Regulations: Section III
Regulation Table of Contents
III. Boat Use
A. Member safety requirements:
1. Practice safety at all times:
a. Know your own sailing skills, abilities and limitations. Practice your skills, and continue learning.
b. Know the crew’s skills, abilities and limitations. Show them PFD use, equipment location and simple tasks before leaving the mooring.
c. Know your skill level in managing the crew during all kinds of conditions and situations.
d. Know the abilities and limits of your boat and equipment. Know their pre-sail condition.
e. Learn and practice emergency procedures; practice them with crew.
f. Use vigilance and foresight, by looking for and anticipating potential problems. This includes bad weather, man-overboard, collisions; and dinghy operations.
g. Exercise caution. Always keep the safety of your passengers and boat as your most important responsibility.
h. In an emergency, where there is imminent danger to people onboard and/or the boat, you must request assistance, preferably from the U.S. Coast Guard or Chicago Police.
2. Help Sail Chicago monitor and enforce club safety, by monitoring boat use, and:
a. Reporting accidents, incidents, violations, or interactions (as defined in section IV.B.)
b. Reporting poor sailing technique, poor judgement, or any unsafe or inappropriate behavior.
c. Safety related issues should be reported to the Sailing Chairperson, Safety Director, or the Complaint Hotline.
B. Comply with all federal, state, and local laws, including:
1. Follow U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules.
2. Have a USCG approved type I, II, or III PFD on board, for each person on board
3. Make sure the boat registration is on board.
4. Do not dispose garbage or oil into lake.
5. No illegal drugs allowed on board.
6. Do not operate any boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
7. Do not trespass on yacht club property.
8. When instructed: stop and allow law enforcement officers to come aboard. Enforcement is typically by the U.S. Coast Guard, Illinois State Conservation Police, or the Chicago Police. No search warrant is required.
C. PFD requirements—skippers must require anyone under the age of eighteen (18) and anyone who is not able to swim, to wear a PFD at all times while on the water.
D. Dinghy Use
1. Observe procedures for handling and storage of dinghies.
2. Use only the dinghy assigned to the sailboat being used. If the dinghy assigned to your sailboat is out of commission, reserve a different boat and use the dinghy for that sailboat. If no other dinghy is available, share a dinghy with another skipper and use your originally assigned sailboat.
3. Pass the Dinghy chain through the iron ring and lock the ends of the dinghy chain together, and set the tumblers to '0000', before rowing out to the sailboat, and upon returning to the dinghy.
4. Have no more than 3 persons in a dinghy.
5. As stated in section III.B.2, have one PFD on board for each person on board.
6. A flashlight shall be carried in the dinghy from dusk until dawn.
E. Equipment inspection and maintenance requirements
1. Complete the Equipment Checklist on board the sailboat before leaving the mooring.
2. If anything is broken on the boat, then try to fix it yourself.
3. Call the Maintenance Hotline to keep us informed of any self-repaired problem.
4. Call the Maintenance Hotline to report missing, worn, or broken/irreparable equipment.
F. Sail use and storage
1. Fold sails neatly after use to prolong their life.
2. Do not use racing sails for non-racing rental.
3. Do not use spinnaker without having demonstrated thorough knowledge of its use, gained through a spinnaker or racing class.
G. Restricted sailing areas.
1. All sailing in Monroe Harbor shall be restricted to the east and west channels. Do not sail between the moored boats except to reach the mooring buoy.
2. All boats under sail shall only use the north harbor entrance, opposite Buckingham Fountain, and not the south entrance next to the Shedd Aquarium.
3. Rhodes 19 skippers shall not sail past these established boundaries:
North – Wilson Avenue, 4600 N
East – the four mile crib
South – 59th Street
4. Mooring practice shall only be done on empty mooring cans well removed from other boats or on floating markers that can be deployed in uncrowded areas of the inner or outer harbors. After a reasonable level of proficiency is achieved, the mooring can assigned to your may be used.
H. Docking.
1. Except in an emergency, no Shields or Monroe Harbor Rhodes should dock.
2. Docking is an incident that requires a report to the Safety Director, as per section IV.
I. Towing.
1. During an emergency, defined as imminent danger to persons onboard and/or the boat, towing is a prudent and justifiable option for a skipper. Any emergency towing fee incurred will be covered by Sail Chicago.
2. During a non-emergency situation, such as no wind or running late, the skipper is responsible for any towing fees. Program skippers are not exempt. WARNING: In 2000, the Chicago Police Marine Unit's towing fee was $300.
3. Every tow is an incident that requires a report to the Safety Director, as specified in section IV.
J. Miscellaneous skipper requirements.
1. Use only the boat reserved by you.
2. Skippers shall have their Sail Chicago Skipper Card in their possession while using Sail Chicago boats.
3. Before each sail, the skipper will ensure that each person aboard reads the Release of Liability sheet, then signs and dates below. This sheet is found on the back of the Equipment Checklist.
4. Do not sail the Rhodes with less than 2 persons aboard, or more than 6 persons aboard
5. First year skippers must have at least one other experienced skipper aboard. The other experienced sailor need not be a SC member.
6. Skippers shall not allow liquor on board.
7. Skippers will not allow persons to swim from a Sail Chicago boat.
8. Prior to the end of the reserved rental period, the Skipper is responsible for assuring that:
a. Return the boat to its assigned mooring buoy and secure it thereto.
b. Turn off the navigation lights and master switch.
c. Stow all equipment properly.
d. Return and lock the dinghy.
K. The programs of Sail Chicago including Motor Cruisers, Shields, and Rhodes Montrose Racing may promulgate additional regulations and rules for participation in their programs and activities. These regulations and rules may be published in the Annual Member Handbook, newsletters Between the Sheets and Byways, or other notice to members.