MBSC REPSONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE TO THE MEMBERSHIP
March 26, 2020
As the Covid-19 Pandemic has demanded a societal response, the Executive of MBSC has approved the following protocols and directives for our club. As the situation is dynamic, it is recognized that changes to these directives may be necessary, in which case the Executive will inform the membership of any changes that may be required.
Spring launch is postponed to Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7. Should a further delay be required, the next available date for launch is anticipated to be the weekend of June 27th.
Members who are unable to attend or wish not to launch will be accommodated, meaning that every effort will be made to respond to a given situation in a way that is reasonable for both the member and the club. It remains the responsibility of skippers to arrange an alternate if he/she is unable to be present at launch but the club will respond if needed. The responsibility of members to assist with the launch beyond being present to launch their own boats will be waived.
The small crane will arrive Saturday and launch ½ the boats. The large crane will be available on Sunday to launch the remaining vessels. . Skipper arrival will be staggered to reduce the numbers present and allow for appropriate social distancing. We will have a fixed crew each day who will work the entire shift and they will receive hours for this service. Appropriate health and safety protocols will be observed. Members and crews are instructed to take hard hats home and return them later in the season.
Cradles will be placed to the edges of the parking area where possible and dismantled when convenient for members. When possible, S,L&H will arrange for a fork lift and crew to store cradles.
The start of the season will be delayed at least until June with a view to rescheduling events currently scheduled for April and May as the status of the Covid-19 pandemic allows. Those events to be rescheduled include Bottoms Up, pub nights, Sail Past, the race program, informal gatherings and the AGM.
In the meantime, the clubhouse will remain closed and off limits. We ask all members to respect this necessity. If you must attend your boat, practice social distancing and respect other people’s right to do so. However, members are asked to keep in mind that the washrooms and all other conveniences of the clubhouse will not be available.
There will be other issues to be considered by the Executive arising out of this pandemic such as work hours, budgets, etc. The Executive will be dealing with these and other impacts due to the delay as more information and the extent of the delay become better known.
These are extraordinary times demanding unusual measures. Midland Bay Sailing Club members are expected to do their part in contributing to efforts to ease this pandemic. Our actions and sacrifices will play an important part in a difficult time.
Specific instructions regarding launch and social events will be communicated directly to those involved. Inquiries are encouraged and should be directed to Bruce Baker (slips@midlandbaysailingclub.com) or Iain McKinnon (social@midlandbaysailingclub.com). Other inquiries may be directed to the Commodore, Larry Donaldson (commodore@midlandbaysailingclub.com).