Letter to RYA re closures

Update: I have received an incredibly helpful and prompt reply from the RYA, the gist of which is there is merit in engaging with your yard and marina directly as to how they interpret the situation. I hope this may help some of you.

I would like to make a small edit for clarity to my original post but can't work out how.
 
Ok here goes. The second paragraph could be read as suggesting that marinas were and are acting on RYA guidance.

I would instead say the following: "Ministers have made clear this week that many people have interpreted the guidelines over-zealously. I believe the industry can consider paragraph 6(1) of the Regulation to be binding. Paragraph 6(2) is advisory, to the extent that it indicates what "excuses" might be included. It does not state that the list of excuses is exhaustive; it should be read as "a reasonable excuse includes but is not limited to...". Equally, boaters and yards may consider access to our precious assets to fall within the category of paragraph 6(2) (m), avoidance of harm.
 
Thanks OP for spending some of your time writing the letter and sharing it.

It is well reasoned and reasonable.

Shame some have gone all emo on you, buy please keep sharing your thoughts, they are appreciated.
 
RJJ said:
Update: I have received an incredibly helpful and prompt reply from the RYA, the gist of which is there is merit in engaging with your yard and marina directly as to how they interpret the situation. I hope this may help some of you.

I would like to make a small edit for clarity to my original post but can't work out how.
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So in other words " you go contact your yard / marina yourself then ".

However, the reply I got was a very polite 'holding answer' whilst they get around to it that the current crisis is keeping them all very busy and they will get back to me. It would be nice to think that as they are seeing more than one representation they do need to consider the matter further.

I will feedback further any response I may receive.
 
superheat6k said:
So in other words " you go contact your yard / marina yourself then ".
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Of course that was their position - they're not going to go near trying to make a special case for boaters at this time. It's PR suicide.

There's loads of papers who would love to write: "Today Britain's Royal Yachting Association with their President, HRH Princess Anne, have asked the Prime Minister if their members (some of whom own yachts in the South of France where the average price of a super yacht in Monaco is £3.56m), could be a special case and be exempt from the lockdown laws designed to save Britain's most vulnerable. We say no! Our readers aren't allowed to play football in the park or go to the pub, but while Capt Tom is selflessly walking around his garden raising money for the NHS hereos, these poncy yacht owners think it's them that deserve to be a special case".
 
Motor_Sailor said:
Of course that was their position - they're not going to go near trying to make a special case for boaters at this time. It's PR suicide.

There's loads of papers who would love to write: "Today Britain's Royal Yachting Association with their President, HRH Princess Anne, have asked the Prime Minister if their members (some of whom own yachts in the South of France where the average price of a super yacht in Monaco is £3.56m), could be a special case and be exempt from the lockdown laws designed to save Britain's most vulnerable. We say no! Our readers aren't allowed to play football in the park or go to the pub, but while Capt Tom is selflessly walking around his garden raising money for the NHS hereos, these poncy yacht owners think it's them that deserve to be a special case".
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Nobody is saying special case.. Nor is football prevented, except to the extent a sliding tackle takes you within 2m of someone.

Boaters have the same responsibility and freedom as anyone to make judgment about what is reasonable and what is not. The absolute and clear requirement is to act reasonably (regarding your excuse to leave the home) and maintain social distance; if you and / or your facility can't do that, don't. Just the same as people going for a walk, taking exercise deciding whether or not to operate their construction site or shop.

The only people on this thread who have made a special case plea are those who are on or have access to boats, in public or shared places, trying to maintain that other should not (subject to above observation about reasonableness and distance) do the same.
 
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RJJ said:
Nobody is saying special case..
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Well if you think that asking the RYA to engage with the government and get boatyards differentiated from caravan parks and the like, is not a special case, then so be it.

However it's obvious that there are going to be significant changes in all this nationally over the next month and who knows what they have in mind. But on the day when the Prime Minister has said that "the country is still facing a moment of maximum risk”, you think the RYA is going to stick its head above the parapet, you're simply delusional.
 
Motor_Sailor said:
Well if you think that asking the RYA to engage with the government and get boatyards differentiated from caravan parks and the like, is not a special case, then so be it.

However it's obvious that there are going to be significant changes in all this nationally over the next month and who knows what they have in mind. But on the day when the Prime Minister has said that "the country is still facing a moment of maximum risk”, you think the RYA is going to stick its head above the parapet, you're simply delusional.
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Boatyards are already differentiated from caravan parks. The latter are explicitly called out because they are associated with residential stays and long-distance travel, the former are not. On another thread, it was pointed out that owners of private planes have agreement to maintain their equipment, so it seems the principle is there.

Like I said, the only universal and statutory requirement is to act with reasonable excuse and maintain social distance. All else is noise. No special cases, no use of the word "essential", no laid-down travel restriction.

