Boat Hire Agreement

SDSC Boat Hire agreement.

(Latest update October 2022)

All persons hiring club equipment agree to these terms personally, or by parent/guardian/loco-parentis consent prior to taking equipment on the water.

SDSC have a fleet of dinghies, windsurf kit and SUPs, to support the learning and progression of members and potential members.

Availability of Equipment

Club equipment is available during times of scheduled club activity, scheduled as 'Casual Watersports' on the club calendar.

Club equipment may also be available in addition to these times by arrangement, for example if there are additional club events, or on rare occasions by arrangement with a committee member and keyholder.

What equipment is available & pricing

The equipment that the club has availble for use, along with pricing and timing details, are aavailable in the club handbook on Page 10 or on the club website here: https://members.scalingdam.org/the-club/hire-club-boats

Hirer competency

As detailed on the club equipment page above.

'The Rules'

When hiring a club boat, you (the hirer) agree to:

• 1.Respect and look after equipment as if it were your own:
• a) Consider your own experience and abilities, along with the prevailing conditions, in order to make a suitable & responsible decision about whether or not to go afloat.
• b) Inspect the equipment before use, reporting any issues or damage prior to going afloat.
• c) Rig the boat yourself, seeking assistance from club staff or instructors where required, using the rigging guides/instructions where provided.
• d) Put all the equipment away yourself, put covers on and tie boats down properly.
• e) Use the trollies provided do not drag dinghy hulls up the beach!! (only exception plastic optibats that have no trollies). Do not land on other beaches and shores around the reservoir for the same reason, unless doing so as part of a training exercise on a course or in case of emergency.
• f) Roll up, furl, or lower sails when returning ashore for an extended period of time. E.G. Do not leave them flogging in the wind whilst you have your lunch.
• g) Do not put masts on the beach! Please put masts into their boats on the lawn, making an effort not to get sand, grit and other abrasive dirt into the mast steps.
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• 2.Act responsibly whilst afloat:
• a) Take care during launch and recovery to avoid damage to foils, pulling them up in good time in shallow water and releasing downhaul lines etc.
• b) Comply with the IRPCS and the RRS when applicable, taking reasonable care to avoid collisions (International regulations for preventing collisions at sea, and the Racing Rules of Sailing).
• c) Club boats are not provided for the purposes of continuous capsizes, inversions and general messing about, during which there is a high chance of muddying sails, bending masts and damaging mast steps.
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• 3.Accept that wear and tear and damages happen, and you may be liable for repair costs:
• a) Report any accidents and/or damage that have happened whilst you are using the equipment. We need to be able to fix things prior to their next use!
• b) Wear and tear through normal use is to be expected and worn-out parts should be replaced by the club when necessary. Please report if you find anything on a boat which is getting worn out. (Equipment hire fees contribute towards the costs of maintenance, insurance and depreciation.)
• c) Damages and losses that are beyond normal wear and tear, and caused through the fault of the hirer, should be made good in the same way that they would have to if it were their own boat, by one of the following options (usually paying the lessor of):
• i) Payment to the club a fee of £100 to contribute towards the insurance excess & associated costs (loss of no claims discount / rise in premium, admin time etc). The members' liability is limited to payment of this excess where the repair/replacement costs exceed it. NB this fee is payable whether or not the club officers decide to submit an insurance claim.
• ii) Payment of the cost of the damage repairs and/or replacement parts.
• iii) Where appropriate and with agreement of the club officers, the member may make good any damage themselves and/or replace missing/broken parts as long as they are of similar type and quality.
• d) 'Wear and tear through normal use' includes most damages and breakages that occur during normal activity where there is no obvious fault or omission from the user. Examples include: ropes, fittings & sails breaking/tearing in normal conditions from getting tired and worn; old masts breaking during accidental capsizes.
• 'Damages caused through the fault of the hirer' include situations where the user has not taken proper care of equipment or has failed to comply with the appropriate rights of way rules. Examples include: damage to hulls by pulling a boat up the beach without a trolley; damage through collisions where the hirer is deemed to be at fault (through protest hearing or decision from club officers based on evidence received).