We have decided to change the membership fee for next year, increasing it to £25 for the year. This reflects the fact that, at £15, it costs almost £2 a year in postage just to send out application forms and then membership cards to each member.  I hope that this is acceptable.  Mooring prices will not change for 2021 with the exception of charges for kayaks, paddleboards and inflatables which will be tweaked.  
We have also made the decision to change the structure of memberships slightly for 2021.  There will now be three kinds of membership:   

• Mooring Members (ie people who pay to moor their boats with us) will pay £25 to become members.  You must be a member to keep a boat at The Club. They may, in addition, launch kayaks, paddle boards and other small boats as part of the their membership for no charge.  There will also be a Mooring Members rate for storing kayaks, paddle boards and inflatables to reflect the fact that they are already paying mooring fees.

At the moment, people can join the club for £15 for the year and then launch as much as they want.  This has led to an increase in traffic and parking.  So we are making the following changes:

• Social Members will also pay £25 per adult in 2021 but as social members, they will not be permitted to launch kayaks, paddle boards and small boats from the slipway.  
• Launching Members will be allowed to launch small craft as much as they want.  They can unload and load in the car park but must park in the village before going out on the water.  They will be charged £175 for the whole of the Summer Season or £125 for August to end of October. For Winter the charge will be £125.

Our aim is a) to reduce the traffic to the club of people just wanting to launch small craft b) charging them properly if they do want to do this.  The public slip in the village, of course, remains a free alternative.  

Sadly we have learnt that a number of outboards have been stolen from the Ferryboat beach this morning (September 9th).  They were cut off with bolt cutters. It was apparently done very early in the morning.  All we can do it just keep our eyes out for any suspicious activity. Very sad. 

Mike and John, staying in The Lower Deck, have honed their skills as mullet fishermen and have landed lots before putting them back in the water.  The heaviest was 4lbs.  The trick, apparently, is to have some bread bags hanging off the pontoon and then once they arrive, to use a small pellet of bread on a small hook. So there you go…

The last two “thin” fingers have been widened to three planks.  I was hoping to get this finished early on in the season, so am delighted that it has finally been done as we draw towards the end of the season.  Almost “drectly”.  
For the observant amongst you, you might have noticed that there are three types of planking on the pontoon.  Very Old.  Very New And Sturdy.  And Quite New But Thin. The QNBT planking was suggested as a better alternative by our wood suppliers.  But because it is thinner, it has turned out not to be so robust. I have made a number of plinths out of this QNBT planking on which I have put cleats and rings. But now it is starting to split.  So I will be replacing all of this with VNAS planking plinths.  You live and learn. 

We have increased our kayak storage from one to six this summer with the addition of racks on the pontoon but we don’t plan to have any more because we want kids to still be able to crab between the wall and the pontoons.  

We have purchased a green marker (in place) and a red marker (to be placed) to make the channel to the Yacht Club more obvious.  We have also added Max 6 Knots To Ferryboat just to re-emphasise the speed limits on the river. I think I ordered one size too big!  When I measured it out it seemed to be the right width but I was not counting for the overall circumference and ended up with much bigger buoys than expected!  

An enormous thank you to all who have supported our ‘Saturday Night Out……In’ campaign over the last 10 weeks. Thank you for taking 954 dinners off our hands, 380 or so puddings and about 100 bottles from Nigel’s cellar. This support has meant that we are still here to carry on, albeit with a bit of a straightjacket on.

The takeaway is now moving to Thursday evening, same game rules apply. The menu will, however, be posted tomorrow morning….that’s Monday morning at 8am. We will take orders until lunchtime on Tuesday. This deadline is very important as we now have one day less in which to prepare not only for the Thursday Night Dinner, but also for the following two evenings’ activity in the clubhouse.

Looking forward to hearing from you tomorrow.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Mike & Nigel

The moorings are full, the holiday cottages are all booked in the village and from this week the Bar and Restaurant is open from Friday and Saturday for the season from 4pm, while the take away service will run every Thursday – see below for more details.

Not everyone has the same perspective on Covid so it is only fair that we all respect the social distancing rules and that we are polite and tolerant with each other. Instead of bunting The Club will be shortly be dressed in Covid related signs.   

We have more new boats than ever before – at least under our stewardship.  So welcome to the crews of Jeanie, Obi, Auriel, Idler, Seaskate Fourteenn Crevette, Coburg, Scruffy, Sea Spray, Wagtail and a number of un-named boats.

The trot and swing moorings have been serviced by Seawide Services. We have removed trots 1 & 2 to give more room to the boats on the pontoon by the Clubhouse and have replaced them with two new swing moorings. Not before time, we have also added boards and fenders to the landing pontoon and the pontoons alongside the slip (see photo below). These will stop smaller boats getting stuck under the pontoon.  I will be doing the same on the visitor pontoon section at the far end of the clubhouse. We are also widening the four thin fingers from two boards to three boards. Done one, three more to go. The club tender is next for a makeover (although I also have urgent plans for a Covid Haircut as soon as I can get an appointment).

At the end of June there was a “tense” rescue situation as Simon and Charlotte Boote were forced to head back to the landing pontoon after engine failure.  Turned out the pipe inside the fuel tank had fallen off, preventing any fuel from getting to the engine. 15 tools later, the offending vessel (the fuel tank) was back on the vessel (their dory) and off they went. It was very exciting for a moment. Thought I would have to rescue Ancasta Boats’ owner from his own boat !!!

Nare Point opened again on 25th May providing a watch keeping service 7 days a week from 09.00 to 17.00 covering the mouth of The Helford, Falmouth Bay and the Coastal Path. The 66 volunteer watch-keepers are now operating a full service inspite of having reduced volunteers and having to create a single-person watch rota due to Covid.  A large part of their funding comes from raising money from collection boxes, supermarket collections, grants from regattas etc – all of which have been effected by the impact of Covid.  In responce, NCI have set up their Nare Point 50-50 Club.  You can buy tickets and/or set up a standing order to support the NCI and in return there is a regular draw where 50% of the money raised can be won back in the form of three prizes.  For more details see www.nare.point.nci.org.uk 

We have decided to serve twin markets as we go on to the next exciting stage of lockdown lottery. There are a good number of you who are tentative about going out to dine and there are some who cannot wait. We have therefore decided that we will continue to do a weekly takeaway, initially on Thursdays, and we will open a restricted restaurant on Fridays and Saturdays. These are temporary arrangements which may change at any time.

