[70521]
Well-Known Member
Not just the government response but everybodies response, we called it the Daily Mail test.
RYA leads call for immediate access to marinas
- Thread starter Concerto
- Start date
Motor_Sailor
Well-Known Member
The bleating is about being allowed to do 'essential safety checks and maintenance". Starting the spring fitting out is another issue completely and just confirms that this is about yachties wanting to be made a special case so they can get on with what they consider to be something 'essential', when it is in fact just their hobby.
dom
Well-Known Member
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Which apparently doesn't apply to the owners of light aircraft, among others
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
The big winners in all this are dogs, they've never been out so much
Our cats are enjoying having somebody in the house rather than us all disappearing off to work or sailing for most of the time
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Nothing is stopping you, and other like minded individuals, from staying at home for the duration but I can think of plenty of instances where a visit or some such would be in order now that the boat is going to be unattended for longer than expected
G12
Well-Known Member
I'd be happy to be able to do essential checks only in say a pre booked one hour time slot. I can't afford to rectify extra damage caused by lack of maintenence. I'm quite happy that the marina guys keep an eye on how well the boat is tied up but they aren't keeping an eye on all her internal kit. 2 small deck leaks that I was going to fix when she was ashore (postponed) and a non automatic bilge pump means the bilges need a quick pump, once a month is enough normally unless heavy rain has allowed water in through the anchor locker. Batteries are sitting there sulphating nicely and need charging too - no permanently connected charger in my boat. I usually run the engine in gear for a bit to keep the face of the PSS seal alive as recommended by the manufacturer - That seal keeps the boat afloat of course so it's quite important in my book.
If you love your boat, have made sacrifices to own her and she's not merely just a toy then nobody looks after them like you do.
If you love your boat, have made sacrifices to own her and she's not merely just a toy then nobody looks after them like you do.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Light aircraft have legally required checks to maintain their airworthiness certificate. Boats don't.
dom
Well-Known Member
Absolutely agree. I can walk our two dogs for de facto as long as I want and sometimes on crowded pathways, , cycle down busy narrow cycleways on say the Thames towpath, go to London for work I deem impossible to do at home (hasn't happened yet), and from Monday, we can all visit garden centres to pick stuff up, yet it's forbidden to perform necessary checks on a boat.
And if we're being honest, it is dead easy to socially distance in a marina with their abundance of passing points. Not that any of this matters when the NHS is under pressure, but as and when relaxations are being implemented it seems daft to keep marinas locked down just simply because boat owners are perceived to be rich.
Not that those who are rich give a toss anyway, they can simply focus on exercising their polo ponies and doing a spot of flyfishing in their river while waiting for this storm to pass.
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Which presumably can be allowed to lapse and then re-apply at a future date which would no doubt cost but align with staying at home and saving lives or alternatively extend the certificate in the same way as MOTs
Can you imagine the Daily Mail headline if some vulnerably member of society had died having become infected due to somebody making a trip to their toy plane?
Or alternatively consider the risk to the police, fire, ambulance and members of the public otherwise minding their own business if the plane crashes during one of these 'test flights''
chrisharris
Well-Known Member
Fair points, ultimately all our arguments re 'essential maintenance' could be mitigated by £££Which presumably can be allowed to lapse and then re-apply at a future date which would no doubt cost but align with staying at home and saving lives or alternatively extend the certificate in the same way as MOTs
Can you imagine the Daily Mail headline if some vulnerably member of society had died having become infected due to somebody making a trip to their toy plane?
Or alternatively consider the risk to the police, fire, ambulance and members of the public otherwise minding their own business if the plane crashes during one of these 'test flights''
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Indeed, especially if 'gardianage' was more of a 'thing' in the UK. However some marinas have been banning all external access so that would need to change.
moresparks
Well-Known Member
On a slightly different tack as it were...
Purely in the interest of research to assist the RYA you understand...
As the Government likes to show its slides at the Daily Briefing; it would be helpful to display “Risk Factors” of those in hospital with the virus, this is to understand where and how the patients contracted the virus...
