THE CITADEL

THE MILITARY COLLEGE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

171 MOULTRIE STREET

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA 29409

 

MEMORANDUM

NUMBER         9                                                                                         22 JULY  2003

 

THE CITADEL BOATING PROGRAM

 

1.         GENERAL ORGANIZATION:

 

The Citadel Boating Program is conducted under the aegis of The Citadel Boating Center for the benefit of the Corps of Cadets and fulltime day students who pay student activity fees, faculty, staff and their qualifying dependents.  The Citadel Boating Center is managed by the Boating Center Manager, operating under policy guidance of the Director of the Physical Plant. All boats, which are purchased with Citadel funds of any kind or are received as gifts or on loan, are placed under the jurisdiction and custodianship of the Boating Center Manager.  While title of some boats and equipment may remain with an associated eleemosynary organization, general use and scheduling will remain the responsibility of the Boating Center Manager.  Boats used by academic departments directly in support of a curriculum, or boats used to support Boating Center (ex. recovery/towing) are not generally available for other use.  All other Boating Center boats are available for use by members in accordance with the administrative rules of the Boating Center. These rules cover scheduling, qualification requirements, and monetary charges for rental, gas and oil for power boats.

 

            2.         BUDGET:

 

The Boating Center Manager will assist in the preparation of an annual budget for the operation of the entire boating program, including the maintenance of boats, properties and purchase of boats and equipment.

 

A.        Sources of funds for support of Citadel-owned boats:

 

1)         Allocation from student activities fees.

2)         Citadel Summer Camp annual assessment.

3)         Boat rental charges.

4)         Allocation of college funds.

5)         Sale of gasoline and oil.

6)         Rental of boat storage spaces and berthing.

7)         Sale of Citadel surplus or surveyed boats and equipment.

 

B.        The budget will provide for:

 

1)                 Administrative expenses.

2)                 General maintenance for college-owned boats, boating equipment, and facilities.

3)                 A small boat rental/use program.

4)                 Gasoline and oil purchases for use and resale to private boat owners using Boating Center facilities.

5)                 Boat and equipment purchases.

      

Funds for support of boats whose title is held by eleemosynary organizations are controlled by those organizations.

 

3.         BOATING CENTER MANAGER:

 

                        The Boating Center Manager will have overall responsibilities for:

 

A.        The waterfront facilities and services at the Boating Center.

B.        The management of the qualifications program, both sailing and powerboats.

C.        The maintenance of all equipment assigned to the Boating Center.

D.        Custody, care and inventory of all boats, equipment and facilities.

E.        Maintenance of all records of qualification, expense and purchase.

 

4.         SUPPORT PERSONNEL:

 

A full-time mechanic and a full time mechanic assistant will be employed and will be responsible directly to the Boating Center Shop Head.

 

A.        Part-time assistants, generally students, will be employed during the year to assist the Boating Center Manager in managing and maintaining the Boating Center, its facilities and equipment. These part-time assistants will be paid an hourly wage as determined in coordination with the Director of Human Resources.

 

B.        The sailing team, rowing/crew activities, and the Department of Exercise and Sport Science small boat training activities are the responsibility of the head of each particular activity.  The Boating Center will support their requirements, to the extent funds are available, through the purchase and maintenance of the necessary boats and equipment. The Department of Exercise and Sport Science will provide for routine maintenance of the crew team shells.

 

C.        A small boat rental/use program for The Citadel Summer Camp is the responsibility of the Director of Summer Camp. The Citadel Boating Center Manager is responsible for the provision of small boats and boating equipment to support this requirement as mutually agreed.

 

 

            5.         GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR BOATING:

 

                        See Annex A.

 

6.         CHARGES:

 

A rate schedule setting the cost for rental of boats and boat storage space is set forth in Annex B.

 

7.         BOATING CENTER STORAGE POLICY:

 

See Annex C.

 

8.         BOATING CENTER CLUB HOUSE POLICY:

 

See Annex D.

