J24 SAILING

PDYC owns and operates two J24 sailing boats, solely for the benefit of members. These boats are managed by PDYC Sailing Committee.

Members can sail a J24 in the capacity as either skipper or crew in accordance with PDYC Safety Management Plan and the J24 Rules.

To use a J24 please read the Rules and submit an application at the bottom of this page.

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J24 Rules of Use

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1. Port Douglas Yacht Club (PDYC) owns two J24 Class yachts which shall be managed by the presiding Rear Commodore and Sailing Committee.

2. All previous rules and policies pertaining to the use of the J24s are hereby repealed.

3. The yachts are for the exclusive use of financial members of PDYC in accordance with this By-law for the purposes of;

   1. Racing,

   2. Training, and,

   3. Social Sailing.

4. Members may sail on the yachts as a skipper or crew.

   1. To be a J24 skipper, a person must;

      1. be a current financial member of PDYC,

      2. be a competent skipper of similar size sailing boats,

      3. undergo a J24 orientation, and,

      4. obtain authorisation as a PDYC J24 Skipper from the Rear Commodore.

   2. To be a J24 crew, a person must;

      1. be a current financial member of PDYC, or

      2. a guest of PDYC taking part in a social/pleasure sail or WAGS event.

      3. To qualify as a guest for Cl.4.2.2. a person’s name and address must be recorded in the Club’s guest sign-in register on the day of sailing.

5. Improper use of a J24 through poor seamanship or skylarking may result in rescinding the member’s approval to use the club’s yachts.

6. Special Conditions for Participating in PDYC Racing Events

   1. All crew shall be members of the PDYC or a Yacht/Sailing Club with reciprocal rights.

   2. Guests of a PDYC member may participate in a PDYC racing event providing they meet the requirements of 4.2.2 and can only participate in a maximum of 3 events before having to comply with 6.1.1.

   3. All crew shall comply with the rules of the race.

7. Special Conditions for Using the J24s for Pleasure/Social Sailing

   1. Requests to participate in PDYC organised sailing events take priority over requests to use the yachts for pleasure/social sailing.

   2. A request to use a J24 for pleasure/social sailing must be made via the J24 booking system and approved in advance.

   3. Pleasure/social sailing is for daylight hours only.

   4. Pleasure/social sailing incurs the following fees which must be paid prior to use;

      1. $30 for up to four hours.

      2. $60 for greater than four hours.

8. General Conditions of Use

   1. An approved skipper must be onboard at all times.

   2. The skipper shall be responsible for the safe operation of the yacht in accordance with the PDYC Safety Management Plan.

   3. The skipper must use the J24 booking system to obtain approval to use the yacht.

   4. A maximum of five people, including the skipper, shall be aboard the yacht when sailing.

      1. All crew must have the consent of the skipper to board the yacht.

   5. The J24s shall not be used if there is a current BOM strong wind warning for the area of use.

   6. Use only the sails stored on the yacht. 

      1. Skippers who wish to use other sails must obtain approval from the Rear Commodore.

   7. The skipper shall ensure a pre-departure check is conducted, including;

      1. safety equipment ie. VHF radio, life jackets, EPIRB, flares, fire extinguisher, V-sheet, bilge pump, anchor, drinking water;

      2. the outboard motor fuel tank is full and there is sufficient spare fuel, and

      3. all sailing systems and electronics are operational.

      4. Prior to getting underway, record in the yacht’s log;

         1. the date and time of departure,

         2. the skipper’s name,

         3. the name of each crew member, and,

         4. the wind/weather forecast for the period of use.

      5. Upon return to the Pontoon;

         1. hose the yacht down with fresh water,

         2. pump all water out of the bilges,

         3. switch the electric bilge pump to automatic,

         4. fold the sails properly and store them on the berths, not on the floor,

         5. turn off all electric switches, and,

         6. record in the log any missing, damaged or broken equipment, any incidents, and the weather experienced during the sail.