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Home / Club / Dinghy, Tender and Kayak Storage Arrangements 2024
Home / Club / Dinghy, Tender and Kayak Storage Arrangements 2024

Dinghy, Tender and Kayak Storage Arrangements 2024

This page explains:

Background

We ask our members to apply online each year for the boat storage space(s) they want for the following year - see here. The application window is given lots of publicity but is quite short so please don't miss it. Plaques issued for the previous season are no longer renewed automatically so a failure to return the online Form within the application window could well mean you won't obtain a boat plaque and will instead have to join a waiting list for any spaces that may become available during the season.

In 2023 we sold virtually all the Club's available boat storage spaces. We appreciate it's a hassle having to fill in this Form each year but need you to do so to enable us to share out the limited spaces fairly. If you do miss the window you will need to join a waiting list by writing to the Club Secretary with your request. In these cases there's no guarantee of a plaque and, even if one does become available, this might not happen until well into the new season.

WWSC boat plaques are not transferable and are only valid for the boat to which they are issued. So, if you're considering changing your boat(s) or acquiring additional boats in the expectation they can be kept at the Club, you are strongly advised to let us know. If you can, do please tell us of these plans in the online Form but, whatever you do, please check first with the Club Secretary that a suitable space is available before buying a new boat in the expectation you will be able to keep it at the Club.

Boat Plaques

  1. All craft stored in Club locations require an annual "plaque" which must be affixed to the boat in a readily visible position even when the cover is on.
  2. Each plaque is uniquely numbered and the number is registered against a specific, named boat. The plaque number signifies the storage location area where that boat may be kept.
  3. Plaques can only be transferred to another boat with the agreement of the Club and so members need to contact the Club Secretary to request this. Unfortunately due to the limitations on space, it may well not be possible to accommodate these requests so you are advised to ensure your Plaque etc. Request Form is as accurate as possible and reflects your plans for the following season.
  4. The type of plaque must be appropriate to the boat it to which it is issued. With the exception of tenders and kayaks (which may only be kept on the Tender Chains and the Rack, respectively) all boats applying for plaques must be sailing dinghies.

Storage Locations (see diagrams at top and bottom of the page)

WWSC offers members the following locations for keeping their boats (charges are agreed at the AGM so 2024 rates are shown):

  1. Premium chains (£92/y) - These spaces are on the main section of the Club chains on the Hard running between the ramp down onto the Hard until the second set of steps. Premium chains plaques are suitable for sailing dinghies larger than Lasers that are kept on launching trolleys with their masts up. Boats and trolleys need to be secured carefully with the bow aligned to the tag marking the space on the chain. Premium chains plaques are in a series numbered between "001" and "060".
  2. Upper chains (£66/y) - These spaces are on the section of chains located between the second set of steps and the sluice-gate wall at the far end of the Hard. Upper chains plaques are suitable for Lasers, Picos, Toppers (and other similar sized sailing dinghies) kept on launching trolleys with masts up or down. Boats and trolleys need to be secured carefully with the bow aligned to the tag marking the space on the chain. Upper chains plaques are in a series numbered "2xx".
  3. Tender chains (£40/y) - These are spaces on the sections of chain located further down the beach (see diagram at bottom of page). Only tenders no longer than 3m, bow to stern, may be kept on the Tender chains. Tenders must be secured fore and aft, noting that allowance must be made for them floating at high water. A line no longer than 1.5m is recommended. Tenders must not be secured in a way that obstructs the gaps left to permit boats on the main chains to access the water. Tender plaques are in a series numbered between "061" and "110".
  4. Car park: Laser Zone (£66/y) - These are spaces in specific areas of the Club car park allocated to Lasers and Picos. Boats must be kept on launching trolleys (so they can be moved to permit grass cutting), with masts down and not protruding. Laser zone plaques are in a series numbered "3xx".
  5. Car park: Topper Zone (£66/y) - These are spaces in specific areas of the Club car park allocated to Toppers. Boats must be kept on launching trolleys (so they can be moved to permit grass cutting), with masts down and not protruding. Topper zone plaques are in a series numbered "4xx".
  6. Car park: SailQube/Oppie Zone (£66/y) - These are spaces in specific areas of the Club car park allocated to SailQubes and Oppies. Boats must be kept on launching trolleys (so they can be moved to permit grass cutting), with masts down and not protruding. SailQube/Oppie zone plaques are in a series numbered "5xx".
  7. Car park: Kayak rack (£66/y) - These are spaces in and under the racks located near the Club House. Craft stored on or under these racks mustn't be so long that they obstruct access to the Club lean-to and engine store. Kayak plaques are in a series numbered "6xx".

