Goals

The Cowpet Bay mooring field constitutes one of the St. Thomas Yacht Club’s major assets. The purpose of the these Mooring Rules is to manage this asset for the benefit of the members generally, to encourage members to own boats and get involved in sailing and power boating, and to fairly and equitably allocate the limited number of moorings among our growing membership. The General Rules cover the assignment and transfer of moorings among members while reserving the final decision to the Board to ensure mooring privileges are not abused. The Operational Rules set forth the rules mooring holders must follow.

General Rules

1. Mooring privileges are available to a Charter Member and Regular Family, Single Parent Family, Young Family Member and Regular Individual Members in good standing who own no less than a 25% interest in a vessel. A qualifying Individual Member or Family Member who owns a vessel singly shall complete an application. Members who own a vessel together shall jointly complete one application.

Once completed, the application is submitted to the Manager accompanied by a $500 deposit for each mooring. The application will list the name of the vessel, its length, and whether it is sail or motor. Regular Family, Single Parent Family, and Young Family Members are considered one member for the pur­pose of these rules.

2. Each owner of an interest in a vessel applying for a Club mooring must be a Charter or Regular Member (excluding Regular Social Members), shall execute a Mooring Agreement for that vessel, and shall provide a copy of the U.S. Virgin Islands Certificate of Number (registration) for the vessel and evidence of the percentage of his/her ownership interest. Such evidence may be pro­vided by Coast Guard documentation, a copy of a partnership agreement, or a notarized document signed by all showing all owners and their percentage interests. The $500 deposit may be posted by one of the vessel owners or split proportionally to their ownership interests in the vessel.

3. The Manager shall maintain a current waiting list of all members in the order that their applications and deposits are received, noting the vessel’s length and whether sail or motor, and shall keep a copy posted on the bulletin board in the lobby of the clubhouse. The Fleet Captain shall assign the member(s) at the top of the list to the next available mooring that is suited for that vessel and the Manager shall notify the member(s) that a mooring is available. Billing for the mooring will begin from that date. The member(s) shall have 90 days there­after to place a vessel on the mooring, failing which the Fleet Captain shall re­assign the mooring to the next member(s) in line whose vessel is suited to that mooring. The defaulting member(s) shall pay the initial 90 day- mooring fee, be refunded the $500 deposit, and may submit a new application with deposit.

4. Upon the sale or transfer of a vessel solely owned by a member who has executed a Mooring Agreement, that member shall have 90 days from the date of the sale to acquire another vessel, substitute the name and length of that new vessel on his/her Mooring Agreement, and place the replacement vessel on the mooring. If any ownership interest in a vessel already assigned to a mooring changes, the owners shall immediately complete and file a new Mooring Agreement with the evidence of owner attached as required by Rule

5. The previous Mooring Agreement including the member whose ownership interest is replaced shall be canceled. The Manager shall provide the Board each month with a list of changes in vessel ownership and mooring assignments.

6. Moorings designated as IC-24 Nos. 1 through 12 are assigned to the IC-24 Fleet. To keep this privilege, an IC-24 assigned to one of the IC-24 moorings must be campaigned actively.

Operational Rules

7. The SYTC, acting through its Flag Officers, Fleet Captain, or Club Manager, in the exercise of its sound discretion, may order the evacuation of the mooring field due to the existence or threat of a tropical storm. When an evacuation is ordered, the Club Manager or Fleet Captain shall cause a red flag to be flown from the yardarm of the mast over the Clubhouse. This red flag is the signal that every vessel must be removed from the dock, all moorings and the STYC mooring field in Cowpet Bay. In addition, as a courtesy, the Club shall attempt to send an email notice to all moorings holders. The $500 deposit will be for­feited to the Club for any vessel left on the dock or a mooring or in the moor­ing field during such storm, whether or not the vessel does any damage to the dock. Any forfeited deposit shall be replaced within 30 days. If a vessel left on a mooring in violation of this Rules causes any damage to the dock, mooring field or other Club property, the member(s) owning the vessel shall promptly pay the full cost of repairing or replacing the damaged property.

8. Under these Rules, a mooring is assigned to a specific member(s) and a particular vessel. With the permission of the Club Manager or Fleet Captain, the mooring holder(s) temporarily may place a different vessel on the mooring as long as the vessel is of a size and length suitable to the mooring. Provided it does not interfere with the mooring holder’s use and enjoyment of the moor­ing, the Club Manager or Fleet Captain may allow any member temporarily to tie a vessel to a temporarily unoccupied mooring. Similarly, and provided it does not interfere with the mooring holder’s use and enjoyment of the moor­ing, the Club Manager or Fleet Captain may place the vessel of a member or a visiting yachtsman on a temporarily unoccupied mooring. The fee for such temporary use of a mooring is $5.00 per day or the minimum mooring fee (whichever is less). Any funds collected for such temporary usage shall be re­tained by the Club.

9. Members who have executed Mooring Agreements or dry storage agree­ments have the use of the Club launch to transport themselves or their guests between the Club Dock and a vessel in Cowpet Bay that the member owns or has the right to use, even if the vessel is not on a Club mooring.

10. A Member who has been assigned a mooring shall be responsible at all times for the care of his/her vessel, the mooring to which the vessel is attached, and any damage the vessel may cause to Club property, other vessels, or per­sons. While away from St. Thomas, such member must designate a person who will be responsible for the moored vessel and its mooring. Before leaving island, the member shall give that person’s name and local telephone number to the Club Manager.

11. Although the Club will make periodic inspections of the moorings, and repair those parts below the pennant, the St. Thomas Yacht Club shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or expense resulting from failure of any part of a mooring system.

12. No member or his/her guests may live aboard any vessel on a Club moor­ing, at anchor, or at the Club dock. “Living aboard” is defined as spending one or more nights on the vessel. No rafting of vessels on mooring is allowed. Ex­ceptions may be made by the Fleet Captain during Club sponsored regattas.

13. Flushing toilets or discharging holding tanks is strictly prohibited in Cow-pet Bay.

14. With the Commodore’s approval, the Fleet Captain has the authority to cancel the mooring privileges of any member for violation of these Mooring Rules, the Dock Rules, the Boat Ramp and Dry Storage Rules, the failure to execute a Mooring Agreement or pay fees imposed by the St. Thomas Yacht Club, subject to review by the Board of Governors.