The menu for the takeaway will now be published on Monday morning and orders will be taken from 8am. A similar menu, with a few tweaks will then be used in the restaurant over the weekend.

I am afraid there are certain rules and regulations that must be adhered to by both us and you in order to safeguard both us, our staff and you, the customers.

There are 5 tables available to book in the restaurant and three tables available to book outside.

In the restaurant we can take three tables of two people only alongside the window with partitioning between them. There is a further table at the far end of the room and a table in the bar area which can accommodate up to a maximum of 6 people from a maximum of two households. Only diners with a reservation will be admitted to the inside areas.

The three tables outside can seat a maximum of 6 people from numerous households. 

At all times, at all tables, both food and drink can only be ordered through a member of staff, and payment will be taken at the table, not in the bar.

In addition to these tables there are two small seating areas accessed from either end of the site which can be used by drinkers.

In order to maintain social distancing of two metres there will be markings laid on the ground outside. Within the building we can reduce this to one metre+ through mitigation. Staff will wear face coverings to protect themselves and you at this closer level.

There will be hand sanitising stations at each of the toilets and inside the restaurant entrance. Everybody must use them.

We cannot allow any congregating in pinch points at the site, so please use common sense and listen to any instructions from staff members regarding your safety.

We are told by Government, albeit with scant detail, that we will be required to take and keep personal data from all customers. There will be no slackening of this requirement and failure to comply will result in a refusal of service. Sorry! Members must bring their membership cards with them please.

Finally, in the unlikely event that we should experience inclement weather, tables booked outside may be subject to cancellation at short notice. Shelter cannot be taken inside.

We will endeavour to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. Many thanks for your continued support. For reservations please call the restaurant on 01326 340065 or Nigel’s mobile 07779712457.

Mike & Nigel

It’s been a frantic first week or so since the restrictions on boating were lifted. It’s been wonderful to see lots of people on their boats, kayaks and paddle boards enjoying the water and the amazing weather we have had.   Please remember to keep your social distance from other people at the club. There seems to be huge differences between what people think of as 2 metres – I might be guilty of that myself.  Here are a few pictures of the activity:

The pontoon and beach are completely full and for the first time since we took over, the trot moorings are full as well.  Please be aware that there are pick up lines between Trots 1 to 8 and 9 to 15.  We have put floats on all the lines to show you that they are there. Don’t get your engine caught up! The channel between Trots 10 and 11 is open and has no lines – just in front of Mivvy, the black MkII Shrimper.

The unclaimed inflatable on the wall of the shed has been claimed.  And the Cornish Shrimper, Crevette, on the pontoon has been sold.  

We got a call from George’s son Russell on Wednesday to sadly let us know that, after quite a long illness, George died on Tuesday surrounded by his family.  It was not Covid related.

George was a charming, smiling Scouser who absolutely loved the Helford and all things boating. The picture here encapsulates this kind man. Our thoughts go to Doreen and the whole family.

Russell has sent us a few words about George:

It’s with sadness I would like to inform you and all the boating crews of Port Navas YC that George Bibby, a face many have seen around the Helford River since 1979 has passed away. He had battled cancer for a few years but lost the fight. George quietly slipped his mooring and headed off on his final voyage late on Tuesday 19^th May at home Devington Court Falmouth.

George’s log books recording the years spent on the Helford River and Falmouth Bay areas tell many a story of his dreams and passion for the sea coming true. He started off on the Helford owning a Kingfisher 22 “Rattler” then a 30Ft Catalac “Prowler” which some locals referred to as an aircraft carrier!! moored just off Port Navas Quay. On Retirement he moved to the dark side of boating and bought Motor boats “Helford Picket”,  “Celtic Eagle” and finally “Picket”.

Both George and Doreen his wife spent many a winter evening in the yacht Club with new and Old friends, Plenty of banter with locals and Grockles! He was a proud holder of the YC Sailing Cup for a number of years in the early 80s and many races would have been crewed by his friends and family. He loved the Sea and all those around it. In his last years he joined the Nare Point Coast Watch team and still kept an eye on his passion.

Many younger Sailors may  remember George as “Skip” from the years he gave to running the local Constantine Sea Scouts (now Helford Scouts).

From the family I would like to thank all the boating community he knew and loved for the friendships and memories you gave George over the years. He will be missed by many but remembered by all. 

Russ Bibby

The parking is reserved for people on the pontoon (who pay a premium), the holiday lets and for the bar and restaurant customers.  Please please can you park in the village before going out on the water. Kayak, paddle board and dinghy owners might turn up when there is one inch of water, find an empty car park and think it’s fine just to leave their cars in the car park.  But half an hour later when there is 2 ft of water, the other boat owners arrive and have no-where to park and unload.  Telling people not to park is my LEAST FAVOURITE thing (along with finding dog poo bags put in our bins rather than the dog loo which is just opposite the bins).  

One member looking for a small sailing dinghy to learn how to sail.  
One member looking for a dory type boat – 13 to 16 ft.  
And one member looking for a Shrimper 19ft or Cape Cutter 19ft or something similar.

Following Boris’ recent announcements, as from Wednesday 13th May, people are free to travel by car to the Club and use their boats provided that:

• They do so alone or are a family group living together
• And that everyone maintains social distancing of 2 metres

According to the RYA website, from Wednesday 13th May “unlimited outdoor activity will be permitted in England and this will include all forms of boating”. Gweek and Mylor Boatyards are now open and will start putting boats into the water from tomorrow. We have been open to locals throughout but from Wednesday we are open to boat owners travelling by car. Just be mindful of keeping your distance in the small car park.  

The Bar and Restaurant remains closed but Mike and Nigel are running a Saturday night take-away service, taking orders from Tuesday. You should have got an email about this. Contact mike@pnyc.co.uk if you want more information.

