Roycv, ya sound like a wise man…. Perhaps years of wisdom. 🤓🤔

To Cdnfurball, Hi you have made a fundamental error! Just turn up and sail your boat, should anyone say No ask them where it says you can't.
I agree with not using fishing lakes as there is an element of cross infection but otherwise just ask why they are saying No.
I am a bit old now and can limp when ever needed!
I remember on TV a group of motor car apprentices from British Leyland were invited to go to Munich to see the new owners.
There advice was that if you wanted to do anything (in Germany, been there and know what happens) do not ask, the answer is always No. Just do it and ask back why can't I do it?
regards
Roy

Hello Peter. thank you for letting me know about the water in Paignton. That's worth a look. It is just a shame I can't find anything closer to home.

Greg 👍

Hello Dave. Very interesting comments you have made. You certainly haven't discouraged me. My comments about display models and dry dock were a bit tongue in cheek. I will sail even if it means filling the bath!😁

Greg 👍

Hi Greg.
There is a very nice pond at Goodrington beach park in Paignton. In the summer it is used for peddle swans but they are not there until June. The Torbay RC boat club used to be there many years ago. It is quite large and perfect for your needs. I am not sure about permissions but I am sure that I have never seen the RC boat police there. Take a chance and launch. What can they say other than” hey mate, not allowed them there boats ere mate”
Peter.😊

Hi Greg
I agree with your comments re H&S but we have allowed a culture of blame to thrive with lawyers only too happy to chase any claim. My Club has to prove for our Insurance to be valid, that we have evaluated the risks and record half yearly inspections and any action taken.
As an ex flyer I agree with you and Colin most scale (non fast racing) models are unlikely to cause injury but if an individual (say a child) trips/falls and lands on your model and it has sharp points (mast, rigging etc) then injury could occur. You could be in a roped off area but still be held liable for the lack of control by the parent or guardian.
I was not trying to discourage you from using the canal or river ( not a good idea in my opinion) but merely pointing out my own clubs experience. As a sole sailor they may well allow with certain conditions so it might be worth at least making a phone call, they were polite and helpful.
Don't give up just yet, I'm sure there will be somewhere where you can sail.
dave

Colin I totally agree about health and safety having gone mad. As a fireman we had so many H&S rules we supposed to abide by that if applied there would have been a lot more casualties and a lot less successful rescues if we had followed them all.

Yes, flying is more dangerous than boating. Logic tells you that if you are flying and people come to use the facilities of the park then you stop flying. But I have heard that unfortunately some don't stop and have caused injury which, of course, give the hobby a bad name and contributes to the banning of flying at the park in question.

Now, what could go wrong with boating. You might bump into a duck. Apart from hurting the ducks feelings not much else can go wrong. So I fail to understand why most venues will not allow you to sail or run a boat on their waters.

Greg 👍

Hi Greg, I used to fly, but gave up as I was crashing more than landing. But I have lived all over the country and always asked the local parks department for permission details before flying.
So far everywhere I've been has allowed flying, some even allowed ic engined flying, but all allowed hand line flight which I really enjoyed trying to chop the trailing paper ribbon from my opponents plane as we circled side by side.
And as far as I know planes are far more dangerous than our model boats.
H and S gone mad.
Cheers Colin.

Hello Dave. Licences and risk assessments. Call me old fashion but it seems that we can't do anything in case things go wrong. I found out recently that companies like BT and British Gas if called to your property the person who arrives at your residence has to do a risk assessment before they get out of the van. If I go to a canal and fall in and drown surely that is my fault for being stupid in the first place and falling in!😁

So from what you have said it seems that the river near my home and the Exeter canal may be non-starters then.

I am now down to one venue to check which is, as mentioned in an earlier post on this subject, the pond in the gardens of Exeter University. If, and I'm beginning to believe it will be, not allowed because I don't have the correct bit of paper. That I am likely to commit suicide by drowning. That overhead cables are not at the correct meterage above the ground. That the ducks are not wearing protective clothing then I will be forced to remain in dry dock indefinitely. The boats I have built and yet to build will look love dotted around the house as display models. When I decided at 74 to start the hobbies of RC model boats and RC model aircraft before it was too late for me I didn't even consider the problems I would incur.

