DO NOT SAIL tags and Boat Captain Notification
by Tracy Williams May 2023
If you run into something with the boats which make them unable to be sailed, or perhaps a likely safety risk for fellow members, it is important to
- Put a note in the Repair Log noting the issue
- Attach a DO NOT SAIL tag
- Notify the Boat Captain
There have been occasions where equipment failures like the gooseneck failing below were written up in the repair log but the boat captain wasn’t notified and there was no DO NOT SAIL tag put on the boat.
There is a list of boat captains’ phone numbers in the dock box. Whenever there is something which is not a “nice to have” repair, but instead a “must have” repair, please remember to take a moment and telephone the boat captain. Some of the parts for our fleet of vintage sailboats are not always readily available. Having a heads up at the earliest opportunity helps the boat captain return the boat to service as soon as possible.
Also, by putting the DO NOT SAIL tag on the boat, it will clearly let fellow members know they cannot sail the boat and that there is a functional or safety issue involved. It’s important to attach the DO NOT SAIL tag to the cuddy door so that it is very visible to anyone wishing to sail the boat.
