MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Wembley Silver Tiller - event cancellation

Sadly due to large amounts of weed clogging Welsh Harp Reservoir the decision has been made to cancel the Wembley Silver Tiller.


Posted: 08/09/2009 17:04:58
By: Alex
Gutted, We were looking forward to that one.

Is there anywhere else we could go instead?


Posted: 08/09/2009 19:05:53
By: Jez3645
Would Datchet or Queen Mary run something for us at short notice?


Posted: 08/09/2009 19:07:09
By: Jez3645
A shame, I was hoping to do that one. A good decision though given the likely problems.


Posted: 08/09/2009 20:10:14
By: Chris Martin
Was quite looking forward to visiting the old stomping ground .... Banbury anyone?


Posted: 08/09/2009 20:30:50
By: Mrs Tosh
Bump


Posted: 09/09/2009 09:56:31
By: Ben 3634
If this is the case I suggest we make the (ever reliable) Tamesis Open, a Silver Tiller event on the 11th Oct...


Posted: 09/09/2009 12:51:20
By: AH
It's not often AH has a good idea .....
Of course that would meant it clashed with the Blithfield ST
But I guess if you needed a restricted result you could do Tammy or an open one you could do Blithfield.


Posted: 09/09/2009 15:12:31
By: RH
Couldn't Wembley appeal to Queen Mary or whoever, (lots of reservoirs or gravel pits round London) to do an event with Wembley's organisation?


Posted: 09/09/2009 15:34:53
By: .
With 8 days notice i don't think you stand much chance! Fixtures for most classes are tightly packed at this time of year and QMSC is likely to be pretty fully booked, as is anywhere we are likely to want to go instead.


Posted: 11/09/2009 07:25:02
By: Chris M
Could at least try better that than lay down and die, maybe they have?


Posted: 11/09/2009 09:44:28
By: .
I know Datchet Sailing Club cannot help on this occasion, as they have other events on, but they do take on events at short notice. Why not try them for another date this year. Or even offer them an ST meeting next year. Open water sailing so close to London could open the ST series up to more people who do not want to tow to the coast.


Posted: 11/09/2009 11:12:11
By: Local Guy
we haven't laid down and died here at wembley, we looked into a number of options including relocating the event but to no avail so far. the club is researching purchasing a weed cutting / dredging vessel of some type, currently quoted around £30K so that we can ensure it doesn't affect us (and our other class opens) when you all come next year. Better to cancel this year than bring everyone here only to waste their time with half the lake clogged. Hope everyone sees our decision as sensible, which involved a huge amount of soul searching and debate at the club and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2010


Posted: 12/09/2009 15:24:32
By: Wembley womble
British Airways sailing club in Wraysbury, has a weed cutter, why not have a chat with them regarding the advantages / disadvantages for cutting the weed.


Posted: 13/09/2009 10:34:35
By: Local Guy
Papercourt have also bought a weedcutter; the results are good, but the volunteer labour required to keep on top of the issue is not to be underestimated..

If you wanted to discuss the machine etc, a call to Chris Grainger at Guildford Marine would be useful, number is in the mag advert.

GGGGGGGG


Posted: 14/09/2009 08:41:47
By: Measurement Man
I think Graham's right; bearing this in mind, does anyone have experience of using commercial firms of weed cutters / removers?


Posted: 14/09/2009 09:48:16
By: Douglas
Burghfield went through the weed issue many years ago and ended up with a machine (think mini JCB on floats), run by volunteers.

The issue with contractors is that this is very much a continuous management issue. Not a one visit job, hence rather expensive.

Keep everyone well clear of the weed when it is piled up in a smelly heap on shore. Not sure whether the council would accept it in the green waste bins.


Posted: 14/09/2009 10:36:16
By: Andy Hay
Burghfield (just outside Reading) also has two weed cutting machines. One has been in use for 4 or 5 years (and is getting close to end of life) while the second was bought this year.
It does take LOTS of volunteer effort: finding retired people in the club on a nice sunny day is possible: but weed also grows when it is cold, wet and raining!
Burghfield cuts about 3 or 4 days a week, for 5 or 6 months each year.
The amount of weed that ends up floating around can be a problem: when it is windy it all floats down one end, and then needs raking out of the water.
Comments early this month from members were: one of the best summers as far as weed issues are concerned.


Posted: 14/09/2009 10:40:58
By: Burghfield
What sort of weed are we talking about?

Floating or rooted the later needs a sharp chain dragged along the bottom but not so often as with floating which ideally needs a hoover as well to gather it in.

On the chalk streams once a month is enough with rooted weed.


Posted: 14/09/2009 11:44:14
By: .
So, Wembley, Burghfield, Papercourt have a weed problem, so do Fishers Green and Littleton to my certain knowledge, and there probably many other sailing clubs on comparatively small lakes similarly affected. I understand that the problem arises due to nitrates in the water leeched there from farmers spreading fertilizers on fields etc. The Dept of the Environment will not allow any longer the sailing clubs to put weedkiller chemicals in their lakes to keep the problem under control.

So, what is the RYA doing about this problem? Is the RYA content to see these small clubs suffer, cancel programmes etc? I thought the RYA represented sailing with Govt Depts. Why do we pay RYA subs? Seems to me RYA should be doing something to help.


Posted: 14/09/2009 20:27:39
By: ..
no good making annoymous posts about the RYA on the Merlin site is it. Try posting it on the RYA site.


Posted: 14/09/2009 22:04:20
By: alanf

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