Further and fuller details are on the Met's own internet website

Dateline: 26-04-2012

From Phil Onslow:

Dear All,

If you haven’t been washed away by the drought (now that’s an oxymoron) there’s still plenty of sailing to be done. This news comes a bit hot on the heels of last month's, but that was late and I’m away shortly so this is early and there are a few important things to bring to your attention. Details below include information about a really interesting club evening, new sea Survival and SRC Radio courses as well as some other more general information.

Further details are on our internet site but as usual, don’t hesitate to ring the clubline or email if you have any questions or queries.

Club Evening
Clear your diary for Thursday May 17th when we have a club evening at NSY with a guest speaker. Chris and Carol Evans will be giving a presentation entitled, ‘Sailing – Your Dream?’. Chris has sailed extensively all around the world on his own yacht and now acts as a professional advisor to skippers who are looking to undertake extended passages. I’m told by someone who has had a preview of his presentation that it is very interesting and rather than just a lecture, he hopes to be more interactive with his audience.

There is a buffet provided and the event is free for members although a small charge of £5 per person for guests. If you are planning to attend, can you book your place by email with Peter Cox who is the organiser and he can be contacted at petercox@blueyonder.co.uk . We need to get the catering right so that we are not eating egg and cress sandwiches for a month afterwards and also to ensure that you get more than a cheese stick to sustain you during the evening. This should be an interesting club evening of which sadly we have very few so please make every effort to attend and support us.

Sea Survival Course
At last we have managed to get all the bits together to run another Sea Survival Course. These courses are a requirement for those who want to operate commercially and they are of course an opportunity to learn skills which you hope you’ll never need, but they can save your life if things go wrong. It is being held at Hamble and we hope to use our new lounge as a classroom with the obligatory fun and games in the swimming pool nearby, all under the guidance of our own instructor Karoline George. We run very few of these courses and places are limited so if you’re interested, please get in touch my phone or email asap. Course date - Sunday 1st July. Cost £70

SRC Radio
These are a requirement for those who want to charter our rib or yachts and the course leads to the issue of a certificate which lasts a lifetime. With current technology, marine radios have so much to offer and the course also includes information on other safety equipment. The cost of the course, which is being held at NSY is £55 although there is an additional fee of £30 which students have to pay to the RYA for their certificate. The RYA are currently reviewing this course and it is likely to increase in time and cost. Course date – Sunday, 10th June

Club Cruises
These have now started to pick up and some are sole out. As I write, there are spaces on the trip to Weymouth on 18th to 22nd May which provides an opportunity to visit the Olympic Sailing venue, and the return leg of the summer cruise from 8th to 15th July which starts at Cherbourg and finishes at Hamble and we hope can visit the Channel Islands on the way (well sort of on the way but my navigation was never up to much).

Practical Courses
Our Competent Crew and Day Skipper course dates are shown on our internet site and will be running as usual throughout the year. The Competent Crew is ideal for those with little or no experience and as well as being informative, they are great fun. The Day Skipper is there to cater for those who have completed the shorebased course, although this isn’t mandatory if you have sufficient sailing experience. We still have vacancies on the non-assessed Coastal course from 17th to 22nd June. This is a great opportunity for those who have completed the coastal skipper/yachtmaster shorebased course to undertake some slightly longer passages with one of our experienced yachtmaster instructors. There’s a link to some frequently asked questions on the practical course page and I would urge you to have a look, but don’t hesitate to give the clubline a ring if you want more information.

Roger Glass is running his spinnaker handling course from 19th to 21st August for those interested. This is always well received and I get nothing but positive feedback from students of previous courses. Cost £125.

Yacht Charter
Current availability is shown on our internet site, which is regularly updated when changes are made. We’re expecting the summer to be quiet with all that Olympic activity but that may provide opportunities for those not involved to get their choice of dates a bit easier. We’re hopeful that the late summer and early autumn will provide opportunities for members involved with the games to get a bit of sailing in and as with most things, the better you plan ahead, the more chance you will have of getting your dates and also making our planning much easier.

RIB Charter and Courses
Our rib diary is available on a link from our rib charter internet page and this is updated regularly. Danny Buoy is fully up and running and can often be available at short notice which is ideal for those who keep an eye on future weather, although less appealing as I’m currently writing. Course dates are also available and the completion of a level 2 course, which is 2 days, and SRC course, which is just one day, gives you access at very reasonable rates to charter our rib.