If you are interested in what the RYA are actually doing, please ask them directly. They were glad to tell me. It's also on their website. Maybe in my delusion I imagined the whole thing.
 
I'm pretty sure there are no restrictions on boatyards anyway - but there are restrictions on unnecessary travel, and individual yards & marinas may have unilaterally shut their doors.

So if you live 200 miles away from your boat & the marina gates are locked you're stuffed anyway.

The below extracted from an email I received last week. They shut in late March and recommenced limited operations a few days ago. This suggests both decisions were taken by management after proper risk assessments. No government or marine body input required.

As posted earlier, half the working population have been carrying on pretty much as normal, with precautions as practicable.

  • We have banned all general public access to the Port.
  • There is access for boat owners, both afloat and ashore, but we ask you to take into consideration the Government's directives relating to essential journeys and their request for people to stay at home. (Access Gate Code is the same)
  • We can now offer Lift and Launches for those who want, under strict social distancing arrangements to be followed to the letter. However, for those wishing to launch we again ask you to consider the following :-
    • The restrictions to essential travel as outlined by the Government
    • The RNLI, RYA & Coastguard guidance not to undertake any non-essential leisure boating activity
 
obmij said:
I'm pretty sure there are no restrictions on boatyards anyway - but there are restrictions on unnecessary travel, and individual yards & marinas may have unilaterally shut their doors.

So if you live 200 miles away from your boat & the marina gates are locked you're stuffed anyway.

The below extracted from an email I received last week. They shut in late March and recommenced limited operations a few days ago. This suggests both decisions were taken by management after proper risk assessments. No government or marine body input required.

As posted earlier, half the working population have been carrying on pretty much as normal, with precautions as practicable.

  • We have banned all general public access to the Port.
  • There is access for boat owners, both afloat and ashore, but we ask you to take into consideration the Government's directives relating to essential journeys and their request for people to stay at home. (Access Gate Code is the same)
  • We can now offer Lift and Launches for those who want, under strict social distancing arrangements to be followed to the letter. However, for those wishing to launch we again ask you to consider the following :-
    • The restrictions to essential travel as outlined by the Government
    • The RNLI, RYA & Coastguard guidance not to undertake any non-essential leisure boating activity
Click to expand...
Thanks that's entirely reasonable.
 
Motor_Sailor said:
Well if you think that asking the RYA to engage with the government and get boatyards differentiated from caravan parks and the like, is not a special case, then so be it.

However it's obvious that there are going to be significant changes in all this nationally over the next month and who knows what they have in mind. But on the day when the Prime Minister has said that "the country is still facing a moment of maximum risk”, you think the RYA is going to stick its head above the parapet, you're simply delusional.
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As reported on the East Coast forum, where you are also trying to tell people what is and isn't reasonable, it seems the RYA is doing just that.

Here you go. Right or wrong I have to say I would rather you hadn't called me "delusional". It's entirely my right (as a member) to seek to influence the RYA's activities, and I am gratified by the result.

RYA leads call for limited and controlled access to marinas
 
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One is arguing why or should the RYA help boat owners or lobby the Government ,
Seems strange that the Great Alan Tichmarsh was on the news the other day and is now actively lobbying government for garden centres to open , are they facing the same grief as one here for boats
I suspect that most boat owners have a high degree of intelligence and social awareness (I hope) so the risk of boating is very small in spreading any virus as long as guidelines are followed
The other argument is to those who's boats are a long drive , and is that the issue really here , there seems plenty of people very close to their boats and can easily follow social distancing but being denied access , this lumping boats and marinas as caravan parks and holiday homes., is wrong in many levels and common sense and good guidance is needed
My boat is on the West coast of Scotland, and a marina of 300 boats, I can honestly say in the 3 years I must have passed on the pontoons no more than 10 people
When in the yard working I was near no one for the 2 years on the hard , I worked on my lonesome , the only people I came into contact were the yard staff who came to me , so using guidelines I cannot see how this can be seen as high risk.
:pI also have my own trolley
 
FlyingGoose said:
Seems strange that the Great Alan Tichmarsh was on the news the other day and is now actively lobbying government for garden centres to open , are they facing the same grief as one here for boats
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Many garden centres are local and as easily controlled as supermarkets for limiting numbers and spacing of customers. Unlike boats, people are very unlikely to travel long distances to them from possibly highly infected areas.
 
Graham376 said:
Many garden centres are local and as easily controlled as supermarkets for limiting numbers and spacing of customers. Unlike boats, people are very unlikely to travel long distances to them from possibly highly infected areas.
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Many Garden centres are a drive away for some too. and my post did mention those that might have to travel further might still be restricted , I also said those closer to their boats could be allowed in
France has lifted their lock down in stages and people are allowed to travel no more than 60 miles it seems, Although I do not know if this will include sailing, but then we are not France and need to make decisions based on this country
 
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