Lake Re-Opening

Lake Re-Opening

Following the latest changes to social distancing rules announced by the government yesterday, the Committee have agreed that the time has come to permit a partial re-opening of the lake and landing stage.

From next Monday, June 01, access to the landing stage and sailing at Etherow will be permitted to members only, subject to social distancing rules, as follows:

• A maximum of five people on the landing stage at any one time.
• Do not use the landing stage unless sailing.
• Maintain 2 metre distance from fellow sailors at all times.
• If more than five members wish to sail at once, a maximum of 20 minutes per session, after which you must vacate the landing stage.
• The route behind the worktops must be kept clear.

Please be aware that the Sailing Club have declared the Clubhouse out of bounds, for the present, and that the public toilets at the visitor centre are closed.

Please bring, and use, your own hand sanitiser, and avoid touching work surfaces, as far as practicable.

Obviously, the Committee can not monitor the lake continuously, so we are relying on all members using the landing stage to act responsibly at all times.

Please do not come if you believe that you may be at risk, either to yourself or to others.

Keep Safe and Happy Sailing, Everybody !!

Clubhouse Access

Access to Clubhouse and Dinghy Compound

The Club has been informed by the Commodore of the Sailing Club that they have decided to make the sailing club out of bounds for the time being.

The public toilets in the park are also closed.

There will also be restricted access to the compound which does include our storage container.

If anybody does need essential access to the container they should contact our Commodore, John Berry, who will arrange access with the Sailing Club.

Final Ferrets

Final Ferrets

Bob Abell has sent a pic of his completed Ferret. It looks like it has come off slightly worse from an encounter with a Messerschmitt. The crew are going to have to man the pumps. According to Bob:

" We were just sailing back to port when a plane was spotted coming in from the Sun in a howling dive!

At it got close, the Rotter opened fire!...…..Rat tat tat! whiz bang!.....tinkle tinkle

As luck would have it......No casualties! "

 That aside, it looks a brilliant model, as you would expect from Bob, especially as it is mostly made from cardboard.

Mine is now finished as well, very much its younger smaller brother, but I am quite pleased with it, especially because everything in it, apart from the prop, came out of the bit box. It has whiled away quite a few happy hours in the workshop during the lockdown.

Is there nobody else out there building a Commodore's challenge entry ? We would very much like to see what else is in the competition.

Lake News

News About the Lake

A number of members have been in contact asking when it is likely that the lake can be re-opened.

The Committee have been discussing this for the couple of weeks, but have reluctantly decided that current Government lockdown restrictions have not yet been relaxed enough to allow us to re-open the lake yet.

This decision is under continuous review and we hope that the next round of restriction relaxations, due hopefully by 4 June, will allow us to do so. We all want to get back on the water as soon as possible, and we will not delay lake re-opening any longer than we think we have to.

As soon as we can re-open, it will be announced here.

In the meantime, keep building, and keep safe.

More Bob's Boat

Yet More Ferret !!

Bob Abell has sent another Pic of his oversized cardboard Commodore's Challenge entry. It looks to be coming on a treat.

He's also sent another Pic, this time of the turntable he has devised to make it easier to work on the boat without having to keep walking around the Workmate - I like it ! - Why didn't I think of that ?

Some of you may know that Bob is running a thread on a Model Boats Forum on this build. You can get to it by clicking here:

https://www.modelboats.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=153659

Another Lockdown Project

Bristol Bay Fishing Boats

Neil Barton has sent a pic of his current lockdown project - two Bristol Bay fishing boats, which he is refurbishing with more detail, new electrics, sails and rigging.

They look really smart - roll on the lake re-opening !

Big Lake

The Big Lake

Neil Barton has sent another pic of the big lake a couple of days ago. Very tranquil, but the water levels are still rather low.