           

9.         RESCISSIONS

 

This memorandum rescinds Memorandum Number 10, The Citadel Boating Program dated 15 July 1994.

 

                        FOR THE PRESIDENT:

 

 

CHARLES B. REGER

          COLONEL, USAF, RETIRED

          Executive Assistant to the President

 

Attachments:

   Annex A, Boating Rules and Regulations

   Annex B, Charges

   Annex C, Boating Center Storage Policy

   Annex D, Boating Center Club House Policy

ANNEX A

 

BOATING REGULATIONS                           

 

1.         SCOPE:

 

Boating regulations for all those authorized to use The Citadel boats are prescribed below. The Citadel Boating Center Manager at his discretion may make administrative exceptions to these rules.  These will be made under special circumstances only.  There will be no exceptions made to government or safety regulations.

 

2.         QUALIFICATIONS:

 

Qualification cards are required for:

A.        All powerboats

B.        All sailboats

 

Qualification cards are not required for:

A.        Canoes

B.        Jon boats without motors

 

            Only Citadel faculty, staff, their qualified dependents, and/or cadets and full time students are permitted to operate Citadel owned boats and equipment.  Cadets/students must be currently enrolled as a full time student paying activity fees for that semester.  No one under the age of 16 years will be allowed to check out a powerboat, age 10 for sailboats and canoes.  Dependents 18 or under require parental sign out or written permission.  Authorized dependents must live with the sponsor, be 18 years or younger or be a student ‑ not over the age of 22.  All persons eligible to use  Citadel boats must have demonstrated a theoretical knowledge of small boats, boating safety, and rules of the road.  He or she must also have demonstrated, to the satisfaction of a qualified Boat Center instructor, a practical boat handling capability.  A student may satisfactorily demonstrate theoretical knowledge by attending the South Carolina Basic Boating Course, the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Basic Seamanship Course, the U. S. Power Squadron Basic Seamanship Course, or by taking a written test based on the home study South Carolina Basic Boating Course.  The on-water demonstration of boat handling may be accomplished at the Boating Center by arranging an on water test in the appropriate boat.  Certification of qualifications in sail or power will be attested to by issuance of a qualification card given by The Citadel Boating Center.  The Boating Center Manager will maintain an active file of all those qualified. Qualification is effective for the remainder of enrollment at The Citadel for students, and during employment for faculty and staff members.

 

3.         PROCEDURES FOR SIGNING OUT CITADEL BOATS AND OTHER RULES:

 

A.        Checkouts and reservations.

 

1)         A qualified skipper may sign out a boat. They must be present at the time the boat is checked out and any time the boat is in operation.  Boats may not be checked out by one skipper and turned over to another, whether qualified or not.  Only in an emergency situation is anyone other than a qualified skipper or skippers, if more than one is present, allowed to operate a Citadel owned boat.

 

2)         During the school year, August-May, cadets will have priority in the reservation procedure.  Cadets will be allowed first choice until noon Wednesday preceding the weekend to make a reservation.  After noon on Wednesday, reservations can be made by any skipper on a first come/first served basis.

 

3)         Reservations can be made for weekend use only and can be made up to two weeks in advance.  The earliest a reservation can be made in advance will be 0930 the Friday two weeks preceding.  Reserved boats can be picked up after 1500 hrs on Fridays.

 

4)         Reserved boats will be held until 1200 of the first full day of the reservation.  If they are not picked up by that time, the boats will be dispatched on a first come/first served basis.

 

B.        Checking out a boat ‑ the skipper must:

 

1)         Obtain authority from the Boating Center Manager or his authorized representative to use the boat. Any boat not checked in by noon the day it is due back will be charged an extra day’s rental for washing and equipment check-in.           

 

2)         Sign out on the proper check out form giving all the information requested on this form. (Sign in on the same form, listing all boat and equipment discrepancies.)

 

3)         Confirm that the boat is equipped with all required safety equipment according to its size and purpose.  This may include a paddle, an anchor, life preserver (for each on board), fire extinguisher, flare kit and a throw able flotation device.