The current changes are certainly welcome but it can be that subject to the R Number, the season could be further interrupted.  We naturally hope that this doesn’t happen. So I guess we just go step-by-step and see what happens as the Summer Season unfolds.  

All the moorings are ready for use and have been since 1st April.  However, on the pontoon there are a couple of boats that are on the wrong berths because owners have not been able to move them from Winter moorings out onto their moorings on The Helford. When you want to get your boat onto its place on the pontoon can you let me know in advance and I will make sure that your berth is free. If you arrive and a boat is in your berth, can you moor up in an empty space, let me know and I will immediately move boats so that you are on your rightful berth. 

The beach moorings are all laid out and ready for use, as are the trot and swing moorings.  I have had a sudden flurry of interest from new boat owners looking for a mooring so if you have not returned a mooring application form and paid, please let me know what you would like to do for the rest of the season.

I removed a number of beach running lines over the winter so I will hang these at the appropriate points one the beach wall.  Please can I ask that all beach moorings use sinking running lines, ensure that the line runs from bow to stern (and not off to one side) and that owners put buckets over their propellers when left.  

The UG (Uncle Giles) is getting some well deserved TLC.  Phil Clark is very kindly making a new hatch cover for the forward deck and she is going to get a wash, a good internal paint and some danish oil on the woodwork.  To do this work I will put her on the slip for a few days. Please use the navy blue Anarth that we will put on Pontoon No.1 as a tender.

Does anyone claim this inflatable?  It’s been on the wall of the shed for almost year with no name. I have put a notice on it but no-one has called. If I hear nothing by return, I have a buyer who will make a contribution to HRCST.   

We hope that you and your families are all coping with the current situation. Ant and I feel very lucky to be living in this beautiful place, especially at this time. Fingers crossed, we believe that we still might enjoy some part of the season as the Government amends its restrictions in the coming months.  

In the meantime we should focus on the positive; the great job that is being done by the health service and care home staff; emergency services; supermarket staff; and delivery drivers. And also on the amazing stories of people helping both neighbours and strangers.  There should be no place for finger-pointers and those that simply want to criticise. This is almost unprecedented and, as such, everyone is having to make the best of things as the emergency unfolds.  Let’s all be kind to each other at this time. And enjoy the sun, the primroses and bluebells. 

If anyone in our immediate area needs shopping or medical supplies to be picked up, do call or send an email – 01326 340525 or admin@pnyc.co.uk.  We can help and we have an under-used, willing 18 year old driver in Martha!  Carnon Downs Garden Centre (01872 863058) are doing a brilliant phone and collect service – you order and pay by phone and then you can collect your items from the car park.  

We’re very sad to report the untimely passing of Alan Gardner. Many in Port Navas will know Alan as the always cheerful and generous former owner of Port Navas Yacht Club. Sandra, Alan’s wife, has said that their years owning PNYC and getting to know all the members were some of the happiest years of their family life. Sandra has loved the Helford since childhood, and Alan grew to love it so much, never more content than when pottering about in his little boat and having a pint of Doom Bar or enjoying a meal and a few glasses of wine with friends!  When they came to sell the Club, although they had a number of offers, they were determined to sell it to someone local who understood, and would carry on, their care of the Club without trying to turn it into something else. And so they sold to Giles. 

A keen and passionate golfer, Alan was interested in everything and everybody. He spent the last active week of his life in Port Navas before he showed signs of being unwell and he and Sandra had to cut their stay short. He collapsed 24 hours after they got home; spent the next three weeks in hospital, and was never able to return home. 

Our thoughts go out to Sandra who is having to cope with both loss and self isolation due to Coronavirus. Alan will be cremated on 24th April with only Sandra, Jamie and Kerry present.  The flag at the Club has been flying at half mast since we heard the news.

(Thanks to portnavas.com)

In the next few months we will be doing some work on our club tender, The UG (Uncle Giles).  Phil Clarke has very kindly repaired the oars.  She could do with a good clean, a lick of paint and some Danish Oil.   We are also putting three kayak racks down on the pontoons below the clubhouse to allow three big kayaks to be stored closer to the water.  And finally we shall be painting the two doors for the engine store and adjacent storeroom.

We have a new flag to replace the rather shredded one currently flying.  We have decided to fly the new flag when the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted.  

Dear All
We hope that you all ok.  This is such an unprecedented event – unless perhaps you listened to Bill Gates in 2015:

We are constantly looking at Government Sites for advice – Maritime Service, Coast Guard and other Helford River sites.  At the moment all the advice is as follows:

• Keep your distance
• No large groups – ie just solo or couples – only family groups together
• Wash your hands
• No unnecessary travel except for one daily exercise
• The Club is closed to all visiting boats and the Bar and Restaurant is closed for the foreseeable future

That said, if individuals or families want to get out on the water for a short time to exercise and they are not travelling significant distances then the moorings are there. Just please use your discretion and be respectful to the people in Port Navas and along Quay Road.  The beach will be ready on Monday for moorings.  And the pontoon and trots are ready.  

Our kids have been told that they will not be returning to school until September….!  This is going to create some interesting moments in The Ellemann household.  Martha’s A-levels, end of school, summer jobs, working in a school in Zambia and then travelling have gone out of the window.  So the girls have been dying their hair (and bits of Finn’s) to compensate.  Great response to a crisis. Change your looks!  

The new Government guidelines regarding essential travel preclude us from progressing with the Friday Feast takeaway that we were planning for this week.

We will instigate this scheme if and when we can. I imagine this will be a possibility before we are allowed to open fully again.

I have been looking into the history of the Seventh Cavalry. At the time of General Custer, infamous for the Battle of the Little Bighorn River, he had been up against Native Indians called Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, White Bull, Hump and Chief Gall amongst others.
We could perhaps invent a game whereby these names are applied to our illustrious leaders or if anyone can come up with other suggestions!

We will let you know when it is safe to come to us, hopefully not too long!

Please keep safe out there, look out for each other and keep your distance!

Mike & Nigel

Port Navas, alongside Constantine and Mawnan Smith, have put together a Volunteers List to provide assistance to PN residents who might need help.  

