COVID 19 Updates

Thirty years ago, the Hull Yacht Club began hosting the Great Chase Race.   The goal of the event was to gather all types of sail boats, cruising boats, handicap boats, one design boats, big and small, to participate and celebrate the sport of sailing.  Last year we had over 115 boats and over 400 sailors participate both on the water and at the party.  The COVID-19 virus has certainly changed our lives and has forced us to think about how we will run this year’s event. The GCR Organizing Committee is committed to keeping all participants safe during this Pandemic.  With safety in mind, the 2020 Great Chase Race will take place with the expanded goal of gathering boats of all types, to celebrate the sport of sailing, safely.  This means we will have a race only.  There will NOT be any pre or post race social activities at Hull YC due to COVID common sense and State mandated restrictions.

For more information go to:  https://www.regattaman.com/def_event_page.php?race_id=1&yr=2020

If you are interested in joining us, please use this link to Register for HYC Great Chase Race (Quarantine Edition).

The Great Chase Race Committee

Governor Baker announced that on July 6, Phase III (here) of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan will begin and updates on gatherings will be in effect. 

As a board, we have started work on how we hopefully will be able to expand usage and access to the club facilities in this Phase.

Under the Governor’s announcement of Phase III, we are still required to comply with any local directives.

For this reason,  there are no changes to the current rules and protocols at the club. 

I’d like to thank the membership and the Junior sail program for their compliance and patience demonstrated up to this point.

Most importantly, please remember:

• Masks are always mandatory at HYC
• Social distancing for those not from the same household
• Register IN the Contact Tracing Logbook

This and other emails we’ve sent are on the club homepage http://hullyc.org/

Thank you and have a happy and safe 4th of July on the water

HYC Executive Board

After a great deal of planning and hard work, and with support from the Junior Sail board, the Executive Board, and the town Board of Health, we are pleased to announce a Junior Sail program starting June 29.  We feel the plan balances the critical health and safety concerns of all members with the need to provide a safe and constructive outlet for the children who have been terribly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Highlights of the 2020 program:

• Designed around compliance with the state of Massachusetts COVID-19 guidelines
• Children of club members only
• No unattended minors at the club at any time
• Face masks will be worn by all sailors and instructors at all times
• Staggered drop-off and pick-ups to reduce group sizes
• Sailors will not be at the club if the weather does not permit sailing

Full details of the plan will be available on the Junior Sailing pages of the website in the next week.

The primary place where members will interact with the Junior Sailing is the dinghy dock.  The junior sailing program seeks to minimize those impacts:

• Sailors will potentially be accessing the Opti racks adjacent to the dinghy docks at the times below.  The dock will not be constantly busy during these times, but they will be busier than the hours in between.
  • 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM – Beginner program launch
  • 11:AM – 12:00 AM – Beginner program return
  • 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Advanced program launch
  • 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Advanced program return
• Access to the launch will be unimpeded but for 5-minute windows when classes are bringing their sails up and down the ramp.
• Instructors are absolutely willing to move the classes out of the way if you need to access your dinghy while Optis are being unloaded from the racks.  Please ask an instructor if you need passage.

We respectfully ask members to remove their dinghies from the 420 floats as soon as possible as we will be starting to install the cradles and launching the 420’s as early as Monday.

As always, you can address questions or comments to junior.sailing@hullyc.org.

Thank you

The Hull Yacht Club Junior Sail Board

We’re pleased to announce the launch service has started. Hours and changes will be posted on the website beginning Monday 6/15. Currently, the launch is running from 8 am to 9 pm daily. The launches will be disinfected between each run.

With the state’s move to phase 2, we can allow guests to accompany members. Please remember that the posted policies must be followed.

Most importantly: Please remember:

• Masks are always mandatory at HYC
• Social distancing for those not from the same household
• Register IN the Contact Tracing Logbook

The launch drivers have been trained in the regulations of how many people, with a maximum of two households, they can take on a single journey. Please be patient and respectful to the drivers especially at high volume times when they are under the most stress. They will guide you to your location on the launch and SHOW YOU the protocol for boarding and disembarking.

The clubhouse remains closed to everyone except employees and those who are attending to tasks approved by the E-Board.

Thank you.

