Purpose

These Operating Rules are established by majority vote of the Berkeley Racing Canoe Center (BRCC) Board of Directors (hereinafter the “Board”), and can be modified and amended at any regular or special meeting of the Board. These rules are binding on all people using equipment owned or operated by the BRCC.

Definitions

BRCC: The Berkeley Racing Canoe Club. The BRCC oversees all vessels and programs described below and is a non-profit organization. The BRCC manages the relationship with the City of Berkeley and the Marina regarding our use of the facilities.

BRCC Board Officers and Directors: Volunteers who serve to manage the operations of all BRCC teams and participants. Current board members are listed here.

BRCC Members: Members of any BRCC group, including but not limited to Dragon Max, Rough Riders, Cal Dragon Boat team, and small vessel users.

BRCC Vessel: Any non-powered boat owned and/or operated by BRCC, including but not limited to dragon boats, kayaks, outrigger canoes, and standup paddle boards.

Certified Steersperson: A BRCC member who has been certified by identified “Lead” Steers as part of a process approved by the BRCC Board of Directors to be a Steersperson (or “Steers”) of a BRCC dragon boat. Certification may be specific to the type of boat and the area of operation. A member of a youth team, including Rough Riders under the age of 18 can be certified as a BRCC Steers and be the PIC (Person in Charge – see below) on a dragon boat, but youth teams shall not paddle without an adult BRCC coach or member present.

Extremely Calm:
Conditions on the water which include:

  • Wind and wave conditions with essentially calm wind – wind speed less than 5.8 mph/5 knots
  • No visible whitecaps, breaking waves along the shoreline, and/or strong swells.
    Good visibility – no heavy fog or unseasonal rain/weather

Paddler:
Any person on board a BRCC vessel, including, but not limited to, team members, drummer, coach, steersperson, and guests, even if they take no active role in propelling the boat.

Person in Charge (PIC):
The PIC is the person in charge of the vessel and directs the operation of the boat. They have the main voice regarding responsibility for safety and navigation decisions, and direct the actions of all paddlers in an emergency. The PIC must hold the appropriate BRCC Steers Certification for the area where the boat is paddling. The PIC may or may not be actively steering the vessel.

PFD – Personal Flotation Device, or “lifejacket.”
The US Coast Guard has a new rating system for PFDs. In the past, PFDs were rated as Type I, II, III, or IV. The current rating system includes Levels 50-275 and Level 70 or higher are required for use on BRCC vessels:

Level 70: Similar to Type II or Type III. Type II is often the “collar” type with head support. Type III is the “work vest” or specialty foam vest type most commonly used for paddling.

Level 100: intended for those who may have to wait for rescues, but are likely to do so in sheltered water.

Inflatable: These are Type V often with Level 70 performance, depending on their design and buoyancy. These meet BRCC and USCG requirements, but not the California Dragon Boat Association (CDBA) race requirements. BRCC allows inflatables on the dragon boat for practice but not on any small vessel nor for steers.

PFDs carrying certification by Type (II, III, or V) or by Level 70 or higher are appropriate for use on BRCC vessels as described.

General Rules of Conduct

Rules for the Berthing Area

  • Never leave the dock gate blocked open or wedge it against the dock ramp (can cause damage when tide levels change)
  • Locker doors should be closed and locked unless in use. Do not leave the combo lock set to combination – spin the numbers or set to 0000.
  • Be respectful of the other marina/berth users – do not stand in the middle of passage areas nor leave equipment out that could block others on the walking path or heading to boats.
  • PICs – steers, coaches, & captains are responsible for ensuring that the boats are properly tied to the dock, that all equipment is put away, and that the lockers are locked at the end of a practice or event.