Suffolk in Tier 4 From 26th December

[bedouin]

(Answering the question, rather than providing an opinion.) Sadly not 'permitted', I would say. A) Boat maintenance is not permitted (as it wasn't during lockdown 1). B) 130 miles is clearly not staying local.

One of the significant differences between lockdown 1 and 2(and so Tier 4) is they have relaxed some of the restrictions on being outside. Under lockdown 2 it was okay to be outside for "Recreation" rather than just "Exercise" so you were allowed to sit down on a park bench.

The RYA advice is that boat clubs and marinas can remain open.

The issue of distance of travel is trickier but given that that is where the boat is then it is hard to see that is it prohibited - yes you should stay local if possible but clearly it isn't possible in this case.

Don't forget the purpose of the rules is to prevent infection - provided you don't come into close contact with anyone else then you are not risking catching or passing on the infection.

 

[Leighb]

I hope your move goes smoothly. It's always challenging moving house at this time of year, let alone this year!!!

Thank you, fortunately it is not something we have done very often, last move was 20 years ago.

 

[syvictoria]

When people say boat maintenance is not permitted are they referring to commercial maintenance or diy? If one is permitted to go bubble-sailing then how can/why would anyone think diy maintenance was proscribed? Indeed, it's hard to think of a way to go sailng without doing some kind of maintenance at some point. Where is the line drawn.
My local boatyard continued work openly throughout the first lockdown without problems, they didn't see they were doing anything illegal and the police must have agreed as they are on a regular patrol route.

My understanding is that commercial is okay (jobs, keeping the economy going, etc.), but that DIY isn't considered to fall within permitted activity. On safety grounds however, you wouldn't think that it could really be prohibited if the boat is afloat and in commission?

 

[ianc1200]

We are also moving house - or at least have had our offer accepted. Conveniently it is 1.5 miles from Titchmarsh/128.5 miles from current home. Will be due a 2nd visit early January so luckily will be able to check covers at the same time. We might need further viewings.

 

[Leighb]

We are also moving house - or at least have had our offer accepted. Conveniently it is 1.5 miles from Titchmarsh/128.5 miles from current home. Will be due a 2nd visit early January so luckily will be able to check covers at the same time. We might need further viewings.

Congratulations, hope you have a smoother route to completion than we did. I am sure you will need to make a number of necessary journeys to check out various details over the next few weeks. ?

 

[Lucy52]

We are also moving house - or at least have had our offer accepted. Conveniently it is 1.5 miles from Titchmarsh/128.5 miles from current home. Will be due a 2nd visit early January so luckily will be able to check covers at the same time. We might need further viewings.

Perhaps more importantly, after twenty years collecting, you will need to clear out the loft, the garage, the shed, the workshop, the summerhouse and pack it all up to take with you as it might come in useful one day.

Happy holiday and good luck with the move.

 

[LittleSister]

Will travelling 130 miles each way (all within Tier 4) to check winter covers be OK?

Not according to the guidance (though it does also say you can travel further in certain circumstances, even abroad!): 'If you need to travel you should stay local - meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live - and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall.' Tier 4: Stay at Home

As in previous rounds, the guidance (which is advice) goes further than the regulations (which is the law), but I would expect if push came to shove a court would have regard to the guidance (and any other relevant matters) in deciding whether you had the 'reasonable excuse' required by the regulations.

the general consensus seems to be that you can't visit your boat for maintenance

Whether you can work on your boat is not explicit, and therefore a matter of interpretation. One could argue that it was 'work' (which is not defined as only paid work), or, for external jobs, 'outdoor exercise'. Whether a police officer, any other person (busybody?, boatyard manager?) or, if it came to it, a court would be persuaded by such an argument is another matter.

Having regard to the purpose of the regulations - to reduce the extent to which people mix together - working alone (or with someone in one's 'bubble') on a boat would not seem to increase risk, except in relation to the travel to get there.

 

[Bigplumbs]

There is a special section for this sort of Post. I don't think it should be here. It is negative and depressing and I for one don't want to read it or even see the title.

Now I know why I left this forum for many months in the Summer. It brought me nothing but sadness and depression. Perhaps it is time to leave again

 

[ianc1200]

Perhaps more importantly, after twenty years collecting, you will need to clear out the loft, the garage, the shed, the workshop, the summerhouse and pack it all up to take with you as it might come in useful one day.

Happy holiday and good luck with the move.

So so true. We've been at it months already, many trips to the local dump and to our containers at the marner. A lot still to do!

 

[ianc1200]

There is a special section for this sort of Post. I don't think it should be here. It is negative and depressing and I for one don't want to read it or even see the title.

Now I know why I left this forum for many months in the Summer. It brought me nothing but sadness and depression. Perhaps it is time to leave again

For us, this is about boating, not Covid. Our boat, 69 years old and in our family since 1956, needs covering up to protect it. It's just arrived at the marina after spending all it's life on the upper Thames. Well covered, batteries off and back home, I'm concerned that high winds will have the covers off. Similarly our other boat, the 110 year old bawley yacht Storm (see Magic of the Swatchways) will need covering up when she is lifted soin. Old boats do need a lot of care and attention.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Whether you can work on your boat is not explicit, and therefore a matter of interpretation. One could argue that it was 'work' (which is not defined as only paid work), or, for external jobs, 'outdoor exercise'. Whether a police officer, any other person (busybody?, boatyard manager?) or, if it came to it, a court would be persuaded by such an argument is another matter.

The wording of the guidance with regards to "Work" seems very clear to me. Although we might say "i've been working on my boat" or "i have some jobs to do on my boat" these are really leisure pursuits, hobbies and not "employment":

Going to work

To help contain the virus, everyone who can work effectively from home should do so.


