Orientation Booklet
2023 Club Officers
Commodore: Lisa Herbster
First Vice-Commodore: Open seat
Fleet Vice-Commodore: Kim Steiert
Education and Training Vice-Commodore: Chris Sinnett
Events Vice-Commodores: Kathy Sinnett
Membership Vice-Commodore: Kimberly Guman
Secretary: Ken Nusbaum
Treasurer: Nancy Parker
Affiliated Club Representatives:
Halifax Youth Sailing: Steve Caron
Embry Riddle Sailing Club: Chris Herbster
Hobie Fleet 80: Dave Dunn
Club Address: 15 Fremont Ct., Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Club Website: www.halifaxsailing.org
History
In 1957, a dozen or so local sailors founded the Halifax Sailing Association. In the 1960’s the club stored the few Optimist Prams that they owned in a shed on City Island and over the years developed the club’s training program and taught many kids to sail.
In 1985 the current pavilion was built by the City of Daytona Beach. The clubs first website appeared in 2002. The summer of 2004 brought a series of tropical storms and hurricanes which caused significant damage to the pavilion and the club’s fleet. The city provided the concrete stepped seawall in 2005. US Sailing certification of the sailing school and instructors began in 2007 and the youth program was spun off in 2008 to become Halifax Youth Sailing. In 2014 the decades’ long process to obtain IRS approval for our 501 c 3 charitable organization status was completed.
From the beginning, the mission of the club has been to promote the sport of sailing in the Halifax area.
Dr. Herb Kerman, a founding member of the Halifax Sailing Association
Incorporation
Sailing Center, Inc. is a registered Florida corporation doing business as the Halifax Sailing Association and has been approved by the IRS as a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt charitable organization. The club’s facility is leased from the City of Daytona Beach.
Organization
Commodore:
Overall HSA management
Run monthly HSA meeting and set agenda
Represent HSA at outside events
Present a short term and long term action plan for the approval by the club each year
First Vice Commodore:
Assume duties and powers of the Commodore during Commodore’s absence
Make report at monthly BOD and General Membership meetings
Facility Captain, organize all repairs needed for the pavilion
Yard Captain, organize lawn care, fence, gate, and beach needs
Dock Captain, organize use and repairs
Fleet Vice Commodore:
Make report at monthly meeting
Coordinate all Boat Captains
Manage maintenance and repairs of all HSA vessels
Coordinate vessel donations to/from HSA
Education and Training Vice Commodore
Make report at monthly meeting
Coordinate sailing classes
Manage sailing instructors and assistants
Events Vice Commodore
Make report at monthly meeting
Manage planning, execution of HSA events
Obtain and coordinate volunteers to serve as Event Captains and Committee Members
Membership Vice Commodore
Make report at monthly meeting
Work with Treasurer to account for dues money
Manage membership applications, qualifications and dues collection
Manage Gold and Silver space assignments and maintenance
Manage member access card system
Secretary
Take minutes at all meetings, type and submit for website and Mainsheet
Present the prior month's minutes at the General Membership Meeting
Maintain & organize in a central storage, files of legal records, lease, charter, & original copies of all forms used
Treasurer:
Maintain a detailed Profit & Loss report by event, boat, and other
Maintain the checkbook and register
Present detailed monthly reports at the General Membership Meeting
Dues Collections
Head a committee to develop the budget for the new year
Present proposed budget to members for discussion and approval
Provide a procedure for requesting expenditures and checks
Past Commodore:
Affiliate Club Appointed Representatives on the Board of Directors:
Halifax Youth Sailing
Embry Riddle Sailing Club
Hobie Fleet 80
Membership
Basic Membership is a family membership that entitles the member (and immediate family members) to the use of club boats and facilities. Dues are $200 per calendar year per family. Members who join after September 30 will be paid-up for the current year and the entire following year. Members may sail any boats that they are qualified to sail as often as they wish without additional charge. Since HSA is a non-profit organization, all members are encouraged to volunteer their time to do the club's work.
Student Membership is an individual membership for full time undergraduate students providing the benefits of Basic Membership at a reduced rate, $100 per calendar year.
Silver Membership is for Basic or Student Members who wish to keep an approved sailing dinghy on a dolly in a designated storage area on club property. The charge for Silver Membership is an additional $120 per sailing dinghy (max 2).
Gold Membership is for Basic or Student Members who wish to keep one approved yacht tender or sail boat on a trailer in sailable condition in a designated spot on club property. Gold members must sail their boats at least six times per year and meet other “participation” guidelines. The charge for Gold Membership is an additional $300.
