New (England) restrictions impact on sailing?

[Babylon]

Am I allowed to drive down to check my boat this weekend?

...actually it looks like we're in for some nice and easy Easterlies - can I go sailing?

 

[Mark-1]

Am I allowed to drive down to check my boat this weekend?

I *think* so, the definition of exercise was pretty broad last time but I guess we have to wait and see what the legislation says when it's passed.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I *think* so, the definition of exercise was pretty broad last time but I guess we have to wait and see what the legislation says when it's passed.

The other factor is how individual harbour authorities act, for example Cowes Harbour commissioners continued to prohibit pleasure vessels some time after the restrictions were relaxed in May and the Hamble harbour master took it upon himself to resolve an apparent oversight in the regulations and ban overnight use of boats before they were updated to specifically prohibit being away from home.

 

[Dutch01527]

I traveled back from Greece on Saturday. I was shocked by the lack of mask use both by the Heathrow airport staff and some other passengers. Noticeable trend that many identifiable demographic groups were not wearing masks or had them pulled down (young people being the biggest, but not only culprits). Airport policy apparently is not to police usage and to allow their staff (check in ect) to make their own decision about usage. 6 out of 8 people inside a petrol station in Slough on the way back had no mask on at all. Absolutely madness and completely contrasting behaviour to our home area (Gloucestershire).

The Government has not had the courage to enforced their own rules and that has resulted in the second wave and further lockdown imho. I will follow the letter of the law regarding boat use but no more. Beyond that I will use reasonable common sense with regards to an activity which is safer than just about any other recreational activity.

 

[st599]

I traveled back from Greece on Saturday. I was shocked by the lack of mask use both by the Heathrow airport staff and some other passengers. Noticeable trend that many identifiable demographic groups were not wearing masks or had them pulled down (young people being the biggest, but not only culprits). Airport policy apparently is not to police usage and to allow their staff (check in ect) to make their own decision about usage. 6 out of 8 people inside a petrol station in Slough on the way back had no mask on at all. Absolutely madness and completely contrasting behaviour to our home area (Gloucestershire).

The Government has not had the courage to enforced their own rules and that has resulted in the second wave and further lockdown imho. I will follow the letter of the law regarding boat use but no more. Beyond that I will use reasonable common sense with regards to an activity which is safer than just about any other recreational activity.

Should go somewhere like Westfield, I parked their last week prior to walking to work, I reckon 10% had a mask on despite there being a security guard on every door enforcing there use.

 

[lustyd]

Weird, I guess people see what they want to see. In Reading, Southampton and Portsmouth I've seen 99% wearing masks and sanitising at every shop/restaurant door so find it surprising that a few miles down the road it would be so drastically different.

 

[RJJ]

This started as an interesting thread with the usual acceptable conjecture about the future for laying up and working on boats after Thursday but I'm sorry it has turned into a slanging match peppered with a variety of off the wall opinions and dubious 'facts ' that I have so far reported one earlier post as falling foul of the COVID-19 sticky and find now that we get to one post including the line ' Nobody dies of Covid; anyone without a kitchen garden, farm or source of forage dies of starvation. '
This to me goes way beyond 'provocative tactics' or 'poor phrasing' and I hope that the moderators will do something about it

I wrote that and am sorry the context wasn't sufficiently clear to you, so that you have cut and pasted it in a misleading way.

I was writing in defence of schools remaining open. Someone else was saying schools should close because some teachers have caring responsibilities for vulnerable people. I said by that logic, we should close the entire country and lock ourselves at home. Remove all risk of Covid. I hope that's cleared it up.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Interesting discussion, but surely more appropriate on the Covid forum?

 

[Blue Sunray]

Weird, I guess people see what they want to see. In Reading, Southampton and Portsmouth I've seen 99% wearing masks and sanitising at every shop/restaurant door so find it surprising that a few miles down the road it would be so drastically different.

Not in my home town I'd also make that observation. The exception though is 50 year and older males in our marina office and ablutions, the majority of whom haven't been bothering with face coverings.

