Deer Isle Yacht Club

• Provide safe, dependable and convenient access to Sylvester’s Cove and Penobscot Bay through prioritizing the maintenance of its docks, wharf, moorings, harbor and clubhouse,
• Focus on services to its membership that emphasize affordability, accessibility and opportunities for engagement with other members and the larger community,
• Improve communication to and among its members in order to encourage strong community and efficient use of the club and its resources,
• Encourage and involve its younger membership in the management and leadership of the club and its resources.

• On sailboats the Burgee shall be flown from the masthead using a pigstick or other method.
• The burgee is not to be flown from a spreader halyard.
• On power boats, the burgee is displayed at the bow staff.

• Use of the moorings is on a first-come, first-served basis and may not be reserved in any manner.
• The maximum stay shall be for three (3) nights.
• No charge shall be made for the use of the moorings.
• Members should not use the moorings except in an emergency.
• A Tenant / Charterer Membership does not confer any right to use the guest moorings.
• The Club does not guarantee the adequacy or safety of the moorings and assumes no responsibility by allowing the use of the moorings.

•  Size of Club

• Membership applications should be completed by Memorial Day of the year prior to becoming members.
•  Introduction to the Membership Committee and the Board of Governors should be completed by August 1.
• Admission is subject to the approval of four out of five members of the Membership Committee, in accordance with the Membership Committee procedures.
• Upon approval by the Membership Committee, the prospective members will be invited to the Annual Meeting in the year of application.  

•  A vote will be taken by the Board of Governors on or before the Memorial Day meeting in the year following application.
• Accepted applicants will have rights to use the club that year, upon payment of dues.

• The tenant-charterer must be sponsored by the host-member who shall be responsible for the payment of the fee. The fee shall be an amount equal to the dues of the host-member. A host-member shall be liable for one tenant-charterer fee per tenant-charterer, and they may collect the fee from their tenant or charterer.
• The host-member shall be responsible for notifying the Treasurer, the Harbor Committee, and the Membership Committee Chair of tenant-charterer arrangements.
• The host-member must coordinate the use of a mooring by a tenant-charterer with the Harbor Committee.
• The host-member shall be responsible for acquainting the tenant or charterer with the Club Rules, and for the conduct of the sponsored tenant-charterer.
• The Board of Governors shall interpret this rule or any questions which may arise from it and shall have the power to revoke the privileges of the tenant-charterer for any reason deemed sufficient.
• Dinghy space for a tenant-charterer will be allowed only if space is available.
• Tenant/Charterer status is limited to two (2) years, after which it is expected the member would propose their tenant or charter for full membership.

Amended May 2021

HARBOR COMMITTEE RULES

(See MEMBERSHIP RULES FOR Tenant-Charterer Information)

Harbor Committee

The Harbor Committee Chairman shall be appointed by the Board of Governors to oversee moorings used by members in the Cove. 

Adopted August 2007

Amended August 2015

Mooring Rules

The Harbor Committee is responsible for administering the Mooring Rules & Regulations. It can be contacted by emailing HarborCommittee@DeerIsleYachtClub.com. This email address is forwarded to all members of the committee to help ensure timely response.

The purpose of the Mooring Rules and Regulations is to help protect boats in the mooring field and enhance the safety of everyone using the Cove while maximizing use of the limited resource the Cove represents. They have evolved over time from experience and identifying what works and what doesn’t. The Cove is poorly protected and subject to significant wind and wave action. Whitecaps and sustained Gale Force winds are to be expected. This means that mooring gear needs to be adequately sized and properly maintained to minimize the chance of failure.

Failure of equipment in the marine environment can occur at any time but most likely to occur during times of extreme weather. A boat dragging its mooring or careening through the mooring field because of mooring failure puts other boats at risk. It has the potential to irreparably damage the ecology of the Cove if gas or diesel tanks rupture.

The condition and adequacy of mooring gear is the responsibility of the member. Periodic inspection and replacement of worn parts is critical but difficult for individual members to consistently do. To help, the Club coordinates by arranging for inspection and maintenance of all moorings on a minimum three (3) year cycle. Only high-quality materials of known origin are used. The Club uses reputable vendors and coordinates the billing and collection of fees for the members’ (and vendors’) convenience. Unless otherwise approved by the Harbor Committee, the inspection and maintenance of all moorings owned by club members are to be handled in this manner.

Mooring Buoys - It has become apparent that all mooring balls need to be either 30-inch or 24-inch diameter hard shell models with axial tubes that pass through the center. This allows for the chain to be secured above the water for easier lifting during maintenance and visual interim inspection. The ground tackle needed for the Cove is heavy and coupled with marine growth accumulating over the three-year maintenance cycle, the combined weight has been pulling smaller, inflatable balls underwater. See Appendix “B” for Mooring Buoy requirements and recommendations.

Mooring Pennants (a/k/a “pendant”) - Pennants may be no longer than three times the vertical distance from the waterline to stem head. Pennants should be sized appropriately for the length of the boat and have a spliced thimble at the mooring ball end. It is recommended that pennants be rigged with floatation to keep them from fouling around the chain and abrading. See Appendix “A” for recommended Mooring Pennants and Flotation Kits.

Mooring Pennant Shackles must be seized with stainless (or Monel) seizing wire or nylon cable ties to prevent shackle

from loosening.

New Moorings - No moorings should be placed in the Cove without the consent of the Harbor Committee. A member requesting a mooring must provide in writing the following information related to the boat to be moored on it:

The Harbor Committee will provide guidance to the member as to the appropriate type and size of mooring gear and recommend vendors to ensure consistency and compliance with these Rules and Regulations.

Any new mooring will be located by the Harbor Committee in a position that will not reasonably interfere with any existing moorings or established channels to and from the club floats and Fishermen’s Wharf. To the extent possible, new moorings will be placed in an area that is appropriate for the vessel type and providing reasonable but not excessive depth. (i.e.: A new mooring for a small outboard should be placed in a shallower area than one for a larger sailboat).

Deer Isle Yacht Club Mooring Rules and Regulations Appendix A

• Mother/Father to Daughter/Son
• Grandmother/Grandfather to Grandchild
•  Sister/Brother to Sister/Brother

• Use of them is on a first-come basis. 
• Use of any of the moorings is at the boat captain’s risk and the club is not responsible for possible failure or inadequacy of the moorings.