Silver and Gold Memberships are space available and you should not sign up for these memberships without pre-approval from the Membership Vice-Commodore.
Our Facilities
The pavilion is the central hub of all the club’s activities. It consists of the pavilion area, restrooms, garage/sail room and secure storage room (the annex).
The dock, boat lift and floating dock provide berthing for our larger boats and our safety boat. The floating dock is just that and as such can really rock when a large wake passes – watch your step. Boats should not be left unattended on the floating dock without permission.
The “yard” surrounding the pavilion is for HSA, HYS, ERAU, Gold and Silver member boats stored in assigned spaces/areas. Space is extremely limited.
Because room for automobile parking is so limited, please park outside the gate during an event. While the interior yard may look empty, plenty of swing room is needed to maneuver boats into their spaces. If there is any chance your vehicle may block a space and you leave the area, to go sailing for instance, be sure that you leave your keys so that the vehicle may be moved. Be respectful of other member’s needs.
Our Fleet
Our fleet composition varies with time as we acquire and retire vessels. Check the "Our Fleet" page on our website for fairly up to date information or with the Fleet Vice-Commodore for specific up to the minute information. Since we are a small boat club we have quite a few small centerboard/daggerboard dinghies. We also have a few multihulls and keelboats.
Qualifying To Sail Club Boats
If you are an experienced sailor, you may qualify to sail the dinghies by having a helpful member show you how we rig each specific boat and by having that member observe you sailing from our beach until he or she is satisfied that you are capable of safely sailing that vessel. Experienced sailors may check out on the keelboats by completing the procedure outlined on the website: “Policy and Procedure For Use of Keel Boats – 18’ and Over” The way you can satisfy these requirements is to come to the club and sail the various keelboats with someone who is going sailing, for instance, one of the Big Boys Races, a Bread Pudding/Lunch Run, or by mutual arrangement with someone checked out on keelboats. After sailing a few times you can ask one of the boat captains to go over the list of requirements with you so that he may sign you off on the various items. Then contact the Fleet VC to get the checkout.
If you are new to sailing, you may take one of our Adult Sunfish “Learn to Sail” classes given each summer. You may also go out on any of our vessels with other members if there is room. The monthly “Big Boys Race” provides a good opportunity for new sailors to experience sailing in our larger boats, come early and indicate you would like to crew on any available boat (no experience required).
When Sailing Club Boats
Plan your sail, obtain a weather forecast and tide information prior to departure and monitor conditions as you sail. Sign out and back in the Boat Sign-Out Log. Always maintain a proper lookout and practice defensive sailing. We all sail with PFD’s when using club boats and wear shoes at all times.
Most our sailing is done between the Orange Avenue Bridge to the north and the Dunlawton Bridge to the south. We strongly discourage attempting to proceed past those bridges unless there is a motor on your vessel. Shifting winds and tides can pay havoc with what appears at first glance to be an easy task.
Always leave the boat in better condition than you found it. If everyone does this, the boats will always be in tip top shape for the next user. If there is broken gear, be sure to note it in the maintenance section of the Sign Out Logbook and contact the boat captain as to the nature of the problem so that it can be rectified.
Safety and Security
In everything we do, safety is paramount. Nothing takes the fun out of sailing faster than someone getting hurt.
In our races safety is stressed even more than winning. Our races are what you might consider low key in terms of a “gung ho” mentality.
It is important that a responsible person know that you are sailing so we require adherence to the “two man (sailor) rule” – you may sail with two sailors in a boat or two single handed boats sailing together or one sailor sailing and a responsible person ashore. It is, in fact, a good idea if someone ashore knows you are sailing and monitors your progress and return. Always sign out and back in the “Boat Sign-out Log”.
An access card is provided for each family and each individual membership. The card will allow access to the gate, the restrooms and the storage garage/sail room where all the equipment is stored. Additional cards for family members may be purchased from the Membership VC. Cards should be returned to the Membership VC when you discontinue your membership in the club.
For security reasons, if you decide to go sailing and there are no other members remaining, you should close the gate and the building doors. If you are the last one to leave the facility, be sure to close everything.
Adult Sailing Classes
The club offers Adult Sunfish “Learn to Sail” and Intermediate Capri classes each summer. These classes are an excellent way for club members (as well as non-club members) to learn how to sail. Keelboat classes are also offered from time to time throughout the year. More information and schedules may be found on the club website.
Youth Sailing
Halifax Youth Sailing, an affiliated club that shares our facility, provides many sailing opportunities for young sailors including Sailing Camp in the summer and a sailing team the rest of the year. A link to the HYS website may found on the club website.
