Thorpe Bay Yacht Club

Tel: 01702 587 563

Hi All

With more information being issued by the HM Government, our regulating body the RYA and the PLA, you will be pleased to know your committee will stand by its decision that the dinghy park and sailing without club involvement still stands.

However, it would be remiss of your committee not to share the latest details from each body, so you can make your own choices. With that in mind and taking into account our last notice number 8, further guidance and advice can be found:

HM Government. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae#history

RYA. https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/new-national-restrictions.aspx

PLA. https://server1.pla.co.uk/assets/14of2020-sportrecreationonthethames-covid-19update6thnovember2020.pdf

We would seriously urge you all to read the guidance and regulations

Kind Regards

Steve Hopper Commodore

Following the recent HMG guidelines enforced from the 5^th November and the RYA Interpretation of these regulations can be viewed here –  https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/coronavirus-advice-and-information-for-recreational-boaters.aspx

Coming to the dinghy park and going sailing is associated with risks. It is your choice, your decision, your responsibility at your own risk. The General Committee requests that you follow the rules below to ensure safety to all members.

The Committee has therefore decided, at this point in time, that whilst the club house and changing rooms will need to close, the dinghy park can be accessed, and free sailing is still possible. The toilets will remain open. These regulations will be reviewed regularly and further amendments to these guidelines may be issued.

General Rules and Guidance for Dinghy Park & Water Activities

• Please observe social distancing at all times. Do not go within 2 metres of other people
• Please avoid touching common surfaces and regularly wash your hands
• Please cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing
• Please proceed around the dinghy park, car park, beach and slipway with caution and consideration to others
• Do not be afraid to ask another member ‘to keep their distance’, but always do so politely and with consideration so they will not be offended
• If the number of people becomes a risk, then restrictions may apply. This will only be introduced if absolutely necessary and only to protect our members
• If you or anyone from your household or anyone you have had contact with are showing symptoms of Covid 19 do not come to the club or dinghy park but follow Government guidelines, self-isolating for 14 days
• Whilst we will have installed areas to wash your hands to assist you in keeping safe, we remind you that you are at your own risk entirely and further recommend you carry your own PPE and hygiene supplies
• Do not share water or fill from the hoses or sinks to further reduce the risk of transmission

Movement and use specifically of the car park and dinghy park

• Please refer to the diagram along with this information for signage and safety equipment
• We have provided knee operated hand washing facilities as detailed on the diagram
• When setting up and rigging your boats please do so in the grass car park to enable better distancing
• When walking and travelling around the dinghy park and passing others please ensure social distancing is observed at all times. If needed wait and let others pass

On the Water Guidance

• Please be mindful of any actions you may take that could result in the requirement of emergency services
• Supervised and any organised activities are not possible at this point, so you go afloat entirely at your own risk
• All applicable TBYC rules still apply
• Check your equipment to ensure it is fit to go afloat
• Check tide times and go afloat on the incoming tide in preference
• Check a weather forecast just before going afloat this can be found on the club website https://www.tbyc.org/weather-station/
• Consider the wind direction. Northerly winds are more dangerous as its not so obvious to gauge the wind strength and when in trouble you will be blown away from the shore. Also consider the strength. Do not go if the conditions are above your ability.
• Let someone know you are going afloat and when you have returned
• If you are going afloat during a quiet time i.e. early mornings / early evenings or during the week, try and buddy up with other members around
• Always wear a buoyancy aid
• Take a paddle
• Have at least a 10m painter attached to the bow of your boat
• Take a method of communication with you. Ship to shore radio if you have one or your mobile phone. Making sure there is sufficient battery life on your device for the time afloat. Take both if you have them.

TBYC on water limited activity and current status

• The usual sailing programme is suspended. However, it is being reviewed on a weekly basis and will resume when it is possible to do so
• The Dutyman system is also suspended at this time and we will operate strictly on a volunteer basis

Please note that there will be no safety boat cover during the lockdown period.

The club house and changing rooms remain closed until further notice.

As always during these ever-changing times your committee are once again working hard to navigate the club through the latest announcement from HM Government.

We had another extra ordinary committee meeting last night to discuss what we know at the moment and the impact and initial actions we must take.

