FLEET CAPTAIN DUTIES Ref: DEYC By-Laws, Article V, Section 5 Updated: August, 2013 General Responsibilities: The Fleet Captain will be appointed by the Commodore. He/she shall be the chairman of the Cruise and Rendezvous Committee and as such shall direct the Committee in planning such affairs. He/she shall set the speed of all boats of the club when they are traveling in convoy so that all boats can operate safely. In the absence of the Commodore, or as otherwise directed by the Commodore, the Fleet Captain shall be the Officer in Charge of all boats of the Club when traveling in convoy. He/she shall make all necessary arrangements for the slips, moorings, or anchorage for all boats of the Club when such boats are participating in a Club sponsored Cruise or Rendezvous away from the Club s home port. He/she shall perform such additional duties as the Commodore may assign. He/she may appoint department heads to accomplish the aforementioned assignments. Down East Cruise Planning 1. Correspondence to the Fleet Captain: Upon the initial spring flyer issuance all correspondence shall be between the interested boater and the Fleet Captain. All applications for boats, meals and dockage shall be sent to the Fleet Captain. All checks shall be made out to the DEYC and sent to the Fleet Captain with the applications. The Fleet Captain shall forward the checks with appropriate assignment to the Club s administrative assistant. 2. Down East Cruise Host/Committee: The Fleet Captain shall select a committee to assist him/her in developing an itinerary and act as hosts for each site selected for the cruise. It may prove helpful to include a prior Fleet Captain on the committee. The committee can achieve most of their work through discussions over the telephone; however, there is benefit to having a few gatherings for open discussion when planning out the annual down east cruise. Committee members will be assigned to host a site during the cruise. Each site host will make the necessary arrangements for dockage, moorings, or anchorage and direct the fleet during entering the selected site harbor. The Host will assist boats as necessary in locating moorings and anchoring. The Host will make arrangements for catering and planned activities during the stay. Committee members will assist the Fleet Captain in establishing the Cruise budget (see Cruise Budgeting Process). 3. Boat Fee The boat fee has multiple purposes. First it provides an indication of those who are serious in participating in the cruise. Second it establishes the mailing list for further communications with respect to meals, dockage and moorings for the various sites. Third the boat fee should be established to meet the needs of the cruise expenses after the Fleet Captain and hosts have developed a budget for the cruise. Boat fees should 1
cover tips, cruise booklet, and miscellaneous expenses that occur. It typically has been set at $25 and is collected as part of the registration process. 4. Down East Cruise Considerations Certain objectives should be considered when planning the cruise. The following are suggestions; 1. Distances between sites shall be kept to within sail boat range of approximately four to six hour duration at 4 to 5 knots or < 30 nautical miles. 2. Small boats need docking for water, power, fuel, showers, etc. every two to three days. 3. Consider having a Mystery nite dinner early in the cruise as a way to introduce new members 4. Many prefer eating out rather than onboard their boats while others prefer eating aboard or on the beach. Therefore, a blend for both is in order. 5. Alternative sites in case of bad weather should be considered. 6. Meal costs should be kept reasonable. Two to four special events in the $40 to $50 dollar range per person total, is a reasonable goal. 7. Selected sites need to be able to handle 35 to 40 boats. 8. Tide considerations need to be addressed as many sites will have entering, leaving and going ashore issues to cope with. 9. The committee should discuss having unique fun events in the cruise such as the cribbage tournament, dingy contests, a unique costume/contest event, treasure hunt, etc. 10. The goal should be for the cruise to be self funding with the exception of three Club cocktail sponsored events. Other cocktail or beer and wine events should be covered by the meal budget. 11. Request the officers as well as you keep their cell phones on during the cruise. While VHF is the first choice for communication, experience has shown that some members need to reach you by cell as in such cases where a new member might break off due to conditions and not follow the fleet. 12. The Fleet Captain shall monitor channel 9 at all times. 13. Make a Fog Plan outlining which boats are willing to lead others, etc. in case of contingency. 5. Cruise Itinerary The itinerary should contain the following information; A. Date, day and time of event. B. Place and Hosts. C. Synopsis of the activity planned. D. Travel distance between previous site and current site. E. High and low water tides and sunrise/sunset. F. Instructions for assigned hors d oeurve or meal, utensils, etc. See appendix A for general format. 2
