Water skiing in Salcombe Estuary

[Cookee]

Hi guys, the Salcombe and Kingsbridge Water Skiing Association has been formed with the idea of establishing a water ski area inside the estuary - the harbour master needs to gauge peoples reaction so if you live in the area or visit and have an opinion please email the harbour master, thanks very much! adam.parnell@southhams.gov.uk

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/...0477624_7875010150298106992_n_zps0dbfbfc2.jpg

 

[James_Calvert]

Cookee, I've taken the liberty of putting a link to this thread to the Scuttlebutt Forum in case folks there also want to express their views.

Is there a description or chartlet somewhere which clearly demonstrates what's proposed? On the face of it, it looks like the area to the N and W of the Saltstone, which dries at Low Water, that is just N of Winters pontoons and the anchorage at the top of the Bag.

Thanks for bringing the proposal to the fora's attention anyway!

 

[Cookee]

Cookee, I've taken the liberty of putting a link to this thread to the Scuttlebutt Forum in case folks there also want to express their views.

Is there a description or chartlet somewhere which clearly demonstrates what's proposed? On the face of it, it looks like the area to the N and W of the Saltstone, which dries at Low Water, that is just N of Winters pontoons and the anchorage at the top of the Bag.

Thanks for bringing the proposal to the fora's attention anyway!

Hi James, Thanks for taking an interest - There's a Facebook group (of course) http://www.facebook.com/salcombekingsbridgewaterskiingassociation with more information. The areas involved will mostly dry out at low water so they won't be available 100% of the time and I think there will be time restrictions in place to prevent people being woken up at dawn by keen water skiers! It will be past Winters pontoons and Lincombe out of the way of everybody else and I believe it will be a boost to the tourism in town bringing money to the chandlers as well as the two schools in the area for the helms to undergo compulsory training. Now that Starehole Bay is the only protected area it's busier than ever and an accident waiting to happen so I believe this is needed more than ever - the British Waterski Federation are behind it as are a number of local businesses (including BananaShark). A lot of the proposal will be by negotiation and the exact areas are flexible depending on what reasoned objections are encountered. Please feel free to join the Facebook group if you're on there and have your say!

 

[Vitesse]

It's always struck me as odd that the wide open areas of the estuary are so speed restricted especially when there's so little traffic most of the year. There's very little (none?) in the way of property overlooking the area near Winters/Lincombe. The nearest place I can think of is that collection of shipping crates being finished off halfway to Kingsbridge.

Anyway, Starehole Bay gets very small when there's even one skier or ringo haring about.

The Harbour Master's job is to balance the needs of all the groups using the estuary. If 50 plus club sailors dicing with the usual traffic is OK then I don't think an area for waterskiing is too much to ask!

The environmental side of things will be the sticking point, though. Perhaps the skiing area could be set up on a trial basis and monitored? It can't become a them-and-us situation with the eco groups, or you'll just butt heads. Perhaps suggest to the HM that they are over-represented on the harbour board? (joke)

Anyway, good luck.

 

[Cookee]

Following a meeting on Monday morning with the harbour master the proposal will go to the harbour board in September

 

[Vitesse]

Good to see progress.

I've had an email from Charleton council which mentions that skiing will be near the posh houses in Curlew Drive, so looks like they may have some input.

 

[Cookee]

Good to see progress.

I've had an email from Charleton council which mentions that skiing will be near the posh houses in Curlew Drive, so looks like they may have some input.

Would like to see that! In fact of the two areas only one boat will be in operation at any one time and noisy two strokes will be banned leaving four stroke or EPA two stroke engines only.

After the Harbour Board subject to approval we hope to run some trials so that everyone involved can see exactly how much noise and wake is involved - I am sure it will put a lot of minds at rest.

 

[Vitesse]

Hi Cookee, I've sent you an email.

 

[theoldsalt]

Ok if participators adhere to the rules but I have noted several places where water skiing has been permitted only for the towing boats and skiers to completely ignore the designated areas. If that happens the HM must ensure prosecutions immediately take place to deter the practice.

 

[Cookee]

Ok if participators adhere to the rules but I have noted several places where water skiing has been permitted only for the towing boats and skiers to completely ignore the designated areas. If that happens the HM must ensure prosecutions immediately take place to deter the practice.

This and other concerns about encouraging others to speed was brought up in the meeting. Essentially offenders would have their membership of the club revoked and if non members were to ski in the area they would be dealt with by the Harbour Master in the normal way, members would be encouraged to report any indiscretions. A proposed area under Bar Lodge at the entrance to the Estuary has also been abandoned as it is thought it would encourage others to speed on the way in to the harbour.

 

[Cookee]

If you have a look on the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/salcombekingsbridgewaterskiingassociation) there is a chance of winning an afternoon of Wakeboarding for 4 - only one day left to get your entry in!

 

[MrB]

Now i love water skiing but there is no way i would hang of the back of your boat Cookee lol.

 

[Cookee]

Now i love water skiing but there is no way i would hang of the back of your boat Cookee lol.

Mmmmm We did have a Charity run from Hope Cove to Salcombe with a load of Rotary people on board a Banana behind the outboard race boat - even with a small prop on it was difficult to get it going on the plane slow enough! They were knackered by the time the got to Salcombe!

It seems to have caused quite a stir in the local rag, ITV have done a local news story on it and the BBC are showing interest!

 

[Vitesse]

The gutsache piece caused some upset, didn't it?

I thought the letters were typical knee jerk stuff though, with facts pulled from thin air.