If you need help yourself details are on the Port Navas website: portnavas.com/ and for Constantine: constantinecornwall.com/

We were sad to learn of the death of David Burke in Port Navas last week. This followed on from a period in hospital at the start of this year. David was a charming and joyful man and will be sadly missed. Our thoughts go to Jane and the whole family. There is more about David on the PN website www.portnavas.com

Along with a friend from up-country, Tim Hunt, we have put new decking down on two more pontoons.  We even had enough sun yesterday for T-shirts.  The anti slip strips are to follow once it stops raining!  There are a couple of cleats missing because we had to cut the bolts off.  These will be put back asap.  The old decking is being used to re-line the inside of the corrugated shed.  I proudly showed off my work to my daughter Nancy yesterday – I have lined the walls and ceiling with insulation panels and have started to put the old decking on top of that.  

All she said was:  “Wow Dad.  You’ve put everything in jam jars.”  Not quite what I was expecting!

We have a Shrimper on the pontoon that a member is looking to sell.  £5,950 or nearest offer.  For full details contact Tom on 07798 824435 or admin@pnyc.co.uk

Work on the path beside the slipway leading on to the beach wall has been completed replacing the old, cracked surface that was there – thanks Tony, Pete and Mike.   

Continuing my work as a slightly haphazard DIYer (probably with emphasis on the ‘hazard’), I have to report that while installing some insulation in the big corrugated shed, I managed to angle-grind my way through the mains supply.  Amazingly, and much to the electrician’s surprise, there was no large bang or, more to the point, electric shock. So now we have a new join in the electrics. I have been re-using the old planking from the pontoons to line the inside of the shed on top of some cellutex insulation panels.  

In the next couple of weeks Tony and Mike Comyn will be re-concreting the path from the slipway to beach moorings 1-5, replacing the cracked and irregular surface.  Sorry for any inconvenience caused.  

We have undertaken some work on the wall in the bar area in an attempt to kill the draft monster that lurked in the corner.  Having peeled away the thin garden cladding we have re-wired the interesting collection of wires that we found (a professional electrician not me!), put in insulation, sprayed insulation foam liberally around and then fixed pine boards re-cycled from The Old Kiln and which match the front of the bar itself.  

I bought a second hand mitre saw on Ebay for the job.  It arrived with instructions from the vendor to put the new blade included in the box onto the saw. This I duly did, with the front label logically at the front of the saw and I then started cutting the pine boards. It worked but created huge clouds of smoke and a terrible noise. Not great. I thought I’d bought a pup. Until a kind passer-by pointed out that I had the blade on backwards. But what a difference it made. It was like a hot knife through already melted butter.  I absolutely love my new second hand electric saw.

Nigel has kindly pointed out that the brass screws are quite shiny at the moment but, like all of us, they will dim with age!  
   
We have also replaced the two radiators in the dinning room.  

We had a great evening on 14th November when nine teams of four competed in our second Quiz and Curry Night, this time in aid of The Village Hall.  The competition was ferocious, some of the marking was fiendish and there was little to choose between the teams.  In fact, we went to a tie break between Normal For Norfolk and Drinkmore. With everything hanging on a final question, the two captains were summoned forward, each eagerly holding onto one handle on our silver winner’s trophy (which you can just about make out in the picture above).  “How many times does the UK fit into the State of Texas?”  One team was out by 100% and another by over 300%.  The champions, Drinkmore (D Haigh, N Winters, C Adamson and G Lumb) were duly crowned.  In between, we had a fabulous medley of vegetarian curries courtesy of Mike and Nigel kept the liquid refreshment going.  Thanks to everyone taking part.  The next quiz will be in February/March in aid of the Port Navas Regatta.

The Committee is looking for some new volunteers to help organise next year’s regatta which in on Saturday 1st August 2020.  This fabulous event, which is over 100 years old, relies on people from the community helping.  As well as creating a fantastic day out, it also raises money for a number of charities ranging from Falmouth RNLI and The Cornish Air Ambulance, to some smaller local charities such as The Constatnine Silver Band, HRCST and WILD (Young Parents Project).  Broadly speaking the regatta activities break down into waterside races; the games; and catering (ie cakes, tea, coffee and the bbq).  There is also getting the site ready and clearing up afterwards.  All of these require organising by the committee and help from volunteers.  As well as more volunteers in general, we are looking for a new chairman, a new secretary and someone to run the cake and tea stall.  The intention is to hold an open meeting in The Village Hall at 6pm on Monday 27th January where interested people could gather to hear more about what is needed to keep this great event going.  If you are interested then please let me know at admin@pnyc.co.uk

The picture above is of the 1921 Regatta Committee as opposed to the current 2019 Committee.  Just in case you were wondering….

From Friday morning to the end of Sunday we are predicted high winds up to 46 mph with gusts at greater speeds.  We are well protected being out of the Helford River but nevertheless it might be worth checking moorings today to make sure that everything is in good condition.  I will be going down during the weekend just to check on a daily basis.  And please take this high wind warning into consideration when planning any trips on the water over this weekend.
https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/Helford

The Ladies loo has had a complete make-over and all that remains is to find the brass “Ladies” sign that I carefully put away in the shed for future use and which is proving increasingly difficult to find.  The unisex loo will now revert back to Men Only.

The Regatta was by all accounts a great success with lovely weather, very competitive racing (I believe there were 18 kayaks racing in one event) the beer tent was drunk dry and Brian Roper gave away the prizes with smiles all around.  Thanks to all those who came and to all those who helped make this another success. There is a huge group of people who provide their time and skills to make it work.
Next year the Regatta is Saturday 1st August from 3pm.

It is with huge pride that we would like to congratulate the whole crew of Black Dog for coming first in The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 2019 IRC National Championships.  Flying their PNYC burgee, this was the first time this amateur Cornish team entered these Championships, taking on mostly professional or semi-professional crews.

“We haven’t sailed that much this year, so when we came up we said we’d be aiming for the top five and we’d be delighted by top three in our class. To win overall is incredible!” said Stuart Sawyer, his Black Dog also securing the Performance 40 prize.  “After we won Dartmouth Royal Regatta last year we thought we had to come here to see how we’d do…”
Well, first overall did very nicely!  Well done Black Dog.

