Membership

This section of the site captures most of what you need to know to be a member of the Alaska Sailing Club. These include:

• The New Member “Quick Start” Guide
• Information regarding Keeping Boats & RVs at the ASC
• The official ASC Club Rules
• Information regarding Boat Use and Qualification
• The Guidelines for Using “Trailer Row”
• Our Membership Evaluation Criteria
• The ASC’s Non-Discrimination Policy

New Member “Quick Start” Guide

New to the ASC? This quick start guide will help you get your bearings, but we still recommend that you read through the entire membership page.

The Alaska Sailing Club is busy, informal, and has a long history with plenty of unwritten traditions. This combination can occasionally make figuring out “how things work” a bit daunting for our brand-new members. But if you can remember a few basic rules of the road, you’ll fit right in.

Members and their guests are welcome any time during the season, including both “non-event” weekends and weekdays … but if you’re new to the club, we encourage you to schedule your first few events during one of our events. That way, you’ll have plenty of other members around who can answer questions and help you safely rig and launch boats.

Second, we love kids at the ASC, and a significant percentage of our memberships are families with children. But all kids twelve and under must have life jackets on at all times while on club grounds. There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule. Our insurance policy dictates this requirement, but more importantly, it’s a matter of safety since we can’t have eyes on kids at all times. We’re pretty relaxed about most things at the club, but we will ask folks who can’t observe this rule to leave the grounds.

Third, we love dogs at the club and the ASC in an off-leash environment. We like to think it’s one of the great things about the club, but it’s also true that dogs are a frequent source of member complaints. So please carefully read Rule XIX: Dogs and Pets. As long as you observe that rule, you and your canine companion should fit in!

Forth, ASC culture puts a significant premium on helping out. We don’t have any paid staff, which means that volunteers do all work at the club. That includes fixing docks, teaching classes, cleaning up after potlucks, maintaining club boats, mowing the grass, weeding the flower beds, splitting and stacking firewood, cleaning up after regatta weekends, and much more. We can get most of this work done during the Spring Work Party and the Fall Work Party, but there’s still plenty that needs to happen during the season. So, at minimum, we ask all members to attend at least one of the two annual work parties. And we hope that all of our members will find a small project or two to work on every time they come out.

Finally, we ask that you treat all of your fellow sailors with respect. We welcome all current or aspiring sailors regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, their country of origin, their politics, their religion, or their sexual orientation. Heck, we even welcome folks who like to jet ski! We’re a remarkably diverse group, united by a passionate love of sailing. So, you’ll fit right in as long as you’re respectful, responsible, and safe while at the club.

Keeping Boats & RVs at the ASC

The ASC offers moorings for small keel boats, dry storage for trailered dinghies, and long-term parking for RVs. These are all extremely popular resources, and of course they are! Because who wouldn’t want to keep their boat or RV at a club with amenities including a fantastic harbor, a boat hoist, a clubhouse, a sauna, a grill, and a really great sailing community?

But there are several things that you should know before you consider keeping your personal property at the club:

1. The ASC requires that anybody who keeps a boat or RV at the club be an Active Participating Member, which is defined as a Member in Good Standing who has also done one of the following within the last year: worked in a volunteer capacity to forward our non-profit mission, participated in at least two ASC regattas as a racer or as race committee, or worked on a board-approved project designed to fulfill this requirement. This requirement makes us very different from a traditional marina.
2. To keep a boat in the ASC harbor, you need to obtain permission from the Harbormaster. And if you plan to keep a trailered boat on ASC grounds, you’ll need to consult the Senior Vice Commodore. If you obtain the necessary permission, you then need to register your boat. The ASC assesses a fee of $100 / year for moored or trailered boats.
3. To keep an RV at the ASC, you need to obtain permission from the Senior Vice Commodore. Once you’ve obtained permission, you then need to register your RV. The ASC assesses a $100 / year fee for RVs kept on club grounds.
4. Spaces for long-term RV parking and mooring are in high demand, you may be placed on a waiting list for as long as several years before space becomes available.
5. The ASC may ask an owner to remove that boat, RV, or other property for reasons including but not limited to safety, security, aesthetics, and lack of space, or failure to meet the active participating member requirement. Removal of personal property by the ASC is done so at the owner’s expense.
6. The ASC is not a secure location, and all personal property kept at the ASC is done so at the owner’s risk. Further, personal property kept at the ASC may be moved by the ASC as needed for club activities.
7. If you purchase a boat or RV from an existing member, its mooring or trailer spot does not transfer.
8. Trailers of moored boats may not be stored at the ASC. Trailed dinghies and long-term RVs may be left in place during winter. Keel boats must be removed from club grounds during the winter unless you have special permission from the ASC Board.
9. If you wish to keep your mooring, dry berth, or RV spot the following year, renewal applications and payments will need to be received by April 15th; otherwise, your spot will be opened to the waiting list.
10. The ASC my use or dispose of any property abandoned at the club site.

