .

2.4 Because of a condition in the licence imposed by Melbourne Water, intoxicating liquor is prohibited from being brought onto the club site.

3. USE OF RESERVOIR AND FACILITIES

The facilities of the Club, including all on water activities conducted by the Club, are available for use by its members. Visitors may also participate in on water activities conducted by the club by signing the Gate Register and paying the required daily fee. In doing so, both members and visitors agree to abide by these standing instructions, the rules and guidelines of the club and those of Melbourne water.

4. ON WATER ACTIVITIES

4.1 On water activities shall only take place;

a) when the nominated Rostered Duty Manager (RDM) is on duty.

b) during reservoir opening times as designated by Sugarloaf Sailing Club Inc.

c) when the reservoir is above the minimum service level.

4.2 Boating may only take place in areas designated by the Sugarloaf Sailing Club Inc. and Melbourne Water.

Forbidden sailing areas are shown in Figure. 1

In particular:

a) Launching and retrieval of boats is permitted only in the designated Club area.

b) Landing on the reservoir shores, islands, or areas temporarily exposed by low water level is not permitted, except in an emergency, or by special arrangement.

map
Figure 1

4.3 The Fire Management Plan includes enabling access for water refilling of fire-service aircraft. As soon as any helicopter with a snorkel or cable slung water bucket deployed is sighted in the area,

(a) all boats shall keep clear of any aircraft collecting water from the reservoir and head for shore and remain there until,

(b) the Rostered Duty Manager, RDM, shall determine if and when it is permissible to continue sailing or whether sailing is to be abandoned for the remainder of the day.

4.4 Anchors are Banned

No boat is to carry an anchor.

Rescue boats may carry safe mooring devices to specification.

4.5 No mooring of any sort is permitted in the No Anchor Zone

Refer to Figure 2

map
Figure 2

5. TYPE OF CRAFT

5.1 Boats permitted to operate on the water are those classed as being "off the beach boats", i.e. capable of being launched off the beach and not having, cabins, cooking or toilet facilities. Sailboards, canoes, kayaks, surf skis etc. are not permitted.

5.2 Except for those boats designated for rescue purposes, boats are not permitted to have any form of artificial propulsion (i.e. motors, etc).

6. SAFETY

6.1. All members shall comply with the safety requirements of Yachting Australia and the relevant government authorities. The following safety instructions supplement those requirements: 6.2. It is the owner/skipper's responsibility to ensure that their boat is in seaworthy condition and that the boat is fitted with all safety items applicable to its class. 6.3. All persons must wear approved Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) in compliance to the appropriate Standards Australia standard whilst afloat. The flotation device type PFD-1 must be worn in the Rescue Boats and either PFD-1, PFD-2 or PFD-3 in Sailing craft with enclosed hulls, canoes or kayaks. The Club recommends that crew take into consideration the danger of hypothermia and wear clothing suitable to the local conditions.

7. MEMBER PROTECTION

All members are expected to be aware of the requirements of the Club's Risk Management Policy and Implementation document and to comply with the rules and guidelines as published in the Member's Charter and other documents issued by the committee from time to time.

8. ROSTERED DUTY MANAGER (RDM)

8.1 The RDM, whilst on duty, has the authority to: a) Refuse the right to sail, of any boat he/she considers unseaworthy. b) Direct any boat to leave the water if any crew is not wearing an approved PFD, or if he/she considers that the boat is being sailed in an unsafe manner. 8.2. While it is the responsibility of each sailor to decide to sail, or to continue to sail, the RDM has the authority to close the reservoir to sailing in what he/she considers to be unsafe weather conditions (in which case notification will normally be by an red flashing light on the control tower and oral advice from the patrolling rescue boat).

9. INDEMNITY

All persons taking part in events conducted by the Club do so at their own risk and responsibility. The Club is not responsible for the seaworthiness of a craft permitted on the water, or for the sufficiency or adequacy of its equipment. Attention is drawn to the IYRU Rule which states, inter alia "it shall be the sole responsibility of each (yacht) to decide whether or not to start or continue a race".

10. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

10.1 Swimming, paddling or bathing is not permitted in the reservoir.

10.2 Fishing is not permitted from boats, or from the Club compound.

10.3 All members/visitors are responsible to ensure that their rubbish is removed from the park.

10.4 Any cooking is to be done on the facilities provided by the Club. All other fires are prohibited.

10.5 Pets are not permitted within the park, however, Parks Victoria state, "Bone fide guide dogs accompanying blind people can be taken into all national parks and similar conservation reserves and state forests".

10.6 Vehicles must not remain in a Launching Area for longer than 60 continuous minutes. Exemptions may apply for specific circumstances, such as vehicles transporting disabled sailors, mechanical breakdown or the club duty vehicle for safety purposes.

10.7 No vehicles are permitted to drive over any exposed cable. If any cable is visible it must be reported immediately.

10.8 Unless otherwise authorised, vehicles shall:

a) Proceed to the launch site for the purpose of removing/ retrieving boats/trailers and are to leave the launch site as soon as possible.
b) Park in the prescribed parking areas.

11. SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

The Sailing Instructions pertain to racing and are detailed in a separate document entitled: "SAILING INSTRUCTIONS"

Document Control

Revision History

Revision No. Revision DateNature of Amendment
SI-7#0312/03Document Control Added. Grammatical. Linked to Sailing Instructions
SI-8#0301/04MEMBER PROTECTION paragraph added to the Standing Instructions between existing paragraphs 6 and 7, incorporate Traffic and Parking into Environmental Management and renumber ALL affected paras, Make reference to Standing Instructions in para1., change font size to our standard size 10 in all paras. Reference to guide Dogs, PFD standards, expanded gate registration, clarified location of the amber light, AFY now Yachting Australia, Map showing forbidden areas included. Reference to Sailing Instructions confined to last Section. General grammar.
SI-9#0402/04"Officer of the Day" replaced with "Rostered Duty Manager"
SI-10#0809/08Replace "amber flashing light" with "red flashing light" in section 8.2.
SI -11#0909/09Addition of Melbourne Water Licence Requirements
SI - 12#1104/11Addition of instruction concerning fire fighting aircraft.
SI - 13#1107/11Merged with Previous separate Doucment "Conditions of Entry"