BIAC Care of Equipment and Facility

General Use: Here's what to do every time you enjoy the water. To begin, you must be qualified in the boat you propose to use and have signed the BIAC Liability Waiver as part of your Membership Form. Once housekeeping is in order, repeat the steps below each time you row.

1. Check your equipment.
2. Sign Out in the log book
3. Lock up behind you
4. Have fun: Row or Paddle
5. Sign In when you return.
6. Clean and stow your gear
7. Lock up when you leave.

Also see our Log, Light, & Stay Right policy on using BIAC.

Shells: There are four important things to do when caring for shells:

• Rinse and wipe the top and hull with fresh water after use
• Open the plugs and ports on the hull to let it (stay) dry inside
• Cover the shell, if applicable, to protect it.
• Secure the shell with rope or web tie downs in the storage rack.

Oars: There are three simple ways to care for the oars:

• Rinse oars with fresh water after use.
• Return the oars to their locker with the blade end up in the locker baskets. This prevents the blades from getting pinched or damaged when the doors close.
• Lock and spin the combinations on the lockers, please!
  Remember: "Lock and Spin, Out or In".

Washing: Most of the time, careful use of fresh water and wiping with a sponge is all that our shells need to stay clean after being in our marine environment. Boats on the Aero Dock can only be rinsed with water, as the runoff drains directly into the bay waters.

The only detergent approved by the Coast Guard and Redwood City for washing our shells is Simple Green. It must be diluted first in a bucket and then mixed with rinse water once sponged onto a shell. BIAC keeps a supply of Simple Green just inside or outside of our front clubhouse door. Please clean shells in the boatyard area closest to the street to
minimize runoff.

BIAC also recommends washing your hands after stowing all of your gear. We are visitors in an active marine environment. The Bay and its littoral waters are a nursury for marine life, from harbor seals to hundreds of simple organisms in each drop of salt water.

Docks: Our Candock floating docks are amazing, and our ramp is built for years of reliable service. Some simple procedures will keep them safe and clean.

• All year round our docks host a variety of birds overnight, with the attendant mess that comes with their digestive tracts. BIAC provides a wide broom on the docks near the oar stands to sweep off our Candocks. Dip the bristles into the water, pull the broom back, and push nature's nutrients into the water while re-dipping the broom for another pass. This is a good way to warm up too.
• We are fortunate to have an eastern facing ramp and docks, but in the winter ice still develops on them overnight. Rowers and paddlers alike will find slippery surfaces up to an hour after sunrise. Our tried and true way of de-icing and avoiding injuries is to use salt water and sweep with brooms on the ramp and docks. Any salt water left on the ramp or docks is OK - it acts as an anti-freeze agent. For environmental and safety reasons, use only salt water to de-ice.   No other agents, please.
• It's a good idea to not leave your shoes on the dock while rowing. It's a safety hazard on a busy dock, and they'll get soiled, dunked, or lost eventually.

Facility: BIAC maintains a dozen or so outdoor racks for our shells and a boat house for ergometers, weights, announcements, video instruction, tools, and basic comforts (a bathroom and shower). We depend on volunteer member efforts to keep our facility clean, safe, and modern.

Members are required to give 12 hours of volunteer service to help keep BIAC spiffy. We have a log for these hours inside the building, and Saturday work parties are often called by program leaders to repair racks, docks, ramps, shells, launches, other equipment, or do yard work. Members often pitch in a little each time they visit BIAC, and some of us volunteer hours at a desk to help with finance, marketing, and chores like maintaining this web site. Contact the board if you have a special talent or desire to help your club!