PROMOTING SAFE SAILING AND POWERBOATING

SLIPWAY ETIQUETTE

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Category: Training Resources

Remember the Slipway is not your personal Slipway and that other users do use it. The following will stop any conflicts or potential damage to your boat or 3^rd party’s boat.

LAUNCHING:

1. Park away from slip, and prepare boat for launching, this gives your wheel bearings time to cool down as well as giving you time to load boat up, remove trailer board, remove most of the straps, leave one on bow, don’t not rely on Trailer Winch by itself. Insert Drain Plug!
2. Pay Harbour Master for Launch, use machine for parking, if you don’t have season tickets*
3. When Slip is clear/your turn, reverse boat down and launch, this should be at least a two person operation, one for car and another to drive boat to Harbour IMMEDIATE after Launch. Depending on your vehicle you might want to use ropes to lower boat down slip.
4. Park Trailer in designated Area this is usually at the grass at top of slipway, or where Harbour Master tells you.

THE HARBOUR BAY IS A NO WAKE ZONE (Lowest speed you can go without losing the ability of steering)

RECOVERY:

1. Drop of the car driver at Harbour to get trailer andWait few minutes then head to Slip.
2. Check to see if another craft is being launched or being recovered before coming into theThe Slip at Elie is very narrow with rocks at either side, and another craft coming in can cause serious problems. If in doubt stay out and wait offshore for few minutes to judge what is happening. Most Launch/Recoveries only take 5/10 minutes at most if done correctly.
3. Once slip is clear, your driver will place your trailer in water ready for recovery, once on trailer, secure it with at least one over method other than winch strap and tow to quiet place to unload and secure fully, grease wheels and attach lights etc.

IF COMING INTO SLIP FOR ANY REASON, PLEASE FOLLOW POINT 2 ABOVE.

It is important that anytime on the slipway or slip access is to the minimum, this allows other users to use the slipway when you are doing other tasks that don’t require slip access.

*The Launching Fee payable to Elie Harbour Trust does NOT include access to the Sailing Club House, this is private club that has nothing to do with the Slipway. Membership to the Club is open to all including PWC’s and Powerboaters and you can get membership form from the clubs website http://www.eesc.org.uk or from within club house.