Where do I find….?

Keys 

• The key for the lower clubhouse is kept hidden on the grounds for your handy access.  Please ask any member to show you where it is.  We don’t want to write it here for security reasons.
• The keys for:
• the equipment shed,
• the upper clubhouse,
• the equipment, and
• the motorboats

are in the lower clubhouse in a small cupboard to the  left of the sink .

Please put the keys back as soon as you have used them!

We don’t have spares for most of these keys, so if someone puts the key in their pocket and forgets to bring it back for a day or two, we are stuck.

Toilets:

• New toilets are being built at the bottom of the stairs to the upper clubhouse. During the warm season, when the water is on, they are available for use as we finish the trim.
• There is a very basic men’s privy near the path to the upper clubhouse. There are toilets in the upper clubhouse with running water; one for men and one for women.
• Water in the taps is untreated water from the lake; for washing, not for drinking.

The sewage runs into holding tanks that have to be pumped out, so please use water sparingly.

Information about the Club

Visit http://www.falconyachtclub.ca .  Our website contains membership info, our calendar, news & race results. 

Every member gets a pdf file which prints out to a small membership list with phone numbers, addresses and e-mail listings.  Please check that your contact information is correct.  This is how you can reach others in the club, and how others will reach you. Watch your email for information about upcoming events. 

What is there to do?

Members are involved in different sailing activities depending on their personal interests: 

• Learn to sail programs are offered during the summer:
• Learn to sail in “Optimist” boats is generally suitable for kids age 7 to 12
• Learn to sail for adults and teens is offered in the club boats (see section on club boats)
• The Women’s program is designed for adult women of every skill who want to sail during the week in the summer.
• For those who already know how to sail, and enjoy going for a cruise, FYC offers a safe environment; the lake is a manageable size, and if you make arrangements with other members, they can keep an eye on you and come out to help you if you look like you are in difficulty.
• For members who need a boat to sail, there are club boats of various types available
• For those who like to race, there are races every weekend day throughout the season. Members generally start getting their boats ready shortly after noon, race in the early afternoon (weather permitting), and come back to relax and tidy away their boats by three or four o’clock.  Members who want to learn about racing are strongly encouraged to participate. Just ask any of the racers how to go about it.  They will be keen to help, and take you out, so long as you don’t ask them at the critical moment when they are hurrying to make it out to the start of a race. Members will also be glad to encourage you, help you, and provide advice on the water between races.
• Junior sailing; The success of junior sailing depends on the energy and creativity of the parents and the sailors. Junior members are always welcome in the club races, and senior members can be approached about mentoring junior racers. Other activities are developed and implemented by the parents. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to sail, other club members are glad to help, to encourage a new generation of sailors. Our club has produced a lot of young sailors with a passion for the sport who have become Manitoba racing champions.
• For sailors who don’t have their own boat, and want to become involved in the racing, there are experienced racers who are looking for people to crew for them, so if you express your interest to one of the active racers, they will put you in touch with someone who can take you out racing.
• For members of the family who don’t want to sail, the club grounds are a lovely place to sit and enjoy a summer day.  Keep a close eye on young children, because the water and the cliffs present lots of opportunities for serious accidents.
• Note that the channel between the club and the marina next door is deep and busy with marina motorboat traffic most summer days.  Some of the boat drivers are not very skilled or experienced, so the channel is not a safe place to play in the water.

Special Days at FYC

Every year, there are a few special days:

• Spring clean-up day happens on Saturday or Sunday on a designated weekend; we get the docks back in the water, the clubhouses cleaned up and fixed, the boats ready, do maintenance chores, and we tidy up the grounds.  All members should set that day aside to help out. It’s fun, and free pop and beer is provided to the volunteer workers.
• FYC occasionally organizes an invitational regatta; racers come from across the Province and out of Province.  Guests come to the club for this race expecting a well-run regatta with proper race management procedures, and trophies are awarded in a number of classes.  This is a race for experienced racers.  You shouldn’t choose that weekend to go out for your first race, but if you volunteer to help run the regatta, you can learn a lot about how regattas work.
• Commodore’s Cup is generally in mid-August; this is a one day series of races for the “Commodore’s Cup trophy”, and it is open to all members, experienced or not. It is a real race, but it is not as “serious” a race as an invitational regatta. It is intended to be a competitive and fun day for members, with special prizes, a potluck supper and games for the kids in the evening.
• The poker derby; a fun non-competitive event, where participants buy “hands” of cards, and sail around a course. At day’s end, the cards are scored as poker hands, and the highest score wins half the “pot”.  The other half goes to the club.
• Keel Boat Challenge races.  These are fun events designed to allow keelboat skippers to test their skills.  They recruit friends and club members to fill out their crews. 
• Members are encouraged to bring friends to the club, and introduce t to sailing and FYC with the intention of building up our membership
• Fall Clean up:  At the end of the season, members gather to do the fall maintenance, repairs, putting away boats and docks, and other preparations for winter.  Again, all members should set aside that day to help out. It’s fun, and free pop and beer is provided to the volunteer workers.
• Maintenance and building bees : We occasionally organize days  to maintain or enhance our facilities. The more volunteers available, the faster the task is completed.  Members who are skilled in the task at hand direct the projects, while other members hammer nails, move supplies, paint, clean and/or serve food.

