The Bristol Harbour Authority publishes a number of Codes Of Practice (COP) for the different water sports undertaken in the harbour. BCSR members are required to read and comply with the Harbour Authority COP for Pilot Gigs. The document can be found at: Harbour Authority Pilot Gig COP. The COP sets a number of rules that club members must follow and also details information that must be available on a notice board (physical or on-line).
This document:
All Rowers to be Aware of Cornish Pilot Gigs Association Codes of Practice.
The Harbour Authority stipulates that all rowers must be aware of and adhere to the Cornish Pilot Gigs Association Codes of Practice (CPGA COP) (note, the CPGA actually uses the term Policies). The link used by the Harbour Authority is CPGA Policies.
Note, some sections are clearly not applicable to BCSR including ‘Safeguarding’ (applicable to under 18s), Racing (we do not race in the harbour) and Membership (we are not members of the CPGA). In agreement with the Harbour Authority our incident reporting utilises the Harbour Authorities own process. The section on Code of Conduct should be noted but is generally aligned with our membership conditions.
All Equipment to be in Good Order
Any defects to be reported to the Maintenance Lead and the equipment quarantined by crossing it with red PVC tape if it is unsafe to use (tape can be found in our storage cage).
First Aid Kit to be Available in Clubroom
We do not have a clubroom but provide an equivalent level of safety by maintaining first aid kits in both boats.
Plan of the Harbour
A plan of the harbour can be found at Bristol Council Harbour Map . In addition, laminated maps are available in both boats (starboard aft quarter). The copies in the boats include designated points for rendezvousing with the emergency services.
Harbour Authority Phone Numbers
Water Quality
The Harbour Authority stipulates that all rowers must be aware of water quality in the harbour. The latest measurement results can be found at Bristol Harbour Water Quality . Note, the Escherichia coliforms (counts per 100ml) levels are often in the thousands in parts of the harbour although the western end levels are usually much lower than the other parts. Practical risk mitigation measures include waterproof coverings on skin cuts and grazes, avoiding getting water in the face and washing or otherwise sanitising of hands before eating.
Leads
The Harbour Authority sets certain requirements for Coxswains (person in charge). In our terminology the person ultimately in charge of the boat is the boat Lead. Leads should ensure they comply with the stipulated requirements in the Harbour Authorities COP.
With regard to the requirement to monitor local ‘Notice to Mariners’, these can be found at Bristol Harbour Notice to Mariners . Some Leads choose to use the ‘Sail Bristol’ app that includes the notices as well as other ‘Announcements’. Turning on ‘Notifications’ should alert the user to updates.
Key BCSR Volunteers
The Harbour Authority requires that the contact details for committee members are posted on a club notice board. For privacy reasons the details of our key volunteers are not posted on this open website but can instead be found on a laminated sheet on the inside of our equipment cage door. These contact details include contact phone numbers for Captain, Safety Manager and Maintenance Lead. The club captain also circulates contact details by email from time to time, including committee member and row lead contact details.
Version of 14/11/25
