Duties and Volunteering
**Instructions for how to swap a duty are attached to this webpage - please scroll to the bottom**
The club is a non-commercial organisation and has no staff - everyone who supports the club with duties, committee membership etc is a volunteer with their own jobs, lives and commitments - this is what makes our club wonderful. Therefore, one commitment of your membership is to help run the club itself through duties & volunteering - duties are what makes our club function and we wouldn't be able to run without people attending them.
Sailing Season
During the sailing season you will be allocated duties in line with the allocation defined in the club rules, to run or assist the activities on that day. The club is not able to function without you, and this is also a great opportunity to get to know other members much better (as well as pick up sailing knowledge). Duties minimise membership costs, encourage everyone to get involved, and engender a club spirit. A successful sailing club is the result of the willing participation of its members.
Although the idea of a duty can appear daunting, especially to a new member, the duty calendar is constructed such that inexperienced members are partnered with experienced members to assist you. All members are happy to provide advice or assist you if you are unsure. The Duty Guide Book in the galley or duty instructions on the club documents page are a good starting point for new members, as it includes expected tasks and a break down of the role. It also provides a step by step guide on being a duty officer. With a little bit of preparation by reading the guide, the session will run smoothly and everyone at the club will appreciate your efforts.
Duty crew should aim to arrive at the sailing club 30 minutes before opening time, in order to setup the galley, unlock doors/gates, and launch the rescue boat (if a qualified powerboat driver).
Assistant Officers are there to provide assistance to the Officer of the Day and Rescue Driver. It would be a good idea to read not just the Assistant section of the duty guide, but also the Officer of the Day and the Rescue Driver sections to help you understand what your fellow duty crew's roles are and how you can assist.
There are full duty instructions on the club documents page of the website.
Alongisde duties, we encourage all members to not just sail but actively engage in the upkeep and embodiment of your club - please offer a hand wherever you see one is needed either on the water, in the club etc. Topping up the tuck shop (ask the treasurer regarding reclaim of expenses), powerboat fuel or bar, mowing the grass, cleaning round the club, updating documents, updating racing results and the like all rely on club members' support and we'd encourage anyone who can to support with these, and other, tasks to keep our club running.
Winter Work Parties
When the sailing season ends, there is still lots to be done around the club as this is when the majority of maintenance gets done. The club has NO staff and therefore, it relies on everyone chipping in.On Sundays in the winter, we get together to get the clubhouse, boats and grounds ready for the next season. Hot drinks and lunches are provided for all the happy workers and this is a fantastic way to meet people, get involved in the club and also learn a lot more about boat maintenance and possibly even some top sailing/rigging tips.
Volunteering
As well as duties the club relies on it's members to volunteer to participate in the running of the club & club events in order to keep it running. Here's just a few suggestion on how you could help:
- Cleaning the clubhouse e.g., mopping or sweeping floors or cleaning the galley surfaces
- Participating in Winter Working Parties helping to prepare your club for the new season
- Helping to organise social events such as the Christmas Dinner, Laying Up Supper and summer BBQs
- Volunteering to restock the tuck shop/bar/powerboat fuel
- Ad hoc maintenance e.g., mowing grass, fixing locks and jammy gates
- Updating IT systems e.g., for race results, website maintenance, bookable events etc.
- Serving in the galley, crewing the safety/committee boats or assisting in the race box at events such as the Youth League
Everyone is more than qualified to lend a hand and none of our are professionals so it's more than encouraged to get stuck in, help where you can and learn as you go (we all are!)
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Last updated 17:43 on 17 August 2026