6. Cruise Budgeting Process The Fleet Captain and his/her committee shall plan a budget for the cruise. The budget shall recognize meal costs per person plus an allowance to cover rentals and tips, etc. The boat fee will be established based upon costs that are included in the meals versus costs that will need to be paid outside of the meals, i.e. tips to dock hands. In addition, costs of the cruise booklet and event prizes need to be covered. Woody Wagon II costs, if applicable, are excluded as they are covered under the VC budget. 6. Docking and Mooring Plans The Dockage and Mooring form is provided in the early cruise planning documents to assist the Fleet Captain & Hosts in advising the Marinas early of the expected Club requirements. Specific reservations should be made by each boat owner for dockage or moorings direct to the Marina rather than through the club. Each owner will then be responsible to the marina for billing and any cancellation fees if they do not show up as arranged. Sailboaters must be specific with the marina as they will normally show up later than powerboats. There is a tendency for boaters to rush to a site to get their preferred location, therefore, the host of the site must direct them to the location assigned and assist them into their assigned spot. For the main cruise and mini-cruise it must be made very clear in the pre-cruise documents that the owner is responsible to make its own reservation. Be sure to include the phone number of each Marina so owners may make their reservations. A specific reservation should be made and held for the Vice-Commodore at all locations where the Club serves refreshments. Members should be notified in the cruise itinerary that they are responsible to immediately notify any marina themselves of a dock or mooring cancellation if one has been reserved for them. The Meals Request Form, dockage and mooring planning form and the detailed Cruise packet destination pages should show the specific cost of moorings/dockage and whether rafting is allowed and what discount (if any) applies when rafting. Marina times for clearing dockage and moorings should be listed in the pre-cruise booklet. 7. Meal Plans For purchased meals, the site host shall acquire a detailed menu and identify what the price will cover and what is not covered, for a firm price. The host shall identify for the Fleet Captain total costs including tips etc. Purchased meals such as a catered event will often require advanced down payment. Advanced payments should be arranged at a time when the number of people attending, are fairly certain. However, at every event some people will drop out at the last minute while others are attempting to get on the list. For catered events, holding back a few numbers are valuable if the agreement with the caterer allows adding numbers at the last minute. In all cases everyone must pay the assigned amount. If the deadline has past then in accordance with Club policy, refunds are not available. Meals where a club member heads up a cooked event, then the cook will keep records of the expenses for food etc. and present them to the Fleet Captain for payment. The 3
cook shall request assistance from a number of the boaters during preparation, serving and clean up. The cost of the cook-out is also paid by each person. Meals prepared by individual boaters and brought to the event to share are not part of the purchased meals 8. Deadlines Deadlines are established to provide the Fleet Captain and committee time to organize the event and insure that advanced payments are paid on schedule. As stated above, under meals, the deadline is important as payments can not be refunded after the deadline. This is due to commitments made to the caterers or purchase of foods for the events. 9. Logistic Support for Sites When appropriate, the site being visited will require support items and the logistics of obtaining them must be planned. For example, some sites might need to rent portapotties. In other cases the DEYC trailer with tables, chairs, tarps, tents, trash barrels, etc. will need to be delivered to the site. Grills and charcoal are often needed to be carried by boat to an off shore island for cooking. Permission from the island owner to use the island may need to be obtained. 10. Prizes and expenses Prizes are typically small token or joke prizes. They can be given to winners of planned activities during the cruise such as dinghy races and costume winners to mention a few. Expenses for the cruise need to be managed carefully and receipts shall be kept to validate the expense. Expenses include but are not limited to; booklet preparation, flyers, story boards to advertise the cruise, tips to dock hands and tips to caterers. Publications and Flyers The Fleet Captain is responsible to prepare the following forms and submit them to the Admin. Asst. for duplication and distribution: 1. Notice of Cruise plan for issue at the Commodores Luncheon 2. Cruise interest and commitment form 3. Meals, Dockage and Mooring Request Flyer 4. Any letters to Host Committee members 5. Cruise Booklet Reports The Fleet Captain is responsible to prepare the following: 1. Board meeting status reports 2. Annual meeting report 3. Financial report Please email a copy of your reports to the Admin. Asst. immediately after each meeting to help in the preparation of minutes. 4