Friends and Family
I’m often asked by members if they can bring their wife, partner, son, daughter, father, mother, second cousin once removed or neighbour with them on a course, cruise or charter. Your membership covers your immediate family and our view is that to exclude family members would be divisive and so we positively encourage immediate family to become involved. Distant family and friends can often be accommodated but we sometimes need to make a small extra charge for this as they are not required to pay any membership subs.

Finally, I hope you have a goodtime over the forthcoming Bank Holidays and manage to get in some fun time on the water.

Good Sailing and Fair winds.

Phil Onslow

Dateline: 12-04-2012

From Phil Onslow:

Dear All,

Well a couple of weeks ago I thought it was summer but seems I was a bit premature. All our yachts are now back in commission and we’re hoping for a good season ahead. Our course and cruise programmes are available on the internet so I won’t repeat all of that but I just wanted to highlight a few of the activities below. Our early Bird went well with all 4 yachts out and as far as I can make out, a good time was had. Far be it for me to divulge what went on though.

As usual, our contact details are as shown below if you have any queries. We do have a small problem with our internet site but it should be fully up and running shortly.

Cruises
We’ve just a couple of places left on the Vice Commodores Rally. This should be a good event over the early May bank holiday as I understand that there are some members joining us in their own boats.

Later in May there is the chance to visit Weymouth before the Olympics and as well as experiencing a pleasant extended weekend cruising along the Dorset coast, it’s a chance to visit somewhere out of the Solent and build up the experience and miles.

In June there is our cross channel run where I’m going to turn off all the instruments and see if I can still find France, or whether someone’s recently moved it. Members of the flat earth society are especially welcome on this one.

Finally, a few places on the return leg of our Channel Islands cruise from 8th to 15th July

To book any of these cruises, or to enquire further give the clubline a ring. I don’t bite….well not very hard anyway.

RIB Courses
We’ve rib courses throughout the year although not as many scheduled. We’re fully booked until 9th June though so it you’re wanting to do the entry level course (level 2) then do get in touch soon and we can probably sort dates to suit..

We’ve a couple of dates in April and September for intermediate but to some extent we run these according to demand, so if you’re interested then do give us a ring to register your interest.

Day Skipper Shorebased
Most of our shorebased courses are complete for the winter although there is a space on the Intensive Day Skipper shorebased course from 28th April to 2nd May. This is a really good course and excellent value at £275 including accommodation.

Day Skipper/Competent Crew Practical
Dates for Day Skipper practical are shown on our internet site. Do get your diary out and book early as it’s particularly difficult assessing demand this year and if we don’t get the take up, we have to cancel in good time. We hate cancelling especially as these courses are the cornerstone of our training programme

Module - Day Skipper Refresher
Many members do their day skipper practical but leave it a bit long before their first charter, or in some cases there’s just a gap in their sailing. This 2 day module is an ideal opportunity to brush up on those basic skills.

Sale of ex-MPSC Wet Weathers to members
Following our annual re-stocking of Club Musto wet-weathers there are a limited number of serviceable jackets and salopettes (about 12 of each) which are being offered for sale to MPSC members. All garments are red Musto and between 5-7 years old and showing signs of wear. Most kit is Musto Breathable BR2 but some older items are Musto MPX. Size ranges from Small through to Extra Large and due to disposal of damaged or worn out items there are not always matching sized pairs available.

The jackets are for sale at £20 and the salopettes at £15.

If you are interested in any items please email your requirements to mpsc@hotmail.co.uk by 20 April 2012. If we are oversubscribed a draw will then be made and successful applicants will need to pay by cheque or credit/debit card in order to receive a voucher to collect the goods from the Broadway Base at Hamble.

Any enquiries should be directed to John Bailey .

Round the Island Race
We’ve recently sent out details of the round the island race to those who we have recorded as helping on our maintenance days over the winter. If you did help and haven’t received an invite, please do get in touch.

Yacht Charter
Dates when the yachts are available are shown on our internet site and are updated most days, unless there are no changes. If you are interested in chartering the process is very straightforward. Check for availability and phone the clubline. If you have any queries about charter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re there to help.

Good Sailing

Phil

Dateline: 02-03-2012

From Phil Onslow:

Dear All,

Well the sun is shining and the boats are due to go back in the water tomorrow. Life is good. As the season swings into life, this is a difficult year for us trying to assess members’ demands. The early cruises sold out and we had to lay on extra boats and regrettably disappoint some people.

Below is information on cruising charter, rib, radio and first aid training, and an important snippet on red diesel. Please do your best to support the petition mentioned below. As ever, the internet site and clubline are the fountains of all knowledge so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re here to help.

Practical Training
As well as our regular RYA training courses for all levels from Competent Crew to Yachtmaster, we have also scheduled some short training modules to cover areas where in the past members have requested more input.

