Club boat hire
Terms and Conditions:
a.The boats are not available for hire to guests or when being used for RYA Training, which shall always have preference.
b.All Club boats are insured for material damage and third party liability risks under the FPSC insurance policy. This policy is only valid where a boat is hired by and under the control of a fully paid up bona fide member of FPSC.
c.In the event of any claim being made the hirer will pay the Club's insurance excess which currently stands at £50 (November 2018). This fee is subject to change and to be agreed by the General Committee.
d.The administration of the boat hire scheme shall be overseen by the Club Manager and backed up by the Section Leaders for RYA Training, Laser
4.7/Radials, Cadets & RS Teras.
e.Boats may be hired for one session at a time. A session is defined as being a morning, an afternoon or an evening.
f.From time to time some boats may be pre-booked for training or some other event, or may be out of commission. These requirements take priority over any other and information will be provided to all via the club website.
g.Hiring members must have obtained a minimum of either the RYA Level 2 or Stage 3 certificate or be sufficiently experienced to satisfy of a Duty Officer, SI, DI, Class Captain, or GC Member of their competence. This may require a practical demonstration. Your information page on sailing club manager will be updated to show that you are authorised to hire a boat. If you still hold a green card hand it to the club manager who will help you update your SCM profile.
h.If the club manager is not around the Duty officer will be able to assist in the hiring of the boats. On most occasions the Duty Officer will be competing in club races. If at all possible it would be useful to try and start the hire not within 45 minutes of the start of a club race to allow the Duty Officer time to rig their own boat and make the start.
i.It is your responsibility as the hirer to rig and de rig the boat. If you have little experience in rigging the boat you wish to hire it is advisable to leave plenty of time before the start of racing so that the Duty Officer can offer advice.
j.Boats shall only be hired for sessions when a safety boat is on the water. Safety boats are on the water during organised Club coaching and racing sessions and some Friday evenings during the summer months from 6:30pm to 8:15pm. Please see the Club Handbook for timings.
k.A parent, guardian or an adult in loco parentis, nominated by a parent or guardian, must always be available at the Club during the period of sailing if the hiring member is under the age of 18. The identity of this adult must be confirmed to the Club Manager or Duty Officer when the boat is hired.
l.It must be recognised that boating is by its nature an unpredictable sport and therefore inherently involves an element of risk. By taking part in any activity, you agree and acknowledge that:
I.You are aware of the inherent element of risk involved in the sport and you accept responsibility exposing yourself to such inherent risk whilst taking part in the activity;
II.You will comply at all times with the instructions of the organiser / Duty Officer particularly with regard to handling of boats, wearing of buoyancy aids and the wearing of suitable clothing for the conditions;
III.You accept responsibility for any injury, damage or loss to the extent caused by your own negligence;
IV.You will not participate in the activity whilst under the influence of alcohol, drugs or whilst otherwise unfit to participate;
V.The provision of safety boat cover is limited to such assistance, as can be practically provided in the circumstances;
l.The Duty officer has the right to determine that conditions are not suitable for hiring Club boats and if in doubt, the Duty Officer should be consulted.
m.The hirer shall take all reasonable precautions to avoid a collision and damage to the boat.
n.Any faults must be reported immediately to the Section Leader for that boat and the Club Manager.
o.If damage is caused by collision with another boat then, the hirer shall:
a.Establish, at the earliest opportunity, and record in writing a clear understanding of the incident (Including details of all persons and boats involved plus any witnesses) and who was in the right/wrong (Diagrams are very helpful). This general approach will be used regardless of whether the boat was involved in a race at the time or not. If responsibility is conceded by one party then a signed statement to this effect must be included and if responsibility is disputed, then the clubs 'rules disputes' policy should be followed to determine responsibility.
b.Notify the Club's General Secretary of the incident and request an insurance claim form.
c.Complete the claim form, including the date of any hearing and the ruling agreed, and return it to the General Secretary who will refer the matter to the Club's insurers and advise on any payments, including 'excess' payments, to be made.
p.These boats may be hired by adequately competent helms to take outside of the Club and enter competitions. This must be agreed in advance with the Class Captains for the particular boat and the subsequent additional fee paid. which may include additional insurance premium. Ensuring adequate insurance for the towing vehicle and suitability of any trailer / roof rack is the Hirers responsibility. (Club Insurance policy covers boat use for up to 30 days throughout Europe but towing needs to be covered by vehicle insurance Jan 2018).
q.The cost of each hire session shall be as determined by the General Committee and posted on the club website. Below is the current fee structure to January 2018, future revisions may be web based only.
a.Payment shall be made to the Club Manager, Section Leader, or General Committee Member in the Club Manager's absence. Upon receipt of payment a padlock key to the hired boat will be issued. On completing the hire session, the padlock must go back on to the boat's rudder gudgeon and the key returned to the Club office.
b.The padlock and key to the padlock are the responsibility of the hirer until they are returned both to the boat and the Club office. Lost keys or padlocks will result in a further charge of £10 each to the hirer.
r.Block booking for longer periods may be possible in exceptional circumstances and where permission from the Section Leader and Youth Development Officer has been granted. Fees shall be in line with session hire charges, at a rate approved by the General Committee.
s.It is the sole responsibility of the hirer to check their boat for damage or faults before taking possession and going afloat. Any damage or faults to the boat should be duly noted on the boat hire form and handed back to the Club Manager or Section Leader before sailing. See Appendix A for this form.
t.Any damage incurred whilst the boat is on hire shall also be duly noted on the same sheet, the Duty Manager and Section Leader informed and the procedure set out above under item 14 followed.
APPENDIX A Boat Hire fault form Date: January 2019
Boat:
Hirer:
Boat Damage / Fault form:
Please note below any faults or damage with this boat before you accept hire of the boat for this session or day. Please circle and note on the images below any damage found before continuing with the hire:
Last updated 12:52 on 19 September 2021