I think I will just stick to RC small glider flying in the recreation ground some couple of hundred yards from my house. At least what they call Park Flying is allowed as I have checked with my parish council and they have said that flying is an acceptable recreation. I was shocked and had to ask the man to repeat himself as I thought I had misheard. I was expecting to be told no!!!!

Greg 👍

Hi Greg
I hear what you are saying re Clubs so understand your reluctance to join a local club.
My own club welcome all new and prospective members and encourage them as best we can, including allowing them to sail as a visitor for three sailing sessions so they can be satisfied that the lake and company is suitable for their purpose. Club activities consist mainly of sailing our models, helping others and generally putting the world to rights, as well as meeting on a regular basis and enjoying each others company.
Canals and Rivers are controlled by the Canal and River Trust and I suggest you make contact to see if you require a licence to use their waters. My own club did consider using a canal basin as a club but decided against as we would have had to pay to have a risk assessment before each session and pay a fee to use the water.
Good luck with finding somewhere safe to sail your model.
dave976

Hello Colin,

Thank you for your encouraging comments. When I have my first boat ready and the weather is warmer I might run some trials on our little river here near my house and then I'm off to the canal. 😁

Greg 👍

Hello Bill,

Thank you for your comments.

Yes I agree. I tried to do the right thing by contacting venues with pond or lakes which sort of backfiring on me with the number of people saying no. I know I am going to be told off for saying this but apart from having had previous bad experiences I am too old to start getting involved club activities. Like when I used to fish. All I wanted to do was to go to a venue and fish. Quietly lost in my own world.

I will be exploring the possibility of using the local canal but I won't be contacting the council as I first planned to do.

I am at the moment finishing off building Aeronaut's cabin cruiser Diva. I also have ordered the Bobabout and the Wee Nip so some fun to come.

Greg 👍

Hi Greg, your situation is very common for a lot of areas throughout Britain.
I always take a couple of boats when on holidays or away visiting friends and relatives.
As I also suffer with arthritis and a few other problems related to us oldies, finding suitable venues has become more difficult.
But on the plus side I have never been told sailing isn't allowed on the canals, in fact I was actually asked if I could provide some models at a canals trust open day.
Even on the Exeter canal I was pleased to note a small appreciative crowd watching my boats.
Many clubs have welcomed me to use their waters and always enjoyed the knowledge shared.
So if I'm out with a boat and see suitable water I will have a go, never been asked to leave as yet, so fingers crossed for the future.
Keep sailing shipmate, cheers Colin.

Hi, Greg,
I'm in a similar position, a tad older than you, returning to the hobby, about to complete a Bobabout footy and then start on a Wee Nip.
Life's too short, my friend. Just find a suitable pond, or canal, (Google Earth might help), put it in, and hope for the best. What's the worst that can happen?
I know that probably sounds a bit irresponsible in this day and age, but you're not going to do much damage with a 70 cm model yacht.
Unless you fall in, that is!
Alternatively, and I've been thinking about this seriously, if you have a big enough back garden, perhaps get hold of as big a paddling pool as you can like some clubs use at shows.
Just a thought.
Wishing you well.
Bill.

We here in the Toronto (Ontario, Canada) area are a bit challenged for sailing venues at the moment. Our favoured site near the mouth of the Humber River had 3 ponds. The largest had a launch/retrieve dock just an inch above the pond surface. A row of trees about 50' or so along the one edge was kept manicured by the City so as not to interfere with sailing wind from that prevailing direction. The other 2 ponds were smaller but still adequate for electrics, with a wooden walk all round . Many years ago an herbicide was applied to the 3 ponds so that they were not choked with weeds by mid-July. We are in year 2 or 3 of these ponds being shut down for redevelopment, no end in sight. We can only hope that our modelling needs will be met in the reincarnation.
For the moment we are sailing out of public launch ramps at Bluffers Park (the Scarborough Bluffs are Toronto's near-equivalent to the White Cliffs of Dover). This is not ideal as we compete with 1:1 scale vessels coming off trailers or being hauled in. Some of these boaters ignore the prominent "NO WAKE" sign for the basin. When the wind is just right (wrong?) significant lake waves come in the narrow inlet passage to Lake Ontario. Paid parking is several hundred feet inland from the 2 ramps as the prime near-shore parking is reserved for vehicles pulling trailers. Fines for mis-use are quite stiff, $100++, with near-constant Bylaw Enforcement. Payment for parking time is by creditcard only, in advance, you hav to guess how long you might be there.
30 minutes drive further to the west there are 2 venues in Mississauga: Lakefront Promenade, & Crookes Park. Even paid parking is at a premium on weekends, & it's a long walk from your vehicle to the water.

