Sailing soon?

www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/ret...-boating-update.aspx

positive news. Looking forward to further updates from the harbour authorities and SYC

Fingers crossed.

'From Wednesday 13 May, the Government will also allow outdoor sports facilities to open, but you should only use these alone, with members of of your household, or with one other person from outside your household, whilst keeping two metres apart at all time. '

Actually the paper says you can (only) exercise with one person not from your household!

I'd avoid whichever paper printed that (The Mail, by any chance?). As Nick says above...

The 'actual' regulations are that you can exercise with members of your own household OR you may exercise with a one other person, not from your own household, as long as you maintain your 2m social distance ( ie., tennis, as long as you don't have a rally at the net!). 

 I was quoting the 'actual' government document but YOU are right - there is that 2m distance problem on a boat!

Not if you’re from the same household

I think I’ve worked it out... * 4 year olds can go to school, but university students who have paid for the tuition they haven’t had and the accommodation they aren’t living in, can’t go to university. * A teacher can go to school with many 4 year olds that they are not related to, but can’t see one 4 year old that they are related to. * You can sit in a park, but not tomorrow or Tuesday but by Wednesday that’ll be fine. * You can meet one person from another household for a chat or to sunbathe, but not two people so if you know two people from another household you have to pick your favourite. Hopefully, you’re also their favourite person from your household or this could be awkward. But possibly you’re not. But as I can’t go closer than 2m to the one you choose anyway you wouldn’t think having the other one sat next to them would matter - unless two people would restrict your eyeline too much and prevent you from being alert. * You can work all day with your colleagues, but you can’t sit in their garden for a chat after work. * You can now do unlimited exercise when quite frankly just doing an hour a day feels like you are some kind of fitness guru. I can think of lots of things that I would like to be unlimited but exercise definitely isn’t one of them. * You can drive to other destinations, although which destinations is unclear. * The buses are still running past your house, but you shouldn’t get on one. We should just let empty buses drive around so bus drivers aren’t doing nothing. * It will soon be time to quarantine people coming into the country by air... but not yet. It’s too soon. And not ever if you’re coming from France because... well, I don’t know why, actually. Because the French version of coronavirus wouldn’t come to the UK maybe. * Our youngest children go back to school first because... they are notoriously good at not touching things they shouldn’t, maintain personal space at all times and never randomly lick you. * We are somewhere in between 3.5 and 4.5 on a five point scale where 5 is all of the virus and 1 is none of the virus but 2,3 and 4 can be anything you’d like it to be really. Some of the virus? A bit of the virus? Just enough virus to see off those over 70s who were told to self isolate but now we’ve realised that they’ve done that a bit too well despite us offloading coronavirus patients into care homes and now we are claiming that was never said in the first place, even though it’s in writing in the stay at home guidance. * The slogan isn’t stay at home any more, so we don’t have to stay at home. Except we do. Unless we can’t. In which case we should go out. But there will be fines if we break the rules. So don’t do that. Don’t forget... Stay alert... which Robert Jenrick has explained actually means Stay home as much as possible. Obviously. Control the virus. Well, I can’t even control my dogs and I can actually see them. Plus I know a bit about dogs and very little about controlling viruses. Save lives. Always preferable to not saving lives, I’d say, so I’ll try my best with that one, although hopefully I don’t need telling to do that. I know I’m bragging now but not NOT saving lives is something I do every day. So there you are. If you’re the weirdo wanting unlimited exercise then enjoy. But not until Wednesday. Obviously.

Great email from Ian just come out. 

I can't wait to get out on the water, accepting it'll have to be a pretty solitary sail or paddle... or worse with the children! I hope everyone is sensible and follows government and club guidance. We're a long way from getting back to normal, but it'd be a huge step towards that to be able to make limited use of the club. 

Please to see we are ready to go once the flag drops!

On a purely practical note...which forecast is going to be designated oracle? 

Is free-sailing going to be permitted (subject to distancing measures, etc) or are we, as the Commodore's email seems to suggest, limited to sailing with safety boats in sub 14knts?  

I don’t think a wind speed limit is the right way to go. There are people far capable of sailing beyond 14 knots and often those who aren’t. As it’s been before, a sailor needs to know their limits using common sense. 

If a sea breeze kicks in then that would likely mean no sailing........ 

Message from the Harbourmaster at 09.00 today.
The RYA jumped the gun in their announcement concerning water sports.
There will be multi-agency meetings this week and hopefully a decision by the end of the week as to whether the river and estuary can be reopened.

Jumped the gun or on the ball.. I am sure given the financial implications on the boating industry (all those empty marinas for example) have meant they have been lobbying along with all the other ngbs to understand how post lockdown restrictions will impair sports...

as you have proved with your sensible rules, it is perfectly possible to safely use the Exe. Can’t see how they can enforce a closure (obviously syc can) for all Watersports. 

Estuary is open! Yay

Yay, indeed! Just need to remove the 'special' padlock from the gate and await the stampede!

Woo hoo. Definitely going for a paddle later. Hopefully this helps the club / rya decision re-opening soon. 

The estuary has been opened to non motorised craft and no larger sailing vessels.
SYC remains closed for another 48 hours.
People are working hard to get the site safe for all users and until that is done the General Committee will not permit the re-opening of the Club. This includes placing of signage, barrier tape and sanitisers, all of which are in short supply.
As soon as the work is completed and our risk assessment complete, we will let you all know. There will be free sailing, open to all  craft but no safety boat cover until motor boat use is permitted. You must observe the social distancing rule of staying 2 metres apart from  other people you do not cohabit with.
Remember there are Members classified as being medically vulnerable to the Coronavirus and I am one of them!
Look forward to the the new era and enjoy it.

Thanks Ian. Happy to help.....could potentially assist early afternoons or evenings this week. 

PS Devon Gin school have hand sanitiser (hic) available for £10 a litre. 

Interesting comment about no safety boats due to no motorised vessels. Would understand for other reasons but given the paragraph above that statement covers reducing strain on the rnli, surely safety boats could be the exception.

that is if the club wishes to and can do so within safe parameters with social distancing etc

I'd anticipate safety boats may be allowed following clarification, or by a next phase if that'll happen quickly anyway. 

At least initally I'm intending on going out at quieter periods, probably weekday early afternoons, with my children. We'll do as we often have in school holidays and have a mix of kit (Topper, SUP and/or kayak) partly so we will be in as good a position as possible to be entirely self sufficient in terms of getting ourselves back to shore should something break, wind drop etc.

This would be my preference over attending specific sessions that'd attract more people.  Strange times.