SBC is now open for members ....

[Guest]

SBC ............ Small Boat Club

is now open for membership ............... for a long time it has been voiced on pontoons, around bars and even dare I say on the forums - boat sizes are going up .... even in terms of starter boats.
The SBC is a club - soon to be on-line - that hopes to pull together the smaller boat owner .... to explore and develop - to bring back the small boat spirit.

It is not to detract or compete with YBW forums .... they are the worlds best in their way.

So what are the criteria for joining ? (These are initial and can be altered if sufficient support - note that it must remain a Small Boat Unit though ...)

Sailboats
LOA up to max 30ft (bowsprits, bumkins etc. are excluded from the measurement within reason !)
Able to dry-out - meaning eligible are : Bilge / Twin Keel, Triple keel, long keel with bilge plates / legs, Lift keel, Catamarans, Tri-marans. Others to be considered on application.

It is already under discussion by the initial start-up team about venues for get-togethers and rally's ... these will concentrate on the lesser known / used locations to ensure that best use of the above boats capabilities are made ....

The club will be a virtual on-line affair ... without cost. Later we hope that burgees, other items depicting SBC as a group will be available at cost ...

So it's time to come out and join up .... let's put the small boat back on the map .... meet up, share experiences and enjoy our special relations with the water ....

Please PM me for details or if you have questions .... this is not a joke - this is a serious intention to get Small Boats together ....... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[jonathankent]

One suggestion, not wanting to offend anyone, but I still wouldn't class 30ft LOA as a small boat... maybe to some, but not me.

 

[Guest]

LOA ... based upon ....

The discussion was between owners of boats from 21 to 28ft ... so my initial idea of 26 - 27ft max - would have fallen inside of the team who are still discussing now ...

Problem is - there will be many reasons given that we should >

open up to small mobo's
decrease loa to xxft
allow fin keels
etc.

Where do you draw a line ? AS already said - if the membership develops and a majority want a change - no problem - but all has to start somewhere ...

What we would like to get is enough to join and we start the organisational stuff by poll etc. Our aim is to giuve the SBO chance to join up and have own venue etc.

 

[Blueboatman]

Nigel,you might not have come across this site..really really small cruising boats!
http://www.microcruising.com/

Also I seem to remember a Yachting Monthly(World?) group test in the Walton Backwaters in recent years involving modern small traditional classics ,Crabbers,Drascombes,Norfolk Gypsy etc-and huge silly grins on the faces of the editorial team more usually known for their ocean crossing abilities!
S.B.C. Great idea that I hopes generates interest.

Old adage..''The smaller the boat the bigger the fun''
Cheapskate version''Small boat,small problem''

 

[Guest]

Small really is fun ....

My little weekender out here ..... 4.80m + .5m bowsprit + .3m rudder stock etc. .... is simple, no fancy stuff at all - everyone who has been on her and had a trip on the river comments how great it is .... No hassles ... drop mooring ... out of canal and enjoy ... it's a 1sec decision to go or not to go ...

They also teach newbies the sailing game so much better - as they have less string and gimmicks to work and worry about ....

 

[Dyflin]

[ QUOTE ]
Able to dry-out - meaning eligible are : Bilge / Twin Keel, Triple keel, long keel with bilge plates / legs, Lift keel, Catamarans, Tri-marans. Others to be considered on application.


[/ QUOTE ]

There's my 29 year old fin keeler ruled out already so. Seems like a silly requirement for people who have no need to dry out... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Guest]

Drying out ....

That was put in due to the likely venues that are proposed for meets .....

But if it is read correctly - we have no objection to applications to be considered ...

In fact one fin-keeler has already applied ......... so whats stopping you ?

 

[Dyflin]

Re: Drying out ....

And where do I apply so?

 

[jonathankent]

Re: LOA ... based upon ....

I think that you will need to set the fairly tight requirements, or if you just do it on the majority you might find that you aren't going to achieve the type of club I think you are intending, i.e. for the small boats. There are a lot of larger fin keelers that could join and skew the majority and turn it into just another club.... not wishing to offend any fin keelers out there, but I think you get my drift.

 

[Guest]

Application via PM to me please ... then >

You will then receive a reply via PM ..... giving my e-mail address.

PLEASE when replying to my e-mail address PLEASE PLEASE put SBC in the subject line .....

We collect together all names etc.

We are in process of setting up on-line presence ...

Once that is up and running - then we will give all details out to the listed peeps ....

Simple !

 

[Dyflin]

Re: LOA ... based upon ....

