Sea Sense

[Guest]

Anyone read the bit about Sea Sense in the latest RYA mag. With all that goes on in this forum I think its a good idea? Although I would have to comment on the fact that if we could "do away" with the Solent area, we probably wouldn't have a problem at all or at least a very small one!

 

[JeremyF]

Great idea, but unlikely to solve the problem. I doubt yotties who tack right infront of a stinkie, or a stinkie that decides to charge by a yottie is likely to be a member of the RYA, or indeed participate in this forum.

It needs IPC to really pick it up and run through its publications, as a follow up to the swapping articles a couple of months ago.

Jeremy Flynn
Dawn Chorus

 

[nicho]

I am sure you are right, the problem seems to only occur around the Solent - no doubt due to the huge number of boats and the relatively small amount of water for them to fit into. Could it also be due to the large amount of people who live around Greater London area and sail/boat in these waters, arriving on Friday evenings full of Capital related stress. Probably one good shout at someone, even for no good reason, does their stress levels a power of good!!

 

[sailbadthesinner]

I glanced at it, hadn't had time to go through it all before it got tidied away. i just worry that campaigns like this tend to preach to the converted.

The only way i see it is to have people out there on the water or the beach showing them what to do. Fine if there is an inshore station on the beach but is the rnli's job to spend money doing that. They can only allocate so many resources to these campaigns and probably cannot run to the no. of people required.

You and i read the literature support the organisations and probably practice what we preach most of the time.
How do you get the message to the guy who just buys a boat and sets off.

You sail on the white bits, anchor on the blue bits, get drunk on the yellow bits

 

[Guest]

It's a shame to think that just one area of the coast generates so much bad feeling between different boating types. Yes we have some problems up here on the Medway/Thames Estury, but nowhere near the same as the Solent. I am always a little sorry to see some posts on this forum which get yottie going against powerboater or dinghy sailor (or visa versa) and everyone hates Jetskiers. Its a shame that we can't all get on together and educate those that do wrong, but it does appear that the RYA is at least trying to address the problem?

 

[JeremyF]

I applaud the sentiment of RYA's Sea Sense, but to really reach out to the idiots who spoil the enjoyment of others they will have to promote it heavily. If, however, they really pushed the message outside of their membership, then maybe it might work. How about handouts in every marina? I know a few boats I'd like to slip a leaflet to! What about including it in the bumph you give in Sea Check's.

The real solution is to work this at a maina level and offer yotties and stinkies the opportunity of crewing on the other type of craft.

Jeremy Flynn
Dawn Chorus

 

[Guest]

Are the RYA trying to address the problem? After many years of RYA membership I ceased because they appear to represent the racing fraternity rather than the cruising fraternity and have since joined the Cruising Association. Those who join the RYA or CA are interested in their particular aspect of boating and thus are preaching to the converted. What are the RYA actively doing to reach the idiots who are about in all areas of boating. I see no evidence of the RYA being pro-active at all.


Pete

 

[jtwebb]

A while ago a small power boat came into Hythe Marina after being plucked from under the bows of a large ship. His engine had failed because he had ignored an urgent recall from Mercury. He had no radio, no flares, no charts and the child was the only one with a life jacket. His only means of communication was a mobile phone. Before the lock keeper opened the gates he ran down with a complete set of leaflets on safety! I then towed the boat to his berth as the boat that had plucked him to safety did not feel confident he could do the tight manouever. The family had learnt their lesson

J Webb

 

[peterb]

I suspect that the guy who buys a boat and just sets off reverses your order.

He gets drunk on the yellow bits, tries to motor on the white bits but misses, then runs aground on the green bits. Anchor? Does one come with the boat?

 

[peterb]

I wonder how many Sea Checks have been carried out on jet skis?

 

[Guest]

I can't answer that question, but I can say its been discussed in my local Sea Check group. The problem is (in our group) that we all have bucket loads of experience on all vessels with the acception of PWC's. I've only ridden one once and it felt a bit like driving a RIB, without the RIB around you,,,strange?
We are however looking for a PWC driver that "fits-the-bill" to get at some of these faster drivers who insist on using a boats wake as a ramp.

