CANCELLATION

The site for the barbeque has recently been inspected by one of the Committee and much to her (and my) horror, despite getting permission from the landowner, the essential jetty has been largely removed, leaving us no way to get ashore.

In this case we have no option but to cancel the outing this coming weekend, 25th July. I am very sorry about this everyone, but we do not seem to be having much luck with the season.

Next attempt Sunday 12 September from the slipway starting 11.00, just up to the Black Rabbit and keep your fingers crossed.

Chris Waite
ABC Chairman

Finally the club has actually managed to achieve a mass launch and recovery from the new slipway! I say a ‘mass’ launch – there were three boats, but it’s a start. The weather was beautiful, the wind was fair and the water was going in the right direction – what more can you ask?

Well, cold beer and a picnic, I suppose and we even had that. The trip up to Bury went very well with two boats under sail and oar – Yes we can – and an escort with an outboard, who assumed the duty of Press Launch; photos attached. Sailing the Arun does require that you are easily able to lower your rig while afloat and there are areas under the trees and chalk cliffs where the oars have to come out, but it also shows that the internal combustion engine is not mandatory and the peace without it is sublime. So much so that a horse in the field up by Amberley Bridge was quite taken aback and spent several minutes rubbing his eyes in disbelief and scampering nervously about.

There used to be a ferry at Bury and we were able to take advantage of the steps there to tie up and climb up onto the manicured green, gathering around a bench on top of the dyke, for a real Edwardian picnic, minus the jackets, ties, flounces and boaters of course; got to get the sail and oar bit right first.

The return trip also went reasonably well with a couple of caveats. The tide does leave the slipway quite early and boats have to be lifted up over the drop at the end – it’s a somewhat muddy business. Oh and don’t leave you car parked in the field if there is any chance that you’ll be back after six o’clock, otherwise you’ll have to go and collect it the next morning…

Like I did!

Chris Waite
Chairman Arundel Boat Club

Don’t forget the next shot is Greatham Bridge and return, with barbeques in tow, starting from the slip at 11.00 on Sunday 25th July.

In an attempt to get nearer to the river, the future First Monday in the Month, Social Meetings will be held 19.30 at The Swan (Hotel), opposite the Arundel Town Quay.


View Larger Map

It is imperative that you read and understand the following…

The slipway close upstream from the Arundel Boatyard has kindly been provided in its entirety, by The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk as a gesture to the local community; the land and the structure belong to the Norfolk Estate.

They have asked the Arundel Boat Club to oversee its use. This engenders a number of responsibilities, some of which are financial, particularly rent, maintenance and insurance. At this early stage it is impossible to know how popular this project will prove and what problems may ensue from its use, so members are asked to bear with the ABC Committee while we make every attempt to ensure a prime facility at the most reasonable cost. The accounts will be available to discuss with any member having a query.

The Committee has opted for an annual ‘Slipway Supplement’, to be £20 (twenty pounds) this year, in addition to the normal membership fee, to allow access to the facility. Having signed to agree comprehension and acceptance of the points set out herein and on payment of the fee, members will be provided with the combination to the locked gate at the head of the ramp. This combination will be changed every year, or with a new combination to those entitled if there is a breach of security.

---

1. The slipway is designed for launch and recovery of SMALL BOATS ONLY,
to be hand-towed along the footpath from the car park, so please note:

a. There is no associated entitlement to park a car, (or incidentally, to use the town quay pontoon).
b. Motor vehicles should not be used on the path, approaches, or ramp.
c. The maximum weight of a boat with trailer should not exceed 250 kg.
d. The maximum length of a boat with trailer should not exceed 6 metres.

2. The RIVER ARUN is FAST FLOWING, DEEP AND TIDAL – That is the stream alternates down and back up the river, varying in speed, direction and depth repeatedly over a matter of hours.

b. There is a very real DANGER OF DROWNING.
c. The Committee will not be held responsible for –
USE of the SLIPWAY, which is ENTIRELY at YOUR OWN RISK.
d. The TOWN BRIDGE is CLOSE DOWNSTREAM –
You may be swept onto it if you are not organized before casting off.

3. BEWARE of eddies on the slipway as you launch, possible slippery surfaces, particularly on the ramp itself and that the lower end of the ramp will remain incomplete until the weather is dry enough for the river to subside, providing access to extend and complete it with a concrete foot.