Close Quarters Boat Handling – When learning to sail, most people find that the most nerve racking bit is getting the boat into and out of marina and other berths, This course is an ideal opportunity to practice those skills and to push back the boundaries of close quarters sailing as well. Date: 22nd to 24th April. Cost £125

Day Skipper Refresher – We have a busy training programme at Day Skipper level yet many are apprehensive of their first charter. That’s such a shame as the confidence to charter a boat and take it where you want is so rewarding, even if it’s just for an evening at the folly Inn. This module is aimed at those who have done their Day Skipper practical and want a bit more experience or practice. There’s no set syllabus but the instructor will gladly run through any of the areas in which you want more skill and knowledge. Date: 13th to 15th May. Cost £125.

First Aid Course
We have arranged a first aid course at NSY on Sat 31st March. This course is tailored towards sailing and focusses on the type of situation you are likely to encounter when sailing. Cost £55

SRC Radio
We have arranged an SRC radio course for Sunday 25th March at NSY. This course is required for those who use the yachts and rib to enable you to use the VHF radio. The cost is £55

Cruising
Our early cruising has been well supported and instead of the usual 2 boats for the early bird cruise, we have all 4. We still have spaces on the following cruises

18th to 22nd May – Weymouth Experience

10th to 15th June – Cross Channel the Traditional Way

1st to 8th July – Hamble to Cherbourg (they’re the changeover points, but it is a Channel Islands cruise)

8th to 15th July – Cherbourg to Hamble (that’s likely to go via the Channel Islands as well)

Chartering
Despite the cold weather, we hope to launch the boats on time this Friday and have them in service from the middle of March. After the favourable comments about the excellent work done by Stuart Davis to refurbish the cushions and boards on Blue Spirit, we have taken the plunge and had Sapphire tarted up a bit. She looks really good. Whilst most things seem to be going up in price, we’ve kept the charter rates for our boats the same as last year so that’s good news in a year of probable austerity. Pride has been in service throughout the winter and will be lifted in the spring for a bit of antifoul and maintenance. In general terms, the boats are working well and are in good order. My thanks go to all those who helped by attending working parties. Our charter availability is usually updated daily on the internet site although if there are no new bookings the date may be a few days in the past. To reserve a yacht, it’s just a simple phone call to the clubline.

RIB Activities
We’ve scheduled in our usual programme of Level 2 and intermediate rib courses. Level 2 is suitable for novices and those with little experience, whilst intermediate requires some pre course knowledge. With the Olympics, it’s difficult for us to assess demand this year so it would be helpful to us and avoid disappointment to you if bookings were made in good time.

On the charter front, the internet site contains an easy to read diary which shows when she is available and it’s worth bearing in mind that we can often take charters at short notice which is always useful if you’re at a loose end and the forecast is good.

Red Diesel
Well does it really matter what colour your diesel is. Well yes it does and if the proposals put forward by the government this week go ahead, it will render any yachtsman who travels abroad liable to prosecution if they have red diesel in their tank. Can I urge you all to visit our internet site, click on the link on the news page and sign the petition. This is an important issue.

Good Sailing to you all

Phil Onslow

Dateline: 07-02-2012

From Phil Onslow:

Dear All,

As we start an Olympic year, I know that leave and other demands on your time are going to be difficult and take their toll. We still want to provide the right level of service to our club members so please help us to do this by making your views known early. We’ve slightly front loaded the early part of the season as we’re expecting things to be quiet for us (but busy for you) later on.

When I speak to members on the phone there is sometimes some confusion in relation to our web sites so let me try and clarify things for you. The internal intranet site has basic information and can be used to get booking forms etc. to confirm courses, charter etc. We don’t tend to put too much time sensitive information here as it is more difficult to update.

As well as the general information, the external internet site carries up to date information about news items, charter availability for yachts and rib and is updated most days and has the advantage that it is available to you at home or even on your smartphone. I really must join 21st century myself sometime.

As usual don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries or require further information.

Working Parties
We still need volunteers for some of our working party dates and especially so on 3rd March which is just after the boats are launched. We have to get all the cushions and kit back on board and it’s definitely a case of many hands making light work. If that date’s not convenient 18th and 25th Feb are also dates when help would be good. If you’re able to assist, please let me know on the clubline. It saves me having to grovel closer to the date and I know you’ll all hate to see a grown man cry. We buy you lunch in the Waters Edge and enter your name in the crew list for Round the Island race in June when we hope the weather will be a bit warmer.

