The designated person ashore will help coordinate crew changeovers and act as a point of contact for crews during scheduled training times.
The role of the designated person ashore will be rotated between adult rowing crews. Each crew will take a rostered week and act as DPA. The roster will be circulated by the scheduler via the ‘Club Captains’ WhatsApp group. Keys and lock codes will be provided to the crew captain to be shared between their crew for the week.
Check the local weather forecast for Skerries in the lead up to beach master. Pay particular attention to the wind and swell. Also check the tides so you know if the tide is coming in or going out.
If you arrive and feel conditions are unsafe to row, advise the crew captains.
During the season, slipways can become dangerous and require cleaning. If you feel the slipway is not safe for launching and retrieving boats, advise the crews. This is more applicable during low tides. If any club members fall and injure themselves please inform the club Health & Safety Officer.
Can you row if no beach master is present?
From time to time there may be no beach master present during rowing sessions. The beach master may row with a crew during training sessions. There is unlikely to be a beach master present during long rows or weekend rows.
The role is not safety critical; it serves to aid the function of crew rostering and changeovers and act as an additional safety relay point of contact if required during training. Each crew is primarily responsible for their own safety on the water, the club provides VHF radios for communication and each crew member is responsible for their own lifejacket.
Every year Skerries Rowing Club attends training provided by the RNLI in Skerries. At these sessions club members learn about life jackets, tides, currents, local geography and other safety systems in place. It’s advised all club members attend these sessions as the information learned is applicable to the role of beachmaster.