4. Extreme caution should be used when returning downstream toward the slip, particularly to avoid getting caught on the edge of the slip nearest river which might roll the boat over. This is not a manoeuvre for the inexperienced.
5. The whole area around the head of slipway may flood on high tides and there is nothing indicating the edge of the actual bank, where the depth will go from a few inches to several feet without warning.
6. Lock the gate before leaving on river trips as well as after recovery.
7. The committee welcomes guests, who must be escorted while using the slipway – you are asked not to give them the combination, as it is unfair to other members. Please be sure they also fully understand the dangers associated with the river and these other requirements in regard to the slipway itself. We are asking you to collect a charge of £5 per visiting boat per launch and recovery, or day, which ever is the longer. The committee has decided to set this up as an honesty policy – please pay the Treasurer, if convenient once a year, with your membership fee, but do keep a count as the Club has the financial commitments above, on your behalf.

Yes, it is currently cheaper to use the pontoon for the same purpose, if your guests can lift their boat down the gangway from the town quay… (or they could become ABC members!)

• 8. The Committee reserves the right to refuse and/or to prevent further access to those abusing the system. In this case there will be no refunds.

——————————-

Our apologies for all the rules but some people like to claim ignorance.

A great deal of energy and goodwill has gone into the provision of this slipway, its success now depends entirely on your respect for these efforts.

——————————-

This is your club.
The Committee wishes you a wonderful time “messing about in boats”.

Littlehampton Gazette & West Sussex Gazette news article on the opening of the slipway!

Published: 2010/04/21 & 2010/04/22

See the Publication, Magazine & News Articles page for more!

So with a little bit of an up close in person look, we have some additional photos of the “new” slipway!

So with all the talk of the Arundel Slipway (near Mill Road car park) you may like to know where it’s up to??

Chris Waite recently took this photo, hopefully giving you a pretty good idea of its progress…

Members of the Arundel Boat Club will be privileged enough to use this!

So fill in a membership form now, if you want to be using it this summer!

From the start of 2010 the “Bagglewrinkle” publication will be changing to the “River Times” newsletter, you will be able to view the newsletter online and even have it posted directly to your email in-box so you can keep up-to-date with the goings on of the ABC!

Here is the latest “River Times” from the ArundelBoatClub: (You can also view the newsletters here…)

---

RIVER TIMES

The Arundel Boat Club Newsletter

Suddenly it is March, there has been sunshine and things are happening down on the river bank.  Interested parties might care to go and look at the site of the long awaited slipway, one hundred and fifty yards upstream of the Arundel Boatyard.

The land and the structure itself have kindly been provided as a gesture to the community, by the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk and they remain the property of the Estate.  The intention has been that it should be run by the Arundel Boat Club to whom it is due to be leased.

The ramp itself is now complete, though with the quantity of water currently in the river and further up the valley, it has not been possible to clear and lay the lowest few feet and form a concrete toe.  Beware it is extremely uneven with mud, rubble and old piling with a drop off the other side.  Completion will have to wait until the next hose-pipe ban, or some similar freak of nature.  The track down from the main pathway along the top of the dyke to the slipway will remain along with planting of some replacement trees.  There will also be a fence and locked gate around the ramp itself to discourage unauthorized use.  It is intended that boats should be hand-trolleyed from the corner of the asphalt car park along the dyke and down to the ramp.

There is a considerable problem of ‘Catch 22’ in the current situation; it is impossible to predict how many people will want to take advantage of the facility and there are a number of immediate expenses, before the lease can reasonably be signed.  Legal fees and insurance for a start followed by rent and eventually maintenance costs, to name but a few.  The Boat Club is kindly being offered a head start with an initial nominal sum for leasing, but this will rise and with such a low membership fee to date, (well – we had no access to the river), there is not a lot in the kitty.

Talking of fees, the Committee has so far decided to handle it thus – increase the annual membership to ten pounds (£10) with an unchanged additional one pound per extra family member.  There will be a ‘Slipway Supplement’ – we have simply guessed £20 this year for those wishing to use the facility; they would be given the combination of a lock on the ramp-head gate after signing an agreement regarding its use.

Also £5 a go for your guests visiting with their own boats.

As you maybe aware this site hasn’t been updated for a while! the aim is to try and make the most of the modern day inter-web (as some like to call it) to get all information across to members and all boating / river enthusiasts!

Therefore we will be making a number of modifications to bring it up-to-date adding a few flashing bells and whistles to it!

Hopefully we would like to see a lot more colour, pictures and up-to-date information, so any comments, information or photos would be appreciated!

