Forum Burgees Available

prv

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Update:

So, from worrying that I might not get enough takers to make the minimum order, I have now gone to struggling to keep up with incoming messages. I've just spoken to the manufacturers and tripled the size of the order, and I already have a big waiting list beyond that. There's no point me continuing to increase the size of the initial batch, or adding to an endless reserve list, when they will soon be available on a self-service basis.

Therefore, please stop sending me new requests. I will post a new thread (hopefully end of this week or beginning of next) when the makers are ready to handle individual orders. I've let them know that there are likely to be plenty!

If you've already put in a request and been sent my bank details (or we've discussed some other arrangement), please pay up ASAP as otherwise you risk being removed in favour of someone from the reserve list. If you've changed your mind that's perfectly fine, but please let me know so I can swap in a reserve without unnecessary delay.

Thanks for your support.

Pete

Original message:

As most people know, for over a decade Haydn (user hlb) has been supplying the forum burgee. He's ready to retire now, and having got a bit carried away in a recent thread, I seem to have taken over.

For those who weren't aware, the burgee is a mark of forum membership which you can fly from your boat when out and about. It covers all the YBW forums, power and sail, but is not officially "owned" by IPC itself - it belongs to us the users. It's been around since 2002, which seems like forever in Internet time, and has been flown all over the world (and right around the world, I believe). But you can also use it just to say "hi" in Yarmouth, Cherbourg, Burnham-on-Crouch, or wherever you may be. It looks like this:

burgee.jpg


The old ones were made as a favour to Haydn by one of his mates, so we're also transitioning to a new supplier (Ensign Flags, who make the burgees for a lot of clubs). Don't worry, the "tipsy mouse" design will remain the same, but the construction of the flags will change a little, to be more like conventional polyester flag material rather than the heavyweight fabric and cotton string of the older type. The design will still be properly embroidered, not printed like cheap promotional flags that fade in the sun.

The deal is that we have to buy an initial batch of ten to cover the cost of programming the design into the embroidery machine. After that, they will be available direct from Ensign with no minimum order size. I've agreed to put up the funding for the initial batch, and will post them out once they arrive. But I need at least ten people to buy them.

For this initial batch, the preferred arrangement is to PM me with your postal address; I will respond with my bank details for you to do an online transfer. If this is a problem for any reason then we can work something else out, but that's the basic procedure. If people could also post in this thread when they order, it will help it stay visible - ta.

The cost for the initial ten is £20.70 each. I then need to post them on to you (60p for first-class post, I think it'll fit in a "Letter" sized envelope) so the total is £21.30 each. The price is likely to go up a few quid when bought singly, so getcha order in now :)

I'm aware that this comes as a bit of a fait-accompli, but I also know that Haydn has been trying to pass on the role for years with no takers, and that it's often more effective to step in and say "this is how it's going to be", provided it's done in good faith, than to discuss things endlessly with no-one taking the lead. I hope nobody minds.

Cheers,

Pete
 
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prv

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OK, I'm already over my initial ten - thanks everyone, I was expecting to struggle to find enough!

I'm sure Ensign will be able to increase the order; I will contact them tomorrow to discuss it, but in the meantime feel free to put in further requests.

I am very aware that extending the order will require forking over more of my own money, and Haydn has always warned that unfortunately a percentage of people put in requests but fail to pay. Therefore please make sure that your transfer follows promptly (let me know if you use some minor bank that doesn't participate in the Faster Payments service). In the event that I somehow end up with more paid-up requests than available flags, I will of course refund the money in full, so there is no risk to you.

Cheers,

Pete
 

prv

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Yep, PM inbox overwhelmed by demand :)

I've just emptied it, hope it can cope for a bit longer...

Please try again if you sent a message and got a bounce saying it was full.

Pete
 

prv

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Right.

Wow.

That's quite an amazing show of demand, in one short evening.

The number of requests is nudging 30, and although it's somewhat exhilarating to see the orders flooding in (shame I'm not making a profit on them!) I think over £600 is quite a scary enough figure for me to be throwing around (and is only feasible because it was payday at work yesterday!). Therefore, I am going to cap the initial order at 30.

There are still a couple of slots available, plus I am resigned to the fact that some orders may not be paid for. So you may continue to submit requests, but those over 30 will be put in a reserve queue. After a suitable pause for those in the initial 30 to cough up, any who have not done so will be removed and the corresponding number from the waiting list will be promoted.

I trust that seems fair to all concerned, and to my personal bank balance.

Cheers,

Pete
 

William_H

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I like the design of the ensign. Funny we have an island near Fremantle which is the preferred weekend escape for most cruisers called Rottnest Island. It is know for and inhabited by Quokkas. These are a small marsupial (tiny kangaroo) . The island name comes from the dutch "rats nest". The dutch thought they were giant rats. Anyway nicely the mouse could equally look like a quokka so you might get some requests from Perth for the burgee. good luck with it olewill
 

FullCircle

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Right.

Wow.

That's quite an amazing show of demand, in one short evening.

The number of requests is nudging 30, and although it's somewhat exhilarating to see the orders flooding in (shame I'm not making a profit on them!) I think over £600 is quite a scary enough figure for me to be throwing around (and is only feasible because it was payday at work yesterday!). Therefore, I am going to cap the initial order at 30.

There are still a couple of slots available, plus I am resigned to the fact that some orders may not be paid for. So you may continue to submit requests, but those over 30 will be put in a reserve queue. After a suitable pause for those in the initial 30 to cough up, any who have not done so will be removed and the corresponding number from the waiting list will be promoted.

I trust that seems fair to all concerned, and to my personal bank balance.

Cheers,

Pete

With interbank transfer so easy, and a gift from PayPal so easy, there should be no need for anyone not to pay before play.

Glad there is a pent up demand, excellent news.
 

prv

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Quick note in case people don't re-read the edited first message: no more new requests please, the initial order is full, you will be able to order directly in a week or so. Full details in the first post on this thread.

(Also worth pointing out that in order to keep my records straight, I'm only going to be dealing with PMs from home, in the evenings.)

Pete
 
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VicMallows

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Well done Pete for organisation. I remember the origins of the forum burgee from way back!

However I don't think there is any copyright involved, and since the design is fairly simple anyone with a reasonably modern sewing machine should be able to make one using the embroidery stitch :)
 

prv

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However I don't think there is any copyright involved

Strictly speaking there is - copyright exists in all creative works from the moment they're made. Assuming nobody ever bothered about it, by default Boatone will own the copyright to the tipsy mouse as he created the image.

In practice, there's nothing to worry about, because I don't think for a moment that he would want to enforce it. And hypothetically if the issue did arise, I think there's a fair case for saying there's an implied license for making the burgees, as that's what the image was created and offered up for.

anyone with a reasonably modern sewing machine should be able to make one using the embroidery stitch :)

True - but why bother when you can buy a ready-made one for twenty quid? :)

Intriguingly, one of the suppliers I contacted (and rejected because they could only do printed, not sewn) said that they remembered making a printed one-off copy of the tipsy mouse burgee some years ago. Apparently somebody wanted one, but for whatever reason didn't want to go via Haydn. I wonder where it's flying now.

Pete
 

Zagato

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What is the meaning behind the typsy mouse image?

When will there be a special red editon available, only for those from a certain rank or members of Royal yacht clubs of course ;)

Well done for taking this on Pete...
 
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