Kitsap Maritime Heritage Foundation

Volunteer Application Packet

Let’s go sailing!

3 ways to volunteer:
1. Dockside docent
2. Ship’s maintenance
3. Ship’s crew

Make no mistake, volunteering for ships duty with Kitsap Maritime isn’t easy. We have a lot of work to do on the ship… and we do mean work. We literally have brass to polish (as the volunteers above are doing), decks to sand, masts to treat, and bulkheads to paint, as well as a number of ongoing ship’s maintenance chores—all things you can do around your own schedule.

But, besides the work—and the satisfaction of restoring a beautiful wooden vessel—we have glorious afternoons and evenings on the open sea and around the Sound. Imagine the sounds of a wooden boat under full sail: the snapping of sails, the whipping of shrouds, the mournful calls of gulls, and the lapping of waves as the hull cuts through salt water. Feel the fresh air in your face, and the rolling of the deck beneath your feet.

Come join us. Work with us. Go sailing with us. Be a part of Kitsap County’s maritime history. Just fill out the form below and we’ll contact you shortly.

Volunteer Policies

Application

Each volunteer shall be asked to complete the following paperwork. Paperwork denoted by an asterisk (*) may be submitted in advance or filled out at the ship (all forms are available aboard the ship) no later than the volunteer’s first day. Other paperwork should be completed by the volunteer’s fourth event with the ship or within 30 days of application, whichever comes first.

• Application*
• Health information & liability release*
• Washington State criminal background check (adults only)*
• Consent for emergency medical treatment (minors only)*
• Drug testing policy and fees
• Harassment policy

All paperwork will be kept in a locked container aboard the vessel and will be accessible only to authorized crew. A copy of each volunteer’s health and liability release will be kept in a secondary land-based location in case of emergency.

Health Information and Liability Release

Working on or around the schooner sailing vessel has inherent dangers. Routine maintenance, restoration, and dry dock will involve the use of toxic compounds, power tools, ladders/staging, working aloft etc. Sailing also involves unavoidable risks. Although Kitsap Maritime Heritage Foundation shall take steps to mitigate risks to the volunteers, it is understood that working with the sailing vessel may result in injury, illness, or death.

All volunteers must submit a signed and complete health information and liability release prior to starting ANY work aboard the vessel, and shall update this form annually. Volunteers without an up-to-date form may not participate in any schooner sailing vessel events.

Washington State Criminal Background Check

All new volunteers aged 18 and older will be required to consent to a Washington State Criminal Background Check through the Washington State Patrol. If not submitted in advance, new volunteers shall be informed that their background check must clear before they will be added to the volunteer database. Failure to consent to a background check shall result in automatic rejection of the applicant.

The safety of our volunteers and passengers is of the utmost importance and all decisions regarding potential volunteers’ criminal backgrounds will be made with this in mind. As the sailing vessel serves vulnerable populations including but not limited to children and adults with disabilities, potential volunteers with a history of sex crimes or crimes against children and vulnerable adults shall be automatically disqualified from volunteering with the sailing vessel. Volunteers with a history of violent offenses may be disqualified or accepted on a probationary status, depending on the number of such offenses and their recency.

The acceptance of potential volunteers with other criminal convictions will be at the discretion of the Volunteer Coordinator.

Drug Testing Policy

All active sailing crew, volunteer or paid, must actively participate in a random drug testing program as mandated by the United States Coast Guard by the volunteer’s fourth schooner sailing vessel event (work party, dockside event, or sailing excursion). Due to limited funds all volunteers will be required to pay the initial cost and first annual fee to participate in the sailing vessel drug screening program, as well as sign the sailing vessel drug testing policy. This policy states, in brief, that all volunteers will refrain from using or abusing illicit substances and recreational drugs and will submit to random drug screening. In addition to random screenings, in the case of a serious marine incident, all crew aboard the vessel at the time of the incident may be required to submit to a drug test.

Each volunteer will be given a form that says they have read and fully understand the policy and agree to abide by the policy.

This form will be signed by each volunteer and kept in the personnel file. This form will be signed by the fourth sailing vessel event or within 30 days of the application and will be kept in a locked personnel file. This policy will be reviewed annually and a new form will be signed by the volunteer.

Any drug test with a positive result or showing signs of tampering, or refusal to submit to drug testing, will result in immediate disqualification of the volunteer from further activities on the sailing vessel until satisfactory proof has been provided of completion of a drug rehabilitation program.

Any volunteer aged 14 years or older will be required to participate in the sailing vessel random drug testing program.

This policy will be reviewed annually and a new form will be signed by the volunteer.

Harassment Policy

It is the goal of the schooner sailing vessel to provide a safe, enjoyable environment for our volunteers. Therefore, harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. A notebook laying out the sailing vessel’s harassment policy, examples of harassment, and how to address harassment will be kept on the boat. Each volunteer will be given a form that says they have read and fully understand the policy and agree to abide by the policy.

This form will be signed by each volunteer and kept in the personnel file. This form will be signed by the fourth sailing vessel event or within 30 days of the application. This policy will be reviewed annually and a new form will be signed by the volunteer.

CPR and First Aid Training

The Coast Guard requires that the captain and half the crew on an inspected vessel hold current 1st Aid and CPR certification. Because the sailing vessel is a small ship with rotating crew, the ship shall require all sailing volunteers to hold such certification, to be re-certified biannually, and to provide the ship with a copy of such certification. The Kitsap Schooner Committee will provide an annual training opportunity to volunteers.

Volunteers who join the crew after the annual training opportunity may find a Coast Guard approved(American National red Cross) CPR & First Aid class to attend on their own and provide proof of certification or sail as uncertified crew members as space and crew allow, until the next season.

Rules Regarding Minor Volunteers

In order for any minor to be able to volunteer aboard the sailing vessel, they must provide an application and liability release cosigned by a parent or legal guardian. Further, before any minor volunteer is permitted to work or crew aboard the sailing vessel a parent must be present, the Volunteer Coordinator must have on file a Consent for Emergency Medical Treatment signed by the volunteer’s parent or legal guardian, permitting the captain to authorize emergency medical treatment in case of an accident when a parent/legal guardian cannot be reached for consent. This form must be updated annually.

Minor volunteers under the age of 14 or minors wishing to spend the night on the schooner must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, or two other designated adult volunteers.

Minor volunteers will not be permitted to work aloft, including on the ratlines, or in a dry dock situation. Volunteers wishing to spend the night on the schooner must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, or two other adult volunteers.

Application Approvals

The Kitsap Maritime Committee will approve all applications.

Special Thanks

We would like to thank all of our volunteers for all that they do for us!