MSBA Talk: Medway Islands by Adam Taylor, Fri 13 Jan, 7 for 8pm

For the second in our new series of monthly winter talks, Adam Taylor will give a fascinating presentation on the Medway Islands. Well known to the MSBA, Adam is a keen canoeist with 15 years experience of paddling a fourteen foot, Canadian (open) canoe. He has canoed in many places including the back country of Ontario, the lakes of Finland and Sweden and beautiful places here in the UK, but it is the islands and marshes of the Medway estuary where his heart is.

Adam’s presentation draws on many sources: census records, photos, Victorian technical plans, personal experience and several trips to the National Archives – to illustrate who lived on these islands, how the twin forts of Hoo and Darnet were built, the story of the pub which stood on an island in the middle of the estuary, how a WW1 German submarine ended up were it is now and a bit more.

We will also take a close up look at some of the flora and fauna of this huge, beautiful wilderness that is Medway estuary.

Rochester Cruising Club will be hosting the event. The club is easy to find on the Esplanade at the foot of Rochester Castle, postcode ME1 1QN. There is ample parking at the club and on the road outside. The bar will be open and a professionally prepared meal will be available at 7pm if you pre-order.

We will be having an “MSBA Special” of ham, egg and chips or sausage, egg and chips,or curry for £6 on the night. Desserts will also be available and the bar will be open. Please email info@msba.org.uk to order your meal.

Adam’s talk will start at 8pm. Non-RCC members are asked to contribute £3 at the door and sign the visitors’ book.

Sign up now for RYA Discover Sailing (was PTBO) 2020

The RYA has renamed its excellent annual Push The Boat Out campaign to “Discover Sailing” even though it encompasses all kinds of boating. To encourage newcomers into boating, the RYA puts a lot of resources into supporting clubs’ Open Days. To benefit from the RYA’s marketing support, your club must sign up by 7 February (midday) for April and May taster sessions, and by 27 April (midday) for June to September sessions.

The Discover Sailing activator sign up page can be found at www.rya.org.uk/go/discoversailing The form will take you through the process of both ordering your resources and filling in your details for the Discover Sailing Map. For further information please contact discoversailing@rya.org.uk .

You may also wish to attend a webinar on Thursday 23 January at 1900, which will give you insights into planning and running a successful event and will pull together our collective knowledge from running different types of open day events over the last six years. Members of the RDO team will be on hand to give us their thoughts and experience on what makes a successful event. To sign up for the webinar, follow https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1815800976546211587. If you are unable to attend please register anyway as a recording will then be sent to you.

IWA talk on River Medway, Thurs 23 Jan

The Kent & East Sussex Branch of the Inland Waterways Association invite you to an open meeting on the River Medway (the non-tidal bit).

David Payne and Jason Adams from the Environment Agency will be giving an illustrated talk on the Environment Agency’s work on the River Medway, and all are welcome to attend, whether IWA members or not.

Thursday, 23 January 2020 at Strood Yacht Club, Knight Road, Strood, ME2 2AH, at 7.30pm for 8pm

Port Authority pays for yacht club pontoon

The burgeoning membership of Benfleet Yacht Club are benefitting from new £9,500 pontoon funded by the Port of London Authority. Rowers, kayakers and paddle-boarders appreciate the low level pontoon which makes acess to the water easier. Miles Featherstone, the PLA’s assistant harbour master for the lower tidal Thames, said “That’s why we are investing in practical improvements like this pontoon … to make it more accessible for people to enjoy.” John Hancock, Vice Commodore at BYC, said “We are a self-help club, not a commercial organisation, so greatly appreciate the PLA’s generosity in supporting this new pontoon. It not only widens our offering, but is fundamental to our ability to keep up with growing demand. Above all it underpins our absolute commitment to doing things safely.”  In June, BYC hosted the annual 18-mile Nore Race, started in the 1920s, in which many Medway and Swale yachts take part.  Read more…

Medway/Swale Boating Conference, 9 March 2019

Liz Rushall

Dave Selby

Will your club exist in ten years’ time? Our 2019 conference will focus on the future of our local clubs, which still form the core of active boating on the Medway and Swale. A major report has highlighted a decline in participation in most but not all watersports. Sailing in particular is in free fall. So what exactly is going wrong and what are we going to do about it? Key speakers Liz Rushall and Dave Selby will present different views on how our clubs can adapt to a changing world. Other speakers will present how local clubs are successfully dealing with ageing membership and new styles of boating. Get your earlybird ticket here…

Whopping EA fees hike promotes protests

Boaters on the non-tidal Medway and Thames are to be hit by inflation-busting increases in fees from next year. If boaters abandon these waterways the result will be counter-productive for the Environment Agency.

The public consultation on the EA’s proposed navigation charge increases for 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 is now live here.

Please respond using this online tool which will enable the EA to manage their comments more effectively. However, if you prefer to respond by email or post, you can email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk using ‘Navigation charge proposals 2019 to 2021’ in the title. You will get the consultation documents and a form in the post to complete. All responses must be received by Thursday 30 August 2018.