Grim beginning to Sunday 2nd May 2010, wasn’t it? Sufficiently cold wet and windy to discourage any attempt at getting on the river, so Amberley remains unvisited by the Boat Club so far this season.
Yet we’ll persevere. Looking rather more carefully at the tides, It has been decided to bring the ‘Bury Bash’ picnic trip forward to 13th June 2010. 10.00 for an 11.00 start from our Arundel slip; bring your own picnic. High tide being a couple of hours earlier allows more flexibility with the return time. That would leave the 12th September 2010 date for a desultory drift up to the Black Rabbit.
There have been some enquiries in regard to more powerful boats joining the club, giving the committee something to ponder and the answer goes like this – We have a moral if not actual obligation to protect the access track and the ramp itself. Further we have a similar obligation to care for the ecologically sensitive conservation area of which the river forms a central part. It is unfortunate that deep-V hulls create their most disturbing wash on the half-plane which is round about the speed limit on this stretch of the river. To this end, we are limiting not only the length (5 metres overall on the trailer) and weight (250 kilograms with the trailer), but also the engine size to a maximum of 15 Horse Power.
Put 13th June 2010 in your diary and we’ll hope to see you then.
Chris Waite (Chairman)
No more excuses now from captain or crew. At Midday on Friday 16 April the Duke of Norfolk formally opened the slipway at Arundel and the boat club finally has proper access to the river. The family boat was launched and he then took off up the river with the Duchess and their son – the first official use of the slipway. Here are a couple of pictures to demonstrate the event, but what the committee would like to see is loads of use to justify this new facility. So roll out those small but significant vessels from gardens, garages and sheds, dust them off and get out on the water.
The chairman, who admits to being an inveterate water-rat and even others on the committee are happy to help with any boating questions from how to mend a leak, to methods for attaching outboards, to working out the tides, or where to buy bits, or whole boats – one of us will have useful suggestions.
Remember, our first organized trip from the Slipway is on Sunday 2nd of May starting about 11.00, up to Amberley and back and we hope to see you there
Chris Waite
Chairman
The last Sunday in March and the first on BST, a small huddle of Boat Club members met on cold, grey, windy Pulborough slip intending to try and reach Pallingham. The Sun promptly came out and even the wind seemed to settle down a tad; most peculiar.
Treasurer John launched his recently acquired pram dinghy and after a brief show of reluctance by the outboard, moved out into the stream. A guest – yet another Chris, also made a maiden voyage having arrived with his brand new boat in the back of the car. I don’t think he will mind me saying he is a substantial sort of oarsman and the boat a seriously diminutive punt, he made from a single sheet of ply. Despite this he rowed unaided from Pulborough up to Pallingham and back. It was as impossible as ever to ignore the Siren Song of the beer, emanating from the White Hart at Stopham Bridge. Just to prove that the river really is amenable to rowing boats, I also took my skiff on the trip.
I think what I am hoping to put across is that small simple boats are the answer and you do not even have to have an engine; if you play your tides right, oars or paddles will do nicely. While I can understand some hesitation before spring is truly sprung, it was actually a beautiful day and the river is really well behaved for one so spritely. I hope to persuade more members to join us in future and would be happy to answer any queries you may have. We have a slipway here at Arundel now and the rest of the summer programme will revolve around use of that facility. The next ABC event is a return trip up to Houghton/Amberley on the Second of May, starting at 11.00 and there are likely to be spare spaces…
Beware, you might enjoy it!
Chris Waite (Chairman)
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