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The Club premises are to be open from 10.30 am on each Saturday and Sunday in the sailing season and from 6.30 pm on any Wednesday evening when sailing takes place. At the weekends, the premises should remain open until the last member leaves, but the duty officers can reasonably expect to leave by 7pm and no later than 8pm.
Keys and Codes
It is the responsibility of the OoD to arrange to collect the Club keys, the OoD record book and a cash float from the Rear Commodore in the week before the Duty, and to return the keys and money at the end of the Duty. The Rear Commodore (or deputy) will be at the club for this purpose on Wednesday evenings from 9pm and arrangements for the return of the keys and the float should be confirmed at this time. Directions to the home of the Rear Commodore are given in the OoD record book.
The OoD record book is the Club's log of income and expenditure relating to the Galley and of any significant incidents at the Club. It also contains advice about operating galley facilities, including setting the alarm.
The keys in the OoD bag are those to the boat park (one key fits the main entry gate and small side gate), the gate onto the slipway, the clubhouse side entrance door, and the door into the galley. There are two other sets of keys that are kept in the galley, normally hanging behind the door. One set is for the Race Manager and the other for the Safety Officer. A key to the cleaning cupboard (next to the side entrance door) and keys to the lockers in the corridor are kept in the keybox on the galley wall behind the door.
Please familiarise yourself with the alarm code and be prepared to turn off the alarm (at the panel to the left of the galley entrance door) on arrival each morning, although this will normally have been done by the Park Rangers employed by Rotherham MBC. The alarm must be set at the end of each day, unless the Rangers have not yet left or indicate that the alarm should not be set. Full instructions are in the OoD record book.
Catering and Cleaning
The OoD is expected to serve hot and cold drinks and confectionery from the Club stock on reasonable request and to provide lunches at least for those participating in club races and, where possible, for other members and their guests. The OoD will need to ensure that adequate supplies of perishable foods such as bread, milk and cheese are available if they are to be used on the day. The choice of lunch menu is at the discretion of the OoD and does not have to be more than soup and/or a sandwich, using club stock items, which include packets of soup, tinned meat, tuna and beans. However, some OoDs prefer to be more adventurous and members very much welcome a variety of home made offerings, such as baked potatoes, with various toppings, pizzas, pie and peas, and cakes. Please ensure that any partly-used stock is cling-filmed before being left in the fridge. Other surplus perishables should be taken home.
The costs incurred by the OoDs in providing their own foodstuffs should be recorded in the OoD book and reimbursed from the takings before they are returned to the Rear Commodore.
The price charged for non-stock items is at the discretion of the OoD. The emphasis is on service to members rather than profit, but always ensure that costs are properly covered. Duty Officers may have teas and coffees free of charge during their duty, but all other refreshments taken by them must be paid for.
The galley must be operated at all times in such a way as to meet public health and hygiene requirements. Food handlers who have suffered from diarrhoea and/or vomiting must avoid food handling for 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped.
The food preparation areas should be sprayed down with the sanitiser (Dettoc) prior to undertaking any food preparation and there are notices in the galley giving guidance about hand washing, the use of sinks and chopping boards, and fridge temperatures.
When serving food, ensure that priority is given to those who are actually taking part in the racing. Persons who are not club members or their guests are not allowed to purchase any item at any time. Be particularly alert to members of the public wandering in on the assumption that we are a tea room and public lavatory!
If you have any suspicion that alcoholic drinks are being purchased for consumption by somebody less than 18 years of age then ask for I.D. (see the notice above the sink). The copy of our Club Premises Certificate is kept on top of the till if someone in authority needs to see it.
Make sure that all guests are entered in the Visitors Book.
The galley and till should either be closed and locked or attended by a responsible adult at all times during the duty. The OoD may, at their discretion, ban any person from the galley and no person under the age of 18 should be behind the bar. This rule does not mean that Juniors cannot play their part in laying out tables, buttering bread etc, which can all be done in the club room.
The upkeep of the galley is entirely the responsibility of USC members and it must be left clean and tidy at the end of each duty. This includes the fridges, ovens and galley floor. All rubbish should be disposed of in the large grey bins located in the cottage yard, near the club’s metal storage container. The disposal of food that is beyond its ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date is the responsibility of the Rear Commodore. All empty bottles should be placed in the recycling bins in the car park. The galley should not be used to stow sailing gear, clothing etc, and members are asked not to leave money and other valuables behind the bar for safe keeping.
The upkeep of other parts of the clubhouse and site is a responsibility shared with RMBC and other users. RMBC should be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of our club rooms (except the galley), the changing rooms and other site facilities, but this is not happening at present. However, as good tenants we must ensure that we leave everything in these areas in at least as good a condition as we found them, which means picking up all litter, cleaning floors, etc. Check the toilets, washbasins and showers and clean these areas if necessary.
There is a basic first aid kit in the galley in the drawer marked with a green cross. It is important to record any accident details in the book provided for this purpose in the first-aid drawer. Serious accidents should also be recorded in the OoD book, as well as any incidents involving damage to boats, since there might be an insurance claim.
OoDs should look to undertake other site maintenance activities in any slack time, such as tidying the boat park or trimming the grass. Any problems and malfunctions (or praise) should be recorded in the OoD book for action by the Management Committee.
Galley Quirks
Most of the galley equipment is as you'd expect at home but there are some USC specials:
The cooker. This is a standard gas cooker except that it uses bottled gas. The instructions for use are in the cupboard above the fridge. The gas is supplied from a gas bottle below the end of the bar counter. If the bottle runs out, a replacement is normally stored in the same place. Instructions on how to change the gas bottle are given on a card hanging from the pressure regulator.
The cooker hood. To open the cooker hood, pull the cupboard towards you. The control switches are inside. If nothing happens then check the isolation switch on the wall to the right, labelled "Cooker Hood". To close the cooker hood, lift the door and close in the normal manner.
The hot tap. The water will only be hot if, sometime before, the electric boiler under the sink has been turned on using the labelled switch on the wall. It will only give a bowl-full or so of hot water before it runs cold, so you need to turn the tap off quite soon. Do not turn this tap off too hard - there may be a slight dribble of water due to expansion of the water being heated in the boiler.
The beer cooler. The cooler is powered from the electric socket just above the back of the fridge. DO NOT TURN THIS OFF IF A BARREL IS CONNECTED! If it is turned off, it takes about 24 hours to cool down again.
The beer pump. This is 'powered' by gas from the mixed-gas cylinder that is secured to the underside of the bar, next to the fridge. If the cylinder runs out, there should be a replacement in the container (where the safety-boat engines are stored). Draw off and discard approximately ½ pint each day before selling any beer. If the barrel runs out and you don't know how to change it, then find somebody who does know!
The Phones. The white phone mounted on the wall connects only to the OoD cabin. Dial 2 to phone the OoD. The phone on the bar is primarily intended for incoming calls and for out-going calls in emergencies.
Clubroom Apparatus
Heater. This is mounted on the wall above the window opposite the bar and looks like an air-conditioning unit. It is operated by means of a remote control unit that is kept in a plastic ‘holster’ on the wall between the Club noticeboards on the wall opposite the galley door. Operating instructions are kept in the galley.
The window-mounted extractor fans. These are turned on and off by means of two switches on the wall to the right of the door out into the corridor – beyond the light switches.
