Welcome to Falcon Sailing Club (FSC). We are very happy you have made the decision to join and wish you many years of enjoyable sailing out of the club. We are an avid group of dedicated sailors. A small amount of sweat equity from each of us goes into keeping things running.
Please speak to a board member if you see something that appears amiss, needs to be fixed, or if you have an expertise and/or want to assist with the tasks. This document contains some basic information but as always if you are unsure about something please ask.
Parking
Parking is available on the right and left hand sides of the drive into the club grounds. You can also park on the level below should you be loading or unloading things from your vehicle. In both cases, parking is angled. Try not to block in anyone and remember to keep the approach to the boat ramp clear. We keep the area immediately adjacent to the lower clubhouse clear for loading and unloading from the lower clubhouse. That area may also be used by EV drivers who have signed up to use the outdoor plug for charging.
We do not recommend driving up to the upper club house. If necessary, for hauling material up the hill, the driveway is accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicles only and, no spinning of tires please.
Keys
Please ask a member about accessing keys to the lower clubhouse. In the Lower Clubhouse you will find the keys for the following:
- The sail/equipment shed;
- The upper clubhouse;
- The mower/tool shed;
- The gas/oil locker;
- The toilets;
- The motorboats;
These keys are on hooks inside the electrical panel by the sink. Always return the keys immediately after you’ve used them. Please do not put the keys in your pocket as they tend to walk away and get lost.
Fridges
In the lower clubhouse one of the fridges is reserved for club products (beverages for sale, and items for learn to sail classes, open houses etc) . There are two fridges for members to use while they are at the club. Please label any container you use to store your food in the fridge.
There is also a shared fridge in the upper clubhouse.
Washrooms
There are two washrooms located a little way up the hill from the lower clubhouse. Please put only waste and toilet paper in the toilets. Use the garbage bins provided for any other products. There are also washrooms in the upper clubhouse.
Please remember that the water is pumped directly from the lake, so it is not potable.
The waste water goes into a storage tank to be pumped out and hauled to the sewage facility, so please use as little water as possible to minimize sewage hauling costs. All members play a role in keeping the toilets clean, wiping down the surfaces after each use, emptying the garbage as required, and locking the doors at the end of the weekend.
Garbage and Recycling
There are 2 blue boxes for recycling in the lower clubhouse and a blue bag in the upper clubhouse. If you see that any of these are getting full, and need attention, please take one or more, with you when you leave and drop off the contents at one of the garbage/recycling centres in the park. The closest location is at Faloma (in the marina parking lot). Household garbage from the garbage bins in the upper and lower clubhouses and the can outside the lower club need to be taken to a garbage/recycling centre on a regular basis and certainly at the end of a weekend to cut down on any attractants to four legged visitors to the clubhouses. Garbage bags are stored under the sink in the lower clubhouse.
Social Events
FSC organizes a number of social events throughout the season. They are listed in the calendar on the website. Club barbecues are a great way to get to know other club members. They are usually a potluck format with everyone bringing their own protein for the BBQ and an accompanying dish to share.
Mowing
Everyone contributes to mowing unless they opt out and pay a $40 fee. We have a ride-on mower and a couple of push mowers in the Tool Shed. Please ask the Grounds/Harbour Board member for instruction on how to use the riding mower. Fuel is located on the south side of the lower clubhouse in a locker. Members are responsible for mowing around their own boats.
A sign- up sheet for mowing the club grounds is in the lower clubhouse on a white board. Please help out.
Safety/Motor/Rescue boat
There are two motor boats – one on rollers by the dock at the lower clubhouse and the other on a dock in the channel. These boats are to be used for club business, not for personal purposes. They are typically used to set the marks for the races, haul sailboats home when the wind quits, rescue sailors in difficulty, or coach learners. Starting procedures are in the lower clubhouse in the magazine rack. Always check to ensure the plug is in the boat on the ramp before putting it in the water. Only those members with a valid Pleasure Craft Operator’s card may operate a club rescue boat and you must ensure that the proper safety equipment is on the boat, including a PFD for each person.
At the start of the season, we provide demonstrations of how to operate our boats. If you missed those sessions, please ask the Race Manager for a demonstration.
End of Weekend Close-Up
If you are the last to leave at the end of the day/weekend, please ensure that:
- the hot water tank switch is turned off,
- the stove breaker is off,
- the floors and counters are swept and cleaned of food
- garbage is removed.
All buildings should be locked: upper and lower clubhouses, bathrooms, fuel locker, sail and tool sheds.
Club Boats
There are club sailboats for member use. Sails, rudders, tillers, daggerboards and spars are stored in the sail shed (Laser spars may be stored under the cover on the boats). Available boats include Optis, Lasers, a Tasar and a Laser II. The club boats have been purchased and donated for the purpose of building a membership of active sailors. They are available for club members and are definitely not “rental boats”.
In order to use one of these boats, a person must:
- Be a member of the club
- Have sufficient sailing knowledge and experience for the boat and the conditions
- Know how to set the boat up, or get help as required
- Take full responsibility for the boat and for anybody who is going to sail in the boat
- Have the right safety equipment on board, including a PFD for each person
- Return the boat, tidy away its equipment, and notify the Board member responsible for boats or, replace or fix any parts damaged or lost
Please note that the club Lasers have all been rigged using the Allen rigging system. Please do not alter the rigging on these boats. Videos with rigging instructions are below:
Cunningham: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG4kK7BCz3Q
Outhaul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ao7a0IJwi4
Prior to launching, make sure your boat is dry by opening the plug in the stern and draining out any water. If you notice anything is amiss or missing, please mention it to a board member.
Launching off the beach is often a two person process with someone grabbing the dolly after your boat is in the water. There are a few white mooring buoys just off the beach to hold a small boat to make adjustments prior to heading out to sail and when returning.
Be mindful of the channel from the marina as there is a lot of traffic going in and out.. Renters from the marina may not be totally comfortable maneuvering their rental boat and may not be aware of the rules of the waterways.
When leaving our beach area and coming back in, put your daggerboard in the halfway up position to ensure you don’t hit the sandbars and shallow water just in front of the beach. In a similar vein, untie your rudder entering the shallow area, and bring it up once you have returned to the beach and turned into the wind. Don’t run boats up on the beach/rocks or land at the dock adjacent to the lower clubhouse.
Before heading out to sail, make sure that you haven’t left anything like sailboat covers or sail bags lying around that might get blown about. Tuck them under something sturdy before you head out to keep them safe.
Keep an eye on the weather and check conditions before you head out. Don’t go far from the club if you are not sure what is happening with the weather.
Prior to launching, check to make sure the plugs are in the stern and inside the cockpit.
Remember where you put the dolly for your boat. If it is a personal dolly, make sure you clearly label it with your name. Club boat dollies are labelled FSC and some have the name of the boat as well.
Where to Keep Your Boat
To find a place to store your dinghy, check with the Harbour master. Keel boat spots are limited and include a waiting list.
Secure your boat! When a storm blows from the South, the wind gusts can be strong enough to flip a sailboat, damaging it and nearby boats. You must secure your boat to the ground with corkscrew stakes.