Scotland - When do you plan to launch?

[CapPugwash]

Has anyone worked out when it is safe to launch in Scotland yet. I want to avoid getting stuck in an expensive marina with less access to my boat. Our Supreme Leader is keeping her cards very close to her chest. I have to say I prefer Boris's roadmap, even with the possibility of postponement it gives you some hope.

Here's a list of sites that I am monitoring (all with nothing since January ). Does anyone have any others?

• The RYA Scotland website
• Sail Scotland
• RYA Boating Guidance for Scotland
• RYA Coronavirus - advice and information for recreational boaters
• RYA Scotland Twitter

 

[Jodel]

One of the brokers I spoke to in the last few days is expecting it to be near the end of April before the marinas open up. Then again, if we are kept locked down that long no-one will be allowed out to canvas for the election and I think someone is going to need every vote she can get.

 

[seafox67]

I'm in the water already (Holy Loch) and just seen on cruising scotland facebook that you can now visit your boat for maintenance in line with second homes!

 

[CapPugwash]

I'm in the water already (Holy Loch) and just seen on cruising scotland facebook that you can now visit your boat for maintenance in line with second homes!

Yes, I saw that. Given the zero risk involved I suspect many are already doing that anyway.

Here is the relevant text...

"Essential maintenance is work which if not undertaken would cause failure or become an imminent safety issue. Some examples are; repairs to prevent water ingress, winterising engines, pumping out bilges and maintaining/ replacing mooring and berth warps.

Essential maintenance should be completed as quickly as possible. Travel for essential maintenance should not be used as a pretext to spend the day aboard ‘pottering’ or for a weekend away. You should not stay longer than the length of time required to undertake essential maintenance."

Yacht maintenance Scotland

 

[Deleted member 36384]

The flood gates have burst open with that announcement.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I hope to be able to get to the boat by late April and launch by late May.

 

[Railbob]

I may be a bit of a cynic but I think it will be early May before we can go to our boat at Portavadie. Hopefully I’m wrong ?

 

[Quandary]

Our club has the crane booked for 1st. May, Crinan Canal scheduled to open the same day, though some round here doubt if it will have water in it.

 

[CapPugwash]

I may be a bit of a cynic but I think it will be early May before we can go to our boat at Portavadie. Hopefully I’m wrong ?

My fear is that you're optimistic. Everything coming from Holyrood is disheartening to say the least,

 

[adwuk]

Already in the water and it seems that, as of Friday, able to go sailing. Now just need the weather to improve!

 

[mrangry]

The long list of jobs I have to do before launch it could be December

 

[CapPugwash]

Already in the water and it seems that, as of Friday, able to go sailing. Now just need the weather to improve!

Really, we can go sailing on Friday?

 

[seafox67]

Really, we can go sailing on Friday?

BBC web site say this 'Outdoor non-contact group sports for adults will also restart on Friday. '
I guess that means the club can start dinghy races! maybe!

 

[dunedin]

Really, we can go sailing on Friday?

You could go sailing as exercise last week.

Current biggest problems are
1) Unless you live in same local authority area (+5 miles) you are not legally allowed to travel to the boat - and based upon Nicola’s current plan that doesn’t seem to be possible till late May (equivalent date in England 29 March, two months earlier)
2) Not allowed to stay overnight on board a boat (or caravan or self catering accommodation) - and nothing I have seen gives any indication of when this might be allowed, some suggested late June (equivalent date in England 12 April, perhaps over two months earlier).

The Sailing Cruising Scotland Facebook group seems to have run a very successful campaign getting people to write to their MSP putting pressure on to at least allow travel to boats (like holiday homes) for essential maintenance. We probably need to do similar to be allowed to use the boats, unless lucky to live in the same arbitrary local authority boundary.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Really, we can go sailing on Friday?

I think that depends on the distance from your regional boundary rules changing. The maintenance thing is different from sailing. If you live within the region where your boat is, probably not an issue. If you travel to do essential maintenance and have to check the engine underway, probably defensible. The chance of anyone giving a crap who are in a position to make your life a misery, debatable.

 

[ProDave]

From Friday 12 March, up to four adults from two households will be able to meet outdoors, including in private gardens. This will be allowed for social and recreational purposes, as well as exercise.

We are taking that as the date that 2 of us will start getting the boat ready. Some repairs and anti fouling. Working on our boat is both social, recreational and may be exercise.

Not sure when we will step the mast, but we could do that within the rules, 2 from each family.

Slipway launch some time in April, pretty much normal.

Travel distance is no problem for us, other than before 12th March we can only travel for Exercise not social and recreational purposes.

See my other posts, I have almost utter contempt for the lack of easing of lockdown. Case numbers here would put is in Tier 2 if the normal Tier system were being applied. I am now strongly resenting being locked down unecessarily longer than the Scottish governments own rules say.

A worry for us is is whether the club will crane in this year (they did not last year) If they don't a crane out may not be available at the end of the season, Club activities are more governed by what the RYA say rather than how an individual interprets the rules.

 

[alan_d]

BBC web site say this 'Outdoor non-contact group sports for adults will also restart on Friday. '
I guess that means the club can start dinghy races! maybe!

As long as you do not travel outside your local area ...

 

[JumbleDuck]

See my other posts, I have almost utter contempt for the lack of easing of lockdown. Case numbers hear would put is in Tier 2 if the normal Tier system were being applied. I am now strongly resenting being locked down unecessarily longer than the Scottish governments own rules say.

Have you notice that the Tier definitions have been changed to align with WHO guidelines? The Highland council region has had 405 cases in the past 28 days, which is 172/100,000 - well inside the new Tier 4

However, I feel your pain. There are 150,000 of us here down in the deep southwest and there have been 230 cases and no deaths here in the past week - in fact our last deaths, both of them, were on February 19th. That's 154/100,000 which puts us just at the top edge of the new (WHO) Tier 3. On the other hand, we've only had 54 cases in the past two weeks, and that, pro-rata, is in the middle of Tier 3 (same for Highland), so it's a bit disappointing that the aspiration is to have us in Tier 4 in a month's time.

I'm hoping that cases will continue to fall here and that we'll be able to start rather lower down the scale. My guess is that the Scottish government will be keeping a very close eye on England to see how things go there. I'm hoping to get some on-topic sailing in Galloway over Easter, even if I can't get to Argyll and Bute for a while after that

 

[Skylark]

I live in south Manchester and keep my boat on The Clyde. It's been on hard standing since Oct 2019. My last visit was mid-summer 2020 and I stayed in a nearby hotel for a couple of days. Reading this thread, I'm starting to fear that the forthcoming season is also going to be a washout for people in my situation. The boat has 7 batteries and they haven't seen charge for months. The marina office does not hold spare keys. All very problematic but has to be seen in the context of managing the pandemic.

 

[ProDave]

Have you notice that the Tier definitions have been changed to align with WHO guidelines? The Highland council region has had 405 cases in the past 28 days, which is 172/100,000 - well inside the new Tier 4

Where did you get that figure from? I get mine from here Tableau Public This is the one linked to by the Public Health Scotland website so you would think it could be trusted.

That (updated yesterday) shows 7 day rate 36.5 cases per 100,000 population for Highland, well within Tier 2 even with the new "strenghtened" tier ratings (that would have been tier 1 under the old measure)

No doubt if there are higher figures somewhere else the Scottish government will use the higher figure when it suits them. But with something like this I would not expect there to be a different set of figures over 10 times higher.