Roa Island Boating Club

I do look at this forum prior to our committee meetings and do bring up anything that seems relevant - I have to admit that with some other business that is going on at the moment I didn't mention this at our last meeting but promise to raise it at our next meeting on Wednesday.

My personal opinion is that we should be an all inclusive club which means including PWC and water skiers but that doesn't mean that I am aligned with all of the committee - it is a democratic system we use!

I do know there are some quite strong feels about this so it might be prudent to have it as an agenda item for our next AGM but I will let you know the outcome of the next meeting.

cheers

I have read the above threeds and simpathise with Rellme and would like to add my observasions.
Roa Island Boating Club has given the impression over the years its primary objective is to promote sailing as is primary objective, but tolorates some powered boating to suplement its menbership and income.

In todays climate shurely the club should provide facilities for all aspects of boating, from sailing craft, recriational fishing boats, windsurfers, skiers, wakeboaders, jet skiers, canoeists. They all use the sea for there recreatinal pleasure.

Saftey is a primary consern at all times but to label power craft owners as irrisponcible it totaly unfounded.
I could take similar view piont from my personal experiences. One incident last year sticks in mind. Whilst
I was anchored off Peil light with another boat between the channel bouy and the shoreline ( dislaying anchor bouys) an large yatch decided to cut between us on a course parrell to the beach. Having to raised a audable alarm
the shipper stuck his head above the pulpit and looked suprised to see us. Shurley he should of been on deck. Was he on autopilot pouring a G & T or was he just trying to shave second of his time as it was a race day? Thankfully we escaped with no more dammage than a couple of cut fishing lines.
This is not the only experience I have had whilst being at anchour with boats under sail thinking the have right of way and expected us to up anchor toof our hat and move.
I done take the view that all yatchsmens are geratric middle class weekenders with more money than brains.

I have also seen jet skiers comming to the aid of boats in trouble in the channel.

The piont I and trying to make is the you can take issolated incidents to make a case for excluding anything. There are bad apples in all sections of boating. But by including the majority of responcible poeple who then meet and socialise we we have a better understanding and can all enjoy our boating.

So Roa Island Boating Club why not activley promote the club to all aspects of boating, everone wins, more revinue for the club, inproved facilites, and a social climate were we are or more tollerant ?

I am truly sorry if there is a perception that the club is primarily for sailors; this is not the case and is why we are a boating club. Without actually walking around the berthing area and counting I would guess that there are more motor boats than sailing boats there. We do have a fishing section but it is very poorly supported.

I come from a backgraound of starting off as a kid in home made canoes and dinghies, moving on to speed boats and watersking and then when that got too expensive for me sailing - both dinghies and yachts so I have an interest in them all.

We do have a problem with 'trailer/sailors' in that there is limited parking and in the past irresponsible parking causing problems which means we have declined membership - but this hasn't anything to do with what type of boat is involved.

We try and encourage all forms of boating and if you can suggest anything else we can do to improve this let me know.

Thank you for your reply. Your coments about trailer/ sailers
(We do have a problem with 'trailer/sailors' in that there is limited parking and in the past irresponsible parking causing problems which means we have declined membership - but this hasn't anything to do with what type of boat is involved.)

Am I correct in asuming that you ment trailer / boaters and you have to limit your menmbership based on the space you have for berthing boats. If this is so this would discurage boaters like myself who prefer to keep ther boats on the drive at home, (out of harms way) leaving space for those who are not as fortunate as myself. If I apply for membership do I have to pay for berthing when I would not use it, to be considered.

The main reason water skiing is banned from the club is because its such an anti social pastime, when the sun shines and the water is calm there is no peace from them. It’s not safe to make a cup of tea on your boat due to the dangerous behavior of these people flying through moorings.

You cannot water-ski in the channel without breaking the harbour bye-laws and they wont do it out of sight, away from an audience. Their actions would only bring the club into disrepute.

When the Commodore attempted to introduce water-skiing and PWCs at the AGM a few of years ago the members present where unanimously opposed, there was only one person in support of it.

Personally I can see no reason why the committee should alter the bye-laws to satisfy one person, and as its such a controversial subject if the Commodore and the committee propose allowing them in then they should go to an AGM to let the members decide.

If you want to be an anti social nuisance there are public slipways, which are free for you to use.

water-skiing an anti-social pastime?? i do believe its actually a sport..in fact a watersport!
we all have stories of idiots on the water..eg windsurfers cutting me up whilst approaching my mooring, two sailing yachts going pst fwd and aft one catching my anchor rope the other taking my lines?? yes i had an anchor ball displayed and was in the middle of morecambe bay and yes they had there autopilots on with no-one on lookout! probably in the cabin making a cup of tea??? ,yes i've had fast fishers nearly collide with me..but these are incidents that have come about through lack of competence and lack of guidance! so as i said at the start of this thread-EDUCATION IS WHAT'S REQUIRED NOT EXCLUSION if the majority is labelled with the minority as a club we will fail. RIBC is a family orientated club, with first class social activities. is mentioned on the home page as a welcome to other water sport users! with the attitude of classing certain types of watersports as 'anti-social' just because of isolated incidents, who would want to join the club??

If you are interested in a sport or pastime what should you do to further your knowledge and competency.

You join a club

If you want your club to flourish encourage young members.

If you want to be a plumber you don’t take advice from a bricky.

The wealth of experience and knowledge of you’re your members is there to
EDUCATE them. But you can’t do that when the launch from the public slipways.

I agree with Reelme EDUCATION IS WHAT'S REQUIRED NOT EXCLUSION

Ive had fishermen motor right under my bow when sailing, and had to take avoiding action to miss sinking them, so what, stuff happens. But only a water-skier could think they weren't anti social and dangerous to others.
And yes it is classed as a sport but so is motorcycling and you wouldn't want me screaming round and round your front street on my bike just because its classed as a sport.

Every single water skier in the channel is breaking the law, that's not the minority.

We are a family club. We have junior members who have been capsized in deep water by water-skiers and jet skis.

They are barred by every club in the area not just here.

RIBC is easily the best club on this coast. The RYA moderators who were here several years ago thought it had the best facilities any where and that it was one of the best clubs in the country. I'm extremely proud to be a member and would hate to see it ruined by water-skiers and Jet skis.

I did mean trailer/sailors, in this case sailor is a generic term for anyone using some form of water craft. We do still have a few vacant berths and anyone applying for membership that has a boat would need to take one of these otherwise where would they expect to leave their trailers?

I did raise the issue of waterskiers and PWC users at our meeting last night and it was pointed out that we did vote on this at a previous AGM where the majority did not want any change to our rules. Not withstanding this I've had agreement to put this to a vote again at our next AGM.