I am assuming it’s difficult to access that information, but everyday stuff for Life Insurance Companies and possibly necessary in going forward with their planned track and trace.
For instance:-
Queuing in the supermarket,
Walking on the sea wall with hordes of others trying hard to “social Distance”
Out for a daily exercise and being passed by turquoise and pink Lycra joggers or cyclists huffing and puffing...
You get the picture.
I suspect a pre-booked timed 15 minute slot to check the safety of one’s boat that is local would be pretty low on risks. The chances of passing anyone within 10 to 20 metres is low.
Purely in the interest of research to assist the RYA you understand...
As the Government likes to show its slides at the Daily Briefing; it would be helpful to display “Risk Factors” of those in hospital with the virus, this is to understand where and how the patients contracted the virus...
I am assuming it’s difficult to access that information, but everyday stuff for Life Insurance Companies and possibly necessary in going forward with their planned track and trace.
For instance:-
Queuing in the supermarket,
Walking on the sea wall with hordes of others trying hard to “social Distance”
Out for a daily exercise and being passed by turquoise and pink Lycra joggers or cyclists huffing and puffing...
You get the picture.
I suspect a pre-booked timed 15 minute slot to check the safety of one’s boat that is local would be pretty low on risks. The chances of passing anyone within 10 to 20 metres is low.
Motor_Sailor
Well-Known Member
Like minded individuals? I haven't stopped going to the boat by choice, I've stopped because it's the law.
And in all probability I'll be stopped by the law for longer than might have been, because all the whiney, moaning, what about them, I'm so hard done by, pity me, snowflakes can't simply find something else to do for a few weeks.
Laysula
Well-Known Member
In the five years I've been in Brixham Marina, I've never seen anyone on the boat next to me. And that goes for a lot of boats in many of the Marinas I have been in.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
the numbers are low enough to be under the radar, pun intended.
From my time in the aircraft industry there are legal requirements for things to be done, including flying, so I suspect that is their loophole. Can't think of any in the boating industry as lots and lots of people do not want regulation.
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
27,000 of them according to Wikipedia
dunedin
Well-Known Member
Perhaps the editor of the Mail has a plane ? Or one of Cummings’ mates has ?
To be honest not seen any /many planes flying, so looks to be a theoretical privilege, and if many did fly it might suddenly feature in the Mail?
dom
Well-Known Member
That's really bad if some ,marinas are truly locking-up boats and refusing entry even for essential work.
Premier have taken a lot of flak on these forums, but as far as I know all of their marinas are allowing commercial and tradespeople access to the boatyards and pontoons to work on the boats. They are also amenable to conversations about absolutely necessary owner access and even boat movements. So is QHM.
If anybody is really concerned, I would advise calling the relevant marina, explaining the situation and offer to comply or have your agent comply with any and all of their Covid-19 regulations. It may be possible to work something sensible out.
bdh198
Well-Known Member
No, that misses the point. The RYA are not advocating people should be allowed to visit their boats at their discretion for “leisure“ purposes. What they are saying is that marinas should allow access where it would otherwise be lawful for them to be visiting their boats were it not for the marina being shut. A visit would still need to be lawful under the Regulations by showing a “reasonable excuse” for leaving your home. That implies there is nothing ‘discretionary’ about their visit.
It is also important not to lose sight of the purpose of the restrictions which is to prevent (or slow down) the spread of the virus by limiting contact with other people. The fact is that the chance of coming into contact with another person in a marina is low, and any risk can be easily mitigated with some common sense. The fact remains that your risk of spreading the virus is significantly higher by visiting your local supermarket.
Of course, the next question would be; what is a reasonable excuse? Whether maintenance is considered “essential” or whether it is “reasonable” for the owner to be doing it rather than a contractor are questions that can only be answered on a case by case basis. However, it should not be for the marina to police.
And that’s the point. You have been ‘stopped by law’ and you would continue to be stopped by law under the RYA suggestions. All the RYA are saying is that marinas should not be stopping you if you had an otherwise perfectly lawful reason for visiting your boat.
