Covid - 19 Return to sailing Q & A
Published 13:53 on 15 May 2020
Questions and Answers
Question 1
Why are we waiting until Friday 22nd May to get back on the water? Boris
said this could happen on Wednesday 12th
(Probably the most common question)
Answer 1
The club have a duty to keep all its members safe, as members have a duty
to protect both themselves and other members of the club, particularly
those most at risk. Furthermore, there was a need to ensure that our plans would help mitigate the potential use of Emergency Services.
We have taken guidance from the RYA in line with Government restrictions where there is an expectation, particularly as we are an RYA Registered Sailing Club, to be seen to have considered the apparent risks and safety of all of our members.
The Committee set about identifying the apparent risks and reviewed mitigating actions covering all the activity and premises of the club. The outcome of these findings has been populated in a Framework document that was shared with members on Friday 15th May.
Issues from access to the clubhouse and toilet facilities to how to enforce social distancing and avoid the perception that members were gathering on site were debated.
From this document several actions were necessary which included the creation and positioning of suitable signage, availability, and procurement of materials to cover hygiene measures, track, and trace of member throughput via the club.
In addition, Health and Safety conditions were apparent particularly the fact that the Slipway had not been cleaned for some time.
Many of the volunteer Committee are in full time employment, either working from home, key workers or in isolation. Many already with plans for the week in question.
The date of the 22nd May was set as an achievable date where the Committee felt that it could cope and manage with all the steps to action and create some time to stress test its findings.We also punched out to other bodies such as the RNLI to secure input into our framework given, they are a local Emergency service.
From 17.05.2020 a few members have been invited to the club to assist in the stress testing to include social distancing and gathering around the park and toilet facilities. Throughput where constraints exist such as in / out slipway (Slipway planned to be cleaned on 16.05). Sailing zone, launch and recovery. Signage were messages clear and placed in the right positions.
Question 2
Why were AYC able to launch small boats on Friday 15.05 and we were not.
Answer 2
Predominantly availability of dedicated resources with specific skills to manage such events.AYC do have the opportunity to call upon full time employees from both the office and around the boat yard to develop and mange the implementation of their plans.
Question 3
What was the selection process to invite members to the club on Sunday 17th to participate in the stress testing?
Answer 3
No real science behind that. On Friday 15th May we manage to identify a volunteer to clean the slipway on Saturday 16th May. We had received some requests from members that they wanted to sail over the weekend and could they.
These appeared to be an obvious audience to invite for stress testing as it would also satisfy their burning desire to get back onto the water.
Invitations were sent to each of these members in a controlled fashion to prevent a surge of members arriving and thus putting at risk Government guidelines, control, and confusion if they had not specifically read the framework document.
The sample and numbers were approved by the COVID team who would also be present to gain feedback on ways of working, gaps, and any modifications.
Last updated 20:40 on 23 December 2021