Online Resources

We provide club members with several important online resources:

1. This website contains most of the information that perspective, new, or returning members need to participate in the ASC community.
2. We maintain a members-only Google Group for communication between ASC participants.
3. The ASC uses Google Workspace for group collaboration and document storage. We have a Google shared drive that contains a variety of useful documents and spreadsheets, including a member directory, contact lists for boat and trailer owners, yearly budgeting info, and more.

Club Rules

The club has developed these rules to avoid conflict, ensure safety, and promote a positive community at the Alaska Sailing Club (also referred to as ASC). By submitting a membership form, you agree that you: have read these rules, will abide by them, and accept that failure to do so may result in your membership being terminated, as stated in the ASC Bylaws Article III Section 3.

The rules were last revised on October 29th, 2016.

I. Driving on the Club Site

Please drive slowly, use caution, and good judgment when driving on club property. This is for the safety of children, pets, and others. Traffic on the waterfront, between the sauna and hoist, is restricted due to safety concerns. For unloading on the waterfront, please inform the other members present of your intentions, so they may move their children and belongings out of the way.

II. Parking

The waterfront area between the lift and sauna building must be kept clear of boats, cars, trailers, campers, etc. to allow easy access to the docks and viewing of the lake. All roadways must be safely accessible by at least one vehicle width. Due to limited automobile parking on regatta weekends, we ask that guests use the public parking (fee required) at the public boat launch.

III. Facilities Usage

Use of dock facilities is limited to sailboat and human-powered craft. Personal watercraft (jet skis, Wave Runners, etc.) are prohibited at the club site. Member owned motorized craft, apart from PWCs, may be authorized for use of the two designated transient berths on B dock. Any motorized craft berthed at the ASC must be available for club usage as an emergency rescue boat, should the need arise.

IV. Life Jackets

The ASC requires that members and their guests wear a proper personal flotation device (PFD) on club boats at all times. In addition, we require adult non-swimmers to wear a PDF when within the dock area or within 20 feet of the lake. We also require children under 12 to wear a life jacket at all times while on club grounds. Finally, members and guests on all boats participating in club events must wear a proper PDF.

V. Alcohol, Marijuana, and Tobacco Products

Use of a club boat is prohibited while intoxicated or while drinking alcoholic beverages. There is no smoking inside club buildings. Dispose all associated waste products properly. All state laws apply while at the ASC; please have modesty, control, and respect for others with regards to open consumption on ASC grounds.

VI. Club Boat Usage

The ASC maintains a fleet of boats for member use. To use a club boat, members must: Have been checked out by members of the Boat Committee, Education Committee or members of the Board using the “Club Boat Checkout List”; Agree to keep the boat safe and clean; Agree to put away properly when done; And be a Member in Good Standing as defined in Rule 23. Club boats and associated equipment may not leave the general club site or the Big Lake waterways without permission from the Board.

VII. Boat Reservations

With exception of regattas, club boats are only available in two hour blocks of time. Please note the date and time when you have checked out a boat on the white board in the clubhouse. You may check the boat out again if no one is waiting for the boat. Club boats are not available for general use during our sailing classes. They will only be available to students during these sessions. Club boats are not available during designated Outreach weeks. See the online calendar for details. The Ensign may be reserved up to a week in advance by contacting the Harbormaster or designee. Club members may reserve a specific boat for an entire regatta series. If the reserving member has not checked in with the race committee by the time of the Skippers’ Meeting, then the boat returns to a first come basis until chosen by another racer. At the end of each event day, the club boat is again available in two hour blocks until the regatta reconvenes.

VIII. Tents

Tent campers are always welcome at the ASC. Please see the site map to locate the designated areas or ask a fellow ASC member for assistance.

IX. Campfires

On-ground campfires are not allowed outside approved fire pits; contact the Senior Vice-Commodore or Site Committee for direction.

X. Length of Stay

No one shall reside or make permanent residence on Alaska Sailing Club common property, facilities, or moorage. Requests for stays longer than 30 days, must be sent to the Board and approved. The Board reserves the right to terminate prior approvals as deemed necessary.

XI. Club Care and Maintenance

Please remember, all jobs are performed by members. If something needs attention, please do your part by performing the necessary maintenance or contacting a board member. We encourage members to do one or more small jobs each time they are at the club and to participate in as many work parties as possible. Watch the email traffic and look in the clubhouse for the to-do list. Volunteering time at the work parties and on projects is encouraged. A minimum of one work party a year is mandatory for all memberships. If a member cannot commit to the scheduled work parties, then an adjusted volunteer project can be requested from the Board to make up the requirement.

