The Medway & Swale Boating Association (MSBA) is the organisation which took over the roles largely held by the Medway Yachting Assciation, which operated for some years.
The organisation has a very reliable and well informed web site offering all sorts of advice and general news. Look them up…
Two years ago they held a conference to further the cruising destination aspects of the area with the Royal Yachting Association as lead partners. It is planned to continue the bi-annual format. The conference is supported by Medway City Council, Peel Ports (Medway) and others.
I was asked during the early part of last year if I would like to host a slot talking about the two areas of water – waters close to my heart. My task was to highlight some historical aspects, some of which can be seen yet often ignored for many reasons – generally due to a lack of knowledge. It is something I’ve written about over a number of years – as many will know!
Now the Medway & Swale are two bodies of water which are particularly close to all the boaters moored between Southend to S. Benfleet. Apparently only three of these sailors were interested. Me and my mate were two and there was another from the Island YC! This surprised the secretary. People came from as far away as Suffolk. A good sprinkling of Crouch sailors and from the Thames above Sea Reach.
Yes, it is on ‘our’ front door – all the more reason for some giving it support… I enjoyed it. The mate enjoyed some of it… The Island YC chap enjoyed it too… It was held at the the St George’s Centre, the old naval chuch – deconsecrated, and owned by Medway City Council. It is a lovely building – I wish I’d had time to wander a little … perhaps next time!
Inside the conference Centre – within is a memorial to the many Frenchmen who died on prison hulks off St Mary’s Island during past conflicts of early 1800s…
The conference got underway with an address by Stacey Clark, RYA Chairman. An interesting man…
There followed some burble about the good the RYA does for ALL yachting people – this covers all aspects of boating and watersports. Except, currently, the ‘hover’ crowd. Hover craft, especially on the Medway is a growing past time – the RYA have promised to look at this. They are also after upping membership by around 10% as a starter… They’re at a little over 100, 000 members currently.
Oh yes, I have been offered a trip out on a hover … lets see what happens. Do I want this?
Peel Ports then ran through aspects of their business that impacts small craft. The man to contact if in need of Medway & Swale advice is Kevin Beacon, he is Port Control Manager… Go to the port’s web site.
After a break, Dick Holness, from East Coast Pilot, gave a talk about spects of navigation in the area and new and improved things, such as pontoons at Queenborough and Chatham. He also raised the issue of siltation within the creeks around his end of the Swale in particualar. The Peel Ports team said that this was being looked at – dredging is being considered…
Me being introduced…
Some of these speakers over ran their 20 minute talk plus 10 minute Q&A slots. This impacted later. I stuck to mine – timed by the mate, about 22 minuts – but lost my Q&A time. Some ‘miffed’ people commented about this afterwards to me, however!
I get going…
The May Flower got a mention, of course!
The British Marine Federation (BMF) then had a slot discussing what they do for the area’s concerns etc…
Then a buffet lunch: I was ‘fed’ by the mate, but my stand was so busy it was difficult to talk to all, deal with book signings and eat too. Thank you Mrs Mate for all your sterling work… The buffet was excellent too.
Afterwards, first up was the RYA’s Stuart Carruthers (Current affairs) and Gus Lewis (legal boffin). This was generally interesting.
Guss remembered me from a ‘rant’ about the bridge over Milton Creek … written about in ‘Jottings’ of course.
Gus had some info on red diesel. Personally I don’t think this should be an issue: we should all pay the full duty … which we do now that a ‘heating’ and ‘lighting’ element has been agreed. But, caravan owners do not get this! The problem seems to be the colour on the whole. You are strongly advised that if going to or through Belgium, pay full duty and keep receipts. Red is accepted, but…
Do many know of the new Harbour Act 2013 – it has been in the press. Well it gives powers to many authorities, taking the place of the old bye-law system, which apparently could take anything up to 15 years to be enabled! Medway Ports are not affected: they’re incorporated, as ar the PLA … The Crouch and Brightlingsea etc will have these powers now…
There was some talk about conservation zones – MCZs – our east coast area has all been designated, as has the Medway & Swale. Impact is low, however the Swale is being looked at more closely. Some ‘guarded’ areas may result…
Life jackets and flares were discussed too … people are advised to be careful aboput buying flares online: you still own the old and ARE responsible. I have a set of old ones … I expect many do!
The Push the Boat Out scheme was briefly discussed … apparently it has been quite successful in gaining new, younger, members into many clubs. The RYA claim an average of 16 for each participating club. I cannot comment, although the Island YC took part last year. In 2015 it is due to take place in July over two weekends, due to differing tidal states around the coast. See, people do learn from post exercise comment!
An interesting session about the varied wildlife to be found around the edges of the waters we all enjoy. What surprised me was the percentage of national populations of many species that descend on us. Bird people will know this any way! It was here that a question was asked about the antics of hover craft operators within the Medway basin – running up over mud flats covered with feeding birds. The advice – be sensible! It was a one point I made too: looking around the saltings should only be carried out before or after nesting.
The “NO GO” period the ‘bird man’ said, is roughly End of March to End of June, perhaps into July. I don’t go ‘ashore’ until the end of July at the earliest.
In the Medway belly, Nor Marsh is a forbidden area…
My stand… Snapped before the start.
Ah, then we reached the last subject – Power Boat Racing. This was something that was a common yearly feature during the 1970s through to around 1996. Currently, it is planned to hold a trial event for exhibition purposes during the summer of 2015. Many hurdles have to be jumped first. The chap from SEPA – the power boat race people – talked long and hard about too much detail and other guff … but the rules and regs are very tight! It wasn’t until his last 3 minutes that he got down to the what and where. There were no pictures of power boats in action, sadly!
It is planned to hold the race around Nor Marsh Island … starting off Darnet, running south, round the ‘back’ of the island close past Horrid Hill – a spectator spot – out into Bartlett, then round back to Darnet via the S. Yantlet. A number of circuits being needed for the race. Interesting eh!
Bill Shepherd, RYA SE Region closing the conference with a short recap and thanks etc…
I have to say that I was greatly impressed by the way the conference was organised. Many clearly participated, as always, but I would like to thank Tony Lavelle, a Medway sailor, and MSBA secretary… Well Done Tony!