10 Commandments

1. Thou shall not dismantle engines in thy living room.
2. Thou shall not pirate parts from thy family auto to use on thy truck.
3. Thou shall not park thy truck in the garage and let thy family car sit out in the rain.
4. Thou shalt not use thy grocery money to repair thy truck.
5. Thou shalt stay at home at least once a year to mow thy lawn.
6. Thou shalt not covet thy truck and forsake thy wife and children.
7. Thou shall not take strange and beautiful girls for moonlight trips- unless they are married to you.
8. Thou shall not steal thy wife’s black lace undies to use as oil rags when thou breakest down.
9. Thou shall not look at new vehicles until thou has paid at least one payment on thine own.
10. Thou shalt wash thy family car once for each fifteen times thou washes the truck.

IRC Insurance Details

The insurance policy is held with Evans-Bastion in Naniamo.
Term: Feb. 22, 1999 to Feb. 22, 2000
Policy Number: TMP E23647- AA
$3,000,000 - on comprehensive general liability
$1,000,000 - on forest fire fighting expense
$1,000,000 - on Directors and Officers liability
Deductibles: Comp. Gen. Liability $500.
Fire fighting expenses $1,000.
Directors and Officers $1,000.
Annual Premium: $1,550.
Subscribing insurers: Lombard Insurance

Basic Rules Of Winching

A L W A Y S

• wear leather gloves when handling winch cable
• keep hands well away from the cable going into the fairlead
• double-check all attaching devices and prints for secure fastening
• keep spectators at least 50 feet away from the winching area
• place a heavy blanket, jacket, tarp or floor mat over the winch cable, about midway between the winch and the cable’s attachment point
• make sure attaching points are atrong enough to handle the strain
• winch in intervals sharter than 30 seconds to keep the motor from overheating
• check the cable for frays, kinks, or other damage before winching
• stand behind the door or sit in the vehicle when operating the winch
• pull out the cable by hand, whenever possible, to save the winch motor and battery power
• inspect the winch cable regularly when winching

N E V E R

• stand beside a winch when it’s operating, or in a direct line with the cable
• step over a winch cable that is under load
• use a tow ball as an attaching point for the winch cable
• start winching with fewer than three wraps on the drum layer
• continue winching if the winch motor starts to smoke
• use frayed or otherwise damaged nylon straps
• hook the winch cable back onto itself
• attach the winch cable, chain, or straps to steering components
• allow the winch cable to pile up on one end of the drum while winching
• stand or walk behind a vehicle being winched uphill
• use a vehicle winch for hoisting
• winch to a tree without taking care to protect it from damage

Treasurer Position

With the stepping down of Steve Verseghy from the treasurer’s seat, the Board of Directors has appointed Nadine Foster to fill in for the remainder of the year. We thank her and several others for graciously stepping up and volunteering for the position. We also thank Steve for the work he’s done.

Trail Closures

• M&B’s Shawnigan Division has closed due to the threat of Gypsy Moth infestation.
• The blockade remains on Butler Main pending repairs
• Clear Creek (Chilliwack) trail has been re-opened after repairs
• Blue Mountain (Maple Ridge) trail has been closed- 4WDABC members trying to locate another access
• Greystokes ridges (Kelowna) closed due to damage suffered by the alpine meadows

Rock Crawl ’99

Winch Seminar

The seminar was held on Sat. March 13, and presented by John Edgar. The space to hold it was provided by the Sooke Community Association at the Sooke Flats. Thirteen IRC members attended, and six guests joined us, some of whom belong to the Nanaimo Sidewinders. The seminar was well received by the participants, and the course material was very thorough. Our thank-you to John for his presentation.

BACKTRAX

This photo was taken as a demonstration of the strength of a winch. The author assures the reader that the tree was properly cared for and braced. Photo Tom Madigan

Dean Bradley, Dave Podmoroff, and Rob deLange.

Questions, comments, or kudos are welcome!

IRC's Address

Island Rock Crawlers
Four-Wheel Drive Society
P.O. Box 48034
3575 Douglas Street,
Victoria, BC Canada
V8Z 7H5