XII. Modifications to Club Facility and Equipment

No one shall erect structures, mount permanent equipment, or modify significantly the facilities of the club site in a manner not approved by the Site Committee or Board. We appreciate all the help we can get, but projects need to be in line with the 5-Year Site Plan. No one shall significantly modify club equipment or boats unless approved by the Harbormaster or Boat Committee. Rigging and equipment need to maintain conformity for easy usage by the membership. You can contact the Board to find out on how to submit project requests and volunteer to lead the task.

XIII. Firewood

There is a limited supply of wood for members to use in the clubhouse, sauna, and for campfires. Please be considerate and conservative when making a fire. We encourage everyone to find additional sources of wood, as well as take turns chopping, splitting and stacking the wood. Replace the firewood you use in the clubhouse and sauna with wood from the wood box. Club trees are not to be cut without permission from the Site Committee or Board.

XIV. Garbage

Please haul out what you haul in. During club events, we recycle cans and plastic as well as haul garbage out. Members willing to take garbage and recycling materials are always welcome to do so. Use caution with garbage to avoid attracting bears.

XV. Overnight Docking

Overnight docking is welcome while you are present on the club site. Please, secure club boats carefully to ensure that the hull and sails are not damaged by rubbing on the dock and other boats. If in doubt, ask for advice from other members. Overnight docking is prohibited if the boat owners are not on Club premises.

XVI. Dogs and Pets

Having your pet at the club is a privilege. Dog and pet owners are asked to be considerate of other club members by supervising their pets carefully, being diligent about cleaning up all feces that they see (orange bags are provided at the clubhouse and sauna), and confining their pets while members are dining during potlucks or while the pet owner is sailing. Pets are not allowed in the clubhouse. Owners are requested to remove pets if they are behaving unsafely or if they become a nuisance for reasons including but not limited to: persistent barking; tearing into trash; destruction of personal property; harassment of other animals or people; or serious complaints from neighboring properties. Pet privileges are for members only. Failure to follow these rules could result in the loss of pet privileges at the club.

XVII. Guests

Guests are welcome. Due to limited space and facilities, members planning to have more than 5 guests at one time should contact the ASC Board members. The sponsoring host must be onsite at the ASC at all times while their guest(s) are present. As the hosting member, you must ensure that your guests follow the rules, respect club property, and others. Guests are not allowed to invite other guests. The sponsoring host is required to obtain a signed liability form from their guests and put it in the clubhouse. The guests must also sign that they have read and understood the club rules. Club boats are for the use of our members. Guests are welcome to be on the club boats with their hosts.

XVIII. Private Parties and Events

Members must apply to the Board before they schedule or hold any private party or event at the ASC. Permission will be given on a case-by-case basis and certain fees and rules may apply.

XIX. Private Businesses

No one shall operate a private business on Alaska Sailing Club common property, facilities, moorage, or boats. Requests for special circumstances must be sent to the Board and approved by the majority of the Board. The Board reserves the right to terminate prior approvals as deemed necessary.

XX. Member Status Definitions

Member status will be used for prioritizing certain resources of the club. The following definitions are to be used with ASC procedures and guidelines outside this document.

A Member in Good Standing is defined as: a member who follows the rules and procedures; has made all necessary payments, and has contributed to a minimum of one required work party a year or an adjusted volunteer project as designated by the Board.

An Active Participating Member is defined as a member in good standing who has also done one of the following within the last year: worked in a volunteer capacity to forward our non-profit mission, participated in at least two ASC regattas as a racer or as race committee, or worked on a board-approved project designed to fulfill this requirement.

Boat Use, Qualification, & Storage

Club boats are available on a first-come, first-served basis at no extra charge to club members. Club members are welcome to take out guests, but we do not allow guests to sail club boats without an accompanying ASC member.

Our boats are available in two-hour blocks of time. You should never have a boat out for more than two hours without checking to ensure that nobody else is waiting to use it.

We expect ASC members to

• Members and guest must wear life jackets at all times while on club boats. Failure to observe this policy will result in suspicion of boat use privileges for the day. Repeated failure to observe this rule will result in the loss of your membership.
• Club Lasers and Optimists should never be left unattended on the “sinking dock”. However they may be left in the area in front of the small boat rack, provided that sails are taken down.
• The Lidos and Catalina may be left at the dock during the day, providing that the boats are properly secured and the sails are taken down.
• The club Lidos and the Catalina most be hauled out and completed put away over night, even if you have plans to use them the following day.

Club Dinghy Qualification Process

There are two ways to get qualified to use the club dinghies. The first (and probably the most entertaining) to take our three-day Intro to Sailing class. Throughout the class, we’ll go over rigging the boats, using the hoist, proper docking, club safety policies, and (of course) how to sail! Taking the class is an excellent option if you have no prior sailing experience.

