NSW Maritime COVID-19 Update and Reminder

Dear Members,

The following message has been sent to the club from Australian Sailing, please adhere to current Public Health rules for sailing.

Good morning Club Commodores, General Managers and Sailing Manager;

Over the last couple days I have had notification from NSW Maritime and NSW police that there have been ‘groups or gatherings’ of sailors have been observed by officials around the state, some of which have been linked back to sailing clubs and are prohibited under current public health orders. One club has been issued an official warning over the weekend for a group of nine sailors taking part in ‘non-official’ racing. I have been made aware of groups of yachts on a day cruise together, as well as other groups of dinghies in gatherings on the water. With fines able to be issued up to $11,000 for individuals and $55,000 for corporations this is an areas we don’t want our sport or clubs having attention brought to ourselves.

I been asked that you remind your members that from 31 March 2020, NSW Government Public Health Orders have been updated requiring people to stay at home unless they have a ‘reasonable excuse’. View or download the Public Health Order. In addition, the NSW Public Health Order directs that a person must not participate in a gathering in a public place of more than 2 persons, which includes multiple boats for instance unless they are from the same household.

As from the Maritime Covid-19 Page:

Unless you have an essential need to be out - stay home. 

A ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave your home to use your boat could be to:

• exercise (e.g. kayaking/sailing/paddling/fishing etc);
• get to and from work, where the work cannot reasonably be performed from home;
• get groceries; and
• provide assistance, care or support to an immediate member of the person’s family

Socialising or cruising on the water is not a ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave your home. And to remember, social distancing and social gathering rules apply at all times – including marinas, boat ramps and on your boat.

Whilst we would all love to be on the water at the moment, the more we can comply with the above, the quicker we will see clubs and activities back in action and hope that a reminder to members will prevent clubs or their members being fined under prohibited activities in the current circumstances.