A chart posted in the car park shows how boats are to be arranged in the various car park zones and these zones are also marked "on the ground" with coloured symbols pinned to the fence. By grouping boats of the same design together rather than allowing them to be arranged randomly we are able to fit more within our limited space. We rely on member co-operation to make this work! Do not place your dinghy in the area marked as reserved for Club boats.

As explained above, the plaque number is linked to a specific location and type of plaque. This means it is vital that you attach the right plaque to the right boat. If a boat does not have a plaque entitling it to be in the designated zone, we will require the member to remove it. Also, the plaque number must match the boat to which it was issued. Members who change boats during the season and therefore require a different plaque or need an existing plaque to be transferred to a new boat must request this by emailing the Club Secretary. Please note, it may well not be possible to accommodate such requests due to limits on capacity.

Our ranking system for plaque allocations

The pressure on boat storage space and the need to allocate it fairly among members is what led to our new process. At the heart of this is a move away from a system where members could hold onto their plaques indefinitely (irrespective of how many plaques they might hold) by simply renewing them each year. Instead we now require members to request the plaques they really need ahead of each new season so the Club can take all of these into account as part of allocating our limited space fairly.

The Committee has agreed the principles we should follow in ranking requests where there is insufficient capacity to meet every request received. These principles build on what members told us when we asked them about boat storage in our 2 surveys:

  • All requests received via our online Form within the "application window" will be treated equally (i.e. speed of response will not be a factor)
  • An individual membership cannot request more than 5 plaques.
  • Where a membership asks for more than one plaque, the requests must be prioritised (1-5)
  • When ranking requests, a higher priority request (e.g. "priority 1") will normally come ahead of one at a lower priority (e.g. "priority 2"). This will prevent one membership gaining lots of plaques at the expense of others.
  • Where 2 requests are of the same priority, we will take the frequency of boat use into account, as well as whether or not the declared "main user" of that boat has also requested and been allocated other plaques.
  • The Committee will have discretion to adjust rankings in cases where a membership has demonstrably contributed to the Club - e.g. through a record of volunteering or providing other support. The Committee feels this type of behaviour needs to be encouraged.
  • Requests received after the application window closes will be placed on a waiting list until it is clear that all the requests received via the online Form can be satisfied. They will be dealt with in the order they are received and will use the approach above.

Recording boat use

With support from members we are using "boat use frequency" as one of the criteria to rank requests for plaques. We are working to improve the reliability of this boat use data. The data on boats entering races and taking part in organised events is good but doesn't include the private sailing that is a very important element of almost all members activities. To address this, in July 2021 we implemented a new "private boat use" recording system and this captures a lot of additional boat use. We remind members about this system at the beginning of each year.

Evidence from this new register will be only one of several factors taken into account when we allocate next year's plaques. It will not on its own determine decisions. These are the key things to note about the Boat Use Register:

  • You don't have to use the new Register. However, if you choose not to and we have no other evidence that you are using your sailing dinghy, this could affect your chances of being allocated a plaque next season.
  • You don't need to record occasions where you are using your sailing dinghy as part of an organised Club event e.g. taking part in a Club race or a Club training event. The sign-in/results sheets for racing and the tickets sold for our training events will provide this record and we will use this information instead.
  • The Register is a pad on which you write the date and the details of the boat you are using (including its plaque no. if you have been allocated one). It will be kept inside the Hut (or left outside on busy days).
  • You MUST complete the entry on the day you use your boat. We will ignore entries not appearing in date order or which appear to have been added out of sequence.
  • The Register only applies to sailing dinghies. You can ignore it if you are using a tender, a yacht on a mooring, or a kayak.

How to place/secure your boat

All boats must have a valid WWSC plaque and Chichester Harbour dues sticker clearly visible. We check these regularly so help us by placing these where they can be seen easily and remove old stickers to avoid confusion.

On the Hard

All boats kept on the chains need to be aligned against a space marker tag. If a tag is missing (as sometimes happens) you will need to estimate where it should have been.

It is really important that all boats kept on the Hard are properly secured. At spring tides all boats are lifted and, if inadequately tied down, will be at risk of moving off their trollies and crashing into their neighbours - potentially causing damage. To avoid this, use 3 lines to secure boats/trollies to the chains at bow and stern (labelled 2 in diagram above) and another to keep boat and trolley together (line 1 above running from the trolley on one side over the boat to the trolley on the other side). At the stern, lines MUST be rigged diagonally to prevent the trolley (and boat) from swinging sideways.

Remember to allow enough scope on any lines holding the boat down to allow for floating - this is more a problem if the chains near you are tight than if they have some flex and is essential for tenders which may rise by as much as 1 metre at the highest of tides.

In the Car Park

In the car park boats need to be placed as close together as possible and aligned as shown in the posted diagrams. All boats must be on working trollies - we have to move them every time the grass is cut. Masts must be taken down.

Last updated 21:07 on 11 March 2024

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