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)