Rules and Guidelines applicable to the Dittons Skiff & Punting Club Code of River Safety (the “Code”)

1. In addition to the rules set out in the Code the following rules will apply when either Yellow or Red Environment Agency (“EA”) Warning Boards are displayed at Teddington Lock (020 8940 8723).

Club members wishing to boat are expected to ascertain the status of the EA Warning Boards for themselves. Teddington Lock is manned 24 hours a day.
(a) A decision of two Panel members is necessary to allow a crew to boat at any time including outside of normal club opening hours. In the absence of agreement by those two Panel members the request to boat shall be refused.
(b) The Panel Members’ decision is final. No children under the age of 16, non-members or guests shall be permitted to boat.

2. The following additional rules will apply when the EA Warning Board specified below is on display at Teddington Lock:

Yellow Board

(a) No crews to boat when the river level is at or above the red paint mark on the upstream boundary wall of the Club slipway.
(b) Experienced members may boat in singles in daylight hours only.
(c) Experienced members may boat in uncoxed doubles in daylight hours only (no current racing doubles to be used).

Red Board

(a) As (a) above.
(b) Experienced members may boat in singles in daylight hours only if they are accompanied by at least one other crew.
(c) Experienced members may boat in coxed doubles in daylight hours only.

For the avoidance of doubt, when the Red EA Warning Board applies, no crews may boat uncoxed except in singles and no crews may boat in darkness and must come off the water before darkness falls.

3. General Guidelines to Panel Members

Panel members must take the following matters into account when making a decision under the Code:

(a) the board status at Teddington Lock (tel 020 8940 8723);
(b) height and speed of the river;
(c) other relevant weather factors e.g. strong wind against current;
(d) experience, fitness and strength of crews including coxes;
(e) the safety with which boats can be launched.

If in doubt always err on the side of caution.

Notes

Criteria For Decisions By Panel Members Any decisions taken by Panel members will be based purely on the prevailing EA Board status, prevailing river and weather conditions and the experience, fitness and strength of crews including coxes. Panel members may decide when taking all these factors into account that a less experienced person may boat but only together with two other experienced members in the same crew but may also give guidance as to the order of the crew to ensure for example than an experienced person coxes downstream. There will be no discrimination based on sex or age.

Duty Scheme

It is intended that Panel Members will operate a duty scheme to try to ensure that two Panel Members are available at reasonable times when the Club is open and when the Code of River Safety is in operation. The proposed times and days of operation of the duty scheme are:

Tuesday and Thursday evenings 7.00pm - 8.00 pm Saturday afternoons 1.45pm - 2.30 pm Sunday mornings 10.00am - 11.00 am

Outings outside of these times may be arranged subject to the availability of 2 Panel Members.

Further details of the duty scheme will be published separately.

6 June, 2001