[CUCBC Captains] Reminders - river safety key notices *PLEASE PASS ON*

[Catrin Darsley]

Dear all,

The CUCBC Committee would like to highlight several safety notices
following several incidents and near-incidents this last week. Please
ensure that coaches, bank parties and coxes are aware of the following:

1. Coaches should know which side of the river their boats should be on,
and ensure that coxes are reminded of their side when they stray away from
it (especially novice coxes). Everyone recognises that mistakes happen, but
there have been various sightings and reports of corrections not being
reinforced.

2. Coaches must remind coxes early of impending collisions / potential
collisions, especially with powered or moored craft. Powered craft
(especially narrowboats) can't stop quickly, and could take at least a boat
length to come to a halt.

3. If a rowing boat strikes or comes into contact with a moored boat, *they
must NOT push off below the waterline*: doing so will damage the
waterproofing of the boat. Ideally no contact would be made by oars on the
hull - use fenders if possible and, if not, the 'rubbing strake' (the
raised wooden / rubber section that protects the hull if it rubs against
the bank or other boats) should be used instead of the hull proper or any
paintwork.

4. Do not overtake a powered vessel and then immediately start to spin (see
above note about stopping distances). You are placing yourselves in
considerable danger and the vessel's captain in an exceedingly stressful
situation that they couldn't have avoided.

5. If you / your crew have made a mistake, please apologise. Especially if
you have inconvenienced another river user / made contact with a moored
boat / caused a collision, no matter how minor. It will go a huge way
towards maintaining/ improving relations between rowing clubs and other
river users (and between rowing clubs!)!

6. *Spinning point rules must be followed at all times.* These are clearly
set out here <http://www.cucbc.org/handbook/rules/spinning>. Crews breaking
these rules will be fined. (Please note that the Combined Boathouse / new
CRA is not a legal spin point on the river, and that all crews - with
particular mention to tub pairs, currently; we see you being sneaky -
should check that the river is clear and it is safe for them to spin before
doing so. Crews travelling downstream should give priority to those coming
upstream (re. rules 18/20
<http://www.cucbc.org/handbook/rules/rights_of_way>))

Additional information for coxes and coaches is available online; please
share this email and link with LBCs.
http://www.cucbc.org/handbook/coxes_coaches


Finally, further to discussion at this term's Captains' meeting, the CUCBC
Committee has reviewed our position on rules around swimming capability for
rowers and coxes and we do not have the intention of bringing a rule change
proposal to Captains at this time.

Many thanks, and here's to a sunny and safe week on the river.
Cat (on behalf of CUCBC Committee)

-------
Cat Darsley (she/her)
CUCBC Hon Sec 2022-2023
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