The club has developed these rules to avoid conflict, ensure safety, and promote a positive community at the Alaska Sailing Club. By submitting a membership form, you agree that you have read these rules, will abide by them, and accept that failure to do so may result in your membership being terminated, as stated in the ASC Bylaws Article III Section 3.
The rules were last revised on October 29th, 2016.
I. Driving on the club site
Please drive slowly and use caution and good judgment when driving on club property. This is for the safety of children, pets, and others. Traffic on the waterfront, between the sauna and hoist, is restricted due to safety concerns. To unload on the waterfront, please inform the other members present of your intentions so they may move their children and belongings out of the way.
II. Parking
The waterfront area between the lift and sauna building must be clear of boats, cars, trailers, campers, etc., to allow easy access to the docks and viewing of the lake. All roadways must be safely accessible by at least one vehicle width. Due to limited automobile parking on regatta weekends, we ask that guests use the public parking (fee required) at the public boat launch.
III. Facilities usage
The use of dock facilities is limited to sailboats and human-powered craft. Personal watercraft (jet skis, Wave Runners, etc.) are prohibited at the club site. Member-owned motorized craft may be authorized to use the two designated transient berths on B dock. Should the need arise, any motorized craft berthed at the ASC must be available for club usage as an emergency rescue boat.
IV. Life jackets
The ASC requires members and their guests to always wear a proper personal flotation device (PFD) on club boats. In addition, we require adult non-swimmers to wear a PDF when within the dock area or 20 feet of the lake. We also require children 12 and under to wear a life jacket anywhere on club grounds or docks. Finally, members and guests on all boats participating in club events must wear a proper PDF.
V. Alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco products
Use of a club boat is prohibited while intoxicated or while drinking alcoholic beverages. There is no smoking inside club buildings. Dispose of all associated waste products properly. All state laws apply while at the ASC; please have modesty, control, and respect for others regarding open consumption on ASC grounds.
VI. Club boat usage
The ASC maintains a fleet of boats for member use. To use a club boat, members must have been checked out by the Boat Committee, Education Committee, or members of the Board using the “Club Boat Checkout List.” In addition, members agree to keep the boat safe and clean, put away correctly when done, and be a “Member in Good Standing” as defined in Rule 23. Club boats and associated equipment may not leave the general club site or the Big Lake waterways without permission from the Board.
VII. Boat reservations
Except for regattas, club boats are only available in two-hour blocks. Please note the date and time you checked out a boat on the clubhouse whiteboard. You may check the boat out again if no one is waiting for the boat. Club boats are not available for general use during our sailing classes. They will only be available to students during these sessions. Club boats are not available during designated Outreach weeks. See the online calendar for details. The Ensign may be reserved up to a week in advance by contacting the Harbormaster or designee. Club members may reserve a specific boat for an entire regatta series. If the reserving member has not checked in with the race committee by the time of the Skippers’ Meeting, then the boat returns to a first come basis until chosen by another racer. At the end of each event day, the club boat is again available in two-hour blocks until the regatta reconvenes.
VIII. Tents
Tent campers are always welcome at the ASC. Please see the site map to locate the designated areas or ask a fellow ASC member for assistance.
IX. Campfires
On-ground campfires are prohibited outside approved fire pits; contact the Senior Vice-Commodore or Site Committee for direction.
X. Length of stay
No one shall permanently reside on the Alaska Sailing Club common property, facilities, or moorage. Requests for stays longer than 30 days must be sent to the Board and approved. The Board reserves the right to terminate prior approvals as deemed necessary.
XI. Club care and maintenance
Please remember that members perform all jobs. If something needs attention, please do your part by performing the necessary maintenance or contacting a board member. We encourage members to do one or more small jobs each time they are at the club and to participate in as many work parties as possible. Watch the email traffic and look in the clubhouse for the to-do list. Volunteering time at work parties and on projects is encouraged. A minimum of one work party a year is mandatory for all memberships. If a member cannot commit to the scheduled work parties, then an adjusted volunteer project can be requested from the Board to make up the requirement.
XII. Modifications to club facility and equipment
No one shall erect structures, mount permanent equipment, or significantly modify the club site’s facilities in a manner not approved by the Site Committee or Board. We appreciate all the help we can get, but projects must align with the 5-Year Site Plan. No one shall significantly modify club equipment or boats unless approved by the Harbormaster or Boat Committee. Rigging and equipment need to maintain conformity for easy usage by the membership. You can contact the Board to find out how to submit project requests and volunteer to lead the task.
XIII. Firewood
There is a limited supply of wood for members to use in the clubhouse, sauna, and campfires. Please be considerate and conservative when making a fire. We encourage everyone to find additional wood sources and take turns chopping, splitting, and stacking the wood. Replace the firewood you use in the clubhouse and sauna with wood from the wood box. Club trees are not to be cut without permission from the Site Committee or Board.
XIV. Garbage
Please haul out what you haul in. During club events, we recycle cans and plastic and haul garbage out. Members willing to take garbage and recycling materials are always welcome. Use caution with garbage to avoid attracting bears.
XV. Overnight docking
Overnight docking is welcome while you are present on the club site. Please secure club boats carefully to ensure that the hull and sails are not damaged by rubbing on the dock or other boats. If in doubt, ask for advice from other members. Overnight docking is prohibited if the boat owners are not on Club premises.
XVI. Dogs and pets
Having your pet at the club is a privilege. Dog and pet owners are asked to be considerate of other club members by supervising their pets carefully, being diligent about cleaning up all feces that they see (orange bags are provided at the clubhouse and sauna), and confining their pets while members are dining during potlucks or while the pet owner is sailing. Pets are not allowed in the clubhouse. Owners are requested to remove pets if they are behaving unsafely or if they become a nuisance for reasons including but not limited to persistent barking, tearing into trash, destruction of personal property, harassment of other animals or people, or serious complaints from neighboring properties. Pet privileges are for members only. Failure to follow these rules could result in losing pet privileges at the club.
XVII. Guests
Guests are welcome. Due to limited space and facilities, members planning to have more than five guests at once should contact the ASC Board members. The sponsoring host must be onsite at the ASC at all times while their guest(s) are present. As the hosting member, you must ensure that your guests follow the rules and respect club property and other people. Guests are not allowed to invite other guests. The sponsoring host must obtain a signed liability form from their guests and put it in the clubhouse. The guests must also sign that they have read and understood the club rules. Club boats are for the use of our members. Guests are welcome to be on the club boats with their hosts.
XVIII. Private parties and events
Members must apply to the Board before they schedule or hold any private party or event at the ASC. Permission will be given on a case-by-case basis, and certain fees and rules may apply.
XIX. Private businesses
No one shall operate a private business on Alaska Sailing Club common property, facilities, moorage, or boats. Requests for exceptional circumstances must be sent to the Board and approved by the majority. The Board reserves the right to terminate prior approvals as deemed necessary.
XX. Member status definitions
Member status will be used to prioritize certain club resources. The following definitions will be used with ASC procedures and guidelines outside this document.
A Member in Good Standing is a member who follows the rules and procedures, has made all necessary payments, and has contributed to at least one required work party a year or an adjusted volunteer project designated by the Board.
An Active Participating Member is defined as a member in good standing who has also done one of the following within the last year: worked in a volunteer capacity to forward our non-profit mission, participated in at least two ASC regattas as a racer or as race committee, or worked on a board-approved project designed to fulfill this requirement.
Alaska Sailing Club 