 

[Hallberg-Rassy]

Yes, our lot banned overnighting before the government did which I find entirely contradictory to the purpose of the law.

It's ridiculous. If you overnight, you stay in the same place & encounter no one.; and yet, if your travel back & forward daily, you're spreading viruses back & forward daily to everyone at both ends.

Which makes most sense?

I *think* so, the definition of exercise was pretty broad last time but I guess we have to wait and see what the legislation says when it's passed.

How can sanding & painting as a chosen exercise be more threatening than being a huffing puffing aerosol jogger running past everyone in the park?

Yet the former is banned, and the latter encouraged.

 

[Dipper]

Because riggers will no longer go up masts whilst boats are ashore, a small group of keelboat owners at our club have hired a mobile access platform to carry out work at the tops of our masts. After cancelling twice because of excess wind speeds, it was booked for Thursday. Although the supplier can continue to operate since they are in the construction industry, I've had to cancel the booking because we (private individuals) can't leave home to work on our boats. The weather is perfect and the platform can be operated remotely from the ground with one person in it so there is really no Covid risk at all. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, it would be illegal. Very frustrating.

 

[Hallberg-Rassy]

What's the legal risk factor? PC Plod isn't going to be on site. What sort of burden of evidence are they going to charge people on?

Sure all you need is a letter commissioning you to carry out the work? Do each others.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Not in my home town I'd also make that observation. The exception though is 50 year and older males in our marina office and ablutions, the majority of whom haven't been bothering with face coverings.

Maybe that is why it caught fire

In other news appears MDL are shutting the static caravan park at Mercury but the marina is staying open.

 

[ryanroberts]

Yeah as a person who ..spends a lot of the time on the boat I am at the mercy of marina policy here. Going to my official address would involve living with a 76 year old diabetic, which doesn't seem sensible compared to on my nice cosy boat in a quiet spot of a winter marina. I figure I am going to be washing my clothes in the sink and showering onboard again, which is less than optimal in December but I will survive.

 

[Blue Sunray]

Maybe that is why it caught fire

???

 

[Lucky Duck]

???

Reportedly there was a fire in the roof space.

Email from Lymington harbour - limiting access to their moorings to checking/safeguarding from Thursday pending urgent clarification on "recreational outdoors"

 

[Mark-1]

How can sanding & painting as a chosen exercise be more threatening than being a huffing puffing aerosol jogger running past everyone in the park?

Yet the former is banned, and the latter encouraged.

I *think* sanding and painting will be legal. IIRC the Police college definition of exercise last time was pretty loose and included exercise of the mind and soul. I suspect it will be the same this tome.

 

[Mark-1]

I had to cancel the booking because we (private individuals) can't leave home to work on our boats.

I think you *may* be over interpreting the rules here. They haven't passed a law yet, if it were me I'd crack on. If the Police become aware and consider it not to be exercise (both unlikely IMHO) they'll just ask you to stop. (My gut feel is they'll be reasonable and let you finish the job first.)

Of course, if your fellow boat owners don't want to do it that's a different issue.

I'm worried we're all going to gold plate the rules way beyond their intention. Light, socially distanced, outdoor exercise - such as boat work - is not the kind of thing this legislation will be intended to prevent.

 

[Seven Spades]

Can someone remind me what happened last time.

Stage 1. We were totally locked down and out of our boats
Stage 2. We could then go day sailing (What changed)
Stage 3. Lastly we could stay overnight (Again what was the official change)


Have we gone back to stage 1 or are we going back to stage 2?

 

[RJJ]

Can someone remind me what happened last time.

Stage 1. We were totally locked down and out of our boats
Stage 2. We could then go day sailing (What changed)
Stage 3. Lastly we could stay overnight (Again what was the official change)


Have we gone back to stage 1 or are we going back to stage 2?

As I read it, we are stage 2. Outdoor exercise is explicitly permitted, including travel to get there, and without any indication of time limit. Overnight stays expressly forbidden.