 

[Guest]

As the RYA Cruising Manager I have been very pleased to see the discussion about RYA Sea Sense (which I should point out is separate to RNLI SEA Check, although both have a boating safety message).

As this campaign is a RYA priority, I thought that I would try and clear up a couple of points, although I am not going to keep posting. Of course, if anyone wants to contact me personally on the issue, I am available via the usual RYA telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Firstly, as the Cruising Manager, I should point out that my and my team's work is entirely dedicated to sail and motor cruising. RYA Racing receives a lot of sponsorship money to run sail racing in the UK and their hard work meant that the we were the most successful sailing nation in the last Olympics. However, the RYA recognises that a great proportion of our members are either sail or motor cruisers and so RYA Cruising exists to support them. Activities such as the annual RYA Blakes Paint Cruising Seminars, produced in association with Yachting Monthly, are aimed particularly at the cruising sailor or motorboater.

With regards to RYA Sea Sense, we recognise that the problem is most prevalent in the densely populated boating areas, such as the Solent. We also recognise that the worst offenders are probably not RYA members and so may be challenging to reach, because they probably don't belong to clubs and won't receive RYA Magazine.

To try to reach these people, we have linked up with both YM and MB&Y, who ran articles linked to RYA Sea Sense in their August editions (the boat swap ones). We have published an article in All at Sea (which is free, has a huge circulation and is distributed via marinas, clubs, chandlers and many other places). We have a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) on our website about the campaign and it has been promoted on the RYA Homepage in the past month. We have used radio to plug the campaign and get the message across and we will be using the RYA stand at the Southampton Boat Show to do so too - there is a huge influx of the general public and those new to boating at the show.

We have produced freebie bookmarks (handy on board and in the home) which have been circulated widely through our shorebased training courses and when we send information out to the public. We have also mailed poster and bookmark samples and other RYA Sea Sense information to every Harbour Master in the UK, most of whom have requested extra posters (for offices and slipways) and bookmarks (for berth holders and slipway users). We have already spoken to the RNLI and the Coastguard, both of whom will soon have stocks of literature to hand-out and display. Next on the promotion list is a direct contact with all the marinas and clubs in the UK.

The 2003 Macmillans Reed Almanac will carry adverts for the campaign and appropriate RYA books (which have a circulation far exceeding our membership) reprinted in the next year will also carry the 'Seven Steps to RYA Sea Sense', as will other RYA literature. Anyone buying a book from our stand at the Boat Show will have a complimentary bookmark slipped inside the cover and we are hoping to persuade other book sellers/distributers at the show to do the same.

And that is what we have planned up to Christmas - we're starting to plan for 2003 now.

This hopefully demonstrates some of the pro-active ways that the RYA is promoting this very important campaign.

People do not change their behaviour quickly, it tends to take time, and so we expect to be in for the long haul on this one and to have to adapt and be flexible in our promotion of it.

Bearing in mind that we only started promoting RYA Sea Sense in July, we're delighted with the response - but know that we can't relax our efforts to get the message across.

In the meantime, it's great to see that it's been discussed on this forum.

Kathryn Burnett, RYA Cruising Manager

 

[JeremyF]

Great response from Katheryn.

Ive written to Campers, my marina, encouraging them to participate, and to suggest an informal power/sail swap days so both groups understand the issues facing both types of craft. Can I suggest that we all mail our Solent marina's (if applicable)

Jeremy Flynn
Dawn Chorus

 

[Guest]

I shall write this instant to Campers and suggest that Dawn Chorus hosts Mad Rain for a weekend )

 

[jimi]

You missed the bit about the tits!

Jim

 

[Guest]

Kathryn,,good to see you here, nice post,but I would say please don't wander too far way as I'm sure you will find quite a few post may require your(RYA) input
regards
Peter