Appendices A. Itinerary B. Budget C. Boat Application fee letter D. Meals, dockage, and mooring flyer E. Meals and accommodations report F. Cruise Booklet G. List of contacts for events H. Fleet Captain checklist I. Host Boat checklist NOTE! The Admin. Asst. MUST have all fiscal year invoices paid by August 31. Also any expenses you have paid for must have had receipts submitted and reimbursements made by August 31. Follow up and ensure that all vendors from which you have made purchases, if any, have provided bills early enough that you have sent them to the Admin. Asst. for payment by that time. 5
Appendix H Fleet Captain Checklist Before the cruise: Cruise Committee selected Keep the Commodore informed as you proceed with each step of the preparation Estimates made for number of power and sailboats attending the cruise Itinerary planned and concurred in by Commodore Obtain support concurrence from the Vice-Commodore for all refreshment locations Host identified for each destination Set up a schedule with deadlines and responsibilities for all activities to be completed prior to actual departure. Issue to all committee members and Hosts. Include dates for detailed report by Hosts for status of completion of their checklist Destination Marinas or harbors have confirmed that they can provide estimated number of moorings and dock space on the dates requested. If not, plan alternatives for anchoring, etc. or plan alternative port Alternative destinations identified in case of bad weather Coordinate with Hosts and identify a meal plan for each destination. Coordinate with Hosts to identify logistic costs (tents, porta-potties, prizes, etc.) If porta-potties needed, have Host provide road directions and exact placement locations and establish a single contract with the supplier for all locations if possible. The host s name and phone number is to be included for each location Now establish a cruise budget and set the cruise boat fee Prepare status report for each Board Meeting Prepare Cruise schedule (Appendix A) Prepare Cruise Budget (Appendix B) Prepare Cruise Information Request Form (Appendix C) Prepare Cruise Dockage/Meals Request Form (Appendix D) Update Cruise Budget (Appendix B) based on response forms Prepare the Cruise Booklet (and any verbal comments) for handout at the pre-cruise meeting (Appendix F). Be sure a chart map of each destination is included. Include phone numbers or contact info for all marinas. Also include the safety page listing time/channel of morning radio check, fog assistance boats, etc. The spreadsheet showing expected ports of call for each boat, etc. used in the 2013 cruise booklet was also an excellent guide. Remind all owners they are responsible for own reservations. (If a Marina does not take credit cards for a reservation, collect the mooring/dockage fee on the cruise registration form just as you do for meals and then pay the Marina.) If a cribbage tournament is planned, identify a coordinator and make a game plan Plan cruise Award categories and have suitable prizes available on board (including Pink Shackle ). Check with Hosts to confirm all arrangements are final for their location and that they will be prepared to greet all boats and will enforce or suitably adjust all dockage/mooring/rafting assignment plans as agreed with the Marina. Insure that the first Host has the Host Boat banner on board and that he is understands it is his responsibility to get it to the next Host boat in line Take these Guidelines and the checklist with you on the cruise and have it readily available for reference 6
During the cruise: Relax the Hosts are supposed to be doing all the work. Your job is now just to assist them with unexpected situations. Monitor channel 9 at all times and keep your cell charged and on to respond to any needs of the fleet Hold role call on the channel published in the pre-cruise packet each day at 8am and provide weather or other updates as needed. Occasionally remind fleet to call and cancel any reservations if they change plans. If you have a cancellation, inform the Host boat of the affected locations so he can mark up his own data sheets as to the possible availability of a new space Be sure you have a copy of the latest Roster on board. Observe performance and proper boat etiquette among cruisers to help identify suitable candidates for future Fleet Captains and committee members Monitor status of any boat that indicates they are having trouble. Prepare a suitable awards ceremony and comments and issue prizes After the cruise: Contact each Host to expedite the completion of their financial reports to you and submission of all expenses to the Administrative Assistant Prepare a final cruise financial report for the Commodore and Administrative Assistant Prepare the Annual Meeting report: Please email a copy of your Directors Meetings reports and the Annual Meeting Report to the Admin. Asst. immediately after each meeting to help in the preparation of minutes. 7