If you already have a sailing background and just need to learn the ins and outs of a particular boat, you can contact our Education Vice Commode. They will either help you directly or find a qualified ASC member to assist with getting you qualified. For each boat you’re interested in using, you’ll need to demonstrate the following:

1. The ability to successfully rig and launch the specific boat. This will require the use of the electric hoist for the Lidos, the club Bucc, and the Catalina 16.5.
2. Proper capsize and recovery technique.
3. Successful navigation of a basic upwind / downwind course.
4. Safe docking technique.
5. Proper temporary storage technique.
6. Proper put-away technique.

Ensign 22 Qualification Process

Getting checked out on the Ensign 22 (our club keelboat) is a bit more involved. Under most circumstances, the Ensign is a comfortable and relaxing boat to sail. But like any keelboat, it’s also large, heavy, and complex. And the consequences of making a mistake are potentially much higher than with a dingy. As a result, we require a minimum of one year of active sailing experience before you begin the formal qualification process. Once you have the requisite sailing experience, you can check with our Education Vice Commodore, and they’ll help you through the standard qualification process.

Pontoon Boat Qualification Process

The pontoon boat is an important safety tool at the club, and as such, we like to have as many qualified operators as possible. As with the other boats, you’ll need to contact either the Harbormaster or the Education Vice Commodore to get certified to use the pontoon boat. We’ll teach you how to use the motor, pumps, and safety equipment. In addition, we’ll work with you on proper docking techniques.

Trailer Row Guidelines

The Alaska Sailing Club’s (ASC) guidelines for seasonal use of Trailer Row must be agreed upon by all members renewing or seeking a new space.

Renewing Trailer Row Space

ASC members wishing to renew their existing Trailer Row space must submit a signed copy of the Trailer Row Use Guidelines and their membership fee each season. If no application is received, the ASC Board will assume that the member is vacating their space.

Applying for a New Space

If you’re interested in a long-term space on Trailer Row, please submit a request to our Senior Vice Commodore using the ASC contact form. You should select the “Long-Term RV Parking Request” option from the “How can we help you?” dropdown menu. You can find the contact form here:

http://aksailingclub.org/contact/

ASC members wishing to apply for a vacant space must submit a signed copy of the Trailer Row Use Guidelines along with their membership fee. We will assign open spaces based on the order in which we receive applications.

If no vacant spaces are available, we will add the member’s name to a waiting list maintained by the ASC Board. We will notify members on the waitlist once a space becomes available. We will maintain a member’s position on the waiting list from season to season until we can offer trailer space.

Transfer of Ownership

Transferring recreational vehicle (RV) ownership does not guarantee space to the new owner. New owners of RVs already located in a seasonal Trailer Row space must submit a new space request. RVs may be required to be removed from the property if the waiting list is full and the new owner is not at the top of the list. Members with a current seasonal space who replace their RVs must have the new RV inspected before locating it in their assigned area.

Eligibility for Occupancy

Interested members must meet the following criteria to secure a space on Trailer Row:

• An Active Participating Member as defined in ASC Rule XXIII
• Dues paid in full by specified date
• Compliance with all ASC By-laws and Rules
• Signed copy of Trailer Row Use Guidelines
• Trailer Row security deposit paid in full (for new occupants security deposit must be paid within 15 days of being offered a space)
• Agreement to follow stipulations of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Temporary Land Use Permit.

Rules for Occupancy

The following rules for occupancy are based on the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Temporary Land Use Permit and ASC By-Laws:

• RVs must be actively used (minimum six nights per season);
• RVs must be kept in a livable condition
• Surrounding area must be kept clean and neat, no trash allowed
• Sanitary conditions, interior and exterior, must be maintained at all times
• No storage of gasoline, kerosene, or diesel fuel in portable containers (propane in fit for purpose canisters is fine)
• Any release of fuel need to be reported to an ASC Board Member immediately
• No discharge of firearms
• No dumping of gray water
• Regular removal of trash
• No explosives including fireworks allowed along Trailer Row
• Fire extinguisher on hand [in every RV]
• Electrical hookups should be disconnected at the end of the season (i.e., over winter)
• When not in use all RVs should be securely locked
• All sliders and awnings should be put away after each use
• RVs must be movable on short notice
• RVs must be removed within 72 hours if requested by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. If not removed, ASC will contract a towing service to remove the RV at the member expense.

Membership Evaluation Criteria

Before providing a recommendation to the ASC board, the membership committee will confirm that the applicant:

1. Has read and understands the ASC rules;
2. Has accepted the ASC liability policy;
3. Is not a registered sex offender;

Additionally, for returning member applications:

1. Has positively participated in club volunteer activities, including at least one work party or a project approved by the ASC board; 
2. Has made a reasonable faith effort to follow the ASC rules; and
3. If necessary, has been willing to work to correct any behaviors not following ASC rules.

ASC Non-Discrimination Policy

The Alaska Sailing Club does not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status for its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, the application for membership, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and providing of services.