For more information:
https://www.rorc.org/news/news-2011/irc-nationals-first-timer-takes-top-prize

The Ladies Loo should be back up and working by the end of today I am told by the builders, ending our brief foray into a unisex environment.  A number of people have requested that the ladies be re-opened, including Ant, and so this has been undertaken.  I will need to change the signage on my return but we can now offer two loos once more. At the same time, we have also filled in the large void that we found between the ladies loo and the inside wall of the club, hopefully getting rid of the draught that lived in that corner of the room.  Finally, you may have noticed that we have removed the old wooden decking outside the front door and replaced that with a granite paving stone.  A hand rail will be added shortly, if indeed it has not already been done.

We have one beach mooring, one swing mooring and 6 trot moorings available.  But all the pontoon spaces have now been taken. The trot and swing moorings have been serviced by Seawide Services.

The lure of a drink after work proved too much so the crew parked up on the landing pontoon and they all adjourned to the bar.  Unfortunately the tide went out while they were inside and their boat ended up squashing the lifebelt holder.

Peter and Margaret Goad, much loved and long standing managers of The Club, have sent us a picture of their boat Andante proudly flying the PNYC burgee on The Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.  This joins a burgee from Guernsey from Daniel and Vicky Williams and a lost-at-sea burgee found off Penzance and returned to Rebecca of Helford.  Keep these pictures coming it please!

Ant and I attended the launch of the HRCST facilities at Travassack Lake last month.  It was a great turnout on an overcast day.  We were really impressed with the lake. Although an old quarry, it feels much more like a sheltered lake with a pretty island in the middle and wooded banks all around.  The Trust also had on show the plans for the accommodation units and the teaching facilities which were really much more impressive and ambitious than we had imagined.  We now totally understand why this facility offers things that simply cannot be provided for on The Helford.  More details can be found on their website and we would encourage you all to go online and have a look – hrcst.org.uk

There have been two undramatic rescues so far this season.  Steve and Mel pulled in The Boulton’s after engine failure a few weeks ago.  And yesterday, Martha and Friends were rescued by mum and dad from The Helford after another engine failure.  Hard to blame Martha since it was our faulty engine over heating…

Last year we installed a number of stainless steel shackles on eyebolts so that people could tie up their dogs.  To our horror and disappointment we have noticed that all five shackles that where outside have been nicked.  I can’t decide if I prefer the thought that it was just one person helping themselves to all five or whether there were a number of light fingered buggers who helped themselves over time.  Ho hum.  We will be replacing the shackles with fixed ring-bolts.

Huge apologies to members and neighbours for the inconvenience caused by the extended works and the shear number of vehicles clogging up Quay Road.  We had hoped to be finished by now and are pulling out all the stops to get the work finished.

Building work on the Old Kiln should be finished within the next 6-7 weeks.  It will be available for week long lets from July.  The house has two big double bedrooms, one smaller twin bedroom, three bathrooms and a massive open plan living room/dinning room/kitchen room plus a lovely garden that gets the afternoon and evening sun.  Details are available on Airbnb but we can offer a 10% discount through direct booking with Tom and Antonia: 01326 340525.

A new book on the colourful history of the Helford has been penned by one of PNYC’s very own members, Christian Boulton.  Due to be published in May, Five Million Tides is described by Sir Tim Rice in his forward as having been written with “skill, panache, enthusiasm and authenticity”.

Very different in tone to the wonderful History of Port Navas by Peggy Shepherd, the book will no doubt appeal to resident and visitor alike – especially as the author believes that the Helford was one of the most important waterways in Britain during prehistory.  There is also a chapter dedicated to the river’s association with “villainous seafarers” and another to early Christianity.  Unsurprisingly, Port Navas and its various settlements get plenty of mentions too.

Five Million Tides: A Biography fo the Helford River is now available to pre-order online and PNYC will have a few copies available for sale once released.

Much to Ant’s satisfaction, we are going to re-decorate and then re-open the ladies loo by April – slightly hedging my bets by not saying whether the beginning or the end of April.  Interestingly it has not just been the ladies asking for their own loo.  Apparently a number of gentlemen don’t like enjoying the facilities only to find a lady patiently waiting outside wondering whether the seat has been put down!  

We are also going to tidy up the area immediately in front of the clubhouse by the entrance, including replacing the decking steps with a large piece of granite from The Old Kiln to create a new door step into the club. 

And as reported in earlier newsletters, we are extending the pontoon by adding one additional section onto the clubhouse end and adding on four new finger pontoons.  In addition, we will be replacing 12 of the pontoon floats – 6 at the slip end and 6 at the clubhouse end.  This is part of an ongoing 2-3 year plan of refurbishing the pontoons.  

Finally, I will be spreading paint liberally in all directions.  

It’s a glorious Boxing Day morning with the Sun shinning and blue clouds.  Ant and I hope that you all had a splendid Christmas.   

The plan was to get this off on Christmas Day but being my usual chaotic self, this was superseded by events including a much-longer-than-anticipated stay at The Trengilly Wartha Inn for a Christmas Day drink courtesy of Will and Lisa.  I now write this with a fabulous new pair of slippers – it’s a sign of a certain age when you love getting a pair of slippers!

Thank you all for your support this year and we look forward to 2019 and welcoming you all back as members and boat owners.  Our thanks to Mike and Nigel for their first year running the bar and restaurant and to Tony Ellen who keeps a daily eye on the Club and on me.  We’ll continue work on the Club with new floats for 6 pontoons, 8 new pontoon fingers and restoring the Ladies Loo, as well as slapping on more paint! 

Happy New Year to you all.

Tom and Ant

It is with great sadness that we are writing about the tragic loss of Richard Winfrey who was laid to rest at Mawnan Church on Saturday. Richard was a huge character who will leave an indelible mark on this community – in Mawnan Smith, within the shooting fraternity and on The Helford as a rower, sailor and drinker. Richard was a fierce competitor at the Port Navas Regatta from an early age and I can personally attest to this, particularly in the Run And Row. He was also a fantastic commentator for a number of years. This summer he and his son Sam won a number of races and thereby added another Winfrey name (8 year old Sam) to the Presidents Cup for the overall points winner.