HYC Executive Board

Although the clubhouse is still closed and there are a lot of restrictions in place, there are a lot of good things happening at HYC too.  We have been approved by the Hull Harbormaster to run our launch service once we are ready.  Our biannual USCG Drydock Inspection is scheduled for June 5^th.  Assuming that goes well, we will then be able to launch the boats and do our annual in water inspection.  We hope to be up and running in mid-June.  As we get closer, we will send out a firm date along with the launch policy/procedures.  Please note that this delay in service has been due to the USCG not inspecting boats and our date being delayed.  Other clubs that may be running most likely are on their off year for Drydock Inspection.

As required by the state, we will now be using a Contact Tracing Logbook.  This will be located at the main entrance to the club and is to be filled out by everyone entering the club no matter the duration.  It will be a sign in/sign out with a few other details.  There will be a sanitation station with the logbook.  The book will be out when Sue or the launch drivers are on duty.  In the off hours we plan to use a passive camera system to capture people arriving and leaving the club.

The clubhouse remains closed to everyone except employees and those who are attending to tasks approved by the E-Board.  We are however moving forward with cleaning and necessary inspections so when we are able to offer clubhouse access, we will be ready. 

Please remember that the posted policies in place must be followed.  Most importantly:

• Masks are always mandatory at HYC
• Social distancing for those not from the same household
• No Guests at anytime

Sue and the launch staff will be reminding members who are not in compliance.  Please share this info with all members of your household.  We cannot jeopardize being able to operate the club by not complying with these policies that have been handed down to us.

This year is a very different year at HYC, and we are all in this together.  We are honored to be on the Executive Board and often get asked by members, what can I do to help?  Please comply with all of these COVID related restrictions.  Help us keep HYC safe for everyone and we will get through this.

Thank you.

HYC Executive Board

The following guidelines are in effect for the entire Hull Yacht Club facilities and grounds.

• Masks must be worn at all times while on club premises.
• Members only – no guests.
• Maintain social distance of 6 ft. at all times.
• No unaccompanied children.
• No Ice until clubhouse opens.
• Trash: Carry in / carry out.

All of the guidelines are based on the recommendations for recreational boating that Governor Baker issued May 18, 2020.

• Wipe down hoist hook, box and controller before and after use.
• When available, an employee will operate the hoist.
• No shed usage at any time.

• Dock access limited to persons using dinghies
• One person, or household, on ramp at a time. No passing.
• No swimming
• Wait in turn for dinghy access using social distancing of 6 ft.
• 2 boats allowed at dock at one time and on opposite sides for maximum of 30 minutes
• No loitering on ramps or docks.
• No assistance with docking or tying lines

• No clubhouse entrance at any time. Employees only.
• One-way entering and leaving the porch. When arriving, use main Entrance only. When leaving, use ramp side of porch.
• No congregating on porch
• No use of picnic tables and no grilling
• Request cart usage from an employee. Usage on ramp side of clubhouse only.

I hope that everyone is staying healthy and managing these uncertain times the best they can.  The Executive Board has a standing meeting every Monday in which we discuss the most recent news, restrictions and latest scuttlebutt from the surrounding clubs and marinas so that we can continue to plan to the best of our abilities, the opening of our club.

We do not know yet what that opening might look like.  We continue to take direction from the government and make plans in the background so that we can take advantage of whatever leniencies are afforded to us as soon as they become known.  This includes use of the docks, porch, clubhouse and grounds. 

As a minimum goal, we are planning to have the docks in the water so that individuals can have access to their boats with the use of their dinghy’s.  The dock committee is putting together a team that can get the docks in without opening it up to the membership.  We are currently still restricted by how many people can gather.  We hope to have this done by the second week of May. 

The Launch service will not be available until mid-June at the earliest.  There are Coast Guard out of the water inspections that need to be done to the boats and those should be taking place in early June.  This process is separate from whether we can operate them once they are inspected.  That will be decided by the state.  We are currently discussing different plans on how we can safely operate the launch once we are given the ok.  

The clubhouse will remain closed until further notice.  There are improvement projects being completed by individuals and small teams as we speak.  For your safety and for theirs, we ask that you not go to the club so that we can continue to work and get these jobs completed. 

We will keep you posted on our progress.  When new information is available that allows us to take another step in the right direction, we will send an email and update our Facebook page.  I want to thank all of you for your continued support and understanding.  Stay safe, stay positive and stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Kevin Logue

Commodore