 

4)         Pay any and all monies due for the use of the boat and equipment prior to its utilization.

 

5)         Determine that each passenger is physically capable of engaging in the boating activity.  The skipper shall verify that he and all passengers can swim. (The Skipper is responsible for his safety and that of the passengers.)

 

 

C.        General Boating Rules:

 

1)         Citadel boats due in before the Boating Center is scheduled to close must be returned 30 minutes prior to closing to allow for washing and equipment check‑in.

 

2)         Powerboats may be trailered off campus by making arrangements with the Boating Center.  Proof of adequate insurance and permission to tow will be required of the owner of the towing vehicle prior to leaving the Boating Center.  Boats trailered off campus, one day rentals, must be checked-in 30 minutes prior to closing. Late turn-in of boats and equipment must be pre-approved by the Boating Center Manager and will remain the responsibility of the person checking them out, until they are properly turned in.

 

3)         With prior permission, trailered boats may be returned after normal operating hours by checking in and out a key at the Lesesne Gate. They still must be checked-in the next day before noon. Boats must be in tow when obtaining a key.  Keys will not be issued to remove a Citadel boat from the Boating Center when it is closed.

 

4)         Only permanently installed trailer hitches with a 1 7/8" or 2” ball will be allowed to trailer Citadel boats.

 

5)         Citadel boats may be tied to the Citadel docks and left overnight at the user's risk.  The skipper checking out the boat/equipment will be responsible for the boat and all equipment until properly checked-in.

 

6)         The normal maximum length of checkout will be three consecutive days.  However, the Boating Center Manager may increase or decrease the amount of time a boat may be checked out based upon the demand.

 

7)         Powerboats shall be operated within a 75-mile radius of the campus and no further offshore than the outer edges of the jetties marking the channel into Charleston Harbor.  (Boats may be operated within the confines of the jetties; they are not to exit seaward of the jetties.)  

 

8)         Sailboats shall be operated in the area of the Ashley River between the Ashley River Bridge and North Bridge. They will not be taken off campus.

 

9)         There is a posted no wake zone within 300 feet of The Citadel piers.

 

10)      Alcoholic beverages and or illegal substances shall not be carried or consumed by the operator or passengers of Citadel boats.  Violations will result in the immediate loss of boating privileges. (Empty beer cans, bottles, residue, etc. will be considered as having been carried/consumed.)

 

11)      Boats shall not be operated within 100' of a surf line. They may be landed on beach areas where there is NO wave or surf action.  Adequate care and anchoring devices must be used to prevent the loss or damage of any boat.

 

12)      Boats anchored in areas where submerged or partially submerged structures, such as where the jetties are located, must use adequate anchors, chain, line and proper anchor scope.  The skipper must take adequate precautions to prevent the boat from being forced upon these structures by wind, waves, and wakes.

 

13)      Boats shall enter and exit the Citadel Boating Center channel through the channel markers.  Early entry or exit from this channel is not allowed.

 

14)      Citadel boats shall not be used for hire or subleased.

 

15)      The use of boats in The Citadel channel may be restricted due to low water conditions in the channel. Boats shall not be run through the mud in an effort to leave or return.

   

16)      Persons utilizing Citadel boats and equipment are required to wash them with soap and water prior to check in.

      

                                    D.        Water Skiing:

 

1)                 Water skiers must wear approved water skiing flotation devices.

 

2)                 While water skiing, there must be two persons in the towboat: one driver and one observer.

 

3)                 Approved water skiing safety rules and hand signals must be used.

 

4)                 No skiing in the Citadel channel is allowed.

 

5)                 No spraying other boats, docks, etc. is allowed.

 

4.         GENERAL GUIDE LINES:

 

A)        If a breakdown or an accident occurs, contact the Boating Center at 953‑6849 or call beeper 434-4608 immediately and report the problem.  If the Boating Center is closed, contact Public Safety at 953-5114.   If an accident occurs and there is more than $200.00 in damage and/or more than first aid is needed for anyone injured, the skipper is required to contact the SC Department of Natural Resources at 795-6350.                       