The service at Mawnan Smith was emotional but also very beautiful and made a huge impression. The variety of people, as well as the sheer number, is a testament to his huge character. On behalf of everyone at PNYC, we send our best wishes and thoughts to his wife Brush, his four children Harriet, Georgie, Treve and Sam and the wider family. We are poorer for his early passing.

He didn’t have to fly.
Or twit or twoo.
Or even move.
The ONLY thing this owl had to do was frighten away the gulls. And I am afraid to say that he has been ruddy useless. As reported in the last newsletter, it took less than 20 minutes from his arrival on our boat for the first gull to join him. And now he seems to have given up!
Following further advice, I have now invested in two rubber snakes which, I am assured, will do the job. I shall report on their success in a subsequent newsletter.

A child’s life jacket and a small pair of shoes have been left at the Club for a number of weeks. Does anyone know who they belong to? Call Tom on 01326 340525.

I have noticed an increasingly bad smell on the pontoon at low tide.  This has been caused by the new treatment plant which seems to be expelling a layer of fat which you can see on the mud between the wall and pontoon.  This should NOT be happening and I have contacted the company that installed the treatment plant to get it sorted as quickly as possible.  In the meantime, we apologise for the unpleasant smell at low tide.

Teams of 4 or individuals looking for a 4 are invited to an 18 hole Texas Scramble at Budock Vean Hotel on Friday 28th September in aid of The Helford River Children’s Sailing Trust.   A pasty lunch + prizes + raffle + drinks and reshresments + a great cause.  For information and entry forms contact rowan@hrcst.org.uk or call 07555 785102

On a personal nautical front, I can confirm with great pleasure that our boat is finally working (mostly) and we have been on four trips.  The last one, over to St Mawes, ended in an alarming moment as we were getting into the water taxi.  As the weight came onto one side, suddenly the front two deck hatches in the cabin popped up and great swell of water came out of the bilges.  The immediate thought was “!!!!!!! we’re sinking!”  I admit to a moment of panic as I envisaged our new second-hand boat settling onto the St Mawes’ harbour bottom.  But rather than a Titanic sized hole, it quickly turned out to be a hose from the cooling system which had popped off and was filling up the bilges.

My second report is the total and abject failure of Oscar the Owl and his ability to scare away the gulls which have been using our boat as a loo.  Thanks to Iain McLaren for the photo which he sent me!

I was told at Macsalvors that I might have to move the owl around the boat occasionally as the seagulls get to learn that it’s not real.  Well, it took the Port Navas gulls about 20 minutes to work out that Oscar was plastic.

BRIAN SPARGO’S NEW FRIEND

On a similar note, Brian has been spotted with a new friend called Nigel – an incredibly confident gull who’s taken to sitting on the boat until he get’s a fish from Brian.  Perhaps it’s the same gull who’s become a mate of my not-scary-at-all-owl?

Just a gentle reminder about parking.

We are, as we all know, extremely limited with the parking.  The Upper and Lower Deck flats are rented all the way through to the middle of September and they take up two spaces.  In addition, the bar and restaurant needs spaces for their customers from 3pm Tuesday through to Saturday inclusive.

At the moment, we say that pontoon and trot owners can park ONE car (including your guests) in the carpark whilst out on the water, subject to availability.
Please, please can I ask beach owners (and any pontoon and trot members that are willing to do the same!) to unload in the carpark and then park in the village before going out on the water.

I know that sometimes you can turn up just as there is enough water and the car park is empty.  But by the time the water is fully in, the car park is overflowing.
I am so sorry to hark on about this but it is an unsolvable problem.  The people who have rented the flats, and the bar and restaurant that needs customers (both members and visitors) to keep going, also rely on the few car parking spaces that we have.

Thank you.

PS  I now have an inkling of what it’s like to be a traffic warden.  Not great.

Thanks to Richard Butler for helping me repair the pontoon.  One of the metal connections holding a pontoon had sheared off but that has now been replaced thanks to some on-the-spot welding.

One of our burgees has very kindly been picked out of the water by a passing yachtsman, Robin Chiffers, just off Penzer Point between Mousehole and Lamorna. Robin is posting it to me at the end of his sailing trip.  Do let me know if you have lost your burgee!

If anyone wishes to organise a private party of 12 or more for lunch (for instance if you have family down to stay), Nigel and Mike would be happy to open for you.  Don Garman recently had a private lunch for members of the National Coast Watch.

The shower is really for visiting yatchs using the visitor moorings. Unfortunately we have had two “incidents” in a week.  First someone used it to clean off their mud, probably after wading around in the creek.  Fine to do this but they left the shower in a terrible state.  And then at the beginning of this week I had to clean out the shower after someone had used it as a loo!  Unbelievable.  So now the shower will have a combination lock on it and visiting yatchs will be given the code.  Sorry but…

In the spirit of the on-going trials and tribulations of a surprise yacht club manager, let me tell you about the club burgees.  We have now sold all 20 of the hand stitched club burgees and I have ordered another 20.  Having talked to the manufacturer, he confirmed that the cost price would be the same as last year – £39.99,  But when I got the invoice it was more than that.  Turns out VAT and shipping were not included.  The actual price of the last 20 burgees, and the new batch, is £48.99.  So basically we have been paying about 20% of the cost of the last 20 burgees.  Brilliant.  To all those who have them, ENJOY !  But from now on, the full cost price will be charged – £48.99.

I was congratulating myself on the success of putting four new stones onto the beach chain to stop it moving as I drove into Tim Marsh’s granite quarry in Mabe to pay him.  There was a handwritten sign saying “office” with an arrow pointing up a very narrow track lined with piles of granite.  Naturally I followed the sign and came to a dead end with no office.  Taking great care, I reversed back down the track until I heard a wonderful ripping sound coming from my car.  I jumped out to see what I’d hit – and for a moment it seemed that I had hit nothing.  Until I went round to the passenger side to see that I had ripped off a panel on my passenger door.  There was one piece of granite sticking out 18 inches from the bottom of a pile of granite.  As I admired the damage, a fine old Cornishman greeted me with the words, “You’re the second person this week that’s hit that piece of granite.  Where you looking for the office?  Because it’s not up there anymore……”  Brilliant. Now looking for a new door for a Honda.

