We’ve always prioritized the safety of our members, and in these uncertain times, this is no different. That’s why we are implementing and enforcing best practices for social distancing and self-isolation in the midst of COVID-19. As we begin the process of re-opening areas of our club, we will take steps slowly in order to maximize the safety of our members and staff.
Our current plan is to open the Bathhouses on Wednesday, June 17th. The opening of the bathhouses is in conjunction with the start of Sail Training’s Private/Semi-Private lessons (http://austinyachtclub.net/austin-yacht-club-junior-sailing-program/) which will begin Monday, June 15th.
The Board attempted to get the necessary services in place to allow opening today; however, we were unable to acquire the needed cleaning crew and with pre-planned staff vacations, we could not get the facilities cleaned for today.
Beginning Wednesday, June 17th our contract cleaning crew will clean the bathhouses in the mornings and Tom will follow up their cleaning with spraying disinfectant (Max Quat https://www.powerwash.com/max-quat-super-disinfectant.html). On Saturday and Sunday, Tom will be doing both the cleaning and disinfecting of the bathhouses. Please be patient and courteous when the bathhouses are closed for cleaning and disinfecting, please do not enter the bathhouses until the “closed” sign has been removed.
Please note: The club is closed on Mondays so the bathhouses will be open but will not be cleaned and disinfected on that day.
A log of cleaning days and times will be posted in each bathhouse. The cleaning/disinfecting will be done Tuesday – Sunday weekly.
There should only be ONE PERSON AT A TIME in the bathhouse. There will continue to be ONE STALL, ONE URINAL and ONE SINK operational in each of the bathhouses, please abide by this limited availability. The Board and Staff are anxious to open up more of the facility but have decided to stay with the current configuration. We feel that due to the dramatic increases in infections and infection rates in Texas this is the safest choice at this time.
The showers in each bathhouse will be blocked off and are not to be used.
BATHHOUSE ETIQUETTE:
- One person at a time using facilities
- Wash hands before and after use
- Facial Covering should be worn
- Please maintain a 6-foot distance from those around you
- Showers are unavailable at this time
- BY USING THE BATHHOUSE, YOU VOLUNTARILY ASSUME ALL RISKS RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO COVID-19
We encourage you to stay safe. This includes practicing safe social distancing and facial coverings. We’re always thinking about our members and staff and their safety. The most important thing is to make sure that each phase of opening up our club is thought out and planned out with the health and safety of our members and staff at the forefront and that we are all coming back to the club in a safe environment. We’re all in this together, learning together, and adapting together.
We’re working diligently to adapt to our new circumstances while planning for the future. Our members have always been the heart of our club. We’re grateful to you, your ongoing support, and that you’re doing your part to flatten the curve.
At the May 28th board meeting the AYC board approved the COVID -19 Advisory Committee report, which is the first step in putting procedures and guidelines in place for resuming activities at the club. This report includes implementing health and safety procedures for members, their families and AYC employees. Furthermore, the report includes liability waivers, a Contingency Plan in the event that there is a COVID exposure or case at AYC and transparency in communicating with the AYC membership on all issues. All of the items in this report will need to be completed so that we can move forward with re-opening facilities (restrooms, office, etc.).
The staff and team are working on acquiring sanitation sprayers, disinfectant, signs and implementing cleaning procedures for this purpose. The restrooms are our top priority and we hope to have them available for use by early-mid June.
http://austinyachtclub.net/wp-content/uploads/reportAYCcovidAdvisoryComm5-23-20pdf.pdf
The Board also made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 summer camp season and PB&J programs. Payments for camp will be refunded in full through a credit to your AYC account or you may choose to let AYC keep this amount to defray costs. Those who have already registered will receive an email from the Sail Training team, please be sure to respond to that email timely.
We’re anticipating that by mid -June, the AYC will be offering private, semi-private lessons (1-4 students at a time) and youth racing programs for member’s children and grandchildren only. Please contact sail training for more information.
Youth Sailing Director, Spencer LeGrande: spencer@austinyachtclub.net
or
Sailing Program Director, Bobby Brooks: bobby@austinyachtclub.net
Thanks to all who have worked on this decision-making process. This process will continue as we hope to re-open more and more of our facilities and to resume more of our activities.
Please abide by the social guidelines put in place by local officials and our club guidelines as well. Please help us keep everyone safe and healthy!
Sincerely,
Dane Ohe
Commodore