It is with much frustration and sadness that once again we must close the club house. Due to these regulations the club will close initially from Wednesday evening at 22.00hrs at least until the 2^nd December or until such times that HM Government allow us to open.

We have far more knowledge and experience of how we may operate safely for each element of our club and see the elements in 5 specific categories:

1. Club House, Bar & Restaurant
2. On the Water Activities
3. Dinghy Park Access
4. Toilet Access
5. Changing Room Access

As always with these announcements the devil is in the detail and as a committee, we have postponed any decision on items 2 – 5 until that detail is clearly defined or by tomorrow evening 4^th November.

Our promise to the members is that if we can retain any element of the club this time we will do. However as always this will only be done after careful consideration to the safety of all staff and members.

Further advice to follow

In the meantime, keep safe
Kind Regards
Steve Hopper, Commodore

Hi All

Once again, we have yet another consideration to guide our club through. On the 12^th of October, to be implemented on the 17^th October, the government announced yet another version of how the country must try to fight the virus. This, as I’m sure you are aware, brought in different measures in different locations. The government refer to this as a tier system, but is also known as Medium (Tier 1), High (Tier 2) and Very High (Tier 3) levels of alert – restrictions.

The guidance to this which was published just recently,  gives us as a club a further dilemma. Our members are generally local but also come from areas in different Tiers. See at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know

You can also find out which Tier you are in at : https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions

The club is still in Tier 1 so we are not affected as far as opening is concerned at this point.

However again, this does affect how we as a club must operate.

In short:

If you are in Tier 1 then you can continue to enjoy the club under its current restrictions

If you are in a Tier 2 area you may only sit at a table with people from your household or one person living alone who you have exclusively formed a single bubble with.

If you are in Tier 3 then you may not visit the club at present.

This for the club is almost impossible for us to police so we have to ask you to be aware of which Tier your home address is in and abide by the rules accordingly to ensure all are safe when visiting our club. We would also respectfully ask that you add which tier you are in when signing in please.

This I know is far from ideal and all I can say is your committee will work swiftly and diligently to amend any rules as soon as we are able to do so.

In the meantime, keep safe
Kind Regards
Steve Hopper Commodore

Please click on the link to view the 2020/21 Winter and Icicle Series SI’s.

Please note the slight change in start schedule.

Winter-Icicle Series & Frozen Sheets SI’s 2020-21

Good news, the staff member’s father has tested negative for Covid.  Unfortunately he is very poorly. We send our best wishes and wish him a speedy recovery.

The club has been thoroughly cleaned this morning and will remain open until 10pm this evening.

If you have any questions please call the club.  01702 587563

Dear Members,

This is to inform you that the club will be opening later than usual, at 12:30 today and may close after dining at 8:00pm due to a staffing issue. Notification of this will follow.

The reasons for this are that we have again been notified of a Covid 19 case that could affect club bar staff. This is due to the fact that the father of one staff member is currently being treated as a positive Covid 19 case and so that staff member has been told to isolate.

To make it clear the guidance says until that staff member (now in isolation) shows symptoms the club can continue to operate with its remaining staff following as it has, the relevant guidelines for covid safety as we have continually throughout. However as a precaution I have instructed a deep sanitizing clean of the Bar, Kitchen and club house. This will not be completed until 12:30. We do maintain a high standard and the measures in place are designed to keep staff, visitors and members safe.

I have increased this safety today by asking for that deep clean and adding in increased hand sanitizing behind the bar and in the kitchen. Please all do use the sanitizing facilities provided regularly.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but we feel it is in the best interests of the club, its visitors and you the members to ensure we maintain a high standard of sanitization and cleaning to keep you safe.

Kind regards
Wayne A Miller, Vice Commodore

There are a number of windsurfing boards and Kayaks currently lying in the dinghy park many of which appear abandoned. If any are owned by members you are reminded that in order to be kept in the boat park you will need to pay a winter storage fee and insure your equipment has a winter storage label on it. The winter storage fee is a princely sum of £1.17 a foot. Any such equipment in the boat park will be removed and disposed of if found to have no winter storage paid. For those of you who wish to dispose of your unwanted boards and cannot take them home please leave by the rubbish bin out front and i will ensure they disappear.