BTW after sailing alone for 30yr here & at a cottage 'way up north I hav now joined METRO MARINE MODELLERS for the fellowship of meetings & the companionship near water.

MMM rents a pool (in a city recreation centre) for an hour several times during the winter so that we hav an opportunity to run electric RC models during the long cold Canadian winter.

Neil. Just had an email back from the Exeter club saying that they don't sail on the canal. That was all there was. "They don't sail on the canal". The email did not even say who it was from in the club. Just the one liner.

Greg 👍

Neil I agree. I would not know where my book is either. I have not used cheques for years. Personally I think the payment method to the club is a little behind the times. They are not the only ones though. I belong to the National Association of Retired Fighters and although they do take subs by standing order payment if you want to by anything from the shop you can't buy online and you have to send a cheque for payment. I wanted to by an enamel an enamel fire service poppy pin/badge to wear before Remembrance Day but they would not accept a transfer so I finished up send the cash by post. Not the best choice.

I wonder if the club think if they give out their bank details you are going to rob them blind!😁 Bank security is much much better now days.

Greg 👍

Hello Dave. Thank you for your thoughts. Concerning what you have said about the bank transfer. I don't know whether the account the club holds is a business account which if it is may well be charged a fee for each transfer they receive or make but if the club's finances are run on a personal account then there are no charges for transfers and online banking is also free of charge.

With regards to belong to a club, as I have said I joined two hobby clubs some years ago and had bad experiences with both of them which put me off clubs for life. I would have been prepared to join the local club despite the lack of help in becoming a member if the club waters were nearer and open to members more than just three times a week.

Greg 👍

Greg, I know the issue with the cheques, I have to get my father to pay for me as I have no idea where my cheque book is. I think the only thing he uses a cheque book for is to pay the annual subscription.

Greg,

It is entirely possible that the club simply cannot afford the technology/infrastructure to handle bank transfers. I belong to several clubs here in the states and we have looked into the possibility of accommodating bank transfers and discovered that the upfront and ongoing costs make it prohibitive for us.
Have you considered using what we call a Cashiers Check (I think in the UK you call them Bankers Draft)? That seems to be a simple solution to the dilemma.

I, too, am in my 70's and although I live on a lake I choose to belong to a club because I find experiencing the hobby with a group of like-minded people quite enjoyable. Besides the comradery, I have found that sharing and learning knowledge is quite fulfilling. I gladly drive the 70+ miles to the club pond for the opportunity to gather with fellow club members. An unintentional benefit is that if one should experience a problem with a boat there are a group of people to help retrieve it!

I encourage you to reconsider your aversion to joining a club. I have found that it enhances my enjoyment of the hobby.

Dave B

Thank you Trev. You do look cold in your picture. I hate the cold. I've always said that was one of the reasons I became a firefighter!😁

Greg 👍

My Sentiments Exactly!
Trev

Is this a problem with the West Country? The club here in Exeter only uses the lake three times a week. I don't know whether the reason is because they don't want to pay for anymore than three days or that they are only allowed three days by the owners?

I have asked the club via email today if they use the canal. Although they were very quick to respond with not accepting bank transfers for membership fees they have yet to reply to my question about using Exeter canal.