Where people cannot do so - including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing - they should continue to travel to their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers.


Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work.


Where it is necessary for you to work in other people's homes - for example, for nannies, cleaners or tradespeople - you can do so. Otherwise, you should avoid meeting for work in a private home or garden, where COVID-19 Secure measures may not be in place.


The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 secure guidelines are followed closely. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk.

 

[PaulRainbow]

There is a special section for this sort of Post. I don't think it should be here. It is negative and depressing and I for one don't want to read it or even see the title.

Now I know why I left this forum for many months in the Summer. It brought me nothing but sadness and depression. Perhaps it is time to leave again

Sorry to hear you find the forum sad and depressing and equally sorry to hear that you find this thread negative and depressing and feel that it's an inappropriate subject for this forum. I posted the news here because the East Coast (sailing) forum seems an appropriate place, to me, to discuss a tier 4 "lockdown" for Suffolk, which is where many of us keep our boats.

I wouldn't necessarily see this as negative, as such, it is what is is. Tomorrow, we'll be in tier 4, whether we discus it here or not. People are discussing it in this thread and debating how the changes will affect them in terms of sailing (and other matters). It seems most of us all (maybe all) can go sailing as part of our exercise/outdoor activities, so that's actually a positive. Looks like marinas, boat yards and sailing clubs will be able to remain open, to some degree at least, so another positive. If we were living in inner city high rise blocks, with few/no open spaces and rampant Covid 19, it really would be depressing, so perhaps we should think ourselves lucky.

Have a good Christmas and an even better New Year ? ?

 

[pvb]

There is a special section for this sort of Post. I don't think it should be here. It is negative and depressing and I for one don't want to read it or even see the title.

Now I know why I left this forum for many months in the Summer. It brought me nothing but sadness and depression. Perhaps it is time to leave again

Perhaps it is.

 

[pvb]

I wouldn't necessarily see this as negative, as such, it is what is is. Tomorrow, we'll be in tier 4, whether we discus it here or not. People are discussing it in this thread and debating how the changes will affect them in terms of sailing (and other matters).

My wife and I usually go to the boat on New Year's Day. But we live in Tier 4, and the boat is currently in Tier 2 so we theoretically can't leave Tier 4 to visit it. But, by New Year's Day, it'll be in Tier 4 too, so we can visit it. That sounds pretty positive to me.

 

[[178529]]

The wording of the guidance with regards to "Work" seems very clear to me. Although we might say "i've been working on my boat" or "i have some jobs to do on my boat" these are really leisure pursuits, hobbies and not "employment":

Indeed. It needs to be a professional service to be classed as work.

I think that the Government is encouraging professional boat fixing type people to work on MGC 27s especially.

 

[Tomahawk]

There is a special section for this sort of Post. I don't think it should be here. It is negative and depressing and I for one don't want to read it or even see the title.

Now I know why I left this forum for many months in the Summer. It brought me nothing but sadness and depression. Perhaps it is time to leave again

I was tempted to say there is no lock on the door..
But these days of lockdown depression and isolation you sound as if you are having a pretty rough time. Even my bad pirate joke was badly received by you.

We all need to stay in contact with each other. The East Coast is a very friendly place where people who otherwise disagree on insignificant maters like Brexit/global warming/politics/anchors/rugby/F1 can still enjoy each others company.

 

[LittleSister]

The wording of the guidance with regards to "Work" seems very clear to me. Although we might say "i've been working on my boat" or "i have some jobs to do on my boat" these are really leisure pursuits, hobbies and not "employment":

Indeed. It needs to be a professional service to be classed as work.

Believe what you wish, but there's no mention of either 'employment' or 'professional' in either the Regulations or the Guidance in relation to 'work'.

Hobbies are not ruled out, either. Garden centres, car spares & accessories shops, and DIY shops are among those which can remain fully open. Indeed, one might think that a chandlery was commensurate with those, but that part of the Regulations is differently constructed so, as far as I can see, only those retail premises specifically mentioned are allowed to fully open. As it is, chandleries can operate (and are doing so), but only with delivery or click-and-collect sales - customers aren't allowed in the shop.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Believe what you wish, but there's no mention of either 'employment' or 'professional' in either the Regulations or the Guidance in relation to 'work'.

Seems perfectly clear what is meant by "work" if you bother to read the quote from post #31 Carrying out maintenance on ones boat isn't staying at home. The Govt is spending billions to people who can't work safely and further billions are being spent having people work from home.

"To help contain the virus, everyone who can work effectively from home should do so. " Do you think a boatyard full of people anti-fouling boats fits into that somehow ?

Perhaps boat owners should think themselves lucky that they can, at least, go sailing on their boats, many millions of people are not so lucky.

Hobbies are not ruled out, either. Garden centres, car spares & accessories shops, and DIY shops are among those which can remain fully open. Indeed, one might think that a chandlery was commensurate with those, but that part of the Regulations is differently constructed so, as far as I can see, only those retail premises specifically mentioned are allowed to fully open. As it is, chandleries can operate (and are doing so), but only with delivery or click-and-collect sales - customers aren't allowed in the shop.

Some hobbies are allowed, others are not. Some exercise is allowed, some not. Garden centres and DIY are allowed to remain open, those presumably give people something to do, while they are generally staying at home.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Surely the definition of Tier 4 from UK Govt says it all:

Link

"Tier 4: Stay at Home"

 

[PaulRainbow]

Surely the definition of Tier 4 from UK Govt says it all:

"Tier 4: Stay at Home"

You seem to have missed a small amount of text Larry, like all of the reasons you can leave home.