Check the calendar on the web site, and watch for email announcements.

Skills & Preferences

It takes the efforts of the entire membership to make the most of the club. Often there are special talents among the membership which can greatly improve the ongoing effort to keep the Club ‘ship shape’.

At the start of the year, the Secretary may circulate an e-mail listing various tasks, asking which tasks each member prefers to do, and who has relevant skills.  Please indicate skills you can contribute for the upkeep of the club, and which tasks you would prefer to tackle.

The Club Sailboats:

The club owns a number of sailboats.  These have been purchased and donated for the purpose of building a membership of active sailors.  They are available for club members. They are definitely not “rental boats”.  They have been bought and maintained by members to help new members become involved in sailing, not to provide a rental sailboat to someone who is passing through.

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 replace or fix any parts damaged or lost.

There are several different types of boats, all suitable for racing or cruising:

• Optimists, an easy to sail single-handed boat suitable for kids 8-12, or small adults.
• Laser, a fairly challenging single-handed boat for adults 160 pounds and over. There are smaller rigs available for the Laser for lighter people.
• Albacore, a two-handed boat that can carry 2-4 people.
• Laser II, a challenging two person boat with trapeze and spinnaker.
• Tasar, a challenging, technical two person boat.

The club motorboats

The motorboats were purchased with club funds or donated to serve as race management and rescue boats.  They are older boats with older motors that run well when everything is done just right, but only cooperate if you know how to run them.  They are essential equipment for the club, and expensive to fix when something breaks down.

We will offer two club motorboat familiarization sessions during the summer. Please participate in one of them, even if you are comfortable operating motorboats, so that you will know the quirks of these boats and their docking arrangements. If you can’t attend a familiarization session, ask a member of the executive to show you how to operate the boats.

In order to use our motor boats, you must have the proper federal certificate for operating a boat and you must ensure that the proper safety equipment is on the boat, including a PFD for each person. 

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. 

We buy gas for these boats at the marina by signing the charge to the FYC account. 

It is important to avoid getting too much or too little oil in the gas, because that causes motor problems.  Please use exactly measured amounts of oil; do not “eyeball it”, or assume that the tank is empty when there is still quite a bit of mixed gas in there.

Remember; when parking the boat, always assume the wind might suddenly increase, so park it securely in a protected place when you leave it for a while. Our main dock is exposed  to the South wind,  which can blow hard in the summer.  The boats should never be left tied to the docks over night.  If you are last to leave, please ensure the boats are safely stowed.

When you put the boat away, put the key back in its assigned place!!!!  Please report any problems.

Clubhouse Facilities

All members are welcome to use both the upper and lower clubhouses. 

• Please help keep the clubhouses tidy and clean.
• Members are asked not to store/leave gear/sails/personal items in the Clubhouse or sail storage building
• Please be safety-conscious and make sure that your guests are careful. We use these facilities at our own risk. Everyone must be careful around the docks, decks and stairs, especially in wet conditions, and especially if they are drinking.
• Be discrete about alcohol consumption in the open areas, and carefully accompany anyone who has had a lot to drink down from the upper clubhouse via the path, rather than the stairs. 

Upper Clubhouse:

This is one of the great features of the club; it is a beautiful place to have a BBQ in the evening and enjoy the view of the lake out of the reach of mosquitoes.  An impromptu potluck BBQ happens many Saturday nights of the season.

• The hot water heater has to be turned on well in advance of planned use. There is a switch to the left of the sink in the kitchen.  Please turn it off when you’re done.  We keep it turned off to save energy.
• Unfortunately, mice have found their way into the kitchen, so please be careful to wash anything that mice might have walked over.
• The (mouse-proof) blue plastic tubs under the table in the kitchen contain table clothes, napkins, and lots more stuff for lunches and dinners.  Please be sure to put things back and close the tubs before you leave.
• To start the barbecues, you need some sort of lighting device; the push-button ignition systems do not work.  Please turn off the gas at the tank and on the control panel when you are finished. If you find that one of the tanks is empty, please bring it down to the lower clubhouse and put a note on it that the tank is empty, or better yet, get it filled!   If you get it filled, bring the bill to the treasurer (Penny Kelly) and she will reimburse you.
• Please keep dogs out of the clubhouse when food is being served.
• Please clean up when you are finished, put away all food and dishes to keep them out of the reach of the mice.
• When you are finished in the clubhouse, please make sure the BBQs are stowed, there are no valuables in sight and the doors and windows are locked to discourage break-in.
• Members who don’t have cottages nearby occasionally sleep on the sofas in the clubhouse.  This is fine so long as they are not scared of mice, they can handle the lumpy couches, and their plans don’t conflict with use of the clubhouse by other members.