Greg 👍

Have the same problem here in Bristol lots of lakes in the parks but can't sail in them have to go to Clevedon or portershead to sail 20 .+ miles each way and £££ to park the car

Neil. Thanks for the invite. It may not be possible because the Arthritis I mentioned causes me a lot of pain when driving. That is why I asked about the canal as it is not so much of a distance for me. Although my Arthritis is an ongoing problem I have had two lots of surgery and I am expecting another anytime soon so I hope some more relief is on the way.😀

Actually, I have just been in contact via email with the club. It says on the membership application form to send them a cheque for the fees. I explained that I don't use cheques anymore and could I transfer the fee via banker transfer. I was told that they don't offer bank transfer as an option and that I would have to visit the lake when open and pay in cash.

I may have mentioned when I introduced my sell to the forum that, although sociable, I am not a club person as I have had in the past two bad experiences in joining hobby clubs and the above about not accepting bank transfers and having to drive all the way to the lake on the off chance that someone would be there to accept my cash never mind having to find somewhere to get the cash in the first place as I live in a rural location was not very helpful and encouraging to a new member. With help like that I wonder why people think me strange not wanting to join clubs!


Greg 👍

Greg, my 84 year old father only started building about 5 years ago, he was having so much fun I thought I’d join in.

Do come down to the lake in the spring if you can, you don’t have to be a member, I think there’s a £2 day rate.

Neilw. Thank you, that would be very helpful. Although I did say that being 74 I thought it a bit late in life to get involved with a club I do have a membership application form. But where the club waters are is a 30 to 45 minute drive for me and after the journey my Arthritic hands would be useless for an hour or two. A down side of getting old! 😁

Greg 👍

I am also sure that I would get positive comments as well. Most people like to see model boats sailing or model aircraft flying. I certainly do. I find it fascinating. Perhaps doing the right thing by asking permission was doing the wrong thing. Perhaps I should just turn up. Those people who had the curtesy to reply, some didn't, to my emails were nice and apologetic about not allowing the use of their waters. Some said that it was due to the disturbance I would make with my boats although in every email I sent I explained that the boats to be sailed would only either have an electric motor or be wind powered by sail and not be power boats or racing boats. Others said it was down to their insurance not covering the use of model boats.

Perhaps I should scout out a suitable section of the Exeter canal and give it a go. If I get told to leave I'll just go home looking suitably embarrassed and ready to return another day.😁

I think sailing in the sea for me as a novice might meet with some disaster until I become competent with operating of RC boats and yachts. I also think that I might take a recce to the university pond to see if it is suitable. Then I can ask for permission.

Have anyone got any comments about using the river near my home? As I said in the spring and summer months it has sections that are slow running and overall the river is not that wide. The good thing about the river for me is that I can walk to it in just a few minutes. Having said that, if I do use the river I will have do some sort of depth finding in the section I choose when using one of the yachts I will be building.

Greg 👍

My local lake os public so no worries here but I am in our local club too, it's only a fiver a year. Couldn't you join your local club just to gain access to the lake? You don't nescessarily have to participate in all the club stuff. When I go away anywhere I usually have a boat in the car and I just rock up at the first bit of water I see and have a sail. If not allowed someone will let you know. I have never had a problem to be honest.

I’m a member of the Exeter and District club, yet to attend but my father has been a member for a few years. I know the club did an event on the canal a while back, I’ll be speaking to him at the weekend and find out the details as I think the canal wanted to encourage more activity.

I’ll be at the club with my dad when the lake opens in March, probably on Fridays as it is quieter than the Sundays.

I have found, the older you get the easier it becomes to ask for “ forgiveness “ instead of permission.

There is a pond near a vacation spot we like, I inquired about running a 7.2 volt slow as molasses trawler there. “ no sir you can’t due to insurance issues “…. I responded back to the fact “ families might take interest and get involved. A family outing on a Sunday afternoon or similar, like 100 years ago
Government & bureaucracy wanted $100 to apply for a permit. Goooood thing she couldn’t read minds ( but the probably be another $100 too )🤔

I've never had an issue anywhere. Just turned up to a pond and sailed as my boats cause little to no environmental impact and people enjoy watching them. Maybe if it was a nature reserve then yes there could be an issue though public ponds, canals the sea I've never had anything but positive comments 🙂