In The Wind: May 12, 2020
Jericho Sailing Centre Cautiously Reopening Saturday, May 16 to MEMBERS ONLY.
The Jericho Sailing Centre will re-open this Saturday, May 16 at 0930H under the Jericho Sailing Centre Stage 1 Covid-19 Safety Protocols. These protocols have been put in place to minimize the risk of spreading Covid-19 among the users, staff and volunteers of the Jericho Sailing Centre and must be strictly adhered to. The Galley and our partner schools will not be open during Stage 1.
The main gate will be the only access point during Stage 1. Everyone entering the Jericho Sailing Centre must: wear a facemask at all times, register upon entry, wash their hands frequently, stay physically distanced at all times, and of course, be kind to each other. Have your JSCA member card with you and registration will be a quick card swipe. Disposable masks will be available upon donation for those who arrive without. Guests accompanying members will be required to provide their name and phone number. All ocean gates will remain locked until needed for boat launching or retrieval.
To support the Jericho Sailing Centre Covid-19 Safety Protocols we have set up temporary washroom, changeroom, shower and handwash stations throughout the compound. Showers and changerooms within the building will not be available. Interior washrooms will have an occupancy of 1 and people with accessibility challenges will be given priority.
All traffic within the Jericho Sailing Centre hallways and staircases, will be One Way only to support physical distancing. Please look for directional signage through-out the building and compound. The JSCA office will be accessible via 2 service windows on the east exterior wall under a temporary awning. We encourage people who haven’t yet paid their 2020 fees to renew on-line to avoid congestion in this area.
The success of our Stage 1 re-opening depends on the cooperation of our entire Jericho community. Two months ago, we had the same pandemic operating plan as everyone else-we had no plan. We expect to be tweaking and tuning the Jericho Sailing Centre Covid-19 Safety Protocols through-out the summer as things evolve. We value our member feedback and input to help the Jericho Sailing Centre Association minimize the risk to all.
We look forward to releasing the boats and boards of Jericho back into Vancouver’s largest playground. Once you have navigated through our land based safety protocols, the natural, soul soothing benefits of ocean recreation will instantly bring you back to a favorite place. There is no better treatment for a quarantined Covid-19 hangover than a good healthy dose of Vitamin Sea-enjoy it!
Jericho Sailing Centre Covid-19 Safety Protocols Stage 1 Hours 0900H-2100H commencing May 16
Stage 2 including Galley, schools and public access expected to begin May 25
Message from the Chair – Chris Stairs
Dear Jericho Members; It’s with a cautiously celebratory note that I can announce the Jericho Sailing Centre Association will begin a gradual and phased re-opening of its facility and operations starting this May Long Weekend. We have timed our decision in accordance with the recently unveiled BC Restart Plan, as delivered by Premier Horgan this past week. We are also following guidelines and protocols as recommended by the City of Vancouver, and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
On behalf of the Staff and Board Directors, I want to thank all of you for your patience and support during the last eight weeks. These have been truly unprecedented times; times that have brought real difficulties for each and every one of our dedicated members, and our Society as a whole. Unstable employment, financial hardship, home-schooling demands, illness, and even simple loneliness – it’s been incredibly hard on all of us.
It did not help matters being denied the chance to pursue those kinds of passions and pastimes which help sustain our mental and physical well-being. Social isolation has proven a critical strategy in the fight to curtail the rapid spread of Covid-19. But it can be detrimental to our health in many other ways. So we are pleased that we can, once again, begin to enjoy our time back on the water.
Having said that, I would ask each of you to take a moment to carefully read our Jericho Sailing Centre Covid-19 Safety Protocols. We will begin re-opening portions of our building and compound to “Members-Only.” And it is important that we maintain a high standard of personal, hygienic safety at all times. Masks will be mandated until otherwise noted. And we will ask you to continue to practice social distancing while in the compound, or permitted areas of the building complex.
We are hopeful that we can forge ahead through further stages of our phased re-opening, and do so in relatively short order. But we will ultimately make these decisions based on further updates from our provincial and municipal authorities.
We thank you again for all your support. And we look forward to seeing you soon!
Be safe. Take care.
Sincerely,
Chris Stairs
Board Chair
| Facemask Photo of the Week Contest Facemasks are the required summer fashion within the Jericho Sailing Centre for the forseeable future, so we are going to have a little fun with it by posting the Facemask Photo of the Week contest. Weekly winners will receive the newly designed Jericho Sailing Centre ball cap, the perfect accessory for your distinctive facemask. Send your photo entry via “in the wind” reply email. |
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Safety on the Ocean is your Responsibility
On the ocean there are elements of risk that common sense and personal awareness can help reduce. Regardless of how you decide to use the ocean always show courtesy to others. Please adhere to the code listed below and share with others the responsibility for a safe ocean experience.
It is every member’s responsibility to know and observe the rules of the road when on or near the water. Here are some key rules which every Jericho member must know and practice.
0.5 IT IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO AVOID A COLLISION
1. Always wear your P.F.D. on the water.
2. Sail powered craft have the right of way over power craft, paddle and rowing powered craft.
3. All non-commercial vessels shall keep well clear of commercial vessels.
4. It is illegal and extremely dangerous to pass between a tug and it’s tow.
5. A port tack sailing vessel shall keep clear of a starboard tack vessel.
6. A windward vessel shall keep clear of a leeward vessel.
7. A vessel clear astern shall keep clear of a vessel ahead.
8. Any vessel overtaking another shall keep clear.
9. A vessel tacking or gybing shall keep clear of a vessel on a tack.
10.The area south of the orange can buoys is for training or transiting only.
11.Swimming or wading on the beach in front of the Centre is prohibited and is particularly dangerous for small children.
12.It is unsafe to loiter or let children play near the bottom of launching ramps.
13. Stay well clear of the end of the Jericho Pier as fishers cast lines as far as possible
14. Be cautious of pathway traffic when launching/retrieving
15. Do not leave your craft on the shoreline for extended periods of time
Always do a careful pre-launch safety check of your craft equipment and crew
Common sense goes a long way toward maintaining a safe environment. Membership in the Jericho Sailing Centre Association is contingent on members knowing and observing the Safe Ocean Sailing rules.
Donate to Jericho
The Jericho Sailing Centre Association, like many of the people we serve, has been adversely affected financially by the Covid-19 global pandemic crisis. As a not-for-profit community organization that receives no direct or regular funding from government, we are working very hard to manage our essential operating costs during these difficult days. We will still do our best, however, to work with individual members who simply can’t pay their 2020 fees, at this time, due to financial hardship resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
For our members who are not so economically disadvantaged, we welcome your donations to help the Jericho Sailing Centre weather the storm. It has been the good will and financial support of a strong membership base that has allowed us to build our Society over the last 46 years. We ask you to do your very best to help sustain our operations during this difficult time. That can be as simple as providing your membership and storage fees according to our regular payment schedule. Or perhaps offering an extra cash contribution. Donate to Jericho