Boat launching for the 2020 season will begin on May 7, subject to weather and restrictions designed to protect boat owners, launch crew, and members from infection. See this season's special rules and the scheduled May launch dates and times (below) before e-mailing marine@hyc.org to schedule a launching date for your boat. Regular Prelaunch Rules also apply.
2020 Safe-Launching Practices at Harlem Yacht Club
The HYC Marine Committee is delighted that New York State’s marinas will now be allowed to resume restricted operations. We have announced plans to begin launching operations on May 7, weather permitting.
At the same time, the covid-19 pandemic continues. HYC is a member-operated club, and many of our members and their families belong to one or more of the groups most vulnerable to the disease—and that includes the members of the Marine Committee and the volunteers who launch and haul our boats.
In order to protect the marine crew, boat owners, and other members, the Marine Committee has adopted the following special policies to be observed during all boat launchings this spring.
Launch Safety Manager. A designated Launch Safety Manager will oversee the Yard and launch operations during each launch day. This person will be responsible for limiting the number of people in the yard, ensuring that everyone adheres to safe practices, and assigning members of the marine crew to tasks. The marine crew has been instructed not to interact directly with owners/onlookers.
If Your Boat Is Readily Accessible, please try to have it ready to launch as soon as possible. We will try to minimize moving boats. To that end, we will prioritize launching front-row boats first. If your boat is buried behind one or two rows of boats, please be patient.
Do Not Park in the Yard on Launch Days (at least for the first few weeks) to leave the marine crew enough room to maneuver and eliminate the need for moving cars,
Launch Crews Will Be Limited to the minimum number necessary to move and launch boats safely. Each marine crew member will be assigned a single specific task for that launch period and will be guided by the Launch Safety Manager. This is being done to reduce the number of people in the yard, and to reduce the number of interactions between marine crew and other crew members, boat owners, and equipment.
Address All Questions and Concerns to the Launch Safety Manager, and not to other members of the marine crew.
Protection and Distancing. Every person in the Yard or Farm must wear a face mask and gloves, and all must maintain 6-foot separation.
Limiting Numbers. Be advised that we will limit the number of people allowed in the yard. If you come to visit or to work on your boat, you are better off coming on a day when we are not launching. Please refer to the published launch schedule at http://hyc.org/marine.
Test Your Engine Ahead of Time. You must have tested your motor within a few days of your launch date. Please do not expect us to launch you if your motor is not working. Doing so increases the risk for the launch operator and the marine crew.
Be Ready to Go. On the day you launch, be ready to go two hours before high tide. If you and your boat are not ready when your turn is called, the crew will proceed to the next in line, and there is a good chance you will not launch that day.
Keep Your Distance from the Marine Crew. Do not try to help the marine crew once they have brought the yard car or forklift to your boat to begin the launching process. Please wait on porch or somewhere away from the activity.
Board Your Boat from the Ladder Placed Against Your Port Side, and not from the trolley scaffold. When your boat is on the trolley, the marine crew will put a ladder against your port side so you can board. Please try to avoid touching any tools or equipment other than the ladder.
Bring One Crew if you need help mooring your boat after launch. We are using a skeleton marine crew to reduce contact and no marine crew will be permitted to go out on your boat with you.
Police Your Storage Area. You are expected to remove fabric, tarps, wood blocking, jackstands cans, rags etc. from the space your boat occupied, and cradles must be broken down by the end of the day on which you launch (or on the following morning before launch activity begins, if yours is the last boat launched and darkness halts work). Please bring the tools you need to break down your cradle; we will not be lending tools, to reduce the chance of virus transmission.
Hauling Dates & Times (Revised 4/30/20)