2010

We have now made an agreement with the landlord Terry Bedford to hold our social evenings at St Marys Gate Inn, which is situated next to the Cathedral in London Rd, Arundel.

The ABC committee will meet from 7pm to 8pm for a general committee meeting, followed from 8pm onwards for members to meet and socialise with other members over a drink etc. This will be held on the first Monday of every month, (Monday 7th Sept, 5th Oct, 2nd Nov & 7th Dec 2009).

We look forward to meeting you at one of our next gatherings.

Ben Fogle to officially open the new mooring and landing pontoon, at Arundel Town Quay 12:30 – 13:00 on the 5th September 2009.

(Check with Arundel Town Hall for times 01903 882954)

Boat gathering, meeting at Pulborough slipway am (contact Nigel on 01903 883327 nearer the date for cast off time etc). We will head for a new site for a picnic or barbeque just south of Greatham Bridge where we have land owner permission to use the facility’s, before returning to Pulborough pm.

Wey & Arun Canal Trust have their small boat rally on a section of the restored W&A Canal. For full details contact Sally Schupke on (01483) 503029 or rallies@weyandarun.co.uk.

Alternatively see the website: www.weyandarun.co.uk/events2.php

The IWA, Solent and Arun Branch have two other dates organised for their own members, on other rivers in the South East area.

River Hamble

Please contact Andy Berncastle on 02380 273599 or hilary.berncastle@btinternet.com for more details

---

A Monday evening, illustrated talk by Tony Pratt about the Wey & Arun Canal. To be held at the Arundel Town Football Club social room arrive 7:15pm for 7:30pm start. Free to members, £2-50 for non members.

The ATFC is situated in the rear of Mill Rd Car Park at the bottom of the town.

For further information, please contact Nigel Edwards on: (01903) 883327

An illustrated talk on the Chichester Ship Canal Trust by Linda Wilkinson meeting at 7:15pm for 7:30pm start on Monday 23rd November 2009.

This event will be held at Arundel Town Football Club, Mill Rd, Arundel.

Free to members, £2-50 for non members. For further information, please contact Nigel Edwards on: 01903 883327

---

ABC members and friends, Christmas meal at either the St Mary’s Gate Inn. (More details will follow in the next Baggywrinkle).

Meet at 7pm onwards / Meal at 8pm

View Larger Map

Contact Nigel Edwards for more information and confirm attendance.

---

The IWA, Solent and Arun Branch have two other dates organised for their own members, on other rivers in the South East area.

Please contact Andy Berncastle on 02380 273599 or hilary.berncastle@btinternet.com for more details

---

Having had to cancel our planned boat gathering on Sunday 19th April from Pulborough to the Black Rabbit and back the date has now been re-organised for Sunday 31st May 2009 (Note this is an un-scheduled event and not advertised in the last Baggywrinkle newsletter)

We will launch from Pulborough slipway from 8-30am onwards, casting off at approx 9-45am.

First stop at Houghton Tea Garden about 12-30 pm, stopping for a short ½ hour coffee break, before proceeding onto the Black Rabbit, arriving about 1-30pm with time for lunch or drinks before leaving on the returning tide.

Approx time of return to Pulborough between 6 and 7pm. A long day but well worth the effort if the weather holds.

For any futher information please contact nigel.edwards@arundelboatclub.org

---

If you missed the chance of joining Colin Huggins last organised river trip on 17^th - 18^th – 19^th April he may also be organising this weekend as another trip, coming up stream from  Littlehampton on the Saturday 9^th May and returning on the 10^th (see below)

---

The Wey & Arun Canal Trust has a big day with the grand opening at Loxwood of the new road bridge/tunnel and new lock near the Onslow Arms on the B2133.

If you take your trailer boat or canoe etc, then you may well be able to be one of the first people to re-navigate the canal at this point under this road for the first time in over 140 years. Suggest you get there early morning to gain the best advantage.

Contact Sally Schupke on 01483 503029, for further details.

---

Once again Colin Huggins will run another of his boat trips if there is enough interest, a case of use it or loose it in future. No excuses, plenty of available dates.

---

The IWA Solent and Arun branch have a boat gathering planned from Pulborough to Pallingham. Once again meeting and launching at the Pulborough slipway from

15-00 Hrs (3pm) we hope that the channel will be clear to proceed as far as Pallingham as our last October trip was thwarted by fallen trees. (Suggest you bring bow saw etc) This is open to all people with trailer craft. The trip lasts about four hours, longer if you stop off at the White Hart en route at Stopham!! The trip is normally interesting and eventful.

---