I agree. A 30ft fin/long/bilge keeler tied up alongside a Fantasie 19 would look kind of "little and large". Maybe a reduction to 26ft or 8m instead?

As long as fin keelers aren't excluded from this gathering /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[jonathankent]

Re: LOA ... based upon ....

Fin keelers shouldn't be excluded, but more in line with what small_boat_champ is indicating would be the smaller ones, which maybe able to go to the places he is saying and with the use of legs and dry out aswell. Just a thought.

 

[Guest]

How many less than 27ft boats on the forums ?

Not many really .... as over the years I have been on them - the average has climbed significantly above 30ft ... in fact to the point that often the post content has little relevance to the small boat anymore .......

With the SBC - we hope that the members will create the topics and atmosphere ... will make their presence and agendas .... myself and the other guys are putting together something to try and redress the inbalance that is growing ...

Me - I run a 25ft in UK and a 5.5m in Latvia ... so I sit on the fence here ..... the other part of the team are at 26ft, 27ft, and 29ft ..... so I think they have a part to play ??

 

[Guest]

Biggest problem we have ...

Is to create a filtering system that will self-exclude need for the less suitable venues ... where we end up with Hooray henrys and Sunsail everywhere.
Conversation was that we wanted to use all the lesser used venues such as Newport - Isle of Wight as example .... Reason most of these are less used - is the drying out bit. BUT suitable fin jobs can dry out alongside the wall ...

Second .......... we wanted to put some fun and companionship into the small boats in terms of grouping up .... now keeping it to real small boats would have lost some advantages ... >

a) having a medium sized boat along may increase the safety capability aspect in event of incident - allowing greater distance / exploration ...
b) some members may trade up in boat size ... but wish to stay in the club amongst friends ...
c) some mid size boats are SB ... as they are MAB's ... not floating caravans !

You cannot keep everyone happy ........

 

[Lakesailor]

Re: How many less than 27ft boats on the forums ?

Well your 29 ft man is going to want a 30foot rule isn't he?
Why not call it the Ditch Crawling Club and have done with it.

We'll start our own Below 8 Metre Fin Club.

 

[Superflid]

Re: Biggest problem we have ...

As it's a sail only club (understandably), is this in here because the "big" Yotties have no need to look in PBO? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[aitchw]

Re: How many less than 27ft boats on the forums ?

[ QUOTE ]
Not many really

[/ QUOTE ]

There are a few of us. Mine, 16', 2 berth triple keeler and there are a few Silhouettes, Leisure 17s etc so a good few under 20'. Problem for me will be never being able to attend a meet based up here in Yorkshire but I would still like to be registered in the group. PM on it's way Nigel.

 

[halcyon]

Have wait till I can aford some legs.


Brian

 

[Guest]

PBO or not PBO !!

In years gone by ..... PBO was looked upon as the "smaller-boat owners" practical solution mag. Leaving the Hoi Poloi with Yachting World / Monthly ... But over the years the borders have greyed and merged ............

Despite what others claim - there is NO real true specific Sailboat only forum - check out the Forum descriptions on the main page ... the only specific forum is the MOBO one. It has been assumed by many that Scuttlebutt takes on that role ....... sorry not true - read again the description. Scuttlebutt was the "club-bar" of the forums carrying boatie topics ... but then became the forum of the larger boats in many eyes.

there si no objection really to any small boat applying ... it's like I said in another post - we are trying to keep it self-regulating without politics and argument ... so far we have a good response in such a short space of time ...

I hope that people can join in and have some fun with it ... the whole idea is give a playground for the smaller boat owner ... and maybe be able to extend their play-areas ...... who knows what will come from it .....

One thing I hope does not happen is that those who choose not to join in - don't start belly-aching / finding fault etc. Which sadly tends to happen nowadays too often.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Why are you trying to wedge in and split up boat owners.

What you are trying to do could be seen as divisive and either indicates some sort of contempt for those who have built up to a larger yacht or inverse snobbery.

Why am I writing this, it is not against you Nigel, but the concept. At weekends you will often find 22ft cruisers rafted alongside 44ft ocean yachts, the crews enjoying a natter in one of the cockpits.

We already have a split between mobo and raggie which causes animosity to the point in some cases that certain users consider the other other camp to be less than human. I think your idea could cause the same 2 camp split and should be discouraged at every opportunity.

I have a 26ft boat that can dry out, but have no interest in more sectarianism in this sport.

Sailing used to be the great leveller, I wonder why you seem intent on destroying that.