Rules that Apply to the Operation of All BRCC Boats

No BRCC boat shall be operated without an appropriately BRCC-certified Person in Charge (PIC), except as explicitly authorized by these Operating Rules. This person shall have authority to direct the course of the boat, the activities of all people on board, and the methods used to recover from a swamping or capsize.

All paddlers, including members, guests, and passengers must fill out and sign the BRCC Amateur Athletic Waiver and Release of Liability form in advance before coming on board a boat.

It is recommended that all paddlers, including members, guests, and passengers aboard a BRCC boat wear a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD (lifejacket) at all times.

Guest members, youth paddlers, the person steering, and all paddlers participating in outreach events shall wear a PFD at all times without exception.

All BRCC boats operating after sunset or before sunrise shall display adequate navigation lights as required by COLREGS (Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972) and may be updated from time to time.

  • A working red/green bow light and a white stern light are required.
  • A powerful flashlight shall also be carried, immediately accessible to the steersperson.

Dragon Boat Operating Rules

Authorization for use:
No BRCC dragon boat shall be operated by a BRCC Team without prior approval of the BRCC Board of Directors. Requests need to be submitted no less than 5 days before the proposed dragon boat use by designated team leader/coach.

Exceptions:

  2. Outreach Events using no more than two dragon boats may be arranged by the BRCC Outreach Director(s).
  3. The BRCC Large and Small Fleet Captain and/or Director of Safety may operate a dragon boat as required to perform maintenance or safety-related tasks.
  4. The Director of Safety, BRCC Competition Director, and team coaches may add, cancel, or reschedule team practices in response to severe weather or conflicting team practice requirements.

Person in Charge
There shall always be a single designated Person in Charge (PIC), who must be on the boat whenever a dragon boat leaves the dock. Steerspeople certified by CDBA or other organizations may be approved to be in charge of a BRCC dragon boat on a temporary basis only by the BRCC Board of Directors.

Responsibilities of the Person in Charge
The Person in Charge (PIC) is responsible for the safety of the boat, paddlers and guests. Although other people with or without steering certification may be allowed to steer, for example for training purposes, the PIC must be physically on the boat and remain in charge of the boat. The PIC is fully responsible for the actions of alternate steerspersons.

The PIC shall be current with the BRCC Procedures for Dragon Boat Operation in the Berkeley Marina.

The Person in Charge is responsible for the conduct of the boat and crew, and shall maintain a high standard of courtesy and consideration with respect to other marina users.

The PIC is responsible for:

  • confirming that all paddlers and guests have signed waivers
  • confirming that a Safety Box is located & secured in the front on the boat
  • asking paddlers to count off for a total on board
  • confirming that all paddlers have a PFD
  • ensuring there is at least one whistle on board
  • identifying non-swimmers on the boat
  • confirming that we have one of more phones on board with the Berkeley emergency # programmed -> 510-981-5911
  • assuring that all required safety equipment is on board the boat before departure
  • ensuring that the boat is tied up properly upon return
  • confirming that all safety gear has been put away and all lockers locked

The designation of PIC may be transferred to another Certified BRCC Steersperson during a practice or outreach session, provided both original and new PICs explicitly acknowledge that the responsibility has been transferred.

Examples include switching PIC status:

  • when an outside-certified Steersperson is required to be in charge when going into outside or extended outside areas as shown in the document
  • when the steersperson is swapped half-way through a session but the more experienced of the two remains the main PIC because of experience.

Area of Operation:
Dragon boat operation is limited to the area within the Berkeley Marina and protected by the detached rock breakwater.

When boat traffic in the Marina is unusually heavy, practice should be moved away from the main channel, to the east or south areas of the Marina, or to the water close to and sheltered by the rock outer breakwater.

Outside Marina Operation:

Limited Outside Operation

A BRCC Steersperson certified for outside operation may take a BRCC dragon boat outside the marina, provided:

  • The wind speed is clearly under 11.5mph/10 knots (no whitecaps visible on the open bay).

  • The boat remains within 250 meters of an accessible shoreline (rocks, rip-rap or beach, but not the fishing pier or an isolated breakwater). The northern limit is the northwest corner of Cesar Chavez Park, and the southern limit is the site of the (now closed) Hs. Lordships Restaurant. There are no exceptions for “extremely calm” weather.

Extended Outside Operation

A BRCC Steersperson certified and/or approved for extended outside operation may take a BRCC dragon boat outside the marina, provided:

  • The wind speed is clearly under 11.5mph/10 knots (no whitecaps visible on the open bay).

  • The boat remains within 500 meters of shore.

  • Small craft warnings are not posted by the Coast Guard for central San Francisco Bay.

  • Number of paddlers is no more than 20 plus one steersperson.

  • The northern limit is Pt Isabel Park, and the southern limit is the Emeryville Peninsula.

If you want to venture further from shore:
Arrange for a safety boat to accompany dragon boat excursions to other points on the Bay. These excursions would require prior approval by the BRCC Board, and the safety boat must be capable of staying close to the dragon boats and have sufficient capacity for all paddlers.

Required Safety Equipment:
Each BRCC dragon boat operating inside or outside the Marina shall carry the following safety gear:

  • At least one USCG approved PFD for each person on board
  • At least two bailers
  • At least one whistle with the PIC/Steers
  • Safety Box
  • At least one cell phone with local number for Berkeley 911
  • At least one bucket when boats venture into extended outside area

If any safety equipment is missing or non functioning – email safety@thebrcc.org or president@thebrcc.org

If operating after sunset or before sunrise, inside or outside the marina, the boat shall also have:

  • Powerful waterproof flashlight or spotlight with fresh batteries and spare batteries. The flashlight shall be readily accessible to the Steersperson.
  • Navigation lights that meet COLREGS requirements -> This includes a red/green combination bow light and a white stern light with 2 nautical mile visible range. Batteries shall be reasonably fresh.
  • All paddlers shall wear their PDF when paddling in the dark.

Dragon boats may not operate after sunset or before sunrise unless both of these navigation lights are present and functioning properly.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO HAVE:

Berkeley Marina office – 510.981.6740

Preferred Berkeley EMT – 510.981.5936

All Emergencies – 510.981.5911

In a medical emergency, the best place to meet an ambulance is usually the BYC Guest Dock or the launch ramp near the B Dock. VHF Radio Channel 16 or 22 can also contact the US Coast Guard.

Maneuvering In the Marina:

Dragon boats shall comply with all Navigational Rules for right-of-way rules for avoiding risk of collision as well as other safety standards.

Here is a resource focused on the Navigation Rules for Paddle Craft  which pulls out the relevant information above for paddle craft vessels

In the Berkeley Marina, steers should be aware of:

  • blind spots – do not make tight turns around large boats or berthing areas that may obstruct vision to or from another boats (remain within clear line of sight of larger vessels)
  • shallow and rocky areas – pay attention to markers
  • traffic patterns – ferry schedules – sailboats & lessons
  • strong currents, swells, and changing tides
  • an active & at times busy marina – a large change in course is much easier for other boats to see than a change in speed.