Capt Popeye
Well-known member
I’ve been a member since 2009 and things have certainly changed. There were a couple of occasions in my first 5 years where I nearly gave up on it. Two of these were jaw dropping.
More recently they’ve lost the formal interview and adopted a friendlier, let’s show you your new club, what services can we offer you etc position.
Most clubs have realised if they insist on formal attire to use a galley for example, nobody will bother with it so it’s very relaxed now.
Like anything there’s room for improvement, people want different things out of a club, I use and enjoy the bits I need and do my best to ignore the bits I don’t.
There’s cheaper options locally but none have the facilities I need.
Well yes lots of changes then with THAT club ; in my days living / boating there Edward Heath when PM was seen there complete with his Security Police detail , we used to be kept to the River side of that pathway and shooed of the Club grounds if taking a safer path to a 'Tea House' further along the Foreshore housed in a Concrete Barge or Lighter ; There was a Boatbuilder who's yard abuted THAT Club premises , Boatbuilder sold up to retire I guess , THAT Club bought his Yard so enlarging THAT Club premises for Slipway and ashore storage ; I had to argue with THAT club officials who wanted to claim ownership of a large Timber Barge dinghy that i stored on the Boatyard land ; real bgrs about it ; Had to move my Barge Dinghy to ARETHUSA land /forsore and pay them a token fee . In those days the Thames Sailing Barge was often moored up along there ; Bob Roberets is a name i Irecall ; I saw the East Coast , mainly Essex Yacht Clubs , decline as a Yachting Prime area , more South Coat Yachting Clubs with major Races and competion taking over ; locals there like Uffa Fox helped the South Coast ; But some notable East Coast yachtsmen could still hold there own against them ; My guess is thats when THAT club lost lots of its favour and social standing . Londoners could just as easily access the South Coast with the development of Motorways