We want to put up a page on the website with recommended people who can provide services for the members.  If you would like to recommend people who service engines, clean boats, do covers and awnings, carry out boat maintenance including fibre glass and wood and anything else that might be useful, we will add them to a website database.  It could even be you are recommending yourself !  For instance, I would happily recommend Tim Lugg and his mini-digger – he did a great job.

The Club holds your name, address, email address and contact numbers so that we may keep in touch with you with regard to your boat, your moorings and more generally, to relay information to all members about The Club.  We have added these details to the PNYC Mailchimp Account which allows us to send out this newsletter to members.  We do not provide ANY of your contact information to any other third party and will not do so in the future.  If you do not wish your information to be used for our Mailchimp Letter you can either unsubscribe on the newsletter (see the bottom of every newsletter) or you can contact us at admin@pnyc.co.uk.

There’s a bit of a dog theme this week – hence the picture at the top.  We have put a dog loo at the entrance to the Club.  Last year we tried asking people not to leave their bags of dog poo in and on our bins, kindly suggesting that they use the dog bin at the start of the lane.  But that failed and the binmen refused to empty them sometimes.  So hopefully biting the bullet and leaving a handy dog loo will solve the problem.

Following on from that, I have gone slightly mad and added 10 handy clip-on carabiners for dog leads – 5 inside the club and 5 outside.

There will be the inevitable “mooring madness” at the start of the new season as boats move from Winter moorings to Summer Moorings and new members arrive.  We have 4 new pontoon members, 7 new trot & swing mooring members and 6 new boats on the beach – welcome to you all.  If you have a chance to let me know in advance when you are launching I will confirm that everything is ready for you – email admin@pnyc.co.uk or call me on 01326 340525.

All the trot and swing moorings have now been serviced by Seawide Services. If you do find your mooring occupied, please put your boat on the visitor pontoon mooring just underneath the club house or on the landing pontoon, let me know asap and I will sort it out for you. I apologise for any delay in getting your boats on the right mooring.
The stones holding the beach chain have all been pulled out of the mud.  We are getting a digger in next week to put a bigger stone at the Oyster Quay end and then all the stones will be buried in the mud.  That is at least the plan.  Will up-date you next week.

DIY channel markers are on their way to us – 50 litre pvc barrels that I can then spray red and green – thanks for the idea Peter Goad.  I hope to get them in place next week as well.

I have turned to youtube and my limited DIY skills to replace the wooden fencing in front of the staff car parking which Peter Goad put up. This fencing also had two canoe racks which have fallen apart over the years.  With limited knowledge, I am a firm believer in having lots of tools to make up for a lack of knowledge.  Not sure that works though….

Started off badly,  I measured out where I wanted the centre of the new kayak rack to be – 6 ft from the end for a 12ft kayak – and then marked that point.  Next I marked two and half feet from the centre on each side where I needed to put my first two posts.  Having done that, I then put up the first post.  Went really well.  But then I realised that I had put the post on my centre mark, not on the two marks either side. So down came the first post.  Now have three posts up, halfway way through. Will report back next week….

Two of the six gas burners weren’t working properly in the kitchen so we had a specialist come in to have a look. While looking at the burners, he noticed that we didn’t have an automatic shut-off system linked to the fans in case of a power cut which has become obligatory a long time after the cooker was installed. The upshot was that he would have to report us for not having this system and that we would be required to put in. So fixing the two burners became a much, much more expensive job. We now have 6 working burners, an automatic shut-off system and another bill!!!

I joined Brendan Rowe and his team of 4 from Seawide Services this morning as they serviced the trot and swinging moorings.  They have all been checked and cleaned for the Spring.  It involves lifting each buoy out of the water and then a driver going down in zero visibility to check on the connection to the concrete or granite blocks.  This morning I can report that it was fairly cold, mizzling, 9 degrees water temperature and virtually zero visibility.  We had all the chains, fittings and buoys for  trots 1-15 replaced last year.

Courtesy of Hannah Darling, Dilys Gardner, Natalie Tippett and Lisa Burke.

Click to enlarge.

OK.
This time we have snow.
Quite a lot of snow.
And very very icy roads.  So much so that my planned trip down to The Club to take pictures had to be abandoned.  I therefore don’t have any pictures of The Club in the snow for this newsletter so here’s a glimpse of the snow at our house just up the road. If you have any pictures of PN in the snow, please do forward to us.

So 5 or 6 years ago we had a similar amount of snow. And the kids loved it. But we didn’t have, and couldn’t buy, any sledges. The snow lasted about 24 hours and then was gone but I cunningly bought three plastic sledges for the next time it snowed. Smart right? But it didn’t snow. Again and again it didn’t snow.  And the three sledges were just getting in the way. And it didn’t snow this Christmas. So in January I took the three sledges to the dump. Now I’m an idiot! Luckily it turns out that boogie boards make very good Cornish sledges……

The latest batch of some 50 membership cards were posted today.  Thanks to everyone who has signed up again.  If you know of anyone who should be a member, do drop us an email with their details and we’ll get in touch!

Many many thanks to all those with moorings who have, or who are, getting back to me for 2018. The pontoons are now full and I have a waiting list of two.  The beach is virtually full although I am waiting on renewal confirmation from a couple of members.  We do have some trot moorings available so do get in touch if a trot might be handy.

One canoe has been re-united with it’s owner. The second canoe, this one below, remains unclaimed and will be “re-cycled” to a member if still ownerless by the end of next week (I have 3 members interested on a first-come basis).

Thank you to all those who have already sent in forms or emails about membership.  Your support to The Club is invaluable.  There are forms available to download on the website and forms in The Club which Nigel is kindly handling for us when open and there are also forms available in the loo in a nice new A4 dispenser.  Or you can email admin@pnyc.co.uk – which is actually working – and request a form.