Cruises
Despite the temperature out there, the sailing season is close to starting and there are some excellent cruises on offer. The season starter is well supported and we have increased the number of boats from 2 to 4 for this so it should be a good party in the evening. There are a couple of places if anyone is still interested. The dates are 23rd to 25th March and the cost is only £99

Following on from that is the Easter Cruise and is scheduled to run from 5th to 9th May which rather luckily for us covers the Easter period. At £150 it represents excellent value and is a good opportunity to get a few more miles and experience under your belt whilst enjoying a bit (or maybe a lot) of socialising.

The early season would not be complete without the Vice Commodores Rally. This will run in the normal format with places available on our club boats, whilst boat owners are very welcome to bring their boat and join in. If there is a group of you, some members have in the past chartered other boats and joined in the festivities which are once again being organised by Vic George. Contact Vic or the club if interested in bringing your own or chartered boat whilst places on club boats can be booked in the normal way through the clubline. Further details will be published when finalised.

Shorebased Day Skipper
As our evening classes come to an end, our 5 day intensive shorebased Day Skipper classes are about to start. These courses are based at Hamble and we provide accommodation there for you. They run from Saturday morning to Wednesday afternoon and there is also a free day sailing on the Thursday for those able. The cost (including accommodation) is just £275 and the available dates are 31st March to 4th April and 28th April to 2nd May.

Practical Course Opportunities
As well as our RYA practical courses for Competent Crew, Day Skipper, coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Exam Prep, we have a selection of training modules as follows.

22nd to 24th April – Close Quarters Boat Handling

13th to 15th May – Day Skipper Refresher

Many experienced and competent sailors find their biggest concern is that tight marina berth, so this is a good opportunity to practice that and other close manoeuvres. The refresher is ideal for those who have passed their day skipper and would like a little more practice under the direction of an instructor before they push the boat out so to speak and charter themselves. The two day courses are £125.

SRC Radio
A further SRC Radio course has been arranged. This is a requirement for yacht and rib charters but once completed, it is valid for life. The cost is £55 (plus £30 to the RYA for the issue of the certificate) and the new date is 23rd March.

Yacht Charter
Provided Jack Frost gives us a bit of a brake in the weather, the yachts will all be available for charter from 16th March. Before this date, Pride is available at the special winter rate of £100 per day or £250 for a weekend, and I’m assured that the heater works very efficiently.

RIB Courses
We have a programme of level 2 and intermediate rib courses scheduled for this year. The first level 2 is due to run on 24th and 25th March and still has places. Some later courses are already booked.

Intermediate course dates are 23rd and 24th April and 27th and 28th September.

Further details on the Rib courses page of the internet site.

Good Sailing

Phil

Dateline: 01-01-2012

From Phil Onslow:

Dear All,

Well I hope you all had a good Christmas and new year and managed to get up to all of the things that you know you shouldn’t have but which are so much fun. Wouldn’t life be dull if we all conformed all of the time.

The good news is that the days are now getting longer and that’s going to continue till June so let’s make the most of it as now’s a good time to plan ahead for a year which will no doubt be greatly affected by the Olympics and the constraints on time off, so why not sort something early. I’ve included rather a lot this month including details of our shorebased and practical training opportunities as well as out cruise programme and some important information regarding enhanced family membership.

I’ve done some updating recently and there may be some of you who were omitted from our circulation list. Hope all is right now. As a useful guide, I usually send out an information mail close to the first of the month. If you don’t receive it (and want to) then do get in touch. I have around 2000 addresses to send it to so occasionally something falls of the end.

Those of you who visit the London Boat Show this year, do look in and say hello at the Cruising Chute/Spinnaker demonstration I have the pleasure of doing again this year. It does mean that you won’t get me on the clubline for many periods during the day but leave a message and I’ll get back to you promptly.

Internet www.mpsc.uk.com                Email mpsc@hotmail.co.uk              Clubline 020 8643 4292

Shorebased Day Skipper
We have laid on a number of intensive Day Skipper shorebased classes in the spring. These are held in our classroom at Hamble and we provide accommodation for you for the duration of the course. This is especially suitable for those who aren’t able to get to evening classes regularly and is suitable to you if you’ve little experience and want to improve your theory knowledge before embarking on some more practical sailing. The cost including accommodation is £275 for the 5 days and the dates are.

17th to 21st March
31st March to 4th April
28th April to 2nd May

At the end of this period, there is an optional days free sailing.

Weekend Yachtmaster Shorebased Classes
We have arranged a weekend Yachtmaster shorebased course to be held at NSY. You must be able to make all of the dates and they are

11th & 12th February, 25th & 26th February, 10th & 11th March. To reserve your place, please contact the clubline.