 

B)        Check the Boating Center hours of operation and the window of time when the channel is closed to boat traffic. If the boat cannot be returned prior to

closing of the Boating Center, it will be the skipper’s responsibility to protect it until the boat can be properly checked-in.

 

C)        Unused gasoline cannot be saved from day to day.  Refunds will be issued for tanks that were purchased from the Boating Center and are returned completely full.  Gasoline will be sold in 3 or 6-gallon amounts, except for those boats with built in fuel tanks.

 

D)        A liquid chalkboard will be maintained on the rear porch of the Boating Center Clubhouse for the purpose of filing a float plan. All persons utilizing the Citadel Boating Center are encouraged to post their plans on this board.

 

5.         SUSPENSION OF PRIVILEGES:

 

The Citadel Boating Center Manager may suspend any person’s boating privileges for cause, but must report this suspension as soon as possible to the Director of Physical Plant.  Violation of safety procedures or good boating procedures by private boat owners in The Citadel basin also will be reported to the Director of Physical Plant.  The suspension of Boating Center privileges may be imposed.

 

Violation of rules and regulations may result in but are not limited to:

 

            1st Offense:  Loss of check‑out privileges for up to one month.

 

2nd Offense:  Loss of privileges for no less than one month and no more than one semester/summer.

 

3rd Offense:  Permanent loss of privileges.

 

6.         FINANCIAL OBLIGATION FOR LOSS AND DAMAGES:

 

A person signing out a Citadel owned boat automatically assumes the responsibility for any loss or damage.  That responsibility begins when the boat and equipment is checked out. It is relinquished when the boat and equipment are returned in the same condition as received and a Boating Center employee signs the checkout form. Loss or damages by any means other than fair wear and tear are the responsibility of the person who has checked out the boat and equipment. Privileges will be suspended until the loss or damages have been settled.  When a loss is covered by insurance, the operator may be held responsible for the amount up to the deductible.

 

Grounding or collision of a boat and associated damage is, by definition, attributable to improper handling and carelessness. Persons incurring damage under such circumstances will be held financially responsible for the necessary repairs. In addition, consideration of the loss or suspension of Boating Center privileges will be made.

 

Abuse and or intentional destruction of boats and equipment will not be tolerated.  When such evidence is present, the skipper and/or passengers may be refused further use of Citadel owned boats and equipment.                

 

7.         LIABILITY COVERAGE:

 

The Citadel Boating Center will carry limited liability insurance on all Citadel owned boats.

 

8.         HOURS OF OPERATION:

 

End of Spring Break ‑ 31 October  

Open Tuesday through Friday 0930 until 1800.  Saturday 0800-1800. *

            1 November ‑ Spring Break

Closed for boat maintenance. *

 

* Boats and facilities may be made available during periods when the Boating Center is closed by special arrangements.

ANNEX B

 

CHARGES

 

BOATING CENTER CHARGES 

    

 

 Storage

        Outside

     Undercover

    Water berth

All boats

$.50

$.75

$2.00

 

 

Rates are by the foot of hull length per month.

 

Empty trailers will be charged at the rate of $.25 per foot of boat length per month.  Boats stored, anchored or moored must be seaworthy, registered and present a good physical appearance.  Boats will not be moored or anchored for more than 30 days.

 

 

Boat Rental Rates (per day)

 

 

Cadets

Faculty/Staff
Power boats

$5.00

$10.00
Sail boats (small)

$2.00

$5.00

Sail boat (large)

$5.00

$10.00

Canoes

$2.00

$5.00

Jon boat w/o motor

$2.00

$5.00

9.9 hp motor w/o boat

$3.00

$5.00

Fuel tank w/o motor-

empty

 

$2.00

 

$2.00

Skis, hydro-slide, tube, ropes

Available with Citadel boats

                    only

Available with Citadel boats

                    only

 

GAS/OIL CHARGES

Regular Gas

                  Current M