Everyone with a mooring in 2017 should have received a letter or email about renewal for 2018 by this weekend.  If you haven’t had anything by the middle of next week, do call Tom on 01326 340525.  Everyone is guaranteed the same slots at the same price as last year.

Wonderful Peggy has died aged 101.  She was with her son John and other family members.  She moved to the village in 1956 with her husband Douglas and was very much part of the village.  She wrote the definitive history of PN – The Story Of Port Navas – which is available at The Club (money goes to HRCST) or online at amazon.co.uk/dp/0993565409
Our thoughts are with her and her family.  A great innings Peggy!

There are two “traditional” sit-in canoes (see above) that have been lying around at The Club for at least 3 years.  Would the owner/s like to claim them and the back payment in storage fees?  If we don’t hear anything from the owners, would anyone like to have them since they have no known owner.  Otherwise they will be disposed of very very shortly.

The Management must apologise for the ongoing works in the car park. After an initial promise that the main tank would be in not later than 18th January, we are now told that this will be completed on Friday 9th February or Monday 12th February.  And just to add to the chaos (and contrary to what was agreed with the contractors) work is simultaneously carrying on on the treatment plant for Quay House.  The cess pit that was eventually uncovered turned out to be three times bigger than the “accurate-to-point-one-of-a-millemetre” laser measurements and now the huge hole, with the treatment plant, has to be back filled.  Thanks to Mike and Nigel for their forebearance and to Matt and Jack who are actually doing the work.  On Monday they are repairing the hole in the car park and will be closing it for 3 days to allow it to dry – the gate will be closed to cars.  Could you please not park in the car park for this period but the Club is still open.  Thank you.

After a heavy fall of less than an inch (at least near us), many of the local roads were turned into multiple pile-ups as drivers panicked and drove their cars into each other and into the surrounding countryside.  Fortunately we can report that PNYC remained open throughout out the day and no-one was involved in any incidents.

Unfortunately the hole remains a hole, albeit with a large tank inside.  I am assured that it will be finished before next Thursday !

Letters or emails are going out this week to all those who had moorings last year. Everyone is of course able to secure the same moorings they had last year and the good news is that prices remain the same again this year.  There are potentially a couple of pontoon berths available as well as trot moorings – so let me know if you need a new mooring or you know someone who might need one.

It is with HUGE delight that the Bar and Restaurant will open this Thursday, Friday and Saturday under the new management team of Nigel Logan and Mike Maguire.  The new menu will be more reasonably priced than last year.

The Club will be open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6pm going forward.

Thursdays will have one Winter Warmer Dish (with Veg + GF option) @ £8.95.  Fridays and Saturdays will have a wider choice of 3 Starters, 4 Mains and 3 Puddings (see below as an example).

Please do call 01326 340065 to book a table and Nigel and Mike will call back to confirm the booking.

But also please do feel free to drop in for a drink and chat – Nigel has removed a couple of tables from the bar and put back the barrels to allow more “drinking and chatting space”.

Ant has kindly taken over managing the Membership which is £15 per adult for the year.

You can download a membership form here: Social Membership Application or email Ant at admin@pnyc.co.uk and she’ll send you a form. The form tells you what to do. You can pay online, or send a cheque to our home or you can pay by cheque, cash or card at The Club. The support of all of our members is a vital help in keeping The Club going.

Members get 10% off alcoholic drinks at The Club (but you need to let the barman know you are a member!), the right to fly the club burgee (available to members at the cost price of £39.99), use of the club facilities and this marvellous newsletter. We are also putting together a simple chandlery shopping list with our friends at Seaware in Penryn allowing you to buy at Trade Prices + 10%.

Thanks to all of you who came.  It was great to have The Club literally bursting at the seams – one local (who shall remain nameless but who lost his plums last year) tried to get in but it was so full he went home!  Thanks to Mellissa on keyboards and to all those who sang the three Christmas Carols with such gusto.

I promised to let you all know what Alex and Patrizia are doing next.  They are moving across the river but only ten minutes away by boat as they take over the stewardship of The Helford River Sailing Club.  They are starting on the 1st February but please look at the HRSC website for more details – helfordriversc.co.uk

It will be great to have them cooking their wonderful food locally and we wish them every success.

The new treatment plant is very much work in process.

Unfortunately work has stared one week later than agreed but I am assured that The Club’s treatment plant will be in by Thursday !!!!  The work has not been helped by the weather or the fabulous job the original Cornish builders did on building the tank – strong enough to withstand a Korean Nuclear Attack according a to an online assessment that I have carried out in consultation with Hawaiian authorities.

We apologise for blocking up the car park while this work carries on but it really needed to be done.  Once The Club treatment plant has been finished, a separate treatment plant will be fitted under the terrace of Quay House.

Tony and Mike have made good progress on the wall along the beach, including putting in the footings for an additional set of steps to help with access on and off the beach.

19ft Orkney 590TT.  Yamaha 50 petrol engine and Mercury auxiliary engine.  GPS and Fish Finder.  Trailer.  Cover.  Chemical loo.  Available with pontoon mooring at PNYC if wanted.  Perfect day boat for The Helford with cuddy.

Price £10,750.

In a bid to defeat our sewage monster (which raises its unwelcome head after heavy rains) a new treatment plant is being installed between 4th and 16th January. This will mean some disruption to the car park, for which apologies in advance. At the same time we’ll also be replacing the ancient and ailing septic tank of Quay House. This should hopefully improve the slipway. And then we’ll be bang up to date environmentally speaking.

This is a project. Needs work.  20 ft Colvic. Cabin with two berths, loo and cooker.  Inboard diesel engine.  A good home wanted.

Price £500.

SOLD

Nisse Men, the little guys who help Father Christmas sort the presents out (a Danish thing), were caught on CCTV this morning, the 1st December.  It’s a very rare sight and an early sign of Christmas.

My brother-in-law Daniel won last week’s “spot-the-deliberate-newsletter-typo”. He pointed out that baby swans are “cygnets” not “signets”.  Well done Dan! Actually I must apologise for a combination of appalling spelling and, I swear, the occasional auto spell-check correction when I press the publish button. Once I managed to send out a series of emails from Port Navas Watch Cup.   I will try harder not to make mistakes.