Duties and Volunteering

Duties and Volunteering

Fees at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club are kept low thanks to members volunteering to run the sailing and social events over the year.

To find out more about the duties at the club, please read through our list of FAQs below.

What do duties involve?

Club dinghy racing requires two rescue boat drivers and two rescue boat assistants. There is also a requirement for a tractor driver to help launch/recover the rescue boats. Dinghy and Keelboat racing require race office cover, calling for an experienced individual to select the course, start/stop the racing and record the results. These duties are covered by sailing members and managed using the Sailing Club Manager duties system Social duties are more varied and can be everything from running the club galley at a sailing event to helping with a kids' party.

Do I have to do duties?

Unless you're an outport member or under the age of 16, you are strongly encouraged to do a set number of duties annually.

What are the benefits of duties?

Duties are a great way to meet new people, find out more about the club and how it works, help other people and, if you're helping to run the sailing, see the action from another perspective. Also, as a duty team member, you will be entitled to enjoy a free cup of tea or coffee and a couple of biscuits at the bar afterwards.

Do I need any qualifications to do a sailing duty?

If you want to drive the rescue boat, you require an RYA Level 2 Powerboat qualification. If you want to drive the tractor then you would need a driving licence and have been put through one of the club's training courses. Rescue assistants need only to be fit, able to swim and willing to enter the water to rescue someone. Race officers need to be experienced sailors and have good awareness of how racing is managed.

Will I be allocated a duty that's right for my skillset?

Yes, providing you complete the member skillset profile information. That helps the duty team allocate a role that's right for you.

Can I select when I do my duties?

Sailing members (plus any non-sailing members who have expressed an interest in helping to run the sailing) can choose, between February and March, when they do their duties by selecting them on DutyMan (the software we use to manage duties). After that time, duties are automatically allocated to members who have not selected at least five dates from the rota. Non-sailing members are likely to be approached personally or encouraged to respond to an appeal from the club for volunteers.

What if I can't do a duty?

If it's a duty to help run the sailing, you will be required to find someone else to cover it. You can request a swap on 'DutyMan' (the software we use to manage duties) or make an appeal on Facebook. If you are doing a social duty, please speak to the person who asked you to help as soon as possible.

I have a family membership but my wife doesn't go to the club very often does she have to do duties as well?

A family membership only encourages duties from those aged 16 or over who are active in the club. As a rough guide, if a family member takes part less than six times in a calendar year then he or she is not expected to do duties.

As a sailing member, I'm encouraged to help run the sailing at least five times over the year but that doesn't suit me is there another way to volunteer to help the club?

If your personal circumstances make doing duties on the duty rota difficult/impossible then please let us know what you can help with. For example, there is a Tuesday Group which does maintenance around the club once a week, some members offer professional services while others organise the training. However, the committee is flexible and open to new ideas so please highlight what you could help with and we'll be in touch.

From what age are sailing junior members encouraged to do duties?

Once they turn 16.

My son is 14 and keen to start doing sailing duties could he be added to the duty rota even though he's not reached 16?

Yes, we would be happy to have younger members taking part. Please provide information about his skills and experience in the relevant part of this pack as well as the number of duties he would be prepared to help with over a calendar year. It's likely he would be offered a rescue assistant role.

I'm a non-sailing member but I would like to volunteer to help run the sailing, will that be possible?

Yes, providing you can swim, are reasonably fit and prepared to enter the water to rescue someone, we would be happy for you to take part. Please indicate how many duties you would be prepared to help with in the relevant section of this form.

You have a duty rota for sailing members is there one for non-sailing members?

Social duties are not managed through an official rota. If you are needed for a social duty, the social secretary or an assistant will contact you directly. Alternatively, you could respond to a club appeal on Facebook or through the newsletter for volunteers.

Why are members encouraged to do "at least" five duties?

In addition to regular sailing, the club runs a series of special or open events throughout the season which are not always covered by the duty rota. For these, direct approaches or appeals are made asking for members to volunteer.