Whatever happened to Burnham?

[philiphurst]

I believe Priors closed due to ill health, nothing to do with selling the land.

Perhaps so but that's the value I've seen quoted online and the availability of such a sum may have smoothed the path for the owner(s).

 

[FullCircle]

As someone who had until recently been involved with Burnham week for the last twenty-five years we have discussed it's demise many times in recent years. Too many control-freak type people insisting on having their fingers in all the pies, advanced levels of nepotism which have now eventually come home to roost.

Used to borrow a camper van that I would park in the left corner of the Country Park car park above the marina, beautiful view to wake up to in the morning of the river. While cooking breakfast you would see people emerging from the couple of dozen transit vans parked below in the marina where they had slept. Now during Burnham Week you would be lucky to notice that anything was going on.

I have woken up in one of those Transits, God knows how I got there......

 

[viking2]

3. The two major yacht clubs have a stuffy and stuck up reputation, more afraid of loosing their name than of loosing sailors

.

I think that's a little harsh. Although you don't name the two major yacht clubs, I guess you might be referring to the RCYC as one of them.

I joined RCYC after entering Burnham Week in 2007/8 (I can't remember which) in my Leisure 23. We stood no chance of winning anything, but we wanted to be a part of the event. I went into RCYC to enter and was really impressed by the welcome we received. The race committee (which included RCYC members) even gave us a dispensation against one of the rules to allow us to race, and messages of support over the radio when we inevitably retired.

When we looked to join a club a couple of years later, I remembered the warm welcome we received and applied to join. I knew no one there, but that wasn't a problem. After joining, members made sure that we were never alone at meals, and we soon got to know them.

The club has active keelboat and dinghy fleets, and we have over 100 boats in the Cruiser fleet, both motor and sailing. We have a very active youth section, the Otters, that meet every week and are part of the future of sailing. Meeting their fleet on the water is a joy.

We've been on the Crouch since 2002, and we get the sailing we want from the river. If you're passing, pull up on the hammerhead and drop in to the RCYC on a Wednesday evening or at weekends. You'll be very welcome, and the food is very good too!

 

[DanTribe]

Probably true, but I am sure Burnham must own some of the foreshore?

I doubt you will get the local authority to take much interest in providing yachting facilities.
Burnham used to have a public launching ramp, a beach, caravan site, camping site, visitors car park and picnic area, all council operated and all gone since the local government area changed to Maldon District Council.
Ownership of the foreshore and river bed is surprisingly complicated, even the Crouch Harbour Authority seem unclear about their boundaries.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Where was the beach?

 

[DanTribe]

Where was the beach?

Just East of where the marina entrance is now. There was a wartime concrete ramp known as Admiralty Hard used as a public access to the river. Sand used to build up on both sides naturally, but it was periodically topped up by a council lorry with a few tonnes of sand. I believe the sand came from the water works filter beds when they replaced it.
It was known locally as New Beach, very small but extremely popular with locals on a sunny day. There is still a small remnant, but once the hard was removed it mostly washed away.

 

[NickC]

Ownership of the foreshore and river bed is surprisingly complicated, even the Crouch Harbour Authority seem unclear about their boundaries.

I have somewhere a chart that came from the CHA years back showing who owned which bits of the Crouch. Some bits were Crown Estate's Commissioners, as most river beds are, but may areas of the river were of unknown ownership.

Never have established if there is any truth in it but I remember a story about how after the Plague of London there was a Crown Grant giving the river Crouch to the people of Burnham and surrounding areas as a reward for them continuing to deliver grain to London during the Plague. This is why the ownership of the river Crouch is so vague.

 

[NickC]

Where was the beach?

Same place it is now: 51.626N, 0.8074E. Public launching ramp was next to it.

 

[oldgit]

Aren't the Dutch facilities waterside primarily "municipal" as opposed to private? So they don't have to fund profits to the same extent

Its the same with the many small airfields close to the coast in France ( ie Calais ) and Belgium.
They are still owned by the local council are mainly used by local flyers and visitors from UK.
In the UK most were either been flogged completely during the late 1970s or large chunks sold off to private developers.
Rochester is still clinging on.

 

[DavidofMersea]

I think that's a little harsh. Although you don't name the two major yacht clubs, I guess you might be referring to the RCYC as one of them.

I joined RCYC after entering Burnham Week in 2007/8 (I can't remember which) in my Leisure 23. We stood no chance of winning anything, but we wanted to be a part of the event. I went into RCYC to enter and was really impressed by the welcome we received. The race committee (which included RCYC members) even gave us a dispensation against one of the rules to allow us to race, and messages of support over the radio when we inevitably retired.

When we looked to join a club a couple of years later, I remembered the warm welcome we received and applied to join. I knew no one there, but that wasn't a problem. After joining, members made sure that we were never alone at meals, and we soon got to know them.

The club has active keelboat and dinghy fleets, and we have over 100 boats in the Cruiser fleet, both motor and sailing. We have a very active youth section, the Otters, that meet every week and are part of the future of sailing. Meeting their fleet on the water is a joy.

We've been on the Crouch since 2002, and we get the sailing we want from the river. If you're passing, pull up on the hammerhead and drop in to the RCYC on a Wednesday evening or at weekends. You'll be very welcome, and the food is very good too!

