|
Boat Park Overview
The Boat Park is the large area behind the clubhouse amounting to some 2 acres which serves as a laying up area
for club members' yachts during the non sailing season. The Boat Park Chairman manages the boat yard with his co-ordinator,
Paul Wheeler-Osman, and a small group of helpers, about a dozen, who take it in turns to operate club machinery to assist
in the autumn lay-up and re-launch the following spring. All are volunteers. In between these operations they also help
with the maintenance of boat park machinery. This means there is an excellent opportunity for new members to become
involved as trainee drivers or helping with mechanical maintenance.
The Boat Park Team
To enable these tasks to be accomplished we do have to adhere to a fairly strict time timetable, although as a club
we try to help members who have particular circumstances. This is usually achieved by having a word with your friendly
Boat Park Chairman.
Autumn
The Lay-up period commences October 1 and continues until the end of November. In exceptional circumstances it will
continue beyond November but generally in the run up the Christmas family matters take precedence and we also need
to set aside some time to maintain the equipment.
A strict booking and payment procedure exists (see booking form)
which gives priority to mooring holders followed by club members whose boats are kept elsewhere. No boat is brought
ashore unless prepaid. When full the boat park has been known to accommodate as many as 165 boats of all shapes and
sizes.
Spring
Launching starts March 1 and continues until June 30 which marks the end of the lay-up season. Any boats still awaiting
launching after that date have to arrange their own drivers from a list of approved drivers as most club members including
volunteer drivers, want to be on the water. From July 1 a summer storage fee applies for the next three months after which,
the winter season begins again. It is possible for members to lift their boats for brief maintenance or scrub offs in the
summer period, and of course for any member who has an emergency we will do everything we can to get their boat out of the
water.
These are the key features of the Boat Park agenda, but some other functions also need regular attention.
Yellow Shunter and Yellow Rig in process of launching a boat.
Machinery Maintenance
The Club currently has two boat hoists known as the yellow and orange rigs. Both have rendered sterling service over many
years but through increasing wear and tear need regular attention and somehow time is needed to remedy this. Each receives
extensive preventative maintenance on a three year rolling basis and most is done in house.
Additionally, there are 2 tractors and a forklift truck.
About a third of our boat owners own their own trailers. These are tractor dependent and their use depends on the availability
of an approved driver. Maintenance of the trailors is entirely the responsibility of the owner and not the boat park team. The remaining two
thirds use cradles.
We are in the process of purchasing a Wise Hoist which is fully hydraulic and will make launch and recovery much easier for all.
We try wherever we can to accommodate our members and are fully committed to operating a safe and helpful boat park. Should you
have any concerns, queries or problems, our Boat Park Chairman is more than happy to see if we can be of help.
Wise Hoist
Annual Boat Park clean up
As boats are owner maintained during their lay-up, this inevitably leads to an accumulation of waste during the course of
the year. Most owners take theirs to the local dump but an annual clean-up operation involving a skip usually still becomes
necessary. Two days are set aside in the August -September time frame and a willing team of helpers assist in filling it to
the brim. Modern health and safety regulations particularly as regards old paint cans, oil containers and discarded batteries
can make this a demanding operations on occasions.
As you can imagine the above profile of the workings of the MYC boat park is but a snapshot in time. We adapt and change with
changing circumstances but always with the best interests of the MYC boating community in mind. To keep current and future
users informed we publicise latest developments on the notice board in the frame on the wall near the clubhouse entrance or
in Pennant. This applies particularly to weekend lift in/out operations where a booking form is placed for boat owners to record
their planned moves. We are also beginning to use the website. If in any doubts or difficulties a visit to the
welding bay is worthwhile. Someone from the boat park team is usually to be found there.
Many thanks to Peter Etheridge for this page.
|
|