Appendix I Host Boat Checklist Before the cruise: Review Fleet Captain s Guidelines and checklist to become familiar with the scope of duties that you will need to help support Review the Host and Host Planning Checklist sections of the Guidelines to assist in your planning Agree with the Fleet Captain (Cruise) or Commodore (Mini-cruise) as to which location you will host. Decide what activities you would suggest for that location and who would need to be involved to help you. Based on the estimated number and type of boats attending, contact the proposed dock facility and determine if they can provide the requested facilities for the dates planned. Determine anticipated costs, options, etc. for planning purposes. Are permissions required of island owners for access and have they been obtained? Decide upon a meal plan for the location where, who provides what, times, any special support required such as grills, charcoal, extra ice, etc. Ask other members for assistance in this task as needed.. Do the same for any special event planned such as a treasure hunt, boat contest, etc. Prepare a budget for the location based on estimated number of attendees and provide it to the Fleet Captain List all special supplies needed for the location and determine who will provide and deliver/setup the supplies. Coordinate with the Vice-Commodore the bar and refreshments requirements and the Woody-Wagen or table locations if needed Experience has shown that each Host should pre-visit their location to insure details have been agreed upon with support facilities and to observe any special docking/mooring/ anchoring conditions. In particular check on current/tide and depth conditions and to determine the best location for your Host boat. Finalize arrangements with each marina, caterer and any other supplier with all details and any special requests that they may have (dock arrival, departure times, etc.) State that your expectation is that since you as a club are paying for a number of moorings, you expect that they will inspect and clean any lines of excess kelp so they are in satisfactory operating order. Make any needed deposit arrangements through the Fleet Captain after it has been agreed upon with the Commodore and Administrative Assistant. Prepare a location data sheet to be included with the pre-cruise mailing (May) showing full details of who, what, when, where, how, etc. See the Host Appendix section of the Guidelines for some good examples. If accessible by land or sea, include separate directions and two checkboxes to indicate by which method attendees will arrive. Also determine where parking is available and make arrangements for the DEYC direction signs to be posted at appropriate places. This information will be distributed as part of a handout at the Commodore s luncheon and mailed to those who did not attend. This sheet should be updated and included in the 8
pre-cruise Booklet issued the night before the beginning of the cruise to contain further details (such as the start time of meals/events ashore, etc.) During the cruise: Advise the Fleet Captain immediately of any changes to the status of your planned location or events so he can assist in resolving issues and also make any necessary announcements during the next day s roll call. Plan to arrive at your location as early as possible and establish your boat so that the Host Banner is clearly visible to boats approaching the location. Continuously monitor channel 9 for calls to you for docking instructions. Upon receiving a call, request the calling boat to switch to the radio channel you previously designated in the cruise booklet for mooring/anchoring instructions. Give the needed information as quickly as possible, insure it is understood and then switch back to Channel 9 to await the next call. During high arrival times or as otherwise appropriate, be in your dingy with a handheld radio on Channel 9 so you can guide boats to specific reserved moorings or specified dock/anchorage areas. Switch to the anchoring channel as needed but return to 9 as quickly as possible so as not to miss any incoming calls. The Host boat is responsible to enforce reserved dock space for the Commodore or Vice Commodore and any special reservations held for sailboats. This will insure that all who plan to cruise during the day will know they have a reserved space if arriving late in the afternoon. Know the rafting requirements/suggestions of the marina and adhere to them Know the mooring/dock costs for the location so you can advise boaters if asked Check any moorings reserved for the fleet and make sure they are reasonably clean and separated. Discuss with the marina any unsatisfactory conditions for resolution. The Host Boat should meet with the marina dock master and advise him of the fleets current plans and coordinate any details between them After your event prepare an updated budget/expense sheet and submit to the Fleet Captain so he will know the approximate final cost of each cruise location. After the cruise: All bills should be paid as quickly as possible. Mark all receipts for materials you have purchased and paid for with Received and your signature and then submit to the Fleet Captain for forwarding to the Administrative Assistant for reimbursement. For bills which will be paid directly by the Club, mark the invoice with Received and your signature and then submit to the Fleet Captain for forwarding to the Administrative Assistant for payment. NOTE! The Admin. Asst. MUST have all fiscal year invoices paid by August 31. Also any expenses you have paid for must have had receipts submitted and reimbursements made by August 31. Follow up and ensure that all vendors from which you have made purchases, if any, have provided bills early enough that you have sent them to the Admin. Asst. for payment by that time. 9