Racing
The club usually hosts four “Official” races a year. These races are posted on the US Sailing Association racing website, may have an entry fee, online registration and often have sailors from other clubs.
Special club series are often scheduled, a winter or summer series. These races have no entry fee or registration.
The monthly Fun Run Around The Buoys and Big Boyz Race are a tradition at HSA. We try to get as many club boats as possible on the water for these events and encourage new sailors to come out and participate.
Race Nights are an informal gathering of dinghy racers late in the afternoon on days and at times that vary throughout the year.
Up to date race information may be found on the Calendar page of the club website.
Other Events
Bimonthly General Membership meeting are usually held on the first Thursday of every other month (check Calendar page of website) in the Pavilion at 6:30 pm. This is where all the members have an opportunity to hear both what has happened and what is planned for the next month as well as reports from the Board of directors. We try to keep the meetings to about an hour.
Family Fun Days occur at non-scheduled intervals and are presented to encourage the entire family to come out and participate. There will be food/drinks (possibly covered dish arrangement) and sailing games for all ages. Events like a relay race using the Sunfish or short races right in front of the Pavilion are known to happen.
Any other event our Events Vice-Commodore can come up with. Check the Calendar page of the website.
Basic Club Rules
No recreational swimming from the beach or docks
No diving or fishing from the docks
Equipment used must be put away when done
Shoes must be worn at all times
No pets
PFD’s to be worn when operating HSA boats
HSA boats must be signed out and returned in the Boat Sign Out Log
Use the buddy system (two-man rule) when sailing
15 Knot maximum wind limit for HSA boats
Night use of the facility is limited to scheduled meetings or club activities
Boat Storage Rules
Boats must be stored off the ground on dollies, trailers, permanent structures or plastic matting to ensure proper yard/grounds maintenance.
Boats must be marked with the appropriate club designation.
Only sailable vessels will be allowed to remain on the property.
No motor boats will be stored except for rescue/safety boats.
Storage of personal vessels will be allowed only through Silver and Gold membership.
At anchor boats are to remain moored off shore and are permitted at the dock for short periods only.
Facility and Grounds Maintenance Rules
Each Affiliate club has a designated area for boat and equipment storage.
Each affiliate club must maintain their designated area. This includes cutting the grass and weeds if needed, picking up trash and debris and keeping the property in an attractive, clean and sanitary condition.
Only minor repair of small boats is permitted on the premises. Our lease with the City of Daytona Beach specifically states that our facilities shall not be used for major maintenance or overhauling of large personal boats or for the maintenance and repair of any other vehicles, including cars.
We are an all-volunteer organization, if you see something out of place, please put it back where it belongs. When you are through using the facility, leave it the way you would want to find it the next time you visit.
Hints for New Members
From time to time we have a member indicate that they are somewhat disappointed in their interaction with the club. They say they do not feel that the club makes it easy for them to take advantage of the club’s activities and that club members are not very welcoming to them. Why is it so hard to get started? It’s a valid question.
If you had joined a yacht club or rented a boat from a commercial operator, there would be an employee, someone who gets paid, helping you. We have no paid employees to do this task. As in the case of cleaning, maintaining the grounds and boats, managing the club’s administrative functions and teaching the clubs classes, it is a volunteer who does the work. And like many clubs of our type, a surprisingly small percentage of the membership does most of the work. So, the clubmember you meet at the club and ask for assistance just may be busy doing the club’s work. They are usually happy to answer questions but may not be able to do much more than that.
Do not despair! There are some time tested ways to become a contented, fully functional member of the club.
- Realize that you will be the one who makes it happen.
- Research the club. The website has lots of info, especially the Members section. Start with the Orientation, then read over the minutes of our meetings. If you have an interest in sailing the keelboats, read Policy and Procedure For Use of Keel Boats – 18’ and Over on the Keelboat page.
- Come to the club often, especially on Thursday Workdays. If you can’t make Thursdays, check the club calendar for days with events. If you come on a race day, consider helping as a member of the race committee.
- If you have a skill that is of value to the club, fiber glass worker, rigger, outboard mechanic, certified CG Captain, IT expert, sanitary engineer (janitor) or whatever, become the go-to person for that activity.
- When you come, see if there is something that needs doing - and do it.
- Start small. If you know how to sail, start with our Sunfish. Ask around for someone to show you how to rig the boat and have a short sail, that is all there is to the checkout. If you do not know how to sail, take the Learn to Sail Adult Sunfish Class. Sunfish sailing is fun, requires very little investment in time and being observed sailing will help establish your sailing "creds".
The most important things you can do are to act like you want to help and get to know the other members and let them get to know you.