 

[DavidofMersea]

I think that's a little harsh. Although you don't name the two major yacht clubs, I guess you might be referring to the RCYC as one of them.

I joined RCYC after entering Burnham Week in 2007/8 (I can't remember which) in my Leisure 23. We stood no chance of winning anything, but we wanted to be a part of the event. I went into RCYC to enter and was really impressed by the welcome we received. The race committee (which included RCYC members) even gave us a dispensation against one of the rules to allow us to race, and messages of support over the radio when we inevitably retired.

When we looked to join a club a couple of years later, I remembered the warm welcome we received and applied to join. I knew no one there, but that wasn't a problem. After joining, members made sure that we were never alone at meals, and we soon got to know them.

The club has active keelboat and dinghy fleets, and we have over 100 boats in the Cruiser fleet, both motor and sailing. We have a very active youth section, the Otters, that meet every week and are part of the future of sailing. Meeting their fleet on the water is a joy.

We've been on the Crouch since 2002, and we get the sailing we want from the river. If you're passing, pull up on the hammerhead and drop in to the RCYC on a Wednesday evening or at weekends. You'll be very welcome, and the food is very good too!

Until recently my Granddaughter used to race an Optimist. We went to many open meetings at RBYC and BSC, and we were always made welcome There were also open meetings at the RCYC, but they did not want kids in their clubhouse

 

[DanTribe]

Until recently my Granddaughter used to race an Optimist. We went to many open meetings at RBYC and BSC, and we were always made welcome There were also open meetings at the RCYC, but they did not want kids in their clubhouse

Glad to hear that you were made welcome at BSC, but you have got it so wrong about RCYC. The place is usually jumping with kids, you can hardly move without tripping over one. Long may it continue.

 

[DavidofMersea]

Glad to hear that you were made welcome at BSC, but you have got it so wrong about RCYC. The place is usually jumping with kids, you can hardly move without tripping over one. Long may it continue.

I am talking about 4 or 5 years ago, so it looks as if things have changed, and a good job too

 

[DanTribe]

I am talking about 4 or 5 years ago, so it looks as if things have changed, and a good job too

I sailed there as a kid, my kids sailed there as kids and youths and now my grandkids sail there.
I can't ever remember a time when nippers were not welcomed. I think you must be confusing RCYC with another place.
All the Burnham clubs have moved with the times, the RBYC doesn't even have a gentleman only bar any more.
Whatever is the world coming to!

 

[DavidofMersea]

I sailed there as a kid, my kids sailed there as kids and youths and now my grandkids sail there.
I can't ever remember a time when nippers were not welcomed. I think you must be confusing RCYC with another place.
All the Burnham clubs have moved with the times, the RBYC doesn't even have a gentleman only bar any more.
Whatever is the world coming to!

No I stand by what I said. Everything was done in the car park, including prize giving.

Did you go to an Optimist event?

 

[pioneer]

Fambridge charge £300pmpa, incl VAT, minimum 8m.

 

[viking2]

Everything was done in the car park, including prize giving.

Actually, if you were to ask people from RBYC, CYC and BSC they would probably think their club was one of the major yacht clubs, each for different reasons so maybe CW wasn't talking about RCYC after all! And that's not including the Narrow Seas and Essex Marina YC. Actually, I've had good experiences with them all.

Dan's right, though. The club is often full of children enjoying themselves. I've seen them meeting in the car park, the boat shed and the bar area - it seems to be wherever is the most expedient. I slightly misnamed the Otters as a youth section. It is actually a separate club sharing RCYC facilities. I wouldn't want to speak for the organisers, but I know they do great work with the kids. Have a look at the website and you'll see what I mean.

DoM: I'm sorry that you had the experience you speak of, but it's not one I recognise as being the norm. If you do decide to drop in, pm me. If I can, I'll meet you and buy you a beer.

Kicking Fred out of the door, and back to the OP: I know most of the RCYC moorings are taken. We've a large contingent of Squibs down at Cowes Week this week, Dragons at the Belgian Open Nationals and Cowes, some of our Cruisers are away, and one or two are on the hard standing being worked on. That might explain why there were some gaps.

 

[pvb]

Someone mentioned to me today that the restaurant in Burnham Yacht Harbour has closed. Is this correct?

 

[Tammany]

I still cant understand how the Dutch can charge so much less when their other costs for life are similar or higher than UK.

Denmark too, an expensive country to live but boot storage and moorings very cheap. Talking to one chap and his yearly hard storage is only £70! And marina pontoon berth less than £1000 and his boat is 32ft. My 25ft quoted £1800 in a local marina but luckily went onto a fore & aft in a council run harbour.

 

[MountainGoat]

Until recently my Granddaughter used to race an Optimist. We went to many open meetings at RBYC and BSC, and we were always made welcome There were also open meetings at the RCYC, but they did not want kids in their clubhouse

I'm in the RCYC Cruiser Fleet, and that's not a description I recognise. Until this year, when they developed other interests, all three of our kids were in the RCYC Otters. Now they're not it means we get more time in our cruiser at weekends, which is handy, but when we're not out we often drop into the Corinthian for lunch or dinner and the kids are always welcome. Last time but one I was in there one of the other cruisers had their kids with them and we were all sat in the bar having an animated discussion with the kids about the merits of Pokemon Go.