Lower clubhouse

This is the “working” building of the club; it is the focus of activity on most sailing days.

• There is also a mouse problem here, so please keep food-related things in the mouse-proof containers.
• The hot water heater in the lower clubhouse is turned on to the left of the sink.
• There is beer, pop, juice and water in the fridges.  This is available to members (of drinking age in the case of alcohol) on an honour system.  Prices are posted in the kitchen.  Please deposit payment in the slot in counter at the west end of the clubhouse. Alternatively, members can track their purchases in the account binder on the counter, and pay whenever their bill gets close to $20.  Please put a cheque made out the Falcon Yacht club in the slot (be sure to clearly indicate what it is for). If we make any extra money, it goes towards club expenses.
• There is a Blue Box for recycling pop cans & other recyclable material. Please rinse cans, tins & bottles to minimize fly & mice problems. When the blue box looks full, and you are going into town, please take it and dump it at the recycling depot.
• The telephone is for the use of club members (204 293 7317).  Please don’t use it for long distance calls.
• If you are the last to leave, please check that all the windows are closed, water heater is off, the shed door is locked, the club door is locked and the key is back in its place.

Club Grounds

• The grounds are another great feature of the club; club families that don’t have a cottage on the lake often picnic and enjoy the summer on the grounds.
• Members are welcome to arrange picnic tables to suit their needs, but please leave room for the possible rush of boats at the start and end of race time.  Many sailors will rig their boats on the lawn close the lake.
• If you have a dog, please control your dog; make sure they don’t pester other people, their kids, or other dogs, and pick up their stools.
• Please make sure everyone – kids included – picks up their litter; pop cans, wrappers, etc.
• We try to keep a couple of garbage cans on the grounds.  If they are full of garbage, please swap them for an empty one from the garbage cage. The garbage cage is emptied on a regular basis by Parks employees.

Parking

The best place to park your vehicle is in the area at the top of the driveway near the garbage cage.

There is some room to park in the area where the boats are kept and on the side of the driveway in the grounds.  Please keep in mind:

• Don’t park adjacent to the lower clubhouse; we keep this space open for deliveries and for disabled access
• Don’t block any approaches to the boat ramp; people need lots of room to maneuver  trailers
• Leave lots of room on the driveways for cars/trucks to move trailers.
• Leave lots of room for boats to move by your vehicle in the boat park area; remember that the wind will be swinging the boom around.

Lawn Mowing

• Each member is required to mow the lawn around the area where their boat(s) is (are) stored.  In order to minimize the risk of damage to personal property, do not mow around other members’ boats without their prior approval.
• All members are asked to assist with mowing the grass and in the general maintenance of the grounds.  If everybody puts in one half day of mowing over the summer, the job will be done. The Grounds/Harbourmaster posts a mowing ‘sign up sheet in the lower clubhouse.  It is best to avoid running the mowers and trimmers at peak weekend times when people are trying to enjoy peace & quiet at the club.
• In lieu of mowing, members may pay $25. (payable to FYC).
• The lawn mowing equipment is kept in the tool shed on the West side of the lower clubhouse.  Please check the oil and gas in the mowers and trimmer before use; the gas containers are marked “mixed” for the trimmer and “unmixed” for the 4-cycle mower.
• If you are unsure as to where to find oil, gas, mowers, trimmer etc., or you need help figuring out how to operate the equipment, please ask any available member for assistance.
• Please note we generally try to clean up the grounds for the regatta weekends. That includes trimming and mowing around boats.  Please help by ensuring that the area around your boat is maintained and your boat parts are up off the ground and out of harm’s way.

Storing your boat

Make arrangements with the harbour master about where to store your boat.  Members have first option to the place they had the previous year, provided that they pay their annual fees before the club opening weekend.  Procedures for allocating keel boat spots 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. 

You & the FYC Board

The Board is comprised of members who have volunteered and been elected at the annual general meeting in the fall to run the affairs of the club for the year.  Their duties are outlined in our bylaws.

If you have questions or ideas, be sure to discuss them with one or more members of the Board. Board members may also be in touch with you for help on various projects around the club.  The idea is to share the load, so that executive members don’t get burned out from doing all the chores around the club.

One of the best ways to get to know the club better is to join the Board.  Board members don’t have to be expert sailors!

Welcome to Falcon Yacht Club