Information for new members at Salterns

PLEASE NOTE – THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COULD BE OUT OF DATE AND WILL BE UPDATED SOON.

Welcome to Salterns Sailing Club!

In a normal year, having full family membership of Salterns Sailing Club means that you can use the club throughout the season, at any time between dawn and dusk, including when any affiliate members are using the club, but excluding Moppy Camp weekends in which you are not participating. Plus you are automatically invited to all Salterns 2020 events!

2020 is different. In order to comply with government regulations, we have new rules in place (see below) and of course, there are no events at present.

Communication

We regularly send emails to members to keep you updated, so it is important to make sure your email address is current in WebCollect. In addition, you can keep up to speed with what’s happening at Salterns by joining our closed Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/salternssailingclub) or by regularly checking our website.

About Salterns Sailing Club

Founded in 1960 by Major Tony Hibbert, Salterns Sailing Club is ‘run by children, for children’. It was created from an old saltpan, and is about 1 metre deep in most places. The objective of the club is to encourage and organise sailing for children under 16 years of age, and to give its members experience in the organisation and administration of a sailing club.

Full Club Members are able to sail on the Eight Acre Pond, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) from around mid-March to early December.

Salterns is a place where children can learn to enjoy sailing, where they can gain experience sailing dinghies and start learning how to race. It is a veritable ‘Swallows and Amazons’ environment, providing a safe and shallow haven, without tides.

Find out more about Salterns Sailing Club here.

Keys and codes

The clubhouse is currently out of bounds to members due to Covid-19 restrictions. Once the clubhouse is open again you will be given your key (remember to bring £10 deposit) and the 2020 code for the door. You will be advised on joining the club of the relevant padlock key codes relating to Socially Distanced Sailing. Our membership secretary will be in touch to organise this.

Induction

Normally new members benefit from an induction session with members of our Management Committee and Junior Committee.

On joining we recommend that you sign up for a sailing session following the new rules for Socially Distanced Sailing. If you prefer, we can organise for a member of the Junior Committee or Management Committee to be in the same session to advise you. Please email [email protected] to arrange this.

Here is 2020 Commodore Sammy giving a tour for Socially Distanced Sailing at Salterns:

Membership rules at Salterns

Eight Acre Pond in Maiden Lane is owned by Hampshire County Council and Salterns leases it exclusively from the Council. Within the lease, the Club’s Constitution and the Byelaws are a number of rules and requirements to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all members and to respect the neighbours and the SSI on which the Club resides. The Constitution can be found on our website, along with the Club’s current Byelaws.

It is every member’s responsibility to know the rules and abide by them. These are the main club rules. These apply to all Members and their guests. Additional rules may apply for Affiliate Members. A list of the most important rules can be found on our website and are also set out below.

Water Safety Rules

  1. All adults and children on or in the water must wear a suitable Personal Flotation Device.
  2. At all times when boats are on the water, a safety boat should be in attendance and/or adults must be available and prepared to enter the water to assist if required.
  3. Members must be supervised at all times by their parent or guardian who is capable of offering assistance to the Member should they require it, or in the event of an injury or accident.
  4. Observe the instructions of the Officer of the Day.
  5. Choose a boat that is appropriate to the helm’s skill, weight and the conditions.
  6. Check that your boat is rigged correctly before sailing.
  7. Sail safely, avoiding injury or damage to the boat or crew.
  8. Avoid collisions between boats.
  9. Do not land on the islands.
  10. At busy times, please return to the Pontoon every 20 minutes to allow others to use the boats.
  11. Boats must not be tied to the veranda supports.
  12. Boats must be washed down after use, to remove saltwater and mud, before stowing in the correct kennel.
  13. Adults may only sail when accompanying or helping children.
  14. No more than 25 boats on the water at any one time.
  15. No sailing after dusk.
  16. No sailing in the winter from early December to mid-March inclusive.
  17. No swimming or paddleboarding.

General Rules

  1. Please do not smoke or vape.
  2. No dogs (except registered assistance dogs).
  3. Guests may visit no more than three times in a year. No more than one guest family per member family at any one time. (NB guests are currently not permitted)
  4. Guests must sign the Guest book and pay the appropriate fee. (NB guests are currently not permitted)
  5. Keep off the roofs of the boat shelters.
  6. Report all damage to the Officer of the Day and/or record it in the damage book. (NB currently report all damage to Bosun on [email protected])
  7. Cars may only be parked in the designated areas – parking is for Full Members only or Affiliate Group Members at the time of their allotted sailing sessions.
  8. Do not obstruct other cars, the approach to the Club, or access to the Salterns Cottage. Members’ boats sailed or stored at the Salterns must be adequately maintained and must hold adequate third party insurance.
  9. All parts of Members’ boats and trailers/trollies kept and/or sailed at the Club must be marked with the boat’s name and/or number.

Wildlife and Environment Rules

  1. This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Respect the wildlife; do not collect, capture or cut plants or animals, and do not remove soil or clay from the site.
  2. When crabbing, do not use hooks and return the crabs to the water as soon as possible.
  3. Do not disturb game and wildfowl and preserve their eggs and nests.
  4. No power or motor-driven boat must be used on the Salterns.
  5. Please do not disturb or annoy the neighbours.
  6. Avoid depositing waste in the pond, and reduce reliance on plastic.

Please lock the boats and clubhouse after use, with lights and heaters turned off.

Rules relating to Socially Distanced Sailing

Certain changes are required to the club’s rules and to the way it is managed and organised so that appropriate social distancing can be maintained whilst members use the club’s facilities. Find the Temporary amendments to the Club’s Byelaws and to the Organisation and Management Document 2020 here.

In particular please note how to use the D10 spray in the film below.

Sailing at Salterns

Sailing at Salterns is a social and enjoyable activity. The emphasis is always on developing a love of sailing in a supportive and safe environment.

Whilst in a normal year there are often experienced sailors on-hand to provide friendly advice, many of the sailing activities are informal and do not include any formal training provided by the club.

Take a look at our website to give you an idea of the events and activities that take place in a normal year. Currently, we have started Bronze Fleet and Tera Training for more experienced sailors following social distancing regulations.

Whether you are a keen sailor with tons of experience or you don’t know a sheepshank from a granny knot, here are a few hints to help you feel at home:

  • Optimists are perfect for beginners
How to rig a club optimist
  • It’s really very shallow. If you would like to instruct in the water, bring some waders or wear a wetsuit!
  • If you break anything please tell us. Whilst we all do our best to look after the kit, a bit of wear and tear is inevitable. If something should get damaged while in your care, please advise our Bosun on [email protected]
  • Please look after your club. Remove rubbish, follow the cleaning requirements and check everything is locked up when you leave.

Every Sunday at present we will email a booking form for the following week. Each household may sign up for one sailing session per week.

If you book a sailing session and then cannot use it, please remember to announce in plenty of time in the closed Facebook group and delete yourself from the weekly booking spreadsheet.

During lockdown, the Junior Committee put together a series YouTube videos to help the younger members:

Sailing progression at Salterns

The diagram below shows how members of Salterns Sailing Club can progress through the Salterns Pennants (in a normal year!)

Find out more about the Salterns pennants here.

Happy Sailing!

If you have any queries, contact the Management Committee on the following email addresses. Please remember that we are all volunteers, juggling work and busy families with running the club…

President: Mich Ansell – [email protected]