Practical Courses
Our practical courses for competent Crew, Day Skipper and coastal Skipper will be starting in April. These courses are the cornerstone of our training programme and a Day Skipper practical is all that you need to charter our yachts. We also have a programme of 2 day training modules which are ideal for developing skills. See the training page on our internet site for dates and further details.



Working Parties
An important factor in keeping our yachts available and reliable for members relates to the winter maintenance program. It keeps the cost of courses, charter and cruises down as well. We have working parties scheduled for the following dates and if anyone can help on any of the dates, please let us know, preferably in good time so we can schedule the tasks to the number of volunteers. You don’t need any special skills and we provide lunch for you and enter your name as potential crew for the Round the Island Race und unlike the majority of advertised draws, we have 4 boats worth of places to fill so you have a good chance of selection. We really need some more volunteers on the following dates:-

7th January
14th January
21st January
28th January
4th February
11th February
18th February
25th and 26th February
3rd March

If you are able to help on any of these dates, please contact the clubline.



Advanced Rib Course
We currently have no advanced rib courses scheduled as we lay these on subject to demand. I have been approached by a member requesting a course in early spring. If there are any others who are interested in such a course, give the clubline a ring or email and we’ll sort out suitable dates.

Cruises
As usual we have a varied cruising programme for 2012. We start off with a short weekend early bird cruise from 23rd to 25th March which is a comfortable way to start the season and shake out those cobwebs. The cost is only £99.

We’ve a cruise organised for Easter. This used to be one of our most heavily subscribed events of the year with many members chartering boats. We now only use out club yachts but we have set aside two of them from Thursday evening 5th April to Monday 9th April.

Later cruises include our Vice Commodores Rally, a trip to Weymouth, the Olympic venue for sailing, our summer cruise to the Channel Islands and of course Cowes Fireworks. More details are shown on our internet site.

Charters
The availability of our yachts and rib is shown on our internet site and is regularly updated. Danny Buoy is available during the winter as is Pride which has a fantastic heating system. These can both be reserved at short notice on the basis of a phone call to the clubline. What is clear is that most members are likely to have severe restrictions on their leave during 2012 so this may place greater demand on the availability outside the Olympic period. If you book early, you stand greater chance of getting the dates you want and it makes it so much easier for us to manage. For those who may not have chartered before, have a read of the following item about support from club members on their first charter.

“We have had a very positive response to last month’s request for volunteers to assist newly qualified Day Skippers make the leap to completing their first charter, so thank you to all those who responded. We all remember our first charter and recognize at the club that having completed your Day Skipper practical course you are often faced with the prospect of taking out one of the boats for the first time with a crew made up of your partner and a couple of friends. That crew is likely to be low on experience and you find yourself going from a crew made up of three other Day Skippers and an Instructor to one made up of first time Sailors. The club has a cadre of volunteers whose experience varies but will be at least Day Skipper and will have completed many charters on their own who are willing to come out on your first charter as moral support. They are neither instructors nor will they take over your charter but are fellow club members who are happy to help you through the challenge of your first charter. If you are interested in borrowing one of our “First Mates” for your charter please contact Peter Cox at petercox@blueyonder.co.uk likewise if you are interested in adding your name to our volunteer list please e-mail Peter”

Introduction of Family Plus Membership
At their meeting on 5 December the MPSC Executive Committee passed a resolution to alter the Club Byelaws from 1st January 2012 to introduce a Family Plus category of Family membership. Family Plus membership will be available upon application to one immediate family member per Full, Life or Associate Member for the Full member annual subscription fee applicable at the time of application. Family Plus membership will afford all the membership benefits of Associate Membership, i.e. chartering MPSC boats providing they fulfil the charter conditions prescribed. The annual subscription fee will be payable by Standing Order. The Executive Committee reserve the right to consider each application and to suspend the Family Plus membership category if appropriate.

A Family Plus application form is available to download from the useful documents page of the club website or if you email us we can send you one.

The existing free Family Membership category will continue unchanged whereby family members may attend MPSC courses or book club cruises etc.

FridgesRus
We’re looking to refit the kitchen area at the base and wondered if any member has a low level fridge to replace the current one. We’ll arrange transport if it’s suitable. If you have one then do get back to us.

Happy New Year and I hope you have good sailing weather in 2012

Phil Onslow
Ops Manager MPSC

Previous entries pertaining to this page:

1st September, 2005 - 1st December, 2009

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Club hotline: 020 8643 4292              Email:  mpsc@hotmail.co.uk